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These Vegan Mashed Potatoes are made with just 5-ingredients in 1 bowl. They’re quick, easy to make, and contain our secret ingredient for making the BEST rich and creamy mashed potatoes. They are perfect for the holidays, family dinners, or even date nights at home.
My vegan mashed potatoes are always a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike, and we are stoked that you will be able to try them out and bring them to your holiday celebrations, too! They’re not only vegan but oil-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and ready in less than 30 minutes.
If you’re interested in adding a few additional potato dishes to your Thanksgiving menu, you may like our Vegan Potatoes Au Gratin or Crispy Garlic and Herb Smashed Potatoes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Yukon gold potatoes: In our opinion, Yukon gold potatoes are the superior potatoes when making vegan mashed potatoes. We’ve tested this recipe using russet potatoes and while it works, it’s not our top choice.
- Garlic: Using fresh minced garlic is much more flavorful than powdered garlic and is highly recommended.
- Vegan cream cheese: The secret to making the best vegan mashed potatoes. It brings in the perfect amount of tang and brings the creaminess of the mash to a whole new level. We use Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese, but their plain vegan cream cheese works well, too. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives to emulate the same flavor.
- Almond milk: Vegan milk is used to make the mashed potatoes the perfect creamy texture yet completely dairy free. We used our homemade unsweetened almond milk, but any unsweetened, store-bought non-dairy milk will do.
- Fresh dill: Optional, but our favorite fresh aromatic to add to mashed potatoes to make the flavor pop.
- Salt and pepper: Salt and pepper are simple, but they make all the difference. We highly recommend freshly cracked pepper for the best flavor.
Equipment Needed
How to Make Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Prep the potatoes. Peeling the potatoes is unnecessary because Yukon gold potatoes have a naturally thin, soft peel and can be easily mashed. With that being said, if you’d like the creamiest, smoothest mashed potatoes possible, we’d recommend peeling them. Prick the potatoes with a fork 4-5 times.
- Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water. Set on stove over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in 1 tablespoon of salt then cook the potatoes until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes, so we recommend checking on them every 10 minutes by piercing the largest potato with the tip of a sharp knife. You will know when it’s ready when the knife slides in easily with no resistance. Drain and set aside.
- Saute the garlic. In the same pot used to boil the potatoes, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add potatoes back into the pot along with the remaining ingredients. Using a potato masher, slowly mix the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve smothered in vegan gravy.
Oil Free Option
In order to make these vegan mashed potatoes oil-free, use:
- Oil-free vegan cream cheese. The brand Kite Hill is made from nuts and is naturally oil-free. If you are oil-free, be wary of using other brands of vegan cream cheese, as most are oil-based.
- Water to saute. Simply swap the oil for water or even vegetable broth when sauteeing the garlic.
- Serve with oil-free vegan gravy. This super simple Vegan Mushroom Gravy can be made gluten-free, too!
For more oil-free Thanksgiving dishes, check out these favorites:
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie Pudding
- Easy Veggie Meatloaf
- Vegan Eggplant Rollatini
- Nut-Free Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
How to Make Ahead
If you’re hosting, you may want to prepare the mashed potatoes ahead to save time for making other classic side dishes like Vegan Green Bean Casserole or Vegan Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing.
These vegan mashed potatoes can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then when ready to serve, reheat in a double boiler on the stovetop. This will prevent the mashed potatoes from drying out.
What to Serve with Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Although mashed potatoes are a staple at Thanksgiving (check out our 50+ Thanksgiving ideas), there are many ways to serve them year-round!
They can be repurposed into Thanksgiving Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes or Thanksgiving Stuffed Mashed Potato Balls.
Or, bake your mashed potatoes into a Vegan Shepherd’s Pie or serve with Breaded Cauliflower Steaks and Simple Roasted Vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, mashed potatoes are gluten-free! If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, check to make sure there isn’t any cross-contamination with the brand of vegan cream cheese you use.
The general rule of thumb is to plan on about ½ pound of potatoes per person if serving mashed potatoes as a side. For example, if you have 8 dinner guests, 4 pounds of potatoes should cover it. Of course, this will differ for everyone and their appetite, so we’d recommend making more than you think you’ll need. Plus, you won’t be sorry if you have leftovers.
We do not recommend freezing these mashed potatoes because it could change the texture of the cream cheese and the potatoes texture. It’s worth it to make them fresh!
If you over-mash the potatoes, they can become gummy. This is especially true with Yukon gold potatoes and why we recommend mashing slowly and just enough to make them creamy.
Storage Instructions
These mashed potatoes will store well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For prolonged freshness, opt to store in an airtight, glass container.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave with an additional splash of almond milk to make it creamy again. Alternatively, reheat in a small pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
More Vegan Potato Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes
- Vegan Potatoes Au Gratin
- Crispy Fiesta Potatoes (Taco Bell Copycat)
- Potato and Bean Quesadillas
- Vegan Breakfast Potato Hash
We hope that you love this recipe as much as we do! Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes; we love to see your photos!
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The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Just 5-Ingredients)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings
Description
The BEST vegan mashed potatoes made with a secret ingredient that brings them to the next level! These require just 5 simple ingredients total, are so easy to make and will be ready in about 30 minutes. They are perfect for the holidays, family dinners or even date nights at home.
Ingredients
- 5 medium (1.5 lbs) Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced*
- 4 oz. vegan cream cheese (we used Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese)*
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/8 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water. Set on stove over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in 1 tablespoon of salt then cook the potatoes until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes, so we recommend checking on them every 10 minutes by piercing the largest potato with the tip of a sharp knife. You will know when it’s ready when the knife slides in easily with no resistance.
- Drain the potatoes through a strainer and set aside for now.
- Place the pot back on the stove and set it over medium-low heat. Add in 2-3 tablespoons of water (or 1 tablespoon of oil) and add in the minced garlic. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Once the garlic has cooked, add the potatoes back into the pot along with the vegan cream cheese, almond milk, and dill. Using a potato masher slowly mash the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- We found a chive cream cheese at our local Whole Foods Market that worked perfectly in this recipe. If you are not able to find this, just simply use regular vegan cream cheese and then add in 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives.
- If you do not want to use vegan cream cheese, you can use vegan butter in its place (about 1/3-1/2 cup). This will make the recipe no longer oil-free.
- The nutrition facts do not take into consideration the addition of salt and pepper to taste.
- We have used russet potatoes in this recipe and although it works, it is no our preferred potato.
- You can also use 1 teaspoon garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Side, Holiday
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, Oil-free, Gluten-free
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
We’ve come back to this recipe over and over again. It’s so easy and very tasty! Highly recommend!
Can this recipe be doubled ?
Yes!