Vegan mashed Potatoes are a cozy and satisfying side dish for the cold weather months. Fluffy, buttery, and smooth, these mashed potatoes are topped with butter and fresh herbs for a big flavor. This recipe is beginner-friendly and is loaded with tips on how to make the best mashed potatoes.

Vegan mashed potatoes make a wonderful holiday side dish or a side for a hearty winter meal. Grab your bag of russets and set a pot of water to boil!

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Ingredients For Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes are a magical food as they have this ability to transform into a luxurious and decadent dish with minimal ingredients. It’s all about the right potato for the job and the correct cooking method. The ingredients for these vegan mashed potatoes are simple, but the result is potato perfection.

• 3 pounds of potatoes. Peeled and cut into 2-3″ cubes.
• 8 cloves garlic. Peeled, whole cloves.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅓ cup vegan butter (sticks or spread both work)
• ⅔ – ¾  cup non-dairy milk (soy & coconut are the creamiest, but any non-dairy milk works!)

Don’t forget the garnish! Mashed potatoes are one of those foods that can look uninteresting and bland but the right garnish helps them look as amazing as they taste.

We recommend mashing your potatoes and then topping them with additional freshly cracked black pepper, a few additional pats of butter, and very finely chopped fresh herbs.

Which Potatoes Make The Best Mashed Potatoes

Starting with the correct potato is key to making the best vegan mashed potatoes. Russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes work equally well to make vegan mashed potatoes– or even a blend of the two.

We don’t recommend red potatoes as they have a waxy texture, are smaller thus more difficult to peel, and don’t get as fluffy.

Russet Potatoes: These potatoes have thick dark brown skin and are long and oval-shaped. Russet potatoes are high in starch and are very fluffy once cooked. Because of this, they are the ultimate mashed potato, potato! Russet potatoes are the starchiest and the fluffiest, but they don’t have as much flavor as gold potatoes.

Yukon Golds: (aka gold potatoes or yellow potatoes) Golds are usually on the smaller side and have a round shape with thin, light brown or golden skin. Yukon gold potatoes are a variety also higher in starch and have a creamy texture and more flavor than Russets.

Tips & Techniques For The Best Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are similar to pancakes in the sense that a few mundane ingredients can create something incredibly delicious- but only if the technique and ratios are spot on. Cooking up a pot of show-stopping mashed potatoes requires humble ingredients but the end result is divine.

The techniques that worked while testing this recipe:

How you cook your potatoes matters! For perfect mashed potatoes you want to cut into 2-3″ cubes, start with cold water, and cook over a simmer. Potatoes cut into smaller sizes take on too much water, leaving less room to absorb milk and butter! Adding potatoes to a pot of already boiling water cooks the outsides quickly but will leave the insides hard. Cooking potatoes over a high rolling boil does the same, cooks the exterior of the potatoes too quickly and they start to break down.

Rinse your potatoes before & after cooking! Ever had a batch of mashed potatoes that was gummy and unpleasant? This is due to the starch in potatoes, just as french fry potatoes benefit from being rinsed or soaked- the same goes for mashed potatoes. Rinse potatoes after cutting and after cooking when they’re in the strainer.

Dry Potatoes After Cooking. Yes, cook, strain, rinse, then DRY! Add potato cubes back to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes. This is another step (and a quick one) to help remove excess water from the potatoes.

Warm Your Milk & Butter: Not only will adding cold milk and butter to your mash significantly cool things down, but the warm potatoes won’t as readily absorb these flavorful components if they are cold. While the potatoes cook, melt the butter and warm the milk in a small pot.

Do Not Over Mix! If you’ve already followed our cooking recommendations, this won’t be an issue as you’ll have perfectly cooked potatoes. The top tip for avoiding the gumminess that can ruin mashed potatoes is not to overwork them. Don’t use a blender or food processor. Mash by hand or use a mixer. Taste and season with salt as you mash.

Make Ahead Tips For The Holidays

Vegan mashed potatoes are a potato recipe that is a holiday favorite over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even Easter. We know that cooking during these times can be super stressful and any recipes you can make ahead are key to success.

Vegan mashed potatoes taste amazing if prepped up to 2 days beforehand! Follow the entire recipe to completion and taste the potatoes for seasoning. Place the mashed potatoes in a casserole pan and keep them wrapped tightly in the fridge with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil.

Scatter with 2-3 tablespoons of finely cubed cold butter and heat in a 350* oven for 30-35 minutes. Adding butter prevents the mashed potatoes from drying out. This results in mashed potatoes that taste freshly made!

Many recipes you’ll be cooking or reheating over the big holiday will have a similar oven temp– things like vegan scalloped potatoes, vegan baked mac & cheese, or vegan green bean casserole are all usually cooked or reheated at about 350*.

Flavor Variations & Substitutions

Mashed potatoes are a dividing food during the holidays. Some people have strong preferences for flavors, consistency, and to peel or not to peel the potatoes. If you’re on team ‘loves all kinds of mashed potatoes’ like we are, here are some variations you can try.

• Add fresh herbs: Rosemary, thyme, and oregano are all fall flavors that beautifully complement mashed potatoes. Finely chop them and stir them in or steep them in the butter you’ll heat and pour into your mash for an ultra-smooth bite.
• More garlic: This base recipe includes boiling a few whole cloves of garlic that you’ll mash right up with the potatoes. Is more better? That depends on your taste, you can easily add up to 2 whole heads of garlic to this recipe- peel whole cloves and boil with the potatoes.
• Add some vegan cream cheese. This lends a little tangy flavor and ups the creaminess.
• Add roasted garlic or roasted garlic butter in place of standard butter.
• Make them cheesy: Stir in nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan for savory, cheesy mashers.

FAQs On Vegan Mashed Potatoes

1. Why do mashed potatoes turn out gummy or sticky? Overcooking or overworking potatoes in the main reason mashed potatoes turn out gummy or gluey.
2. Do you need to peel the potatoes? It’s optional! Peeled mashed potatoes have a smoother texture and cleaner appearance; unpeeled mashed potatoes are rustic and have a coarser consistency.
3. How many people does this serve? For us, this serves 8-10 people! The standard rate for a potato side dish is 4oz of uncooked potatoes per person if you are serving several sides. If you know a particular potato dish is a big hit with your crowd, it may be upwards of 6-8oz per person.
4. Can you freeze mashed potatoes? You can freeze mashed potatoes! Let cool to room temperature then place in your preferred storage vessel for freezing- we just recommend something that is sized similar to a casserole dish so reheating the potatoes is easy! Add frozen potatoes to a baking dish, cover with foil, and heat in a 325-350* oven for 20-30 minutes. If the potatoes seem dry or watery, stir in some additional butter and taste for seasoning.

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