Who says creamy, savory, and buttery flavored mashed potatoes need to have milk?! These dairy free mashed potatoes are all that plus more, all while being made with no milk or dairy!
Table of contents
- Who says creamy, savory, and buttery flavored mashed potatoes need to have milk?! These dairy free mashed potatoes are all that plus more, all while being made with no milk or dairy!
- Wait: can you even make mashed potatoes without milk?!
- Save this dairy-free mashed potatoes recipe for later on Pinterest:
- Why these are the best dairy free mashed potatoes:
- Ingredients:
- Mayonnaise in mashed potatoes?!
- Is mayonnaise dairy-free?
- The best mashing potatoes:
- Best dairy-free or vegan butter brands:
- How to make mashed potatoes without milk:
- How to keep the mashed potatoes from getting starchy or gluey:
- The importance of salt.
- Making vegan mashed potatoes with this recipe:
- Different ways to mash potatoes:
- Refrigerating, freezing, and reheating directions:
- What to do with leftover mashed potatoes:
- Q & A's:
- Tools needed to make this recipe:
- More potato recipes:
Wait: can you even make mashed potatoes without milk?!
I know, mashed potatoes, milk, and butter go together like Sony & Cher, macaroni and cheese, or milk and cookies.
But -- like macaroni and cheese and milk and cookies (sorry, the Sony & Cher analogy stops here 🤷♀️), there are ways to easily and deliciously make these famous combinations just as tasty but without the dairy or lactose.
Milk free mashed potatoes may be easier to make than you expect: substituting easy-to-find ingredients like chicken or vegetable broth, mayonnaise, and vegan butter, these mashed potatoes are made dairy free without any fuss.
Best of all, the flavor is buttery, rich, and creamy - leaving even your most devoted classic mashed potato fans satisfied and knowing nothing is different!
So come ahead, join me as we make these non-dairy mashed potatoes! Just one bite and there's no going back.
Save this dairy-free mashed potatoes recipe for later on Pinterest:
Why these are the best dairy free mashed potatoes:
- Rich and buttery - though I know I've mentioned it already in this recipe, but this mashed potato recipe without milk is so mouth-wateringly creamy, buttery, and satisfying it's worth saying again (sorry, not sorry 😬). No one will know the difference!
- Easy-to-make - with just a few steps, you can have a delicious side dish on the table. No fuss!
- Quick - mashed potatoes have become a favorite side dish around our house for a reason. These potatoes are ready in less than 25 minutes! They're quick, easy to make, and everyone loves them.
- Worthy of an occasion - mashed potatoes make a great entertaining side dish. They're impressive, go with a variety of main dishes, and are a crowd pleaser. Add this on to your next dinner party menu!
- Festive - serve these mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving or Christmas this year-- they are one of my favorite dairy free Thanksgiving recipes! Trust me when I say that all of your lactose-free dinner guests will rejoice for a delicious dairy-free side dish!
Looking for other dairy-free Christmas or Thanksgiving recipes? Check out my mashed butternut squash, dairy-free cornbread, blistered green beans, honey roasted rainbow carrots, orange bourbon turkey breast brine, dairy-free pumpkin pie, and candied whipped sweet potatoes (easily made DF!) recipes.
Ingredients:
Potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes are best. See my notes below.
Garlic cloves - whole peeled cloves are what we're looking for. Smash them before adding into the pot with the potatoes to add savory flavor!
Low-sodium chicken broth - adds dimension to the potatoes and also helps them to be smooth and creamy.
Vegan butter - contributes that butter flavor without adding any dairy. See my notes below for my top recommended brands.
Mayonnaise - olive oil mayonnaise, avocado oil mayonnaise, or light mayonnaise will also work for this recipe. Whichever you have on hand or prefer!
Salt - sea salt will provide the best flavor.
Mayonnaise in mashed potatoes?!
