Delicious, creamy, and savory Mashed Potatoes without Butter or Milk, thanks to my favorite no longer secret ingredient! These potatoes are made with just 3 simple ingredients and are ready in under 20 minutes. They are quick, easy, and totally tasty! Serve them for weeknight dinners, Thanksgiving, or Sunday dinner.
This blog post was originally published on August 20, 2020. It was updated with new recipe information on October 10, 2023.
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Table of Contents
No butter or milk? No problem! 💃 Discover a remake in this recipe that makes healthy yet also flavorful and creamy mashed potatoes without butter, milk, sour cream, heavy cream, or other forms of dairy!
But just because these mashers are made without these ingredients doesn't mean they are flavorless, lifeless, or bland. Actually, it's the opposite: a savory, garlicky, and buttery flavor party in your mouth! Thanks to our star ingredient, not only will you never miss the dairy, but your dairy-loving friends will never realize any difference, too!
For more perfect potato recipes, check out my air fryer smashed potatoes, easy baked home fries, and Instant Pot baby potatoes.
Can you make mashed potatoes without butter?
Yes, you most certainly can make mashed potatoes without butter! There are many different substitutes for butter in mashed potatoes, such as olive oil, chicken or vegetable broth or stock, vegan butter, dairy-free milk, and eggs. So, if you can't eat butter, milk or other dairy products for any reason, you are sure to have a variety of ways that you can still enjoy this classic side dish.
This recipe's butter substitute for mashed potatoes is eggs. Though I know it may sound strange at first, please trust me when I say that eggs provide superior creamy texture and savory buttery flavor!
In fact, I was inspired to develop this healthy mashed potatoes recipe after making pasta carbonara, a dish with a creamy and luscious sauce that is made by tossing hot pasta with eggs and grated cheese. Similar to carbonara, the heat of the potatoes cooks the eggs through without scrambling them. If you are uncomfortable with this cooking technique, however, you can try out my dairy-free mashed potatoes recipe for another method to make no-butter mashed potatoes!
Why You'll Love Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- Flavorful & Creamy: Just like traditional mashed potatoes, these healthy mashed potatoes have all of the comforting and soul-warming flavors and textures that we know and love.
- Perfect for Holiday Meals: These potatoes are a welcomed addition to any Christmas or Thanksgiving table!
- Simple & Easy: All you need is 3 ingredients and less than 20 minutes to make a side dish that everyone will love. No stress for delicious results!
- Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: As well as paleo and vegetarian! These recipes are a good pick for people with dietary limitations or preferences. Additionally, since the recipe does not call for butter or dairy milk, they are also low-fat and low-calorie mashed potatoes!
Ingredients
- Potatoes: For the creamiest and most buttery mashed potatoes with no butter, choose Yukon gold potatoes. They have an exceptional texture and rich flavor. Russet potatoes can substitute but they are starchy potatoes and will have a slightly drier finish. Alternatively, you can also make this recipe with a mixture of Yukon gold and russet potatoes for a balanced texture profile that the New York Times swears by.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds savory steakhouse flavor notes to this healthy mashed potatoes recipe. Peel, trim, and smash the garlic before adding it to the pot with the potatoes.
- Large Eggs: The secret ingredient in this recipe! Just as eggs are cooked with hot pasta in pasta carbonara, the eggs are cooked with the hot potatoes, adding a similarly creamy and custardy finish to the mashed potatoes! No butter is needed here, folks. The eggs do all of the heavy lifting for us.
- Salt: A humble ingredient that enhances all of the savory mashed potato flavors.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes Without Butter
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Rinse the cubed potatoes with cold water in a colander.
Step 2: Add the potatoes and garlic to a stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with cold water.
Step 3: Bring the potatoes to a boil over high. Reduce to medium heat and simmer until tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Step 4: Drain the potato cooking water and remove a few or all of the garlic cloves, depending on taste.
Step 5: Immediately move the hot cooked potatoes to the cooking pot or a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and salt.
Step 6: Mash with a potato masher or whip the potatoes with an electric mixer until the eggs are thoroughly mixed in and the potatoes are your desired texture. Season with additional salt if desired and serve hot.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Don't use waxy potatoes: Such as red or purple-skinned potatoes. These potatoes tend to hold their shape more when they are mashed so they do not get smooth and creamy. Stick with yellow potatoes (or russets) for the best results.
- 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 with enough cold water to completely in cool water before bringing them to a boil. Additionally, season the cooking water with salt before boiling. Doing so adds so much flavor and dimension to the recipe; similar to how salting pasta water does the same.
- Drain the potatoes well: To prevent soggy or wet mashed potatoes, drain the cooked potatoes thoroughly.
- Have the eggs cracked and ready to go: You want to add the eggs to the hot potatoes as soon as they're done draining so they can cook the eggs to a safe temperature. Having the cracked eggs accessible and ready to go makes this step that much easier.
- Mashing options: For chunkier mashed potatoes, mash with a potato masher. For smooth potatoes, choose a potato ricer. them a thicker and chunkier texture. Finally, whipping them with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment makes the potatoes light and fluffy.
Recipe Variations
- Roasted Garlic: Mash half a bulb of roasted garlic with the potatoes for a steakhouse-style twist on this recipe.
- Smooth & Creamy: For extra creamy potatoes, mash or whip in ½ cup of non-dairy milk (such as soy milk, coconut milk, or almond milk) or vegetable or chicken stock or broth.
- Herbed: Add extra flavor to the no-butter mashed potatoes but stirring in 2-3 teaspoons of fresh chopped herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, or sage.
Serving Suggestions
Serve mashed potatoes without milk anywhere you would serve classic mashed potatoes: with grilled steak, roasted chicken, or honey garlic lemon chicken thighs. This dish also makes for a perfect side dish at Christmas and Thanksgiving feasts and is a fantastic companion to roasted turkey, roast beef, and ham.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Store leftovers covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the potatoes. Once cooled to room temperature, add the potatoes to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 8 hours - overnight and reheat or until thawed through.
- Reheating: Warm potatoes in the microwave by cooking on medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe FAQs:
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!"
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 Delicious Side Dish Recipes
- Candied Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed Butternut Squash
- Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Creamed Cabbage with Bacon
- Twice-Baked Mashed Potato Soufflé
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Blistered Green Beans
If you made and liked this recipe, don't forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went for you in the comments! It always makes my day to hear from you!
Recipe Card
Mashed Potatoes without Butter
Email FacebookIngredients
- 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes 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
- Place potatoes in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Shake any excess water off the potatoes.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Season to taste and serve hot!
Notes
- Refrigeration: Leftover potatoes keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the potatoes. Once cooled to room temperature, add the potatoes to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 8 hours - overnight and reheat or until thawed through.
- Reheating: Warm potatoes in the microwave by cooking on medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
- Don't use waxy potatoes: Such as red or purple-skinned potatoes. These potatoes tend to hold their shape more when they are mashed so they do not get smooth and creamy. Stick with yellow potatoes (or russets) for the best results.
- 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 with enough cold water to completely in cool water before bringing them to a boil. Additionally, season the cooking water with salt before boiling. Doing so adds so much flavor and dimension to the recipe; similar to how salting pasta water does the same.
- Drain the potatoes well: To prevent soggy or wet mashed potatoes, drain the cooked potatoes thoroughly.
- Have the eggs cracked and ready to go: You want to add the eggs to the hot potatoes as soon as they're done draining so they can cook the eggs to a safe temperature. Having the cracked eggs accessible and ready to go makes this step that much easier.
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.