The best vegan mashed potatoes! Mashed with vegan butter, garlic and herb-infused soy milk, they are rich and packed with flavour. Serve these perfect dairy-free mashed potatoes at any time of the year. They are easy enough for weeknight dinners and special enough for the holidays!
These super-flavourful and creamy vegan mashed potatoes are so irresistible. They are perfect to serve during the holidays or as a staple side with your weeknight meals. I've even been known to eat them on their own with some gravy. Seriously, they’re that good!
This delicious vegan side dish is naturally gluten and dairy-free, and it can be made on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Either way, it's fast, easy, and packed with flavour. I mean is there anything that can beat piles of fluffy mash?
Jump to:
- What ingredients do I need and why?
- Tips for how to mash potatoes
- How to make vegan mashed potatoes on the stovetop
- How to make vegan Instant Pot mashed potatoes
- Success tips
- Some ways you can adapt this recipe
- What kind of potatoes work best in mashed potatoes?
- Can this dairy-free mash be made without vegan butter?
- Can these be made ahead of time?
- How to store
- Can you freeze mashed potatoes?
- How to reheat
- What goes well with vegan mashed potatoes?
- Hungry for more?
- 📖 Recipe
What ingredients do I need and why?
You probably have most of the ingredients you need already in your kitchen. Here they are:
- Potatoes - I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes for their gorgeous colour, creamy texture and buttery taste. They don’t have as much starch as other potatoes and mash really, really well.
- Garlic - The best vegan mashed potatoes don’t skimp on the garlic. It adds so much flavour!
- Soy milk - If at all possible. It must be unsweetened and unflavoured. Soy milk gives the very best results in dairy-free mashed potatoes and I highly recommend using it if you can. If you can't for some reason, oat milk or cashew milk would be my second and third choices but they must be unsweetened and unflavoured. (Please note that if you use oat milk it must be storebought and not homemade).
- Vegan butter - The more vegan butter, the better! It makes these mashed potatoes so rich, creamy and flavourful!
- Fresh herbs - Sage and thyme give these potatoes so much flavour so I recommend you use them if at all possible, but if you don't have them these mashed potatoes are still super delicious without.
- Salt and pepper - Plenty of these for the very best flavour.
Tips for how to mash potatoes
It's so easy to make mashed potatoes. First, be sure to boil them until perfectly soft, but not mushy and be generous with the salt in the water. You should be able to insert a knife into the potatoes easily but they shouldn't be falling apart because that can make them waterlogged.
Once cooked, drain them well and mash. You can use a regular potato masher or a potato ricer, but I really like to use a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer. They make the mash super creamy and fluffy, while saving you some effort. I love to add plenty of butter and milk while mashing, and some extra flavourings, as per this recipe, to make them super flavourful, soft, rich and extra creamy. I give lots more info below about how to make them on the stovetop and in an Instant Pot.
How to make vegan mashed potatoes on the stovetop
For detailed measurements and instructions, scroll to my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page or click the "jump to recipe" button at the top of the page.
Ready to get started? Here’s how to make the best vegan mashed potatoes on the stovetop:
Step 1 - Add peeled and cut potatoes, peeled garlic cloves, and plenty of salt to a large pan. Cover with cold water. Place a lid on the pan, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and soft.
Step 2 - Meanwhile heat the milk, butter, sage, thyme and pepper in a small pan.
Step 3 - Once hot, turn off and leave to infuse while the potatoes finish cooking.
Step 4 - Drain the potatoes as soon as they’re ready and roughly mash them.
Step 5 - Remove and discard the herbs from the milk mixture, then pour it into the potatoes and mash/beat really well again.
Step 6 - Taste and add more seasonings as you prefer. Serve with more butter!
How to make vegan Instant Pot mashed potatoes
This is how to make mashed potatoes in an Instant Pot:
Step 1 - Cut the potatoes up and place them into the Instant Pot along with the peeled garlic cloves and salt. Cover with water.
Step 2 - Secure the lid and seal the vent. Cook on the STEAM setting for 12 minutes. Release the steam right away and drain then return to the bowl.
Step 3 - Mash/beat the potatoes with the milk mixture until super-soft and creamy.
Step 4 - Taste and season as necessary, then serve!
Extra mouths to feed? Note that this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, but if you are making them in an Instant Pot, be sure to not fill it more than halfway.
Success tips
- Feel free to leave the potato peel on if you prefer a more rustic mash.
- Want the potatoes to cook faster? Cut them into smaller chunks.
