The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

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These vegan mashed potatoes are a holiday must have. So creamy and flavorful, these dairy free potatoes are always a family favorite!

The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe - Build Your Bite (1)


One of my absolute favorite things to eat at Thanksgiving is vegan mashed potatoes.

No vegetarian Thanksgiving table is complete without mashed potatoes in my opinion.

A big serving of these vegan mashed potatoes with almond milk, topped with a generous pour of the best vegetarian gravy ever…

Now that is what Thanksgiving is all about!

ingredients to make vegan mashed potatoes

  • diced onion
  • minced garlic cloves
  • russet potatoes
  • vegan butter
  • unsweetened plain almond milk
  • salt and pepper
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Mashed potatoes are one of the most important things to get right if you’re making Thanksgiving dinner.

Luckily, this recipe is so simple that anyone can make it!

How to make vegan mashed potatoes

Step 1: rinse and scrub 3 pounds of russet potatoes.

Step 2: add the potatoes to a large pot, cover with hot water, and boil until soft.

You can tell the potatoes are done when a fork can easily break them into pieces.

Cooking the Garlic and Onion

Fresh garlic and onion are what take these mashed potatoes to the next level of flavor!

Step 3: In a small skillet, saute the garlic and onion until softened. Once the garlic and onion are done, add them to a blender with the plain almond milk. Blend the mixture until it becomes a paste like texture.

While you can technically skip this step, we do this to make the mashed potatoes completely smooth. If you don’t mind little bits of onion, you can skip this step.

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What can I substitute for milk in mashed potatoes?

Almond milk is an easy replacement for milk when making vegan mashed potatoes. Be sure that you buy almond milk marked plain and unsweetened: we don’t want sweetener or vanilla flavoring here!

Step 4: Place the cooked potatoes in a bowl and use a fork or potato masher to mash them up. Add in the softened vegan butter, garlic/onion mixture, and salt and pepper to taste.

These potatoes are creamy, delicious, and have a great depth of flavor from the fresh garlic and onion puree. That is one of the secrets to how good these are!

I have made these many times, and no one could even guess that they weren’t regular mashed potatoes.

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Noone would ever guess that these are vegan!

What is a good substitute for butter in mashed potatoes?

For vegan butter, I prefer to use Earth Balance brand. Although I myself am not vegan, I still prefer vegan butter and buy it regularly.

Earth Balance even makes “butter” sticks that look just like the butter you would normally buy. That’s what I used to put a pat of vegan butter on the mashed potatoes in the pictures.

These potatoes are super creamy and buttery and full of flavor. If you don’t like skins in your mashed potatoes, you can always peel the potatoes first.

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Are you planning your Thanksgiving menu?

Be sure to give these vegan mashed potatoes a try and let me know how you like them!

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More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

  • Cranberry Sauce
  • Vegan Stuffing
  • Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble(sub vegan milk and butter to make vegan)
  • Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

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Be sure to pin this recipe for later and followBuild Your Bite on Pinterestfor all the latest delicious recipes!

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Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

The best vegan mashed potatoes recipe you'll ever eat!

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup diced onion
  • 5 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 lbs russet potatoes
  • 1 ½ cups vegan butter, softened
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened unflavored almond milk
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Rinse and scrub the russet potatoes and place in a large pot
  2. Cover potatoes with hot water and bring to a boil, salt generously (I used 2 teaspoons)
  3. Boil potatoes until a fork can go all the way through
  4. While potatoes are boiling, sautee diced onion and garlic in a skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil
  5. Cook garlic and onions until softened (about 5 minutes on medium heat or until onion is translucent)
  6. Puree garlic and onion mixture with the almond milk in a blender or food processor until it reaches a paste texture
  7. Once potatoes are soft, mash them in a large bowl or pan and add garlic/onion puree, vegan butter, and salt and pepper to taste ( I used an additional 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper)
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 383Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 268mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

Did you make this recipe?

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The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

What thickens mashed potatoes? ›

You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well. Stir in the thickening agent gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency.

