This slow cooker cauliflower recipe is rich, creamy, and oh-so-cheesy. With a sprinkle of crispy chopped bacon, it’s the ultimate keto side dish!
Okay, all of you cauliflower naysayers! I dare you NOT to fall in love with this easy Slow Cooker Cauliflower. You won’t believe how creamy and flavorful it is. Warning, you may like it so much, you will want to make it every day.
I kid you not. I created this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese in 2017 and it has been one of my most popular keto side dish recipes ever since. Sixty 5-star reviews can’t be wrong!
Just like cauliflower risotto and cauliflower potato salad, this recipe proves to the world how versatile and delicious this low carb vegetable can be.
Why this recipe is so awesome
The best slow cooker recipes are the ones where you just dump the ingredients in and walk away. I like to call them “dump and run” recipes. And that’s exactly how you make this cheesy slow cooker cauliflower. You do need to add in the grated cheese toward the end, but that’s it. There’s so little work involved and you end up with a super creamy, super flavorful low carb side dish.
It goes perfectly with all of your favorite mains like Air Fryer Pork Chops and Spinach Stuffed Chicken. And I can tell you from experience that the leftovers make a great breakfast, too.
And with only 4.7g net carbs per serving, you can dig in with gusto!
Ingredients you need
- Cauliflower florets: You can cut the florets from a head of cauliflower or get them pre-cut. I don’t suggest using frozen cauliflower as they will become mushy.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese helps make the cheese sauce rich and thick.
- Whipping cream: You need a little liquid to help the cauliflower cook and become tender.
- Butter: Butter adds additional fat and flavor.
- Pepper Jack cheese: If you aren’t a fan of Pepper Jack, you can use Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.
- Bacon: Because everything tastes better with bacon! You will need to have it already cooked up nice and crispy.
- Salt and pepper
Reader Reviews
“I made this and it is superb!!! Sometimes cauliflower recipes are not easy to pull off and make ‘tasty’”’. Carolyn has done it with this recipe! My daughter and grands (5,6,7yrs) LOVE IT!!! This is now added to MY go to side dish library. Thank you Carolyn for all you do! Makes living a healthy, keto friendly, lifestyle so much easier and FUN.” — Sandra
“This is perhaps our favorite side dish recipe. As a matter of fact, I’ve been known to have some of the leftovers for breakfast the next day! This is my idea of a “Breakfast of Champions”! Your talent, imagination and creativity in the kitchen never fails to amaze.” — Diane
“Girrrrrllll! I love this recipe!!! This recipe is my replacement for mac & cheese. Love that it is a crock pot meal. My family members loved it. I am looking forward to making this dish for Thanksgiving as a side side whichThank you for sharing and demonstrating one of many of your delicious recipes.” — Pamela
Step by Step Directions
1. Dump in the ingredients: Add the cauliflower, cream cheese, whipping cream, butter, salt, and pepper into a greased slow cooker. Cook on low for 3 hours.
2. Add the cheese: Add the Pepper Jack and stir to combine. Continue to cook another 30 minutes to an hour, until cauliflower is fork tender.
3. Top with bacon: Add the bacon crumbles and serve.
Tips for Success
Choose a cheese that melts well. I prefer grating my own, as it has no fillers and will melt more smoothly. But you can use pre-shredded if that’s all you have.
In a rush? You can also cook this on high for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
I do not recommend cooking this in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. The pressure tends to force too much liquid out of the vegetables, making the sauce too soupy and thin.
Frequently Asked Questions
For those of us following a low-carb diet, cauliflower is an excellent vegetable choice. It has a mild flavor so it takes on the flavors of the other ingredients. It is also low in carbohydrates and can be steamed, roasted, boiled, fried and grilled.
This easy keto “Mac and Cheese” is best the first day you make it, but the leftovers are good for several days. Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
This keto slow cooker pepper jack cauliflower recipe has 6.3g of carbs and 1.6g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.7g net carbs per slice.
