Amazing Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe (Super Creamy & Fluffy!)
These vegan mashed potatoes are the epitome of fluffy, creamy, and velvety rich. Super easy to make, and absolutely no one will know they’re vegan and dairy free! A crowd pleasing side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner, vegan or not!
Why this will be your favorite mashed potato recipe, vegan or not:
If you’re looking for the best vegan mashed potatoes recipe to serve at your vegan Thanksgiving dinner to both vegan and non-vegan eaters, then this is your recipe. I kid you not, this is the vegan mashed potatoes recipe to make this year.
Why?
Because I’ve cracked the code for the fluffiest, most velvety, creamy, smooth, and savory mashed potatoes yet that are undetectably vegan and dairy free. Trust me, everyone will be asking you for the recipe, so be prepared! It’ll be the star of the dinner (alongside the vegan lentil loaf and Vegan Wellington of course 😉 ).
Heck, you’ll be craving and making these vegan mashed potatoes all winter long (especially to go alongside my hearty vegetable stew!).
Key ingredients for vegan mashed potatoes
To make the best ever vegan mashed potatoes, you’ll need:
- Russet potatoes: Many people opt for all russet potatoes mashed potatoes, but we’re using a mix of two varieties; one being russet! They’re classic and well known (also well found throughout America!). Sometimes, however, they can be dry, but they do add a good structure to the potatoes so as not to have complete mush. This is even more important for vegan mashed potatoes, as we’re not using the same ingredients as a classic mashed potato recipe. But don’t worry- we’re going to balance out any dryness with the next potato variety!
- Yukon gold potatoes: To balance out the Russet potatoes, we’re also using Yukon gold. These are the beautiful “buttery” potatoes that are perfectly creamy when mashed. I like to use a combo so that you get the perfect creamy mashed potato texture that’s not mealy nor dry. But they’ll still have some structure to them!
- Creamy dairy free milk: Another key to this vegan mashed potatoes recipe is using a creamy dairy free milk. Not all dairy free milks are created the same, some are creamier than others. I do not recommend any store bought almond milk. It just will not taste as good. And we’re trying to get the non-vegans to choose our dishes, remember 😉 I recommend using Forager Project oat milk or soymilk. Any oat milk, really, will do. You can also use light coconut milk in the can, and this will ensure you won’t get much of a coconut taste (but that’s personally why I choose oat milk or soy milk over coconut).
- Vegan sour cream: Using sour cream is the absolute *key* to good mashed potatoes, vegan or not. Thankfully, we have access now to amazing vegan sour cream! I used Forager Project (my absolute favorite- it’s also wonderful on vegan chili).
- Garlic: You can chop the garlic yourself or you can purchase minced garlic, ready to go! If you’re garlic free, simply omit.
- Rosemary: Rosemary is my go-to herb during the colder months. It’s so lovely when it’s fresh and not dried!
How to make the best vegan mashed potatoes (overview)
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
Making vegan mashed potatoes is actually quite similar in method to making classic mashed potatoes. We’re really just swapping in our favorite dairy free products for the dairy ones! Trust me, no one will even notice 😉
How to make the best dang vegan mashed potatoes:
- Start by boiling your potatoes in cold water.
This is crucial- we don’t need to wait for the water to start boiling before we add our potatoes. You’ll actually start boiling the potatoes in cold water and heat the water with the potatoes in it. This helps to ensure that the potatoes cook evenly throughout and is key to a good bowl of vegan mashed potatoes.
- Strain the potatoes.
But save some of that potato water! During the boiling process, some of the starch goes into the water. This is much like when we boil pasta, and we reserve the pasta water- the same idea applies! It will help to make your vegan mashed potatoes that much creamier.
- Start to cream the potatoes.
Okay so I do something that’s maybe not approved by all, but I like to use a hand mixer over a potato masher…I know, I know, it sounds crazy! But it seriously works! You’ll first start blending the mashed potatoes, then slowly add in the water and dairy free milk. Once almost smooth, you’ll add in the remaining ingredients, and blend until fluffy and creamy!
- Add herbs, vegan butter, and gravy on top, and serve!
