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Keto Mac and Cheese

Creamy, ultra cheesy, and super indulgent Keto Mac and Cheese prepared with cauliflower, bacon, and cheddar cheese! Just because you’re on a Low Carb or Keto diet, it doesn’t mean you should forget about your favorite childhood meal. 

THE BEST KETO MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE

If you’ve been missing your favorite pasta dinners, I have got one delicious and healthy solution for you! It’s this really easy cauliflower mac and cheese casserole. From start to finish, you can make it in about 30 minutes, and, I promise you, it’s delicious! 

scooping out keto mac and cheese

I know, I really do know that cauliflower IS NOT macaroni, nor potatoes, nor rice, but it’s a really good substitute for all those things. Have you tried my Loaded Mashed Cauliflower? Or my Chicken and Cauliflower Rice? DO it! You’ll see that cauliflower can save the day for those trying to cut down on carbs.

Having said that, Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is also a rich and creamy comfort food without the added carbs. It can stand alone, served as a main dish, or serve it with Roast Chicken or Pulled Pork.

making cheese sauce in a saucepan

HOW TO MAKE KETO MAC AND CHEESE

Keto Mac and Cheese is perfect for anyone with a macaroni cheese craving that can’t eat real macaroni. I know! 😭 😭 BUT, tender cauliflower and crispy bacon and a suuuper creamy cheese sauce can help. Hear me out:

  1. First, you want to break up a head of cauliflower into florets and add those to boiling water; cook, covered, for about 8 minutes, or until tender. 
  2. Drain cauliflower in a colander and set aside.
  3. Add milk (or cream) and softened cream cheese to a saucepan – gently whisk until the cream cheese is completely melted. I use the same saucepan, or pot, for boiling the cauliflower and for making the sauce. Less pots and pans to wash. 🤷‍♀️ 
  4. Stir in some garlic powder, chili powder, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Just add whatever other herbs and spices that you like.
  5. Whisk in shredded cheddar cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. You can also use different cheeses; Gruyere, Gouda, Monterey Jack, etc… But, whatever cheese you choose, make sure it is shredded because, it needs to quickly melt into the cream sauce. 
  6. Once the sauce is smooth, stir in the drained cauliflower; gently stir around so that the cauliflower is covered with the cheese sauce.
  7. Transfer cauliflower to a 9×13 baking dish and bake, uncovered, for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. I also like to add a topping of pork rind panko crumbs for a nice crunch. 
  8. While that bakes, dice up few slices of bacon and fry until crispy.
  9. Remove casserole from oven, top with prepared bacon, and serve. 

Richly flavored and utterly delicious, Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is thick and creamy without any use of flour so it’s also gluten free! 🙌Basically, what I’m trying to say is NOT to swear off comfort food just because of a diet. 😊 

cauliflower and cheese topped with pork rinds crumbs

IS CHEESE KETO-FRIENDLY?

YES! Thank goodness. 🙏 BUT, always remember this; “in moderation”. Yes, cheese is totally acceptable on a low carb and Keto diet, but don’t add it to every meal. Cheese still has calories, and too much cheese equals too many calories, and that’s not going to help with losing weight. 

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE?

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS

  • Store completely cooled Keto Mac and Cheese in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. 
  • Reheat in microwave.

Keto Macaroni and Cheese in baking dish

MORE CAULIFLOWER RECIPES TO TRY

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
cauliflower mac and cheese in a baking dish

Keto Mac and Cheese

Katerina | Diethood
Creamy, ultra cheesy, and super indulgent Keto Mac and Cheese prepared with cauliflower, bacon, and cheddar cheese! 
4.87 from 45 votes
Servings : 4 serves
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup whole milk, (you can also use heavy whipping cream)
  • 3 ounces softened cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 slices bacon, diced and cooked to a desired crispiness
  • fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
FOR THE TOPPING (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375˚F.
  • Place 1 inch of water in a large pot or large saucepan with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
  • Add cauliflower florets to boiling water and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, or until tender crisp. Drain cauliflower in colander and set aside.
  • Butter a 9x13 baking dish; set aside.
  • Pour milk in the same pot that you used for the cauliflower, and set over medium heat. Add the cream cheese to the milk and whisk until cream cheese is completely melted.
  • Stir in dried parsley, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; gently whisk until cheeses have completely melted.
  • Add the cauliflower florets back into the pot, and using a large spoon, gently stir around until everything is covered in cheese sauce.
  • Transfer cauliflower mixture to previously prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and set aside.
  • In a small bowl combine pork rinds crumbs, parmesan, and melted butter; mix and stir until well combined. Sprinkle pork rinds mixture in an even layer over the cauliflower.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 18 to 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
  • In the meantime, dice the bacon and fry to a desired crispness. Garnish with prepared bacon and fresh parsley. Serve.

