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If you’re tired of the same old boring holiday side dishes, these cacio e pepe mashed potatoes are the answer. Best of all, they’re simple to make and require just a handful of everyday ingredients. Toast freshly cracked black pepper in vegan butter, then pour it over your fluffy golden potatoes, mash with the other ingredients, and wait for the magic. Once you try these, it will be hard to have mashed potatoes any other way!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-quality at home. Toasting your freshly cracked black pepper in butter completely transforms the flavor. This two-minute step takes the whole recipe to the next level.
- Perfect for leftovers. We all love holiday leftovers, and thankfully, these cacio e pepe mashed potatoes reheat beautifully, so make a big batch and enjoy them throughout the week.
- Serve a crowd with ease. One pot serves up to 8 people, and this recipe scales easily, so you can serve a large crowd without worry.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Yukon gold potatoes: We prefer these over russet potatoes because they’re more buttery and creamy. They also have thin skin and are less starchy, so they have a beautiful texture after mashing.
- Vegan butter: As with most of our recipes, stick butter is best for these cacio e pepe mashed potatoes. We recommend the olive oil-based Country Crock plant butter. This provides most of the recipe’s richness and helps us toast the black pepper.
- Black pepper: The key to making these mashed potatoes shine. We recommend freshly grinding your black pepper instead of using pre-ground. This will give a bright, pungent, floral flavor.
- Vegan parmesan: We love the Violife block wedge of parmesan for this recipe. Use a microplane to grate it finely so it melts seamlessly into the potatoes. You can also use a homemade cashew parmesan, or a pre-shredded store-bought variety from a brand like Follow Your Heart.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds a more savory, cheesy flavor alongside the parmesan.
- White miso paste: Helps provide depth of flavor and umami to replace traditional dairy parmesan. Make sure you’re using white miso, which is more subtle, rather than red, which would overpower the flavor.
- Unsweetened plant milk: Helps add substance to the mashed potatoes. We recommend pouring it over warm to prevent the potatoes from cooling off. Almond or oat milk works great, but make sure you’re using unsweetened. Soy milk, even unsweetened, may add a subtle sweet flavor you want to avoid.
Equipment Needed
- Large pot
- Colander
- Small saucepan
- Potato masher or potato ricer
- Box grater or microplane
- Serving bowl
Tips for the Best Results
- Add the potatoes before boiling. Add the potatoes to the pot, cover with 1-2 inches of water, and bring to a boil. This is safer than adding the potatoes to already boiling water and helps them cool evenly.
- Let them dry out. Add the potatoes back to the warm pot for a few minutes to release excess steam, which helps keep your mashed potatoes from getting too wet and soggy.
- Gradually add the liquid. Add the plant milk 1/4 cup at a time until the texture looks good. Results will vary depending on your potatoes, so add it slowly.
- Use a ricer for extra smooth potatoes. If you prefer more rustic potatoes, use a potato masher; if you want super-smooth mashed potatoes, a potato ricer is a tool worth using!
Serving Suggestions
These cacio e pepe mashed potatoes are best served alongside your favorite roasted or braised protein. We recommend our Miso Maple Braised Tempeh. They also make the perfect holiday side dish and pair well with a holiday roast, pan-fried asparagus, or our lentil wellington recipe.
While those don’t need gravy to shine, you can use our quick and easy gravy, or our savory mushroom gravy if you’d like.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Cooled potatoes can be stored in a sealed container for up to 4 days
- Freezer: The fat content in these potatoes helps them freeze better than most traditional mashed potatoes. Add them to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2 months. When serving, thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Cover your potatoes in a baking dish and heat in an oven at 350ºF for 20 to 25 minutes. Add a splash of plant milk as needed if they’re too dry. Reheating your mashed potatoes in a pan over medium-low heat also works well. For a slow cooker option, you can add them in the morning and let them come to temperature for about 2 hours.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If you use russet potatoes, they will make a fluffier, lighter mash than Yukon Golds, which are creamier and more buttery. Since russets are starchier, you may need to add a little more liquid than you would otherwise.
Nope! You can, for a smoother mash, but leaving the skins intact makes for a more rustic mash with additional texture. Just make sure to scrub them well before cooking.
White miso adds umami and fermented depth, but if you don’t have any, a light splash of soy sauce or tamari works well. You can also add an extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast, but nothing will be a 1:1 replacement.
If need be, you can prepare these up to 2 days ahead of time. When reheating, stir in a splash of warm plant milk to help keep them fluffy.
This is most likely a result of overworking the potatoes. To avoid this, simply mash the potatoes until just fluffy and don’t overdo it.
More Holiday Recipes You May Enjoy
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Easy Vegan Stuffing with Sausage
Appetizers and Sides
Vegan French Onion Mashed Potatoes
Appetizers and Sides
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Appetizers and Sides
Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Ready in 10 Minutes)
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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Cacio e Pepe Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you’re tired of the same old boring holiday side dishes, these cacio e pepe mashed potatoes are the answer. The best part? They’re simple to make and require just a handful of everyday ingredients. Toast freshly cracked black pepper in vegan butter, then pour it over your fluffy golden potatoes, mash with the other ingredients, and wait for the magic. Once you try these, it will be hard to have mashed potatoes any other way!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt, for the water while boiling
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk, warmed
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan, finely grated
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- Salt, to taste
For Serving:
- 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large pot. Cover with about 2” of cold water, up to 2” above the potatoes. Salt the water generously and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Dry them out. Add the potatoes back to the warm pot for 1 minute, gently shaking to release the steam.
- Toast the pepper. Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in freshly cracked black pepper and toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Mash. Pour the peppery butter over the potatoes and mash or rice them to your preferred texture. We like ours a little more rustic.
- Fold in the remaining ingredients. Add the vegan parmesan, nutritional yeast, and white miso, then add the warm plant milk ¼ cup at a time until the potatoes reach your desired consistency.
- Taste and finish. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and finish off with additional parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Freshly ground pepper is key: Pre-ground black pepper won’t give you the same beautiful aroma. If pre-ground is your only option, reduce it to 1 ½ teaspoons instead of 2.
- Miso matters: White miso adds the deep aged flavor that replaces traditional dairy parmesan. Don’t skip this addition if you can!
- Texture: For super smooth potatoes, use a potato ricer. For more rustic potatoes, a hand masher will do the trick.
- Make it ahead of time: Since these reheat well, you can make them up to 2 days in advance. Reheat them in a covered baking dish at 350 degrees until warmed through. Mix in a splash of plant milk if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Holiday, Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American, Italian
