This Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is creamy, spicy and easy to prepare in the slow cooker. Jalapeño nacho slices take this plain cauliflower "Mac" & cheese to the next level of YUM. Gluten Free, Low Carb, Keto, Easy.
This Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is seriously sooo good that you won't even miss the pasta. It's always been one of my go to recipes....
Along with almond flour biscuits and tortillas which are made regularly as well.
And it's also been a reader favorite here on AFCJ since it originally posted. Which is why I decided to update it with a fresh new look.
Especially since some of you guys may be new here and might have missed it the first time around..
So I'm sharing more photos, tips and tricks on how to make the best keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
Ingredients in this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese:
- Cauliflower
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Cheddar Cheese
- Half & Half Cream
- Jalapeno Nacho slices
- Spices
And all of this is combined and then added to the slow cooker where all these yummy flavors are intensified..
Can I use frozen cauliflower florets for this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese:
Yes you can... I prefer to use fresh cauliflower florets but I have tested the recipe with frozen and it's still quite DELISH.
So if you're pressed for time or can't find a fresh cauliflower feel free to use the frozen.
Recipe tips for the best results:
Break the cauliflower into small pieces prior to cooking and drain it thoroughly before combining with the other ingredients.
Buy blocked cheese and grate it yourself. It melts easier and is also much tastier. 👌
Measure and prep all the ingredients prior to starting.
Can I make this recipe ahead:
Yes you can make it ahead and just keep it on warm in the slow cooker till ready to serve.
It also makes great leftovers and can be stored in a covered dish in the fridge for up to five days.
What to serve with It:
It goes great with pretty much anything... especially since it's low carb.
But just think of what you might serve with Mac & Cheese.
I like to serve it with this pea salad or any kind of salad. It's also really good with pinto beans.
AND IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE PLEASE BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW…..
I’d love to hear if you make this & how you like it. Plus please be sure to include a star 
rating.
Until next time- xoxo
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (Low Carb, Keto, GF)
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- ½ stick butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup diced pickled jalapeno's
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. dry mustard
- ⅔ cup half & half cream
- ¼ tsp. paprika- optional
Instructions
- Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil
- Break cauliflower into small bite size florets and carefully add to boiling water
- Cook about 5 minutes. Remove from heat & drain well. Add back to pot
- Add remaining ingredients and combine well
- Pour mixture into crock pot and cook on high heat approximately 2- 2/1/2 hours
- Remove from crock pot and place in large serving bowl
- Allow 10 minutes to cool before serving
- Top with paprika and additional cheese**
Notes
Nutrition
Updated- originally posted December 2015
chris
Hi, I made this last night, following your instructions. Used high setting on crock pot and only cooked for 2 hours. The final result was a bit watery and cauliflower got very crumbly... Wondering if the setting should have been on low vs hight? Also, I did use heavy cream vs. half/half by mistake. Want to love this and try again.
Stephanie
Hi Chris, I make this recipe quite often and never experienced it being watery or even crumbly. Did you pre-cook the cauliflower and drain well before mixing with the other ingredients and putting in the crockpot? And I do use the high setting on the crockpot and usually cook it about 2 1/2 hours. Hope this helps! Let me know if you try it again! 😉
Elaine K
How big is a large cauliflower head for this recipe? I would prefer to know the weight or an approximate weight. Cauliflower comes in many sizes. Do you include the stems in the recipe, too?
Thank you
Elaine
Stephanie
A large head of cauliflower weighs approximately 30 oz. And no I don't include the stems in this recipe.
Alphonse
Yo! This recipe was sooo good.
I tweeked it a bit by putting two whole diced fresh jalepenos, 5 cloves of fresh diced garlic, half a diced red onion, and a shredded carrot. I like my food pretty spicy so I put some red chili flakes as well as a few other spices (like curry powder). It was soo good I almost at the whole pot!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I am definitely doing this again.
Stephanie
Thanks!! So glad to hear you Enjoyed it.👏 This is definitely one of my favorites and I make it often.
Maria
YUM. And again, YUM. I adore this. Sometimes I throw in green chiles and bacon... the shredded carrot is a brilliant touch too. Keto comfort food at its finest.
Stephanie
Thanks Maria! Glad to hear you adore this.. And I love the idea of shredded carrot! 😘
Jessi
Oh. My. Gawd. I made this yesterday and I can’t believe I have any left overs. Seriously so easy and sooo delicious. Thank you for this recipe! We’ll be having it weekly.
Stephanie
You're sooo welcome Jessi 😉 and Thanks for stopping by to let me know. One of my all time favorites too & we also have it on a regular basis 😀
Margaret
I made this recipe today & I loved it. It is a great Keto alternative to macaroni & cheese.
Stephanie
Yay 😀 So glad to hear that and Thanks for stopping by to let me know 😉
Sophia khan
Hi, recipe looks delish, would love to try. Can I skip the step of pre-boiling the cauliflower and just place it directly with cream and cheeses into crock pot? I’m thinking that to boil first and the crock pot would maybe make it very soggy?
Stephanie
Thanks Sophia! It's definitely one of my favorites. Actually by pre-cooking the cauliflower & draining it Well actually helps remove some of the moisture from the cauliflower & makes it less soggy, and easier to mix with the cheese. Feel free to try it that way but I think you'll get much better results following the recipe 🙂
June
How would it be with a diced jalapeño? I didn’t see pickled ones. Sounds wonderful!
Stephanie
Hi June, I'm sure it would be good with diced jalapeno as well. The pickled ones are sometimes referred to as nacho slices and a lot of stores have them where you see the taco stuff. Hope that helps 🙂
Shelbi Falaniko
Hello, This looks amazing! I'm hoping my almost 3 year old that loves mac and cheese but hates veggies will like this. How spicy is it with the jalapenos? Do you think I could add them as a topping after it's done cooking with similar taste?
