
Luscious mashed potatoes don't need to be a fat bomb in order to be flavorful.
This one-pot Healthy Mashed Potato recipe is ready in under 25 minutes, only takes four ingredients, and has less than 1 gram of fat per serving!
This blog post was originally published on August 20, 2020. It was updated on September 2, 2021.
Table of contents
For someone who grew up not liking mashed potatoes, I sure seem to make them a lot.
For the holidays, for potlucks, family dinners, and more. Somehow they just keep sneaking onto the menu.
I used to gladly make them at family members and dinner guest's requests. After all, what is Thanksgiving or Christmas without a bowl of the creamy mash?
But lately, a tide has been turning: I've started making them because I like them too.
A big shift in this complicated relationship happened when I decided to start playing around with the potato ingredients. After all, who said that mashed potatoes have to have butter, milk, or sour cream.
And it's not even that I have anything against these ingredients -- because I definitely don't. But there was something about those ingredients in mashed potatoes that just didn't sit right with me. The mouthfeel? Possibly. How they tasted like baby food? A big part of it. That they left me feeling a bit of a food coma? 100%.
When I created my Twice Baked Mashed Potato Souffle last year, I first started dipping my toe in with new ingredients. With eggs, a touch of flour, shredded cheese, chives, leavening agents, and just a small amount of butter and milk, the souffle offered a crunch and creamy and light, yet substantial texture which I was surprised to find hard to get off my mind.
As much as I love that souffle, it can be a bit of an undertaking for weeknight dinners and more impromptu dinner parties. So, I decided I needed to go back to the drawing board to discover an essential mashed potato recipe I could also get behind.
And then one day, as fate would have it I was set off down another rabbit hole. The host of one of my blogging podcast briefly mentioned adding eggs to mashed potatoes. I was instantly a woman obsessed.
With just this goal to drive me, I started testing out multiple different ways to make mashed potatoes with eggs instead of butter.
I tested out the ratio of potatoes to eggs; discovered how much salt I needed to bring out the flavor of the potatoes; researched ways to keep mashed potatoes from getting too gluey; and used trial and error to land upon the perfect amount of garlic the recipe needed.
After all my calculations, I'm proud to say that I now have for you my new favorite mashed potato recipe that I actually and gladly eat at holiday meals, weeknight dinners, and dinner parties alike. A potato recipe that is by most considerations healthy (around 125 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 5 grams of protein per serving) and by popular consensus, delicious: my healthy mashed potatoes without butter!
This recipe is...
- Fluffy
- Creamy
- Light
- Savory
- Buttery (but without butter!)
- Garlicky
All of that in less than 25 minutes! I'm not sure it gets much better come dinner time!
More information about these healthy mashed potatoes:
Recipe ingredients
- Potatoes - Yukon gold or russet potatoes are the best. New potatoes are too waxy to mash successfully.
- Garlic
- Large Eggs - the secret ingredient in this recipe; eggs had luscious creaminess and flavor to these potatoes without adding excess fat and calories
- Salt - makes or breaks the flavor of mashed potatoes; not enough salt will leave the potatoes tasting lifeless so salt adequately.
How to make mashed potatoes healthier:
Here is how I made this recipe healthier:
- Removed the butter - butter adds saturated fat and extra calories to the dish, so we removed it and substituted in the eggs, which add in richness without the heaviness.
- Removed the dairy milk - we don't need dairy milk to make these potatoes creamy and luscious! Eggs add a light custard-like quality to these potatoes that give them an incredible mouthfeel.
- Used leaner seasonings - garlic just the right amount of salt add flavor without adding unnecessary fat or calories, helping us to not even miss traditional mashed potato recipes.
How to make healthy mashed potatoes:
- Rinse the cubed potatoes with cold water in a colander.
- Add the potatoes and garlic to a stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with cold water.
- Simmer the potatoes until tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and remove a few or all of the garlic cloves, depending on taste.
- Immediately move the potatoes to the cooking pot or a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and salt.
- Mash or whip the potatoes until the eggs are thoroughly mixed in and the potatoes are your desired texture.
Recipe pro-tips:
- Rinse the potatoes before boiling - a thorough, but quick rinse with cold water helps to remove the potato starch, ensuring that the end result is light and fluffy!
- Start the potatoes in cool water - this will help lock in the starch and keep the potatoes from getting gummy or tacky. So, cover the potatoes completely in cool water before bringing to a boil.
- Drain the potatoes well - I speak for all the mashed potato critics out there, soggy and wet mashed potatoes are just not good. So, do the world a favor and drain those potatoes well before whipping them up!
- Have the eggs cracked and ready to go - we want to add the eggs to the hot potatoes as soon as they're done draining. Having them accessible and ready to go makes this step that much easier.
- Salt the water adequately - just like pasta, salty water gives the potatoes the best flavor. Follow the recipe directions to salt the water sufficiently.
- Salt the potatoes - similarly, salt bring out the flavors of this dish and ties it all together, so don't be bashful about seasoning the potatoes before mashing. I recommend adding ¾ teaspoon salt to season these mashed potatoes.
- Removing the garlic cloves before mashing or whipping - the garlic in this recipe functions to add savoriness and dimension to the potatoes, more than garlic. To reach this effect, I recommend removing about half of the garlic before mashing or whipping. If you prefer garlicky potatoes, however, leave the garlic cloves in with the potatoes.
