The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Nov 15, 2019 (Last updated Mar 18, 2024) by Hannah Sunderani
The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Say hello to The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes you’ll every try. I’m so proud of this one! This recipe is ultra creamy, buttery, light and fluffy, with deep roasted garlic, fried rosemary and thyme. Are you drooling yet?
With the holidays just around the corner, (and American Thanksgiivng even closer), I wanted to bring you an easy vegan mashed potato recipe that you can depend on to impress a crowd. And this my friends, is a winning dish. Vegan or not, these mashed potatoes are to die for! So whether you’re planning to host an entire Thanksgiving at chez-vous, or simply volunteering to bring a dish elsewhere, you’re going to want to share The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes and make history this Holiday season.
Now, let me tell you exactly how to make The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
The Ingredients
To make The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes you will need:
- Potatoes (ideally russets or yukon)
- Garlic
- neutral oil
- vegan butter (I used earth balance)
- sea salt and pepper
- fresh rosemary sprigs and thyme
- coconut milk
This recipe isn’t just your typical mashed potato blend of potato and (vegan) butter. It’s spruced up a bit to make extra creamy and flavourful potatoes. With ingredients like roasted garlic, creamy coconut milk, and fresh rosemary and thyme. The ingredients turn plain old potatoes into a next level comfort dish.
What potatoes are best for mashing
I recommend to use russet potatoes or yukon potatoes for this recipe. They are more starchy of a potato, and fluff nicely when mashed. You’ll find this recommendation in the recipe instructions below. If you stick to these style potatoes you can’t go wrong.
However, if you have some spare potatoes laying around that aren’t of these varieties, don’t let that deter you from making this recipe. In fact, I used up some organic red potatoes in my storage room and they turned out fab! The trick is not to over mash your potatoes, otherwise they turn out gummy.
Why you should be roasting garlic for your mashed potatoes
It’s the roasted garlic in this recipe that truly brings these vegan mashed potatoes up a notch! And if you ask me, this recipe can’t go without. Roasted garlic is much sweeter and milder in comparison to raw garlic, which is highly pungent and acidic.
Because of the flavour profile in roasted garlic, we are able to use an entire head of garlic in this recipe without overpowering the dish. (You know when you put something in your mouth and it’s just WAY too garlicky? Yeah, not the case here). The outcome of using roasted garlic in these potatoes is that it enhances the dish for a deeper sweeter flavoured mash. It’s ultra comforting. Sure, it’s a bit more work to roast garlic vs. using it raw, but I urge you to do so as it transforms this dish.
So, how do you roast garlic for this dish?
Start by peeling any loose outer layers from the garlic and discard. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 to a 1/2 inch from the top of cloves, to expose the individual cloves of garlic. Place onto tin foil and drizzle with avocado oil. Then wrap tin foil entirely around to close and bake at 400F/200C for 40 minutes. All-in-all it’s pretty easy to roast garlic, it just takes a few extra steps.
But I promise the garlic is worth the roast in this comforting dish.
Make this mashed potatoes recipe with me!
Make this vegan mashed potatoes recipe with me on my Ultimate Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu on YouTube!
Tips for making The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Making mashed potatoes is pretty straight forward, but there are a few important tips so that you can nail this recipe.
The first, is to mash the potatoes while they’re hot! You don’t want to wait for the potatoes to cool otherwise you risk them coming out gluey. Make sure that they are patted dry, and that you mash while hot.
Another good tip: Don’t over mash your potatoes. Again, you run the risk of them becoming gluey and gummy. We want the potatoes to be light and fluffy, so mash until it’s just the consistency you want. And don’t overdo it.
Fat will go a long way for creamy taste and stellar consistency. For this recipe i’ve used melted vegan butter and coconut cream to add richness and fluffiness to these mashed potatoes.
What if I don’t have a potato masher?
TBH, I am not a fan of single-use kitchen gadgets, and a potato masher unfortunately falls under this umbrella. And, it’s not every week I’m making a batch of mashed potatoes. So, I’d rather invest that kitchen drawer real-estate for something more multi-purpose.
So, if you’re like me and you don’t have a potato masher than please know there are other utensils you can use to achieve the same results. I like to use my hand blender, giving it a few pulses to mash, and finishing the rest gently with a fork. If you’re super strong you can also use a fork for the entire process. (Cutting the potatoes up onto small chunks will help with this).
Certainly, if you don’t have a potato masher you can still achieve The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
What to serve with mashed potatoes
Truly, I could eat solely this bowl of mashed potatoes for dinner. They are so good! But there’s lots to serve with these mashed potatoes. First I’d recommend serving with my Quick and Easy Vegan Gravy to top. There is no better companion for potatoes than this umami sauce.
In addition to my vegan gravy, these dishes pair nicely with The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes:
- Harvest Kale Caesar Salad
- Holiday Festive Falafels
- Spiced Roasted Pumpkin with Hazelnut Hummus
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Stuffed Mini-Pumpkins with Wild Rice and Kale
- Maple Roasted Carrots
Shop my kitchen
I’m often asked what items I like to use in the kitchen. So, I’ve included my favourites for making The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes. You can find more of my favourite kitchen items on the shop page.
(Commissions earned as an affiliate. I only recommend products I know and love).
KitchenAid 2-Speed Hand Blender
Not my exact blender but very similar. Well priced and nothing fancy.
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Enameled Cast Iron 7-Quart Round Covered Casserole, Cardinal Red
This is the pot I used to boil and mash my potatoes. You can use any pot, but I really like this one as it’s a quality pot and so pretty.
So there you have it, an ultra fluffy, creamy and flavourful recipe for The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes you’ll ever try. These are certainly a crowd-pleaser and one to impress your guests at any gathering. And perfect for the holidays! I’m sure you’re going to love this recipe as much as we do!
And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 potatoes (about 2lb. Preferably russet or yukon)
- 1 garlic whole head
- 2 tsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1/2 cup vegan butter , melted (I used earth balance)
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp avocado oil (more, or other neutral oil)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Make roasted garlic: Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Peel any loose outer layers from the garlic and discard. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 to a 1/2 inch from the top of cloves, to expose the individual cloves of garlic. Place onto tin foil and drizzle with avocado oil. Wrap tin foil entirely around to close, and bake for 40 minutes.
- Wash potatoes well and toss into a pot (optional to peel potatoes first, but I prefer the skins in my mashed potatoes for extra flavour). Fill pot with water to be 2-3 inches above your potatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and bring to boil. Cook potatoes for 30 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the centre of your potatoes with ease. Strain, pat dry as best you can, and add back to pot.
- With a knife cut potatoes into large chunks (this will help with mashing). Squeeze the head of roasted garlic into the pot so that the roasted cloves pop out, add melted vegan butter, coconut milk, sea salt and pepper. Mash potatoes using a hand blender on pulse, or using a potato masher or a fork. Be sure not to over mash as the potatoes or they will get gummy. Instead mash until just combined, (I like to finish any last forgotten large pieces by mashing with a fork).
- In a small skillet add 2 tsp avocado oil and bring to medium high heat. When hot, add sprigs of rosemary and thyme and fry herbs until crispy and perfumed (a couple seconds each side for the thyme and a bit longer for the rosemary). Lay on paper towel to absorb any excess oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
- Transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and top with fried rosemary and thyme. And a dollop more vegan butter and more sea salt and pepper.
Watch The Video
Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!
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GreaGreat recipes.
Thank you so much Hanu! Really glad you enjoyed it 🙂