Notes

NET CARBS: 10g
 
  • FREESTYLE POINTS: 17
  • Use fat free shredded cheeses, fat free cream cheese, regular panko crumbs, turkey bacon, and fat free milk to reduce points down to 6

Nutrition

Calories: 605 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 32 g | Fat: 48 g | Saturated Fat: 27 g | Cholesterol: 139 mg | Sodium: 961 mg | Potassium: 649 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 1331 IU | Vitamin C: 69 mg | Calcium: 722 mg | Iron: 1 mg | Net Carbs: 10 g

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked cauliflower casserole, cauliflower mac and cheese, easy cauliflower recipe, keto dinner idea, keto mac and cheese, low carb recipe, low carb side dish, vegetarian casserole
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113 comments on “Keto Mac and Cheese”

  1. Mine was very greasy. The sauce broke in the oven. Next time I’ll make a roux with a tablespoon of almond flour.
    Taste is delicious! There will be a next time.

  2. Amateur tip: cook the cauliflower in an air fryer first. I cooked the florets for 15 in the air fryer then steamed for another 5 mins before mixing in the sauce. Then baked for 18 min.
    I also added sautéed onion to my sauce to add a little extra flavour.
    My spouse is ver impressed, and he can be a fussy eater!

  3. Avatar photo
    Laura Beesley

    Wonderful recipe for a dinner on Keto. Very flavorful as I added 1/2 cup frozen chopped onions to sauce mixture along with bacon crumbles from Costco. Did not add chili powder or salt. Served with Salmon.

  4. I’m not too sure what happened with mine… 😭
    Followed step by step but once out of the oven the cheese was extremely liquidy 🙁
    Taste was phenomenal .. going to have to try it again at some point

  5. Delicious! However, I did something wrong and can’t figure out what exactly. Once out of the oven, the cauliflower sweated and the cheese kind of curdled and separated from the liquid from the cheese sauce. Perhaps the cauliflower was extra juicy? I did steam instead of boil so maybe that was where I went wrong? The flavor is amazing and I am going to try this again next week!

  6. I did this dish and it was tasty. Just started Keto diet and was trying different things. This recipe is a keeper.

  7. Beat Keto Mac and cheese recipe ever!!! I used almond flour like someone else had suggested instead of pork rinds and it turned out amazing! Definitely keeping this recipe forever!!!

      1. Technically, you can freeze it if you want, but my suggestion is not to freeze it because of all the cream. Once you defrost it, the cream will separate, and the veggies will turn mushy.

  8. The flavor was good but it was so greasy. I don’t know if it was the mozzarella cheese I used or what made it go south but it was pretty bad.

    1. Not everyone is good at cooking. Don’t hate the dish but the player. When I made it, came out beautiful, best Mac n cheese I’ve ever made:)

  9. Okay… I’m such a picky eater and hate cauliflower but this recipe is amazing!! I absolutely love it. My husband is obsessed. I made it for both my family and my in-laws and they loved it too. Great recipe!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      That’s great to hear! I’m very happy you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂

  10. Really loved this recipe. I used a blend of almond flour and Parmesan for the crust and it worked really well. Thank you for posting this.

  11. Absolutely the BEST Keto Mac ‘n’ Cheese EVER! I had to change it up a bit due to using what I had on hand. I had some Panko Pork Rinds that were a bit spicy and a Three Cheese Parmesan with Asiago and Romano. Other than that I followed the recipe. I will be making this many, many times. Thank you!!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂

  12. Made this two different times. First time the way you had it. 2nd time used skinny noodles (zero net carbs). So this way was able to eat more in my serving size and still stay Keto.

  13. Avatar photo
    jayandjamison@gmail.com

    One word……AMAZING! This exceeded my expectations! This will be in my regular rotation.

    One note, I didn’t make the pork rind topping, I instead just used the bacon as a topper and it was heavenly.

    1. Avatar photo
      Renee Richison

      Just made this last night and all I can say is double or triple this recipe,it is soooo good! One of the best recipes I have tried for a long time!

  14. Avatar photo
    Sherrie L Totty

    Does anyone have the nutritional facts for a much, MUCH smaller (side dish) serving size?? I’m trying to simply enter this into CarbManager, but I can’t adjust the huge 1/4 serving size from the poster. But a 1/4 serving size is way too much! Sheesh!