Now that you have your fluffy vegan mashed potatoes, all you have to do next is serve!
Why I use a hand mixer over a potato masher
This sounds so bizarre, I know. But I really do prefer using a hand mixer over a potato masher. Growing up, my mom always used a hand mixer too because it’s just honestly easier! Why spend 20 minutes mashing potatoes and take forever to get your perfectly creamy texture when you can just blend the potatoes with a hand mixer!
Now, I know some people do like some chunks of potato in their mashed potatoes; in which case, you can use a potato masher. But I just love super creamy and velvety and fluffy mashed potatoes.
Does this make these potatoes actually mashed? Well, no. I guess the name would be hand mixed potatoes ha. But you still yield the most fluffy and lovely mashed potatoes, so who says you have to follow rules for the sake of following the rules? Use a hand mixer!
Mashed potatoes FAQ’s
You technically can freeze mashed potatoes, but honestly, they’re going to taste the best when they’re fresh. For the best results, I’d advise that you have them as fresh as possible!
If you want super creamy mashed potatoes, then definitely peel them. I’ve recently learned that there are easier and quicker ways to peel potatoes, so if it’s the time at the start of the recipe that’s holding you back, try one of these potato peeling time savers! That being said, some people like a little bit of the potato skin in their mashed potatoes. It’s all about preference!
A great question! In the name of preventing food waste, I actually love roasting the potato peels almost like you would chips. There’s a great recipe on Food Network that I’ve linked in the recipe card for it.
You absolutely can! Simply place them into a microwave safe bowl, cover, and heat!
Absolutely! If you need a bigger serving of vegan mashed potatoes to serve a crowd, click the “2X” or even “3X” button right next to the ingredients list in the recipe card.
I recommend checking out Nora Cooks’ recipe for amazing vegan gravy!
More vegan Thanksgiving recipes you’ll love:
Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
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Amazing Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe (Super Creamy!)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan mashed potatoes are the epitome of fluffy, creamy, and velvety rich. Super easy to make, and absolutely no one will know they’re vegan and dairy free! A crowd pleasing side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner, vegan or not!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup creamy dairy free milk, unsweetened*
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
- 3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- Sea salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Please read through all instructions before beginning.
- Prep: Fill a large pot with water and set aside. Measure out all ingredients.
- Peel & dice the potatoes: Rinse the potatoes, and peel off all of the potato skins. We need the skins off to ensure the mashed potatoes are super creamy. You can save the potato peels for another recipe, like roasted potato peels (just use vegan butter 😉 )!Quarter then dice the potatoes and set aside.
- Boil the potatoes: Place the potatoes into the water, and add in the garlic and salt as well. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cook the potatoes until they’re fork tender and easy to pierce, about 15-20 minutes.
- Strain the potatoes: Make sure that you reserve 1/2 cup of the water used to boil the potatoes. This will help the potatoes become super creamy.
- “Mash” the potatoes: We’re actually using a hand mixer rather than a potato masher to create these mashed potatoes! I find it’s much easier and more efficient at creating consistently creamy mashed potatoes. Place the potatoes into a large bowl and begin to cream the potatoes. Once they’re a bit more broken up, you can stop the hand mixer, and add in the remaining ingredients (dairy free milk, sour cream, potato water, rosemary, and sea salt). Begin mixing again on medium speed until creamy, about 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy! Add your favorite vegan gravy on top or serve with melted vegan butter. Enjoy!
Notes
Using both russet potatoes & Yukon gold potatoes: It’s crucial that we use both here, as a combination of waxy and creamy potatoes will yield the best texture!
Dairy free milk: I recommend a super creamy dairy free milk, such as Forager Project soymilk or oat milk. You can use light coconut milk as well (in the can), but I would recommend not using full fat coconut milk, as it will taste too much like coconut. Additionally, using unsweetened almond milk will not be creamy enough.
Vegan Sour Cream: The vegan sour cream I use is Forager Project, and my entire family just loves it (not everyone in my family is vegan). I would definitely recommend this one, but if you can’t find it in your stores, you can also use a dairy free unsweetened plain yogurt.