Yes, most definitely mayonnaise in mashed potatoes! Mayo contributes a smooth and creamy consistency and rich flavor to the mashed potatoes without adding any dairy (read more about this below!).
For those of you who don't dig mayo on its own: trust me, you won't taste it in this recipe. Chris - a devoted mayo cynic - raves about how much he loves this recipe and had no idea it had mayonnaise in it until I told him!
If you are concerned about how heavy mayonnaise can be, this recipe is also great with olive oil mayonnaise, avocado oil mayonnaise, or light mayonnaise. In fact, my preferred mayo to use in this recipe is Best Foods Olive Oil mayonnaise.
Is mayonnaise dairy-free?
Yes, mayonnaise is dairy-free! With the three main ingredients of mayo being oil, eggs, and acid (usually vinegar or lemon juice), it does not contain any dairy ingredients.
Many store bought brands of mayonnaise do contain some preservatives to keep them fresh, but almost all are still dairy-free. Feel free to double check your label or dairy ingredients (i.e., milk solids, milk fat, etc.) to be certain the mayonnaise is made without dairy.
The best mashing potatoes:
Yukon gold potatoes are the best mashing potatoes, as they naturally have a smooth and creamy flesh when boiled.
Choose potatoes that have a smooth and waxy skin, are dense for their size, and weigh about ½ pound each. Smaller potatoes will also work, but will require more peeling and work.
If you cannot find Yukon gold potatoes red potatoes are a good substitution. They are slightly less creamy than the golden potatoes but still mash up very nicely.
When shopping for red potatoes, choose potatoes that that have a smooth skin, are dense for their size, and have a deep maroon color.
Best dairy-free or vegan butter brands:
After the doctor told me I needed to go lactose-free, my first step was to find the best vegan butter. After over $20 in different brands and taste tests of varying success, I found that Earth Balance and Melt have the best flavor consistency, and texture. They also melt very well!
I have trouble regularly finding Melt vegan butter locally, so I made this recipe with Earth Balance. Bonus: this vegan butter also has omega-3s, adding healthy fats to this recipe (source: WebMD).
How to make mashed potatoes without milk:
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Add the cubed potatoes to a colander and thoroughly rinse with cold water. Drain.
Step 2: Add the potatoes and the whole garlic cloves to a Dutch oven or stockpot. Cover the potatoes with cold water. Stir salt into the water.
Step 3: Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat. Boil until the potatoes are tender enough to easily pierce with a fork.
Step 4: Drain the potatoes and garlic.
Step 5: Move the potatoes and garlic to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the remaining salt, chicken broth, vegan butter, and the mayonnaise to the mashed potatoes.
Step 6: Mash the potatoes with a hand masher or whip up in the stand mixer using the whisk attachment until the potatoes are to your consistency preference.
Step 7: Season the mashed potatoes with additional salt to taste. Serve hot!
How to keep the mashed potatoes from getting starchy or gluey:
To keep the mashed potatoes from getting starchy or gluey, you want to do two things:
- Rinse the potatoes with cold water before adding to the pot. This rinses any excess starch off of the potatoes.
- Add the potatoes to cool water before bringing to a boil. When potatoes are added directly to boiling hot water, the potato starch can react negatively with the hot water, making the potatoes mealy and starchy. Start them in cool water to prevent this reaction.
The importance of salt.
Salt makes a world of a flavor difference when it comes to potatoes (and many other carbohydrates, like bread and pasta). Be sure to salt the water before boiling the potatoes as well as seasoning the potatoes with salt before whipping or mashing the potatoes. Your taste buds will thank you for it!
Making vegan mashed potatoes with this recipe:
This recipe is super easy to adapt to being vegan: just use vegetable broth and vegan mayonnaise in place of traditional mayo and you're good to go!
To make this recipe vegetarian, just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Different ways to mash potatoes:
There are a few different ways to mash potatoes. Below, I explain each way:
Potato masher: choose this method if you prefer mashed potatoes that are more chunky and hearty than they are light and fluffy. Pros of the potato masher: the tool is affordable and super simple to use!
