Instant Pot Cauliflower Florets
Here’s how to make Instant Pot Cauliflower Florets for an easy, healthy side dish. Serve the cooked cauliflower hot or freeze it for smoothies.
My Instant Pot Cauliflower recipe today isn’t super original, but it’s a super fast way to cook cauliflower florets for an easy, healthy side dish.
Once you have your steamed cauliflower, you can toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or you can blend it with some ghee or coconut oil into cauliflower mash.
Or, you can cook the florets and freeze them to use in a smoothie later. Believe me, I know it sounds weird to consider putting cauliflower into a smoothie, but once it’s frozen and blended with ingredients like frozen fruit and peanut butter, you can’t taste the cauliflower at all!
This is a great healthy hack for getting picky eaters to eat more veggies. I also make Instant Pot Zucchini for the exact same reason. Read more of my tips for making delicious smoothies.
Recipe Steps
To make this recipe for Instant Pot cauliflower, you’ll need one large head. Look for cauliflower that is firm and white, without too much browning around the edge. Or, you can buy a bag of cauliflower florets.
One large head of cauliflower yields about 4 cups of florets.
Step One
If you are starting with a head of cauliflower, use a sharp knife to cut the cauliflower in half. Then, use your hands to break off each of the florets. Place them in a colander to rinse with fresh water. This will ensure that you remove any dirt or little bugs that may have hidden inside.
As always, please do see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Place the trivet in your 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of water. Then, add the rinsed cauliflower florets. Lock on the lid and set the time to 1 minute on high pressure.
Step Three
Once the cooking time is complete, I recommend using the quick-release when the cooking time is up to make sure the cauliflower doesn’t get mushy.
If you’re going to eat it right away, just use tongs to serve it up. Otherwise, I like to rinse the cauliflower with cold water (or transfer it to an ice water bath) to stop it from cooking.
After you put the cauliflower in an ice bath, you’ll need to drain it in a colander.
Step Four
If you want to freeze the cooked florets, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours before transferring them to a zip-top bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Ways to Use Cooked Cauliflower
Now with more people than ever on a low-carb, gluten-free, or grain-free diet, it’s even trendier to use cauliflower in unique ways. Cooked cauliflower has a flavor and texture similar to that of cooked white potatoes. That’s why it works so well to transform cooked cauliflower into a mash.
Or, you can serve steamed cauliflower as a side dish, topped with my Creamy Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce.
FAQs
Can I cook frozen Instant Pot florets?
Yes, you can! Just cook them for 2 minutes on high pressure, and use the quick release.
Other Simple Instant Pot Vegetable Recipes
- Instant Pot Artichokes
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Instant Pot Cooked Cabbage
- Instant Pot Whole Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Whole Red Potatoes
I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
And, consider following me on social media so we can stay connected. I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!
PrintInstant Pot Cauliflower Florets
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Here’s how to make Instant Pot Cauliflower Florets for an easy, healthy side dish. Serve the cooked cauliflower hot or freeze it for smoothies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets (about 4 cups)
Instructions
- Place the water in a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.
- Place the trivet into the water and put the cauliflower florets on top of the trivet.
- Lock on the lid on the Instant Pot and set the time to 1 minute on high pressure.
- When the cooking time is complete, carefully quick-release the pressure.
- Serve the cauliflower hot, or transfer it to a ice water bath to prevent the cauliflower from over-cooking.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze the cooked florets for up to 2 months in a tightly-sealed container.
Notes
- If you want to freeze the cooked florets, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours before transferring them to a zip-top bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- One large head of cauliflower yields about 4 cups of florets.
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Healthy
Keywords: how to cook cauliflower in the Instant Pot, Instant Pot cauliflower, Instapot cauliflower, cauliflower florets Instant Pot
Don’t forget to join the Clean Eating Kitchen newsletter. You’ll get my Clean Eating Quick Start Guide, plus links to all the latest recipes.
I love how much easier to make the florets in the Instant Pot than how I used to steam them on the stovetop.
★★★★★
I love anything cauliflower! Yum!! I can’t wait to try it in my Instapot!
Sounds like a great idea. I have been trying to substitute cauliflower for potatoes whenever I can and (for the most part) haven’t noticed much difference in taste.
I just love how simple and easy this is!! What a money saver!
Quick & easy! Would love to see how you use the cauliflower florets in different recipes. Thanks for sharing.
I am very excited to try all of these! They look beautiful & tasty & healthy! Thanks a lot for sharing these healthy dinner recipes with us!!
★★★★★
This worked perfectly!!! Thank you SO much! Texture was exactly what I was looking for!
★★★★★
Awesome, I’m so happy!
What about frozen cauliflower? Do you cook it differently than if with fresh?
Just add 1 extra minute for frozen caufliflower florets.