- If you only want a hint of garlic flavour, remove the cloves after the potatoes are done cooking. Mashing them with the potatoes will create a more powerful garlic flavour (which I love!).
- If you want the very best results, use unsweetened, unflavoured soy milk. It’s way better than any other plant-based milk in this recipe.
- Mash the potatoes right after draining. Don't leave them sitting around or else they’ll become harder to mash.
- Don't skimp on the vegan butter! It's really important for flavour.
- Be generous with the salt and pepper. It's so important in mashed potatoes!
- Don't use white pepper. Black pepper tastes way better.
Some ways you can adapt this recipe
- Add 1 cup of vegan cheese (that melts well) to the potatoes as soon as you've drained them and before mashing for a delicious cheesy mash.
- Want to use sweet potatoes? Make my recipe for vegan mashed sweet potato instead.
- Add some vegan ricotta to make them extra creamy!
- Use roasted garlic instead of adding the garlic cloves to the potatoes when boiling. Cut the top of an entire bulb off, pour some oil on top, and wrap it in foil. Let it roast in a 400ºF oven for around 50 minutes or until it’s very soft then once cool pop it out.
- To make these mashed potatoes without any dairy-free milk, replace it with vegan sour cream, vegan cream cheese, vegetable stock, or use some of the reserved potato cooking water.
What kind of potatoes work best in mashed potatoes?
My potatoes of choice for mashing (and almost everything really), are Yukon Gold potatoes. They make excellent mashed potatoes, have a nice golden colour, a great texture and a buttery flavour. I tend to avoid russets because they are a bit tasteless once boiled and can easily get mushy and watery when mashed. If you are in the UK, Desiree and Maris Pipers are best.
Can this dairy-free mash be made without vegan butter?
Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. Mashed potatoes just aren’t as good without the added fat. It adds so much flavour and creamy texture. If you do decide to skip the vegan butter though, replace it with bit more milk or vegetable stock.
Can these be made ahead of time?
Vegan Mashed Potatoes can easily be made ahead of time. Make them as directed, then transfer them to an oven-proof dish or container. Cover them well and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to store
Make sure the potatoes have cooled to room temperature then transfer them to an airtight container. They can then be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze mashed potatoes?
As long as you have used the milk and butter as per the recipe, these vegan mashed potatoes will freeze well for up to three months. If you didn't use plenty of milk and butter when mashing then they will not freeze well. The process is very much dependent on the fat in the milk and butter.
To freeze, allow to cool completely then transfer the mashed potato to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer.
To freeze individual portions, line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop out portions with a ccup onto the surface of the paper and place the whole tray in the freezer just until the portions have frozen solid. Then remove them from the tray and place in a freezer bag or container until needed.
Allow to defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating as per my instructions.
How to reheat
To reheat in the oven - Preheat your oven to 350ºF and place the potatoes in an ovenproof dish. Pour half a cup of soy milk onto the surface of the potatoes, and some dollops of vegan butter too (without stirring it in). This protects them and stops them from drying out. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for about 25 minutes or until piping hot. Give them a good stir, mash, or mix with a mixer before serving to fluff them up.
To reheat on the stovetop - Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large pan and add half a cup of milk and a few tablespoons of vegan butter. Place the pan over low heat and stir constantly until piping hot.
To reheat in a slow cooker (or to keep warm after mashing)- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a slow cooker and set to low. They should be hot after about 2 hours but can be left on for up to 4 hours. Add half a cup of warm soy milk and a few tablespoons of vegan butter then beat well with a wooden spoon or handheld electric whisk before serving.
What goes well with vegan mashed potatoes?
Mashed potatoes work with just about anything. Here are some ideas:
- try it with my roasted red cabbage and apples (recipe coming very soon) and some vegan sausages like in my photos
- lots of vegan red wine gravy
- Vegan meatloaf with onion gravy
- baked tofu
- portobello pot roast
- easy vegan mushroom pies
- for dinner with vegan green bean casserole (one of my fave dinners!)
- Serve them on the side of an herby main, like lentil loaf or vegan pot roast.
- with toppings, like fresh or dried chives, roasted garlic, nutritional yeast, more butter, tempeh bacon crumbles, vegan shredded cheese, or dried thyme or rosemary.
- Include them next to your vegan holiday roast or gluten-free seitan loaf.
- Pile them on top of my lentil shepherd’s pie.
Hungry for more?