- A note about mashing vs. whipping - mashing the potatoes with a potato masher gives them a thicker and chunkier texture. Whipping them with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment makes the potatoes light and fluffy. Mash or whip according to your preference.
Save this recipe for later on Pinterest:
A note on using raw eggs:
If you add the eggs immediately to the steaming hot drained potatoes, they should not be raw after the potatoes are mashed.
We're going to be making these mashed potatoes just like how you make pasta carbonara -- i.e. you toss the boiling hot pasta with eggs and cheese. The heat of the pasta and potatoes should cook the eggs without scrambling them.
If you are uncomfortable with this thought or cooking technique, however, check out another potato recipe like my Air Fryer Garlic Smashers or Easy Baked Home Fries.
Recipe FAQs:
Mashed potatoes without butter are creamy, savory, and have a buttery mouth feel. Though they are made with garlic, they don't have a strong garlic flavor, more of the umami flavor that garlic provides.
According to Megan Byrd, RDN and food blogger at The Oregon Dietitian, "By themselves, potatoes are extremely healthy, and can be made healthy in the form of mashed potatoes, too! Potatoes are high in vitamin A, potassium, and fiber, and are actually very antioxidant-rich as well!
What makes potatoes unhealthy is the way we tend to prepare them, either fried or smothered in butter and oils. Mashed potatoes made without oils are healthy because they're so limited in saturated fat and extra calories, but still dense in nutrients!"
Dietary adaptations:
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian. It's rich in carbs and whole foods.
Unfortunately, because the eggs are such a critical ingredient, these potatoes cannot be made vegan.
Serving suggestions:
Mashed potatoes are an incredibly versatile side dish. Here are some of my favorite meals and dishes to serve them with:
- Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Beef Ragu
- Pork chops
- Air fryer salmon
- Grilled chicken
Storage directions:
These potatoes last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They do not freeze well.
Reheat each serving of the potatoes in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, at 50% heat, stirring halfway through reheating.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Measuring spoons
- Colander
- Dutch oven or stockpot
- Potato masher, handheld mixer, or stand mixer
More healthy side dish recipes:
- Instant Pot Baby Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes Without Milk
- Candied Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed Butternut Squash
- Corn Soufflé
- Orange Salad with Honeyed Hazelnuts
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Blistered Green Beans
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Healthy Mashed Potatoes (Without Butter or Olive Oil!)
This potato recipe only calls for four ingredients and is ready in under 25 minutes.
Have the eggs cracked before draining the potatoes and add the potatoes back into your cooking pot or mixing bowl so you can add and mix in the eggs immediately after draining.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 ¾ teaspoon salt, DIVIDED
- 5 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
1. Place potatoes in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Shake any excess water off the potatoes.
2. Add the potatoes and smashed garlic cloves to a dutch oven or stockpot. Cover the potatoes with at least 1 inch of cold water. Stir 1 teaspoon of the salt into the water.
3. Bring the pot of potatoes to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and fall apart when pierced with a fork.
4. Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander. Remove a few or all of the garlic cloves if you don't want your potatoes as garlicky.
5. Immediately add the potatoes back into the cooking pot or to a large mixing bowl and add in the 2 large eggs and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.
6. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or whip with a handheld mixer or stand mixer until the egg is evenly mixed in and the potatoes are mashed to your desired level. Serve hot!
Notes
These potatoes last covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Reheat each serving of the potatoes in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, at 50% heat, stirring halfway through reheating.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 126Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 47mgSodium 228mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 3gSugar 1gProtein 5g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Terri says
The potatoes are prepared and served with raw eggs?
Mae's Menu says
Hi, Terri --
The eggs aren't raw because they're whisked (or masked) into the boiling hot potatoes. These potatoes are made just like how pasta carbonara is made -- the heat of the pasta cooks the egg as it is tossed with it. If you're uncomfortable with this thought, however, I don't recommend the recipe. Do whatever you feel best with!
Suzanna says
Can this recipe be used with a potato ricer and the eggs? Or do you recommend either whisking or mashing the potatoes?
Mae's Menu says
Hi Suzanna,
Great question! I have not tried it with a potato ricer, so I can't say for sure, but I'm leaning towards either whisking or masking the potatoes. You want to incorporate the eggs with the potatoes as you mash or whip them and it would probably be a bit tricky to do so with a potato ricer.
Hope that helps!
Chelsea
devolina says
Thanks for this article.
Carmen says
Just made this for the first time. Forgot to add the garlic but I added garlic powder while mashing. Thank you for posting this. Very yummy
Amber says
Could you add egg whites instead of a whole egg?
Not sure if that would make a huge difference or not.
Mae's Menu says
Hi Amber,
Though you technically could add egg whites instead of whole eggs, the result won't be as rich of a taste or as buttery of a mouthfeel.
All the best,
Chelsea
Lucia smith says
I love the healthy mashed potato recipe for its simplicity. However, my take is to use ghee in it, which I love for enhancing the taste, increasing the nutritional dose, and creamy mouthfeel, etc. I prefer using pure cow ghee in it. I prefer using Milkio grass-fed ghee for all culinary purposes.