Stand mixer: whipping up potatoes in the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment produces potatoes that are as light and smooth as you can get without using a potato ricer (read more about them below).
Potato ricer: though, admittedly, I have never made mashed potatoes this way (some members of my household already think I have way too many kitchen gadgets... 😏), I have heard many chefs and other food bloggers rave about this method. The results are ultra smooth and creamy and make restaurant quality mashers.
Refrigerating, freezing, and reheating directions:
Refrigerating: leftover dairy free garlic mashed potatoes keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing: these potatoes can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Reheating: mashed potatoes can often dry out as they cool off or are stored in the refrigerator. To re-hydrate them, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of chicken broth, plant-based or nut milk, or water before reheating the potatoes in the microwave on medium heat.
Heat the potatoes in 1 minute intervals, stirring between intervals, or until the potatoes are heated through.
What to do with leftover mashed potatoes:
In addition to simply reheating the mashed potatoes to enjoy as a side dish, there are many other creative and delicious uses for them. A few of my favorites:
- Mashed Potato Fritters
- Shepherds Pie (Beef or Vegetarian/Vegan)
- Turkey and Potato Dumplings
- Mashed Potato Waffles
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- .... and more!
Q & A's:
Yes, mashed potatoes usually contain dairy either in the form of butter or milk, but often a mixture of the two.
There are many butter and milk substitutes for mashed potatoes: nut or plant-milk, vegan butter, oil, eggs, mayonnaise, and chicken broth make up a list of a few. For this recipe, we will be using a combination of substitutions: vegan butter, chicken broth, and mayonnaise.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Colander
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
- Stockpot or Dutch oven
- Potato masher or stand mixer
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Silicone spatula
More potato recipes:
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes (No Butter or Oil!)
- Garlic Smashed Air Fryer Potatoes
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Instant Pot Baby Potatoes
- Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
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Mashed Potatoes without Milk (Dairy-Free!)
Email FacebookIngredients
- 1 ½ lbs 3 medium or 680g Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 whole garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 1 ¼ teaspoon 6.25g salt, DIVIDED
- ¼ – ½ cup 60 - 118mL low sodium chicken broth (or low-sodium vegetable broth)
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegan butter I use Earth Balance
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise olive oil, avocado, or light mayo also work
Instructions
- Add the cubed potatoes to a colander and thoroughly rinse with cold water. Drain.
- Add the potatoes and the whole garlic cloves to a Dutch oven or stockpot. Cover the potatoes with cold water. Stir 1 teaspoon of the salt into the water.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat (you can do so with the pot covered or uncovered; covering will bring it to a boil faster but you will need to keep an eye on the pot so it doesn’t overflow). Boil the potatoes for 14-16 minutes, or until they are tender enough to easily pierce with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and garlic. Move the potatoes and garlic to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Note: you don’t want to remove the garlic, as it adds loads of flavor to the potatoes.
- Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup chicken or vegetable broth, vegan butter, and the mayonnaise to the mashed potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a hand masher or whip up in the stand mixer using the whisk attachment until the potatoes are to your preferred consistency. Mash or stir in additional broth if needed to reach your desired texture.
- Season the mashed potatoes with additional salt to taste if needed. Serve hot!
Notes
- Leftover potatoes keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They also can be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
- Reheating the potatoes: mashed potatoes can often dry out as they cool off or are stored in the refrigerator. To re-hydrate them, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of chicken broth, plant-based or nut milk, or water before reheating the potatoes in the microwave on medium heat. Heat the potatoes in 1 minute intervals, stirring between intervals, or until the potatoes are heated through.
- Rinsing the potatoes with cold water before boiling helps remove excess starch from the potatoes, making them less gluey or sticky. Starting the potatoes in cold water also helps prevent them from getting starchy.
- In addition to being dairy-free, these potatoes are also gluten-free, and processed sugar-free. To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
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