More delicious slow cooker recipes
Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453.59 g) cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (59.5 g) whipping cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
- 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Instructions
- Grease the inside of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the cauliflower, cream cheese, whipping cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 3 hours.
- Add the Pepper Jack and stir to combine. Continue to cook another 30 minutes to an hour, until cauliflower is fork tender.
- Add bacon crumbles and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Made this today, for dinner. Delicious! It took longer than expected, 3 1/2 hrs cooking on high most of the 3.5 hrs. Disclaimer – I used the same Crock Pot model shown in the photo, But I cooked almost 2 lbs of cauliflower. It didn’t burn, and the cauliflower was ‘al dente’ when I decided it was done. We will definitely be having this again soon! TY.
Ah, sounds like increasing the amount makes it take longer. Thanks for the feedback!
This was incredibly good. Did not get Pepper Jack cheese, but instead had a mature cheddar. I will make this again in a couple of days 🙂
This is nothing short of amazingly delicious. The whole family really liked it. I will put this one in my fall rotation while the cauliflower is looking so good at the market. Thanks Carolyn!
YUMMYYYYYYY!!!! And so easy to make! Thanks
I made this last night, but prob cut the florets too small because the texture was like oatmeal at the end. My tastebuds are in a state of ruin right now due to chemotherapy so I had to rely on my picky husband’s review. He said it was delicious!! I’ll try again next time with bigger chunks. Thanks!
Oh dear about the oatmeal! Possibly also your slow cooker was on too high? If you try again, I recommend 1/2 hour less cooking time.
We like cauliflower so figured this would be a new way to serve it. This is now one of our most made side dish recipes. Both of us loved it. Glad this popped up in my email today to remind me how much we like it. I even forgot the bacon once & it is still top notch. Thanks!
So glad you like it!
Has anyone ever made with cheddar or sharp cheddar cheese or half pepper jack with cheddar etc. worried it my be too spicy for kiddos and grandparents etc
It’s fine with any cheddar or Monterey Jack.
I don’t like spicy and it wasn’t at all. Couldn’t taste the pepper in the pepper jack al all.
This is so tasty. My husband is not a fan of cauliflower, so the first time I made it, I cut the recipe in half. I won’t make that mistake again! He loved it!
On the video you don’t add cream but it is in your recipe…so is it optional?
It’s better with a little cream.
Could you please add directions for baking & instant pot cooking this wonderful dish?
I cannot… because I haven’t tested it with those methods. 🙂
This recipe is the bomb!! I actually crave this!!! It is so good. I have used a mixture of Cheddar and Jalapeno cheeses, and it is still delicious!! I have even tried this with 3/4 cauliflower and 1/4 broccoli. Still delicious! THANK YOU for sharing your talent in putting ingredients together to make simple, healthy, AND delicious recipes!!
Carolyn!!! This was amazing! I didn’t have 3 hours to slow cook it so I pressure cooked the cauliflower and then added the rest of the ingredients and let them slow cook on high until the rest of my dinner was ready. So good! We will definitely make this again! Thanks so much!
I’d love to try this, but is the slow cooker an American thing as I don’t own one or would know anyone here that does? how could you make this without a slow cooker please?
Hi Carolyn!!
Girrrrrllll! I love this recipe!!! This recipe is my replacement for mac & cheese. Love that it is a crock pot meal. My family members loved it. I am looking forward to making this dish for Thanksgiving as a side side whichThank you for sharing and demonstrating one of many of your delicious recipes.
So glad you enjoy it! 🙂
Great recipe but then all the recipes you post are awesome! I had to improvise and used steam fresh frozen cauliflower. Made the sauce on stovetop and added the steamed and drained cauliflower to a casserole dish and baked until heated through. It turned out great. It’s a keeper!
Deb, did you bake at 350? Any idea how long? I want to take to a potluck, but I need to be there by 11:00, so not much time in the a.m. to slow cook. I know this will be a “keeper” either way 🙂
Thanks to you and Carolyn both!