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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Instant Pot Cauliflower Cream

    Published: Aug 14, 2020 · Last Updated: May 3, 2022

    Jump to Recipe

    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 mac and cheese, fettuccine alfredo, soups, and other sauces all week long!

    Cauliflower purée in a glass jar. this recipe

    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 the 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.

    Close up of cauliflower florets and vegetable stock in the bowl of an Instant Pot.

    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!

    Cauliflower and stock being blended into a smooth sauce after being cooked in an Instant Pot.

    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)
    Immersion blender blending cauliflower sauce in a metal bowl.

    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.

    Cauliflower purée being poured into a glass mason jar.

    VIDEO: HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CAULIFLOWER CREAM SAUCE

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    overhead photo of cauliflower puree in a glass jar.

    Instant Pot Magic Cauliflower Cream

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 20 min
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: Makes 3-4 cups 1x
    • Category: Sauce
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegan
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    Description

    This easy, creamy cauliflower sauce is perfect for meal prep!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 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.

    1. Add cauliflower, vegetable stock, and salt to the Instant Pot inner pot.
    2. Attach the lid and turn the valve to "sealing."
    3. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
    4. 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). 
    5. When Instant Pot has released all pressure, remove the lid and unplug the appliance.
    6. 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.
    7. 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

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

    Check out our favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce recipes!

    Grey tongs mixing fettuccine alfredo in a silver pot.

    Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo

    Mashed potatoes topped with fresh parsley in a grey bowl.

    Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

    Creamed corn in a white bowl topped with fresh thyme.

    Cauliflower Creamed Corn

    Spoon lifting green beans topped with fried onions out of a baking dish.

    Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole

    Wooden spoon stirring shell pasta with cheese sauce in a black saucepan.

    Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

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    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    1. Rhonda

      September 30, 2022 at 3:59 pm

      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.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        October 02, 2022 at 12:06 pm

        Yay! So happy this Instant Pot version has helped you get your Cauli Cream fix!

        Reply

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