Yes, dairy-free mashed potatoes can be CREAMY, rich, and DELICIOUS!
Want incredible mashed potatoes without using dairy? You’re in the right place!
You can make these dreamy mashed potatoes for a crowd and nobody will guess they’re dairy-free!
Mashed potatoes are undoubtedly the No. 1 comfort food in America. They’re warm, creamy, buttery, and rich. The best mashed potatoes are whipped and silky, with pools of butter and flecks of freshly ground salt and pepper. Yum!
Cashew milk, dairy-free cream cheese, and vegan butter come together to make the BEST mashed potatoes, no dairy required.
But if you’re on a dairy-free diet or vegan diet, you may have feel like you have to miss out on great, traditional mashed potatoes.
Heavy cream, butter, and sour cream are essential to get that creamy texture and rich flavor, right? Wrong!
In this recipe, swap your typical ingredients for the best dairy free versions, including cashew milk, dairy-free cream cheese, and dairy-free butter.
Jump to:
The result is a mashed potato recipe that gets glowing reviews every time. It doesn’t matter if your guests are vegan or dairy-free — they will love these non-dairy mashed potatoes!
Serve these up on the holiday table, for a cozy Sunday night dinner, or as the favorite side dish at a dinner party. You never have to miss regular mashed potatoes with this dairy-free mashed potatoes recipe!
For more dairy-free dinner recipes, be sure to try this dairy-free lasagna, dairy-free chicken casserole, dairy-free potato soup and dairy-free beef stroganoff.
You also might like this dairy-free buffalo chicken dip, dairy-free banana cream pie, dairy-free coconut cream pie and dairy-free hot chocolate.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Rich and buttery flavor
- Creamy consistency
- Perfect side dish for the holiday season
- Vegan and dairy-free!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these delicious dairy free mashed potatoes:
- Potatoes: You will peel and cut your potatoes into 2-inch cubes. I like to use half organic Yukon Gold potatoes and half Russet potatoes (Idaho potatoes), but you can switch it up, if you prefer other types of potatoes. Just be sure to use starchy potatoes rather than waxy potatoes. (I wouldn’t use sweet potatoes.)
- Cashew milk: I love using cashew milk, but any type of unsweetened dairy-free milk could work. (Such as unsweetened almond milk or soy milk.) I would not use full-fat coconut milk, since it has a slight coconut flavor.
- Dairy-free cream cheese: I like to use Kite Hill brand dairy-free cream cheese.
- Salt: Use Kosher salt for better texture and flavor.
- Garlic powder/pepper: Garlic powder and pepper add essential flavor to these creamy mashed potatoes.
- Vegan butter: Any kind of vegan butter will work. Use your favorite brand!
How to Make this Recipe
- Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water so the waterline sits 1 inch above the potatoes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.
- While the potatoes boil, place the vegan butter, cashew milk and 2 teaspoons of salt in a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until the vegan butter is just melted. Stir the mixture together until smooth.
- Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. Immediately return the potatoes to the now-empty pot. Turn the heat to low and gently shake the pot/heat the potatoes for 1 minute to cook off the remaining steam.
- Mash the potatoes to the texture you like with a potato masher. Pour in ½ of the milk mixture and carefully stir to combine until the liquid is absorbed (don’t overmix!). Repeat with the remaining milk mixture.
- Fold in the dairy-free cream cheese, garlic powder and pepper until just combined.
- Add more cashew milk if needed to thin the potatoes. Turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed (this is important!). Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
These dairy-free mashed potatoes are best eaten the day they are made. You can store leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. (You may want to add more dairy-free milk before serving.)
FAQs
In this recipe, I use dairy-free cream cheese, cashew milk, and vegan butter to many incredibly rich and creamy mashed potatoes.
You can make delicious mashed potatoes using unsweetened cashew milk or almond milk instead of cream. I like to add dairy-free cream cheese and vegan butter for added flavor and richness.
Vegan butter (like Earth Balance buttery sticks) is a great alternative to regular butter in mashed potatoes. If you’re using dairy, you could also try using sour cream, cream cheese, or
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Set cream cheese at room temperature. This will soften the dairy-free cream cheese before blending into the potatoes, resulting in a creamier, smoother texture.
- Don’t over-mix your potatoes. If you do, your potatoes will turn gummy and less light and fluffy.
- Pat the potatoes dry. Patting the potatoes dry allows them to soak up more of the milk, cream cheese, and buttery, rather than retaining water from the boiling process.
- Taste as you go. (On a clean spoon, of course.) This will ensure your potatoes are perfectly seasoned!
More dairy-free Recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try these mashed potatoes, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes (BEST EVER!)
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes (I use half Yukon Gold and half Russet potatoes)
- Kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter I use Earth Balance buttery sticks
- 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk or unsweetened milk of choice
- 4 ounces dairy-free cream cheese room temperature, cut into small cubes (I use Kite Hill)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water so the waterline sits 1 inch above the potatoes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.
- While the potatoes boil, place the vegan butter, cashew milk and 2 teaspoons of salt in a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until the vegan butter is just melted. Stir the mixture together until smooth.
- Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. Immediately return the potatoes to the now-empty pot. Turn the heat to low and gently shake the pot/heat the potatoes for 1 minute to cook off the remaining steam.
- Mash the potatoes to the texture you like with a potato masher. Pour in ½ of the milk mixture and carefully stir to combine until the liquid is absorbed (don’t overmix!). Repeat with the remaining milk mixture.
- Fold in the dairy-free cream cheese, garlic powder and pepper until just combined. Add more cashew milk if needed to thin the potatoes. Turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed (this is important!). Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Potatoes: You will peel and cut your potatoes into 2-inch cubes. I like to use half organic Yukon Gold potatoes and half Russet potatoes (Idaho potatoes), but you can switch it up, if you prefer other types of potatoes. Just be sure to use starchy potatoes rather than waxy potatoes. (I wouldn’t use sweet potatoes.)
- Cashew milk: I love using cashew milk, but any type of unsweetened dairy-free milk could work. (Such as unsweetened almond milk or soy milk.) I would not use full-fat coconut milk, since it has a slight coconut flavor.
- Dairy-free cream cheese: I like to use Kite Hill brand dairy-free cream cheese.
- Vegan butter: Any kind of vegan butter will work!
- Set cream cheese at room temperature. This will soften the dairy-free cream cheese before blending into the potatoes, resulting in a creamier, smoother texture.
- Don’t over-mix your potatoes. If you do, your potatoes will turn gummy and less light and fluffy.
- Pat the potatoes dry. Patting the potatoes dry allows them to soak up more of the milk, cream cheese, and buttery, rather than retaining water from the boiling process.
- Taste as you go. (On a clean spoon, of course.) This will ensure your potatoes are perfectly seasoned!
Thank you so much. I am so happy I found this recipe, my dairy free sister in law loved them! She eve asked for the recipe!
Woah! This will be the only way I make mashed potatoes from now on, thank you!
What a great alternative!! They are creamy & delicious!! We want some kind of potato with most of our meals & this will definitely get added in the rotation!