Why do people add sour cream to mashed potatoes? ›

Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!

What is the best non dairy substitute for milk in mashed potatoes? ›

Chicken or vegetable broth: You can use chicken or vegetable broth instead of milk or cream to add flavor and moisture to mashed potatoes. This is a good option for those who are lactose intolerant or vegan. Sour cream: Sour cream can be used in place of milk or cream to add creaminess and tanginess to mashed potatoes.

Is milk or water better for mashed potatoes? ›

Simmer your mashed potatoes in milk, not water! Potatoes are like pasta, in that they leach starches into their cooking liquid. In the case of pasta, you want to reserve some of that liquid to give sauce a luscious shine and bind it to the noodles.

Will egg thicken mashed potatoes? ›

Add Egg Yolks For Richer And Creamier Homemade Mashed Potatoes. Eggs are an almighty staple with multifaceted culinary powers that can thicken, flavor, emulsify, and bind ingredients in countless recipes from baked goods to soups to sauces.

Will milk thin out mashed potatoes? ›

Figuring out how to thin your mashed potatoes is a simple to fix. You just add warm liquid (milk, cream, or broth) a little at a time until you reached your desired consistency.

What is better in mashed potatoes cream cheese or sour cream? ›

Sour Cream: The sour cream helps keep the mashed potatoes fluffy. Cream Cheese: This adds a bit of creaminess without being too overpowering. Heavy Cream: Increases the creaminess and helps thin out the potatoes a bit.

Why do restaurant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

Is oat milk or almond milk better for mashed potatoes? ›

Unsweetened Almond Milk: Almond milk is what's going to help our mashed potatoes become super creamy and luscious! You can also use soy milk, oat milk or your favorite non-dairy milk alternative. Just make sure it's unsweet.

What is the best fake milk for mashed potatoes? ›

Almond Milk: Almond milk is a popular non-dairy milk alternative made from finely ground almonds and water. Its creamy, nutty flavor makes it a good choice for baking and cooking. Almond milk is perfect for people that have lactose intolerance or are vegan. The ratio of almond milk to mashed potatoes is one to one.

What is a good substitute for cream in mashed potatoes? ›

Whole milk and light cream are the two components of half-and-half, so it's not that far off from the real deal. Use half-and-half as a 1:1 substitute for heavy cream. It can work nearly as well for bringing creamy texture and flavor to sauces, soups and stews, mashed potatoes, quiches, and casseroles.

Should I melt the butter before putting in mashed potatoes? ›

No, mash it in, the heat of the boiled potatoes will melt it. For a difference, try adding some home made Mayonnaise and a crushed clove of garlic. Can you make mashed potatoes without milk or cream, only using water and butter? I called them to tell them dinner was on the table.

Should you warm milk before putting in mashed potatoes? ›

Always Warm the Dairy First

For the very best result every time, always gently warm the butter and milk before adding to the potatoes, rather than adding cold dairy straight from the fridge. Here's why: Warm dairy is absorbed faster and more easily, with less stirring than its cold counterpart.

Should you let potatoes cool before mashing? ›

There's no need to cool potatoes at all before mashing them. It's actually easier to mash them while warm. It also means better taste! Also, if you're using butter in them, the heat allows it to melt into them.

Why is my mashed potato so watery? ›

Runny potatoes can happen for a few different reasons. Too much liquid: This is the most common reason. In the mashing process you may have added too much milk or broth. Boiled too long: Boiling your potatoes for too long can make them water-logged, which (you guessed it) can contribute to runny mashed potatoes.

Why can't you add flour to mashed potatoes? ›

Regular flour can also be used to thicken your potatoes as well, but I don't love using it because its raw flavor needs to be cooked out, and it more noticeably dulls the flavor of the potatoes themselves.

Does milk make mashed potatoes thick? ›

If executed correctly, simmering potatoes in milk is supposed to make for a flavorful and creamy bowl of mashed potatoes. The theory is that by preserving the starch that potatoes release into the cooking liquid, you can take advantage of its thickening properties to achieve a smooth yet not-too-heavy texture.

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