    1. I’d like this info as well. When people use the term “1 head” that can mean different things to different people. Hiw many cups required would be more helpful and in the nutritional information the serving is pretty much a must have . Thanks

  15. My girlfriend has to do two weeks of keto before her surgery. I surprised her on her first day of Keto by making this. We both really enjoyed it and are looking forward to having leftover tonight.

    Thank you!

  16. I made this for dinner the other night, and this is going to be our new favorite cauliflower mac-and-cheese recipe! We liked the whole florets – the texture is much nicer than when we’ve done riced cauliflower, which can just turn to mush. The bacon and pork rinds add some nice crunch and flavor, and the spices definitely elevate the recipe. Thank you!

  17. The cheese sauce is delicious! Can you tell me if this can be adapted for riced cauliflower? How many bags/ounces would you estimate? And should I reduce the boiling time since the pieces are smaller? Thanks!

  18. THANK YOU FOR THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE! It is out of this world! My kids are picky eaters, but they loved it and had doubles. I made it in the Instant pot, I placed the cauliflower on trivet adding 1 cup of water to the instant pot ( not touching the cauliflower) 6 minutes at pressure, then manually release. Once cauliflower was done, I removed cauliflower, dumped water and followed the rest of the recipe adding all the ingredients in the instant pot ( cooking on warm option).

  19. Avatar photo
    karaheise@icloud.com

    Fantastic. My fiancée hates cauliflower and she wants this all the time now. This is the best recipe we’ve found yet. I love the extra crunch and texture from the pork rinds, and the Parmesan along with it really adds to the flavor.

  20. Avatar photo
    zrh.ipock@gmail.com

    Oh my I made it for Thanksgiving and my children love it!!! They thought it was as good as the real deal but better. They had 3 servings of it. Serving size, just to be specific is it a cup size serving or half cup? Thanks!

      1. Hi, curious about serving size as per listed? That’s the only question for some reason or another you don’t seem to answer in the comments section.

        1. Hi, not sure if this helps but it’s supposed to be four servings per recipe. That ends up being quite a bit and so I cut it in half to cut down the carbs. It ends up being roughly 3/4 of a cup for about five net carbs. 😉

  21. Hi there! I am excited to try this recipe for thanksgiving. I would like to make this meat free, so that the vegetarians at the table can enjoy it. What would be a good alternative to the pork rinds for the topping? Thanks!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      How about gluten free panko crumbs? Or plain breadcrumbs. You can also try cracker crumbs, matzo meal, crushed cornflakes, crushed dry stuffing mix… I hope these ideas help!

  22. YUMMMM! This was so easy to throw together and so tasty! I opted to microwave the cauliflower for about 7 minutes until just barely tender then finished the recipe as directed. It is so creamy and delicious, even the non-cauliflower lovers liked it. Thank you for sharing = )

  23. Made this tonight and it’s so delicious! I opted to roast the cauliflower with the seasonings instead of boiling and am super happy with the results. Thank you for this recipe!

  24. After boiling the cauliflower, is there any water left in the pot? I’m assuming no, but it says to use the same pan to add the milk (cream) that you cooked your cauliflower in.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      No, you don’t want to use the water. In the recipe, under Step 4, it states to drain the cauliflower, first.

      1. Somehow the result ended up watery – I’m not sure how because I thoroughly drained the cooked cauliflower before tossing the sauce through it. I had been assuming that I’d be the only one eating the mac n cheese so I only made a half batch possibly messing up some of the measurements. It definitely started to mess up my dinner plans when my son started eating it right from the pan (and I’d been a bit lazy and was giving it a test run so had omitted the hassle of adding bacon, parmesan and pork rind, etc). I tried to shoo my son away because I wanted to see if cooling it would help it set so I wouldn’t let him eat it all but he said he’d eat it as cauliflower soup or any other way he could get it too.
        In other words, I’d make this daily if it weren’t for wanting to try other recipes.

      1. Katerina - Diethood
        Katerina Petrovska

        Hi,
        I am not sure how that will work because I haven’t tested it, and the reason I haven’t tested it is because cream-based casseroles, once thawed and reheated, will separate and curdle.

        1. Avatar photo
          Robert Pederson

          This is not just the best keto mac and cheese, but the best mac and cheese I’ve had EVER, PERIOD!! And that includes some of the top barbecue joints in the country!!! Thanks so much for sharing it!!!