Stephanie
Hi Shelbi! And Thanks 🙂 I hope your 3 year old loves this as well. And you certainly can add the jalapenos as a topping. I've actually made it both ways..with and without jalapenos. Love it both ways. To me it's not that spicy but I love spicy food. But I would say for your 3 year old just leave them out and if you like spicy mix some in with yours.
Lisa
Do you think I could use heavy whipping cream instead of half and half (& if so, the same amount?) thank you! Looks delicious.
Stephanie
Thanks Lisa and I think it would be fine to use cream instead of half & half. I would maybe just do 1/2 cup of that since it is richer. I haven't tried it though so let me know how it works out for you 🙂
Lana Blair
I don't see the need for the crock pot. Is it really necessary? Just seems like au gratin cauliflower--why is it called mac & cheese?
Stephanie
Hi Lana! Feel free to try it without the crock pot if you like. I have tried this recipe numerous times and this is the way it turned out best to me. The recipe was inspired by my love for mac & cheese and the reason I created it and called it that. When going gluten free I wanted a recipe that incorporated whole foods yet still gave me all the flavor of mac & cheese. Cooking it in the crock pot just intensifies the flavor.
Stephanie
Hi Jan and you actually didn't miss that. I normally don't calculate that for recipes. I usually just follow a diet which includes mostly whole foods and is all vegetarian and gluten free. But I know some people need that information so I was Happy to calculate it for you.
Per serving: 6 servings
Fat: 25.09 g
Carb: 6.7 g
Protein: 9.3 g
Hope this helps and also maybe someone else may need this information as well 🙂
Jan Beaumont
Thank you Stef. I really appreciate that. ?
RaeAnn Lamere
This was AWESOME!! Thanks a ton. Do you have the calories per serving by chance?
Stephanie
Thanks RaeAnn and so GLAD you liked it. Definitely one of my favorite go to's as well. And the calories per serving is 281.8.
Donna Massengill
This is very helpful! Is the serving size 1 cup? Half a cup.
Stephanie
Hi Donna, I don't normally measure out how many cups in each serving. The nutrition information is based off 6 servings so if you needed that information you could just measure it out after dividing into 6 equal servings.
Jan
Hi Stef. I apologise if I've missed it but do you have a breakdown of fat, protein and carbs? I'm new to this WOE so feeling my way at the moment. Best wishes from New Zealand, Jan x
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I am trying to go fully gluten-free and this is a delicious and comforting option.
helene dsouza
Your spicy cauliflower mac & cheese is a gorgeous dinner idea during the week. Especialy now because I am looking for lent recipes for my mother in law. She likes western food and try different things once in a while. Thanks for the great share!
Stef
You're welcome Helene!
sara | belly rumbles
Perfect timing to discover this recipe as the cooler months are just hitting Australia now. I am going to have to give this one a go, looks truly delicious.
Stef
Thanks Sara!
shashi at runninsrilankan
I am a huge fan of veggie up classics and Im thinking this would fool my daughter! Delicious!
Alyssa @ A Bite of Inspiration
I go through phases with my crockpot too, but everytime I start using it again, I'm like "why am I not using this all the time??" haha You're right-- it's just so darn easy. You can make a delicious meal with almost no work. Like this one! This mac and cheese looks fabulous! Love the nutrition boost from the cauliflower and the pickled jalapenos are such a great idea. Can't wait to pull out my crockpot and make this delicious sounding dish. Thanks!
Stef
You're welcome Alyssa 🙂
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I'm trying to go completely gluten-free and this is a lovely dish to satisfy my comfort food craving.
karleen
Half and half????
Stef
Yes Karleen. It's half & half cream. Let me know if that answers your question 🙂
mindy
I make half and half by using my cream and adding water to it. 3/4 cream to 1/4 water.
Stephanie
Thanks for the tip Mindy 🙂
Allison - Celebrating Sweets
I love anything spicy and this looks AMAZING! What a creative idea!
Stef
Thanks!
CookingOnTheWeekends (@cookingweekends)
This is the most delicious, comforting dish I've seen all day -- and I wish it was in front of me!
Stef
Thanks! It really is easy to make and so good.
CC
I think I've discovered how I can eat cauliflower!! I dislike it on its own, but bet this would be delicious!
John @PreppyKitchen
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, add some cheese and spice and it's heaven, must make immediately.
Stef
Thanks John! Mine too. Hope you enjoy.
Platter Talk
I love this new mac & cauliflower recipe! The peppers liven up the dish and making in the crock pot is easy! Thanks.
Stef
You're welcome. Yes, the peppers give it a little more flavor although it's also good without them!
Mimi
Do you shred the cheddar cheese or just put in the whole block?
Stef
Hi Mimi, you want to use shredded cheddar cheese. After you pre-cook cauliflower and drain, then add shredded cheddar cheese along with other ingredients and mix well. Then just pour in crock pot. Hope this helps 🙂
Mimi
Thanks
Nancy
I can't wait to try this crockpot recipe. I love cauliflower and I have never had pickled jalepenos. I must look for them as well. Thank you so much for these recipes. I have Celiacs disease so I have to be very careful. But I love cauliflower and cheese.
Stef
You're welcome Nancy. All of my recipes are gluten free since I'm following that diet. I've never been diagnosed with Celiacs but I know I started feeling a lot better when I quit eating gluten. I hope you enjoy this. It is one of my favorites and I think you can find the jalapenos pretty much anywhere. Let me know how it goes 🙂