Love these dairy-free mashed potatoes? You might also enjoy these delicious sides:
- Bubble and Squeak
- Best Vegan Sweet Potatoes
- Vegan Cranberry Sauce
- Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Roasted Potatoes
- Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb / 1.13 kg potatoes , I like to use Yukon Gold
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt , plus more to taste
- enough water to cover
- 240 mls / 1 cup soy milk , it must be unsweetneed and unflavoured
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter , plus a bit more for the serving
- 6 leaves fresh sage
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , plus more to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Stovetop Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to a large pan.
- Peel the garlic cloves and add them to the potatoes with the salt, then cover with cold water. About an inch over the potatoes.
- Place a lid on the pan and bring to a boil then simmer until the potatoes are really tender and a knife inserts into them easily. It will take 25 to 30 minutes depending on how big the potato chunks are.
- Meanwhile, while the potatoes are cooking, add the milk, butter, sage, thyme and pepper to a small pan and place over medium heat until hot and the butter is melted. Turn off and set aside to allow the flavours to infuse while the potatoes finish cooking.
- Drain the potatoes. At this point, you can remove the garlic cloves if you want just a hint of garlic flavour, or leave them in and mash them up with the potato for a more powerful garlic flavour. I like to leave mine in because I love garlic!
- Either return to the pan and roughly mash with a potato masher or a handheld electric whisk, or transfer them to a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment. My preference is either my stand mixer or a handheld electric whisk. They make super creamy mash so I recommend you use either of those if you have them.
- When the potatoes are roughly mashed, remove the herbs from the milk mixture and discard them, then pour the milk mixture into the potatoes and beat again really well until super-soft and creamy. It might feel like too much liquid at first but once you beat it, it will be fine.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it. I tend to add an extra teaspoon of salt and half teaspoon of pepper at this stage. Beat well after adding it and taste again and tweak as needed.
- Serve with a little more butter, a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper and some chopped parsley or chives if you have them.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, cut into quarters (if really large cut into ⅛'s) and add to the Instant pot along with the peeled garlic cloves and salt. Cover with water to about an inch above the potatoes.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal the vent, then cook on the STEAM setting for 12 minutes. Release the steam right away and drain the potatoes.
- Either return to the Instant Pot insert and roughly mash with a potato masher or a handheld electric whisk, or transfer them to a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment. My preference is either my stand mixer or a handheld electric whisk. They make super creamy mash so I recommend you use either of those if you have them.
- When the potatoes are roughly mashed, remove the herbs from the milk mixture and discard them, then pour the milk mixture into the potatoes and beat again really well until super-soft and creamy. It might feel like too much liquid at first but once you beat it, it will be fine.
- Taste it and add more salt and pepper if it needs it. I tend to add an extra teaspoon of salt and half teaspoon of pepper. Beat well after adding it and taste again and tweak as needed.
- Serve with a little more butter, a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper and some chopped parsley or chives if you have them.
NOTES
- Feel free to leave the potato peel on if you prefer a more rustic mash.
- Want the potatoes to cook faster? Cut them into smaller chunks.
- If you only want a hint of garlic flavour, remove the cloves after the potatoes are done cooking. Mashing them with the potatoes will create a more powerful garlic flavour (which I love!).
- If you want the very best results, use unsweetened, unflavoured soy milk. It’s way better than any other plant-based milk in this recipe.
- Mash the potatoes right after draining. Don't leave them sitting around or else they’ll become harder to mash.
- Don't skimp on the vegan butter! It's really important for flavour.
- Be generous with the salt and pepper. It's so important in mashed potatoes!
- Don't use white pepper. Black pepper tastes way better.
Allow the mash to cool completely then transfer to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer.
To freeze individual portions, line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop out portions with a cup onto the surface of the paper and place the whole tray in the freezer just until the portions have frozen solid. Then remove them from the tray and place in a freezer bag or container until needed. To reheat in the oven - Remove from the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350 °F (175 °C). Before you put them in the oven pour over 120mls / half a cup of soy milk and a few tablespoons of vegan butter (no need to melt it, lumps of it are fine). Don't stir. Just leave it pooling on the top. This protects the potato and stops it from drying out. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until piping hot. Give the mash a good beat with a wooden spoon or a handheld mixer before serving to make it nice and fluffy. To reheat on the stovetop - Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large pan and add half a cup of milk and a few tablespoons of vegan butter. Place the pan over low heat and stir constantly until piping hot. To reheat in a slow cooker (or to keep warm after mashing) - Transfer the mashed potatoes to the slow cooker insert and set to low. They should be hot after about 2 hours but can be left on for up to 4 hours. Before serving add half a cup of warm soy milk and a few tablespoons of vegan butter then beat well with a wooden spoon or handheld electric whisk.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
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