A 5-minute Instant Pot version of our fan-favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce! Prep this vegan cauliflower sauce ahead of time and use it for pasta (looking at you, cauliflower mac and cheese and cauliflower fettuccine alfredo!) soups, and other sauces all week long!
This three-ingredient, meal-prep-friendly, just-so-happens-to-be-vegan Instant Pot cauliflower cream sauce might be one of my favorite recipes of all time (but shh...don't tell these butterless chocolate cupcakes).
Our original Magic Cauliflower Cream recipe uses a saucepan and a blender to bring this sauce together. But we've also gotten a TON of requests for an Instant Pot version.
Ask and ye shall receive, my friends! It's Instant Pot Cauliflower Cream time.
First things first. What's Magic Cauliflower Cream?
Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce is a simple cauliflower purée. It has a pretty mild flavor on its own (not too "cauliflower-y", y'know?) and once it's mixed into a soup or sauce you can hardly taste the cauliflower at all. (Even cauliflower haters tend to like it!)
Use this cauli cream wherever you might usually use heavy cream, a béchamel sauce (a milk- or cream-based sauce typically thickened with a flour-and-butter roux), or a cream-of-whatever soup.
A few spoonfuls of cauliflower sauce will also help thicken any sauce or soup you're making.
All you need:
- Cauliflower
- Vegetable stock
- Salt
Throw it all together for five minutes in the Instant Pot, give it a quick zap with an immersion blender, and you're in business!
How to use this Instant Pot cauliflower cream sauce
This cauliflower sauce is my meal prep secret weapon! One batch will stretch for 2-3 meals during the week, and having a jar of cauli cream prepped and ready saves SO MUCH TIME on busy weeknights.
Our favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream Recipes
- Cauliflower Cream Mac and Cheese (Vegetarian)
- Cauliflower Cream Mashed Potatoes (Vegan)
- Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo (Vegetarian)
- Cauliflower Creamed Corn (Vegan)
- Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole (Vegan)
Magic cauliflower cream FAQ
Does it freeze well?
Yes! Store your Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce in an airtight container in the freezer for 3-4 months. When you're ready to use it, let it defrost overnight in the fridge or heat it in a saucepan or the microwave. If it doesn't look as creamy after defrosting, zap it with an immersion blender to smooth it back out again.
Can I double or triple this recipe!
Also yes! If you triple or quadruple the recipe, you may want to add an extra two minutes of cook time to make sure the cauliflower is especially soft. The softer (and, well...mushier) your cauliflower is, the smoother your sauce will be!
Can I make cauli cream without an Instant Pot?
Absolutely! For stovetop instructions, see our original Magic Cauliflower Cream recipe.
VIDEO: HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CAULIFLOWER CREAM SAUCE
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Magic Cauliflower Cream
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Makes 3-4 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy, creamy cauliflower sauce is perfect for meal prep!
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Please follow all manufacturer directions when using your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Add cauliflower, vegetable stock, and salt to the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Attach the lid and turn the valve to "sealing."
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cook time has finished, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release of any remaining pressure by carefully moving the valve to "venting." Let Instant Pot vent completely before removing the lid. (Always use caution and follow manufacturer directions when working with your Instant Pot).
- When Instant Pot has released all pressure, remove the lid and unplug the appliance.
- Let cauliflower cool for 5-10 minutes (to prevent any burns if it spatters when you blend it), then use an immersion blender to purée the cauliflower and remaining stock until you have a smooth sauce.
- Use cauli cream immediately or let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
Choose a large head of cauliflower for this recipe. We recommend using a cauliflower head that weighs roughly 1.5 to 2 pounds. After cutting your cauliflower, you should end up with a little over 1 pound of cauliflower pieces.
If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the cauliflower and remaining stock to a blender and purée until smooth, making sure to remove the center cap piece so that any steam can escape as you blend.
Substitutions. Use chicken or turkey stock in place of vegetable stock if you aren't vegetarian. Use 1 pound frozen cauliflower florets in place of fresh cauliflower if you like (just extend the cook time by 2 minutes for best results).
Equipment. We tested this recipe with a 6-qt. Instant Pot Duo60 and a 6-qt. Instant Pot Lux. Both worked great! This recipe has not been tested with other pressure cooker brands or other Instant Pot models/sizes. If you have a large Instant Pot, we recommend doubling this recipe to ensure you have enough liquid for the appliance to come up to full pressure. As always, please use your best judgment and follow the care instructions for your own equipment.
To freeze this cauliflower cream, let it cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Freeze and use within 3-4 months for best results. To defrost, let cauli cream thaw overnight in the fridge and then use normally. If the sauce doesn't look as smooth after freezing and defrosting, give it a quick zap with an immersion blender to smooth it back out.
How to use this cauliflower cream. Use this sauce in place of dairy sauces like a béchamel or cream of mushroom soup, or to thicken sauces and soups in lieu of a roux or cornstarch slurry. Be sure to read through this full article for links to our favorite cauliflower cream sauce recipes, including cauliflower mac and cheese and cauliflower fettuccine alfredo.
Adapting recipes to use cauliflower cream. We like to use ¾ cup of cauli cream for every 1 cup of milk called for in a recipe (while also omitting any thickening agents like a roux or cornstarch slurry). If a recipe calls for a thicker ingredient, like a cream-of-something soup, you can usually swap cauliflower cream in 1:1.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 55
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 355.5 mg
- Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: meal prep, meal planning, healthy
Check out our favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce recipes!
Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Cauliflower Creamed Corn
Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole
Shelby
I just have a quick question- why the large discrepancy between the calorie content for this recipe and the one which doesn't use the IP, when the ingredients are identical?
I'm honestly curious about this. No criticism or snark at all.
Rhonda @ Life As A Strawberry
Thank you for asking that question! One difference is the stovetop recipe has more broth than the instant pot recipe. However, the real difference was that our nutritional software was using 1 head cauliflower for one recipe and the gram measurement for the other. We sometimes miss things like that!
We have made them both the same measurement. It takes the software a day or two to get the new measurements out there. NOTE: The measurements for the stovetop recipe are more accurate.
Rhonda
I love your Cauliflower Cream recipe and it is so easy and fast, but this one is even faster. I love it for the times when I run out of cauli cream and need more, but didn't plan ahead.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
Yay! So happy this Instant Pot version has helped you get your Cauli Cream fix!