Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
This is our go-to vegan mashed potato recipe for everything from holiday dinners to our favorite comfort food meals (like shepherd’s pie + bangers and mash with cashew gravy)! These buttery vegan mashed potatoes require only 4 basic ingredients and has a consistently creamy dreamy texture. Make these dairy-free potatoes as-is or customize them with your favorite savory flavors like roasted garlic.
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Some time ago, I realized we didn’t have a basic vegan mashed potato recipe on the blog, which is suuuuper weird because we make them at least once a week in this house.
So, when T was making mashed potatoes for his vegan cottage pie cupcakes (you heard that right), I asked him to make some extra, so this recipe could live on a post of its own.
Whether you’re just starting out in the kitchen and looking for a recipe to guide you on your way, or you’re just looking for a dependable, consistently delicious vegan mashed potato recipe to add to your arsenal, I hope this recipe becomes a staple in your kitchen like it has in ours!
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What You’ll Need
This vegan mashed potato recipe is rather ordinary, requiring only 4 basic ingredients. It’s the perfect base upon which you can build a multitude of mashed potato flavors, but here are the staples:
Potatoes: We like to use russet potatoes.
Vegan Butter: Vegan butter is everywhere these days. We’re currently obsessed with the Country Crock’s Plant Butter sticks, but feel free to use whatever brand is your fave or the one that’s currently in your fridge. Earth Balance is a classic brand we also LOVE.
Non-Dairy Milk: Use whatever kind you like – soy, almond, oat, cashew, etc. Just be sure whichever brand you’re using is labeled both “plain” + “unsweetened”. This is the part of the recipe you really want to nail. You don’t want weirdly sweet or vanilla-flavored mashed potatoes (been there). Read those labels!
Salt: I honestly LOVE the flavor of potatoes and don’t need anything other than a big ol’ pinch of salt to enjoy, but feel free to load ‘em up with your favorite spices and herbs if that’s your thing.
Potato Peeler: This was my LEAST favorite job when I made mashed potatoes with my mom as a kid (and honestly, it still is #lessonsinpatience), but a good peeler helps. We use this one, and I LOVE the grip because I am clumsy AF with those peelers with the sharp ends. Not good.
Electric Mixer: You can use either a hand or stand mixer here. We have an old hand mixer that is straight outta the 1980s, but it works like a charm in this recipe. No need for anything fancy! Licking the extra mashed potatoes off those mixers when you’re done was (and still is) my FAVORITE part of this process. 🙂
How to Make Vegan Mashed Potatoes
The whole recipe comes together in under an hour (and half of that is boiling time):
First, peel and dice your potatoes. Be sure to use a sharp knife (we’re partial to this cleaver) and dice the potatoes as evenly as you can. This does not need to be perfect, but evenly diced potatoes will cook evenly, so definitely pay it some attention.
Next, boil ‘em. Boiling time will depend on how small you’ve diced your potatoes, but the general rule is they’re ready when they’re fork-tender. About 15-25 minutes should do the trick.
Then, drain + mix everything together. Use your electric mixer to bring it all together. Add the vegan butter, salt, and (slowly) the non-dairy milk.
Finally, serve and enjoy! We love to serve these potatoes sprinkled with fresh herbs and topped with some extra (vegan) butter pats (if you really wanna get all decadent). Voila!
How to Use Vegan Mashed Potatoes
You may think these mashed potatoes are only fit for the holidays, but we find ourselves making them just about every week during the colder months (and sometimes, the not-so-colder months too) for things like:
Shepherd’s Pie: These are the PERFECT no-fuss mashed potatoes for your favorite Irish comfort food. And they’re especially great if you’re going to be piping them onto these cottage pie cupcakes.
Bangers + Mash: This is one of our go-to comfort foods in the winter and NOTHING beats its coziness! We use this seitan sausage recipe for the bangers and pile it high with peas and gravy. HEAVEN!
Mashed Potato Bowl: Serve your mashed potatoes in a bowl topped with vegan chicken nuggets, roasted corn, and a heavy-handed ladle of gravy. Sometimes, we make a version that involves vegan mac and cheese. You really can’t go wrong.
Vegan Honey Garlic Tofu Bowl: Use these vegan mashed potatoes as a base for a dinner bowl topped with our Vegan Honey Garlic Tofu and roasted brussels sprouts!
Other Awesome Potato Recipes:
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We hope you find this recipe helpful and can’t wait to see how you use it! Enjoy, and we’ll see you again soon! 🙂
Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup dairy-free butter
- 3/4 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
Instructions
- Boil diced potatoes in a large pot of water for 15-25 minutes. When ready, they should fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
- Strain the potatoes well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the vegan butter, salt, and approximately half the non-dairy milk. Mix well with an electric hand or stand mixer, stopping to pull from the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the remaining non-dairy milk and repeat the mixing. When ready, the potatoes should be smooth with just the smallest lumps (or no lumps, depending on your preference).
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of fresh herbs! Leftovers will keep for up to a week in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
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