These creamy, fluffy vegan mashed potatoes are the perfect comfort food to complete your dinner plate. This easy one-pot recipe uses Yukon gold potatoes and a small amount of non-dairy milk and butter to create the smoothest and most flavorful side dish. They may be the best vegan mashed potatoes you have ever tried.
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!
Potatoes are a filling and comforting meal that makes excellent side dishes as well as main dishes. For more delicious potato recipes, check out my savory vegan potato casserole, creamy vegan scalloped potatoes, and hearty potato stew!
Jump to:
❤️ Why you’ll love it
Mashed potatoes are one of those staple household recipes loved by everyone and go great with almost anything. They are incredibly versatile, and you can make them in countless ways. You can eat them smooth or chunky, plain or with toppings and add-ins, eat them as a side, or eat them as your main meal. Not to mention, they are one of the most kid-friendly foods out there!
This easy vegan mashed potato recipe only requires three main ingredients: Potatoes, dairy-free milk, and vegan butter. They are then blended with an electric mixer, creating a lovely, creamy texture that melts in your mouth like ice cream. All of the ingredients required are staple kitchen items. You may not even have to make a trip to the grocery store!
You will love just how customizable these potatoes are. Although this recipe is delicious as written, you can also make it with your choice of toppings or add-ins to enhance the flavor or give it more texture. The best part is that this recipe only takes a total time of 30 minutes to make from start to finish, making it an easy side dish to whip for your weeknight or Thanksgiving dinner!
Subscribe to our newsletters and download it right now.
🧾 Key ingredients
Potatoes – I use Yukon gold potatoes in this recipe, which give the creamiest texture.
Dairy-free milk – You can use almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, or coconut milk, depending on your tastes and preferences. I prefer to use my homemade cashew milk. You can also use cooking water.
Vegan butter – Butter is a necessary ingredient in mashed potatoes to help give them their rich and creamy texture.
Celery root (celeriac) – Optional, but highlights the aroma of potatoes with a hint of mild, slightly tangy taste. It is a lovely addition you will not regret.
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥘 Equipment
Hand mixer – An electric hand mixer makes creaming the potatoes much more effortless and requires less time than a potato masher. This is the method I prefer, and I have not had a bad experience with it. Do not use a food processor or blender, which will result in a gooey texture.
Potato ricer – Some professional chefs swear by a ricer for mashing the potatoes, although it takes a little more effort and time to ensure that no chunks remain. You can also use a simple potato masher.
👩🍳 Instructions
Making vegan mashed potatoes
STEP 1
Wash, peel, and dice the Yukon potatoes into small cubes. The smaller you chop them, the less time it takes to cook them.
STEP 2
Boil the potatoes in water until they reach a fork-tender texture. Depending on how small you cut the cubes, this can take between 15-25 minutes.
STEP 3
Drain the water from the potatoes and reserve the cooking water for the next step (only if omitting the milk and butter).
STEP 4
Add the cooked potatoes, dairy-free butter and milk (or potato cooking water), salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
STEP 5
Use a hand mixer to mash and stir the potatoes. Mix until the potatoes reach the desired consistency.
💡 Expert tip
Dice the potatoes into very small pieces before boiling them for a smooth, creamy texture. The larger the pieces, the longer it takes to turn soft. Once cooked, I recommend mashing the potatoes a bit before turning on the mixer. Doing so will help avoid any chunks from remaining at the end.
🔄 Variations
There are many ways to enhance this creamy vegan mashed potato recipe to make it even more savory, comforting, and flavorful! Try your potatoes with vegetables such as celery root (celeriac), rutabaga, cauliflower, or parsnip to give it a crunchy texture and different flavor profile.
Add chopped fresh herbs and spices such as thyme, parsley, chives, or spring onions to add a delicious burst of flavor to each bite. Add roasted garlic cloves, caramelized onion, or ground nutmeg, and I guarantee that your taste buds will do a little happy dance.
🥣 Serving ideas
Mashed potatoes are an easy side dish that pairs well with several main dishes and other savory sides:
As a side dish: These potatoes go great next to comfort foods such as my vegan lentil loaf, copycat IKEA veggie balls, or on top of our vegan shepherd pie. They also complement other veggie sides, such as my roasted asparagus and mushrooms and grilled vegetable kabobs.
With toppings: Add a dollop of vegan sour cream, chopped chives, and vegan shredded cheese for a fun and tasty finishing touch, or top it with vegan mushroom gravy or my vegan onion gravy before serving!
With a side salad: Once you’ve decorated them with your favorite toppings, serve them with a crisp, green salad to make a complete meal.
❄️ Storing tips
These vegan mashed potatoes are best when served hot and fresh on the same day you make them. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them as follows and enjoy them later:
In the refrigerator – Once cooled to room temperature, move the potatoes to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. For the best texture and flavor, eat them within three days.
In the freezer – Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the mashed potatoes to an airtight container or large freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. You can also scoop individual portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place the sheet into the freezer. Once frozen, move the portions into an airtight container or freezer bag.
Reheating – Thaw gradually and reheat slowly on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave to retain its texture. Don’t overheat it. Mashed potatoes usually get firm after chilling in the refrigerator, so you may need to add a small amount of dairy-free milk, butter, or vegetable broth to loosen it up. If reheating from frozen, stir well to absorb any water that may have developed during freezing.
🤔 FAQs
I prefer Yukon gold potatoes because they provide the best texture for creamy mashed potatoes. Russet potatoes are also a good option. However, I would avoid using freshly harvested baby potatoes because they are difficult and time-consuming to peel. They can also have a gooey, glue-like consistency if they are from a brand-new harvest. Older potatoes are typically better and easier to work with (according to my grandmother)!
Milk and butter (or at least the cooking water) are necessary for making creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes. Eliminating it will simply smash the potatoes into pieces but will not give it a smooth texture.
Some mashed potato recipes leave the skin on to add more nutrients. However, leaving the skin on will result in brown bits throughout the potatoes. I personally prefer to make mashed potatoes without the skin or brown bits.
More vegan potato recipes
THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.
⇒ GET OUR FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN E-BOOK NOW! OR CHECK OUT ALL VEGAN MEAL PLAN RECIPES! ⇐
Fluffy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 16 oz Yukon potatoes
- 10 oz Celery root aka Celeriac optional – if not used, add the amount in potatoes
- ¼ cup Dairy-free milk or Cooking water
- 2 Tbsp Vegan butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and dice both potatoes (and celeriac). The smaller you dice them, the shorter will be the cooking time.
- Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft. Depending on the size of the cubes, it can take from 15-25 minutes.
- Drain them, BUT reserve the cooking water if you don’t want to use milk and butter.
- Add the cooked potatoes, (celeriac,) dairy-free butter and milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- We use a hand mixer to make creamy and light mashed potatoes. First, without turning on we mash them a bit, then mix them until we get the right texture.
Notes
- The smaller you dice the potatoes, the shorter will be the cooking time.
- If you don’t want to use vegan butter and dairy-free milk, reserve the cooking water and use that instead.
- You can certainly use an old-fashioned potato masher or ricer, but it is harder to ensure it is 100% creamy, and no chunks remain.
Leave a comment