          1. Katerina - Diethood
            Katerina Petrovska

            That’s great to hear! I’m very happy you loved it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂

  25. This stuff is a dream. I havent had an actual mac and cheese that tasted this good. Thank you so so much for making my diet one level tastier

  26. I realize that you people like to show your videos and it’s necessary for you to advertise, but when they drop down and block the recipe and there is no way to X out of it, it is very annoying..this recipe is probably good but it was so annoying to try and read it that I just went to someone else

    1. If you ever again feel the need to leave a message with “You people” in it…don’t. Whatever follows is rude and no one cares. Have a blessed day.

  27. This was way better than I expected it to be!! DELICIOUS!!! Also very filling. I used it as a side dish and had about an eighth of it. I am very impressed with this dish.
    Since I am on Keto, I used full fat whipping cream.
    Thank you for this!

  28. I think I’m going to roast some cauliflower in the morning and make this!!! It looks amazing and roasted cauliflower is my favorite way to cook it. Definitely going to help keep me away from the pastas. Thank you!

  29. Wonderful recipe but I was wondering the same thing as Israel asked above. “Are your nutrition facts for the entire casserole or per serving? There is no serving size indicated and the totals seem really high so I’m guessing it’s the entire recipe.”
    Thanks again!!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi! 👋
      The nutrition facts are in fact broken down per 1 serving. At the top of the recipe card it states that this recipe serves 4 people, but you can even serve up to 8 when used as a side dish. However, this is a Keto-friendly recipe and those nutritional values reflect exactly that because the ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat.

    2. So I decided to BBQ the cauliflower so as to not heat up the house during a heat wave, but resulted in not “wet” cauliflower and some amazing extra flavour!. I also used the ready made bacon bits to save a step and helped.

  30. Hi! This recipe sounds great and I look forward to making. After reading Drew’s comments about being runny, I was wondering would be okay to cook the cauliflower in a fry pan until tender vs boiling? My thoughts are the cauliflower would be crispier with more nutritional value. Do you think this would work for this dish? Thanks!

      1. I tried this today. I was a little worried it would be mushy and/or bland. It wasn’t! I was careful not to overcook the cauliflower. It was so flavorful and filling. Loved it! Kids loved it. Mine had the perfect consistency. Not runny at all. I read earlier comments and made sure to drain the cooked cauliflower completely first. I will be adding this to our rotation. Thank you for this wonderful comfort food recipe. Yum

  31. I love this recipe so much. I was just wondering how much one serving of it is equivalent to? (in grams or cups or whatever). Thanks!

  32. This is an awesome recipe for mac and cheese. I’m following a Keto diet and was short on my protein macro one day so I added albacore tuna to the leftovers, and it tasted amazing. It reminded me of my grandma’s tuna casserole which I loved as a child.

      1. I tried this today. I was a little worried it would be mushy and/or bland. It wasn’t! I was careful not to overcook the cauliflower. It was so flavorful and filling. Loved it! Kids loved it. Mine had the perfect consistency. Not runny at all. I read earlier comments and made sure to drain the cooked cauliflower completely first. I will be adding this to our rotation. Thank you for this wonderful comfort food recipe. Yum

  33. Hi, made tonight for the first time and it was awesome 👍

    Mine was a bit runny/watery did I do something wrong?

    Drew

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      Happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you!
      Cauliflower is a veg with high water content, so if it wasn’t drained properly, or for long enough, that might have resulted in a runny/watery casserole. Also, waiting to cut into the casserole several minutes after baking will prevent it from becoming watery or soggy. I hope this helps. 😊

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      No, this doesn’t freeze well because cream/milk-based casseroles will sometimes curdle when thawed and reheated.

  34. I’ve tried it of cauli MAC and cheese recipes and this blows them all out of the water. So amazing.

  35. My wife does not like cauliflower as a replacement ne recipies….loved this, says it a keeper…….roy

  36. This looks so amazing, I literally just sent your recipe to everyone I know who is doing keto! I’m going to try it and I’m not even doing keto!

  37. Oh man, this is brilliant, I totally wouldn’t even miss the pasta with this delicious version!

    1. Avatar photo
      Israel Schleiss

      Are your nutrition facts for the entire casserole or per serving? There is no serving size indicated and the totals seem really high so I’m guessing it’s the entire recipe.

  38. Avatar photo
    Krissy Allori

    Mac and cheese is my all time favorite food. I’m glad I can still have it on my new healthier eating program. It’s also quite delicious.

  39. What an amazing dinner recipe! Always a favorite dish in our home; looking forward to enjoying this for dinner tonight!

  40. This is a wonderful way to sneak in veggies for my son. Plus, my husband is diabetic so pasta is so bad for him. Such a great dish that will accommodate everyone in my family (and approved by all)!

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