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Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

This absolutely delicious 3-Cheese Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese will remind you of actual mac and cheese! It’s hearty enough for a main meal, or you can serve it as a side dish.

wooden spoon with part of keto cauliflower mac and cheese on it

If you’ve been missing mac and cheese on keto, then you’ll want to give this 3-Cheese Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese recipe a try! You won’t believe how the flavors of this cauliflower casserole come together in a way that will remind you of yummy, creamy mac and cheese, a classic comfort food!

Keto Mac and Cheese is one of the ultimate keto comfort foods, and it can double as a keto dinner or as one of your go-to easy keto side dishes. As a side dish it can go really well with some of our delicious keto friendly soups recipes or easy keto casserole recipes. This recipe may become one your best keto meals ideas.

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

…and why you will love it!

  • It’s hearty enough for a main meal, or you can double the number of servings and serve it as a side dish.
  • The flavor will remind you of mac and cheese!
  • It contains three delicious cheeses.

Ingredients Needed to Make This Easy Keto Mac and Cheese

Ingredient quantities for this low carb casserole recipe are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  • Cauliflower
  • Butter
  • Almond flour
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Parmesan cheese – you can use shredded or grated
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dried thyme
  • Finely crushed pork rinds (optional)

How to Make Low Carb Mac and Cheese {Quick Overview}

This is just a quick overview of some of the steps involved in making the keto cheesy casserole. For the recipe in detail, including exact measurements used at each step, scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post.

First, microwave your cauliflower (cut into florets) using the easy microwave instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Then, heat butter in a skillet. Add the flour and whisk, then stir in heavy whipping cream, the three cheeses, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until the mixture is melted and combined and looks like this:

pan with melted cheese in it next to pork rinds

Add cooked cauliflower and stir well to coat.

TIP: If you want the most mac and cheese texture possible, chop the cooked cauliflower into smaller pieces than what you see in the photo below before adding it to the cheese. (Think elbow macaroni-sized pieces!)

cooked cauliflower inside pot of melted cheese

Transfer mixture to a baking dish and top with crushed pork rinds, then place into the preheated oven.

low carb mac and cheese in a casserole dish before baking

Bake for 20 minutes.

keto cauliflower mac and cheese in a casserole dish after baking


More Cheesy Keto Recipes

If you love cheese, you’ll want to check out these cheesy keto recipes:

Can I Eat Mac and Cheese on the Keto Diet?

You can eat mac and cheese on the keto diet as long as you use a low carb substitute for the macaroni noodles. Wheat macaroni noodles and other high carb noodles will knock you out of ketosis because they are very heavy in net carbs. Conversely, using cauliflower as a low carb substitute allows you to enjoy mac and cheese on the keto diet.

How Do I Make Mac and Cheese Keto-Friendly

You make mac and cheese keto-friendly by using a low carb substitute in place of the heavy carb macaroni noodles. Choose a low carb alternative like cauliflower or shirataki noodles to make mac and cheese acceptable to eat on the keto diet.

Also, you avoid putting any heavy carb flours in the recipe and substitute those with low carb alternatives like almond and coconut flour.

closeup of keto mac and cheese on a wooden spoon

More Keto Side Dishes

People who enjoy this recipe also enjoy these easy low carb side dishes:

Nutrition Facts for Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Each serving (six servings total) contains:

  • 332 calories
  • 25g fat
  • 19g protein
  • 6g net carbs
white bowl containing a serving of keto mac and cheese

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wooden spoon with part of keto cauliflower mac and cheese on it

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Best Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese recipe. Try this amazingly delicious 3-cheese keto macaroni and cheese substitute. The whole family will love it!
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Western
Keyword: keto cauliflower mac and cheese, keto mac and cheese, keto macaroni and cheese, low carb mac and cheese
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 332kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower about 3 cups chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp almond flour
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated or shredded
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup finely crushed pork rinds (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Cut cauliflower into florets. Place in a large bowl with 1-inch water. Microwave cauliflower on HIGH for 14 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Drain water from cauliflower. Set aside.
  • Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add flour; stir with a whisk and cook for 1 minute. Stir in heavy whipping cream, Cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until cheeses melt and mixture is combined.
  • Add cauliflower to cheese mixture; stir well to coat.
  • Transfer mixture to an 8- x 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with pork rinds.
  • Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Notes

TIP: If you want the most mac n’ cheese texture possible, chop the cooked cauliflower into elbow macaroni-sized pieces before adding it to the cheese. 
This dish serves really well with Keto Stir Fry, Keto Chicken Thigh Recipes, and Keto Chili
Nutrition Facts
Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 332 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 4g17%
Protein 19g38%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer



Nutrition facts are included as a courtesy only. They are accurate to the best of our knowledge based on the ingredients and brands used, but their accuracy is not guaranteed. If applicable, sugar alcohols have already been removed from the total carb count.

Keto-Friendly Dinners

Here are some easy low carb dinner ideas for the whole family!

15 Comments

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Recipe Rating




  • This recipe looks delish, however due to allergies, what can be substituted for almond flour, maybe coconut flour and how much?

    • Hi Rita!

      Yes, you can use coconut flour. Since it is a lot denser than almond flour, you only need to use 2 tsp. Enjoy! 🙂

  • 5 stars
    This recipe for Keto mac & cheese (Keto Cauliflower Casserole) is a wonderful find for me! I am on Keto but my kids are not. This recipe is so good that the kids love it and it is perfect for me on Keto. I think it tastes better than traditional mac-n-cheese. The combination of the cheeses with the heavy whipping cream makes it so rich and the pork rinds give it a crunch. I like being able to make one meal for all of us – Keto or not.

  • 5 stars
    This recipe for Keto mac and cheese is excellent. Preparation is fairly quick. The mac and cheese is creamy and rich and perfect for a Winter meal when it is cold outside. The crushed pork rinds on the top make it even better. I was never a fan of traditional mac and cheese but this Keto cauliflower version is a keeper!

  • 5 stars
    OMG! Simply delicious! I feel like I have been unburdened from having to eat heavy carbs if I want to eat mac & cheese. Many thanks Jessica!

  • 5 stars
    This was fabulous! I definitely made sure I cooked the cauliflower long enough to get the texture right. So good…

  • 5 stars
    I made this for myself. My kids ended up devouring it. I’m blown away that this tastes just like regular mac and cheese. The kids want me to make it again! Thank you for this. 🙂

  • 5 stars
    This was a huge hit with the kids! Numerous times I heard how hard it was to believe that they were eating mac and cheese with cauliflower. I’ve added this to my permanent recipe rotation.

Welcome! I’m Jessica.

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