Best Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe
Kick the Kraft and try our keto cauliflower mac and cheese instead!
Love homemade mac and cheese?
Try replacing traditional macaroni noodles with cauliflower for a healthy, delicious keto swap that’s sure to impress! keto cauliflower mac and cheese is so full of rich, comforting flavors, no one in the family will be asking where the elbow pasta is within the luscious cheese.
Can’t get enough cauliflower? Check out more keto cauliflower recipes here!
This grown-up mac and cheese features small pieces of cauliflower that have been pan-fried in bacon drippings. We then mix in a simple cheddar cheese sauce and top with smoked Gouda cheese. It’s SO good.
Last (but not least), we topped everything with crushed pork rinds. This is an incredibly rich and satisfying side dish that’s over-the-top delicious!
Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
yield: 6 SERVINGS
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 25 MINUTES
total time: 40 MINUTES
This cheesy bacon & cauliflower side dish is the perfect recipe when you're craving mac and cheese!
Ingredients
For the cauliflower base:
- 1 head cauliflower, about 6 cups, chopped
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
For the cheese sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon spicy mustard
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup pork rinds, crushed
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2
Cook 4 pieces of bacon on the stove in a skillet.
Tip: Cook this in an ovenproof skillet, like a cast iron, so you can transfer it to the oven in the same skillet.
3
Remove bacon from the skillet, crumble it into smaller pieces, and set it aside. Leave bacon drippings in the skillet.
4
Add cauliflower pieces and garlic to skillet and cook on medium heat. You'll want to stir and coat them with the bacon drippings. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until tender (yet still a little al dente). Season with salt & pepper to taste.
5
In a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat, melt butter, and add cheddar cheese, cream, and mustard. Stir until it forms a creamy sauce.
6
Pour the cheese mixture over the cauliflower and mix in. Also, mix back in the bacon crumbles.
7
Top with shredded Gouda cheese and crushed pork rinds. Place in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the top is golden brown.
8
Serve as a warm side dish or add in protein to make it a meal. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield: 6 servings, Serving Size: about 1 cup
Amount Per Serving:
314 Calories | 26g Fat | 6.5g Total Carbs | 2g Fiber | 2.6g Sugar | 14.8g Protein | 4.5g Net Carbs
Hip tips for this keto cauliflower mac and cheese:
- Don’t like Gouda? Feel free to change up the type of cheese in your keto cauliflower mac and cheese. You can use all cheddar or combine fancier cheeses like Gruyere or Gouda as I did. Parmesan would be yummy as well.
- To keep it simple, I used a cast-iron skillet to cook on the stove and then placed it in the oven to bake. You can, of course, place cauliflower in a small casserole dish to bake if you don’t have an ovenproof skillet.
- You can totally use frozen cauliflower for this recipe, but you may have to add some extra time to the cooking process.
- Want to turn this into a casserole? One reader suggested cooking some ground beef with our taco seasoning and adding it to this recipe. Top it off with some smoked Gouda and pork rinds before baking, and it sounds like an amazing casserole. Thanks, Gloria!
Get ready to dig into cheesy bites of heaven!
This keto cauliflower mac and cheese is insanely delicious! Even non-keto family members will love this. My husband was super impressed and there wasn’t a crumble left after my family started eating it.
The bacon, roasted cauliflower, cheese – everything – is YUMMY. It’s an incredible, showstopping way to serve cauliflower that I hope your family will love, too!
Collin tried this delicious keto cauliflower mac and cheese, and here’s what she said:
“Ummmm, perfecto!! This is SOOOO good!! Flavorful, filling, and oh so comforting. I didn’t change a thing, and it really did turn out great. After making this, I was thinking about adding some chicken or even ground beef (maybe taco seasoned as mentioned) and throwing it in this dish for a one-pan dinner idea.
…And also for those of you who don’t think you like cauliflower, you should try it prepared like this – so YUM!!”
I use a recipe that is a little different from this one but I am totally addicted! I usually make it twice a week.
what did you do differently?
Absolutely delicious. Even my husband (who doesn’t usually care much for vegetables) enjoyed it!
Oh I’m so glad! Thanks so much for sharing 👍
Really good. Thank you.
Awesome! You’re very welcome!
Has anyone tried this with frozen cauliflower??
Hi Mac! That should work! You may need to add a few extra minutes to your cooking time. Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
It’s best to double this because a single serving is never enough.
I am making this tomorrow! Thanks for the inspiration.
Awesome 👏enjoy!!
Made this the other night and I can give up pasta macaroni and cheese for this. However I did find it extremely salty, but all I had was salted butter when I made it and I always wait until after it’s done and I can try it before I salt and pepper to taste. It was so good warmed up in the microwave as leftovers too. The cauliflower still had crunch to it and I added sun-dried tomatoes when warming up.
Oh nice that sounds delicious – thanks for sharing!
Hi there! Glad it was still yummy when reheated! For the salt, you could try unsalted butter or maybe leave out the bacon next time. Hoping that helps!
I was thinking about making a meal out of this Mac N Cheese casserole by cooking the hip2keto taco seasoning and ground beef together and adding it to the skillet, top with smoked Gouda, pork rinds, bake and eat. Cheesy Tex Mex. I update how it turned out!
That sounds delicious! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!