I've been making this Ranch Mashed Cauliflower recipe for years, and every time I whip it up, I wonder why I haven't shared it yet! You might be wondering why you should trust my mashed cauliflower recipe when you've tried 111 times so many previously and they've all turned out a soupy mess…
Well, I have a husband with a fierce love of mashed potatoes, the kind of love for a food that rivals his love for our unborn child. Yep, it's intense. Being that he specifically requests this Ranch Mashed Cauliflower recipe over the real thing means this recipe is well worth your time in making.
And if that still isn't enough to convince you, just take my Mashed Cauliflower Breakfast Bowls (featuring this delicious dish), which happens to be one of the most popular recipes on my website! This recipe is legit.
About the ingredients in this Ranch Mashed Cauliflower
Mashed Cauliflower
It’s like mashed potatoes, duh.
Okay, okay. If you’re thinking mashed cauliflower isn’t like mashed potatoes, I feel you. Trust me, I use to feel the same way. As I alluded to above, most of the mashed cauliflower recipes I tried had a different texture, a different flavor, and even a different consistency than mashed potatoes.
Then a couple of years ago, by the grace of god, I figured out the recipe that allows mashed cauliflower to be a true contender with mashed potatoes. If you’re a mashed cauliflower naysayer, do me a solid. Try the recipe and report back.
Gelatin
In this recipe, the gelatin acts as a replacement for the starch that mashed potatoes have to give them a thick texture. Gelatin acts as a glue to give the Ranch Mashed Cauliflower a bit of stability. And if you're wondering if you have to include the gelatin… well no… but then this Ranch Mashed Cauliflower will likely turn out the same as all the others you've tried. The gelatin is the secret ingredient.
The benefits, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals of gelatin are almost identical to collagen peptides, but the differences lie in the application. Hydrolyzed collagen is easier to mix into cold liquids and won’t gel up, while gelatin does just that, specifically when blended with something hot.
But don't worry, this won't turn into Ranch Mashed Cauliflower jello. Just a perfectly thick and creamy side dish.
Nutritional Yeast
While I have listed this as an optional ingredient, I do recommend including it if you have it on hand. Nutritional yeast is full of energy-boosting b-vitamins and protein, and lends this dish a ‘cheesy' flavor. Side note: this is not an active yeast, so you don't need to worry about the affects it might have on you if you're sensitive to yeast.
It's a great ingredient to have on hand to use as a seasoning for so many different applications. I love it sprinkled on my salad, Be sure to purchase a non-fortified nutritional yeast like this one, especially if you're following a healing protocol like the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP).
Beef Tallow
While this is an optional ingredient for the finishing touch of adding a ‘pad of butter' to the top while keeping this dish completely dairy free, it also has the ability to completely uplevel the flavor of the dish. If you're looking to add a richness to your Ranch Mashed Cauliflower, I recommend replacing 1/2 the coconut milk in the blended portion of this recipe with beef tallow.
If you're not familiar with beef tallow, it's high in incredibly healing and inflammation mitigating omega-3 fatty acids, so it's a healthy contribution to this recipe.
Ranch Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- Mashed Cauliflower:2 heads cauliflower2 Tbsp grass fed gelatin2 Tbsp nutritional yeast optional, if following AIP, make sure you’re using a nutritional yeast derived from molasses like this one1-2 tsp sea salt1/4 cup dairy-free milk, I prefer coconut milk (you’ll add this 1 Tbsp at a time, and may not use it all)2 Tbsp beef tallow (optional, to add a dairy free butter flavor - use grass fed butter if you tolerate dairy)Ranch Seasonings (optional):2 tsp dried chives2 tsp dried parsley1/2 tsp dried dill1/2 tsp garlic powder1/4 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Start by removing the leafy part of the stem, and roughly chop the heads of cauliflower. It’s okay to include the rest of the stem since the cauliflower will be steamed and blended.Steam chopped cauliflower using your method of choice. I recommend a stovetop method.Add steamed cauliflower to a blender or food processor. You can also do this with an immersion blender or by hand, but I find the blender and food processor to be the simplest and tends to yield the best consistency.For a standard mashed cauliflower version, add nutritional yeast (optional for a cheesy flavor), gelatin ( adds a thicker texture), and about 1-2 tsp sea salt. For the ranch version, add the ranch seasonings.Start by adding just 1 Tbsp dairy-free milk (like coconut milk) and blending all the ingredients together in your food processor. You’ll likely need more depending on how much moisture is retained in your cauliflower. I typically need about 2 tablespoons total.Blend until smooth. Increase dairy-free milk by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached. Be sure to test cauliflower to make sure it’s salted to your liking.
This recipe looks so good! Gelatin is an ingenious addition. Perhaps it should be mentioned that, just because nutritional yeast is inactive, that does not mean that people with yeast sensitivities can use it. It is well known that persons allergic to mold are allergic to both living and dead mold, so perhaps this explains why I react to yeasts and molds of all types and kinds, living and dead or inactive. Someone who knows they react to bakers yeast should be cautious when trying nutritional yeast. Just my two cents.
Thank you for this recipe! I’m new to AIP and this recipe will be made often!! So smooth and delicious ?
Thanks for letting me know! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Do you think this would work with frozen cauliflower? Thanks!
I haven’t tried before, but I would be worried it might be too watery if you did. If you decide to try it, I would recommend using a towel or paper towel to try and squeeze out some of the excess moisture.
Holy cow! Where has this been all my life! Mashed cauliflower was always just ho-hum at best but your additions of the gelatin and nutritional yeast are amazing for the taste and texture. I used my Vitamix to blend so it was super creamy, made the ranch version and added a bit of ghee at end. Super! Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Wowzers gee wowzers! This recipe was great! Who knew you could add gelatin to the cauliflower mash and it would hold together so well! Plus the texture was amazing! It reminded me of the smoothness of mashed potatoes.I substituted ghee with the beef tallow and made it plain. Yum!!! Thanks for this! You are a genius.
Thank you for letting me know! So happy you enjoyed it ?
I don’t understand why people want to add fungus (nutritional yeast) to recipes when most people in this country have fungal overgrowth problems like yeast infections and candida. Yes, they have vitamin B, but there are far better ways to get that in your diet…like cauliflower. I avoid mushrooms and yeasts as much as humanly possible.
Interestingly enough, nutritional yeast is not the same as other yeasts, as it has been deactivated. This means it cannot contribute to candida overgrowths. I love using it primarily for the flavor, but as you have mentioned, it is also a good source of b vitamins.
I feel like you handled that rather not nice comment very well! I’m a big fan of people with good character…and good recipes 🙂
Looks great! Can you freeze it?
I haven’t tried it, but I wouldn’t think to recommend it. Freezing it would add moisture, and then when you’d thaw it would likely be really watery and runny.
But this is just m hypothesis! Let me know if you try it!
would you recommend any substitution for beef tallow? would ghee work?
The beef tallow is totally optional, so you can leave it out, or swap with ghee or grass fed butter (if you tolerate diary). Enjoy!