Why you’ll love these dairy free mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes were one of the first things I made dairy free, and, even though they aren’t hard to do without milk or butter, it did take me a little while to perfect the recipe. Now, it’s the kind of recipe you serve guests on a holiday with total confidence.
My secret ingredient is unsweetened, plain coconut yogurt. It gives you that sour cream tang without much effort and added a creaminess to the mashed potatoes that you can’t get any other way. It’s what takes these dairy free mashed potatoes from good to incredible.
But, I will say that you can make a perfectly fine dairy free mashed potato without the yogurt – just sub in a creamier dairy free milk (like full-fat canned coconut milk or a extra cream oat milk).
More dairy free sides: dairy free scalloped potatoes / healthy sweet potato casserole / pineapple stuffing / coconut rice
Ingredient notes:
- Potatoes – The type of potato you choose is up to you. I normally go with russet potatoes because we typically have them on hand, and they will give you a nice fluffy mashed potato. My next choice would be Yukon gold, which will give you a creamier texture.
- Dairy free butter – For mashed potatoes, I like to use Smart Balance or Earth Balance spread. The water content tends to be higher in spread, but since we aren’t baking, I’ve found that it doesn’t make much of a difference. You can use any kind of dairy free butter here.
- Dairy free milk – Any kind of dairy free milk will work as long as it’s unsweetened and plain. We aren’t going for vanilla mashed potatoes. I like to use oat or flax milk when serving guests to keep things nut free.
- Coconut yogurt – We normally buy unsweetened, plain coconut yogurt from So Delicious Dairy Free, but any unsweetened, plain dairy free yogurt should work.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips + tricks:
- Make ahead tip: You can make these mashed potatoes up to 2 days before you need them – perfect for Thanksgiving! I normally add a little extra dairy free milk to them when I do this, and I like to reheat them in a covered casserole dish to keep them from drying out.
- Make a double batch! Since I despise peeling potatoes, I make a double batch when I can and freeze half. They reheat just fine, but will look separated until they are completely reheated. Don’t freak out if they look weird at first.
- Storage: Leftover mashed potatoes will be good in the fridge for up to 4 days. For a quick reheat of leftovers, a little time in the microwave will be just fine.
Frequently asked questions
You can use any vegan milk to make mashed potatoes. I like to use a combination of nut milk and creamy, full-fat (canned) coconut milk to make them even creamier.
Yes, but you’ll probably miss out on a little flavor. I opt for vegan buttery spread or vegan butter. This is my go-to choice when I’m substituting butter that is added after cooking.
The easiest way to tell if your potatoes are cooked enough is to pierce them with a fork (or even the side of a wooden spoon). If they go through easily, the potatoes are cooked.
More dairy free potato recipes
Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy free milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt, or full-fat canned coconut milk
- 4 – 6 tablespoons dairy free butter
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Place potatoes and garlic cloves in a large saucepan or stockpot and cover completely with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.Cook until potatoes are tender and break easily with a fork, about 10-15. Remove from heat, drain and return the garlic and potatoes to the pot.
- Mash the potatoes. Add dairy free milk, coconut yogurt, and vegan butter. Mash with a potato masher or hand mixer until smooth and creamy.Before serving, adjust seasoning with salt & pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
When do we add the garlic? 🙂
Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry! You add it right away with the potatoes. I’ll change that in the recipe right away.
I have a tree nut allergy and my husband (and our new niece) has the dairy allergy – so do you have a good suggestion on something to use instead of almond milk? I’d love to make something that the entire family can enjoy this Thanksgiving!
You can use any other dairy free milk. I would suggest trying soy, oat, rice or even hemp milk until you find the one you like best!
I’ve used hummus to mash potatoes, really yummy!
You can also use refrigerated coconut milk (which is often thinner and more like almond milk, just make sure you buy unsweetened) or even more canned coconut milk!
Can this be made a day ahead and rewarmed OR frozen for later use ?
Yes definitely! I haven’t tried freezing it, but I am fairly certain it would freeze just fine. Although the texture may not stay 100% when thawed.
How important is the coconut yogurt or milk? I’m not a fan…
Thanks! Was so scared how my mashed potatoes would turn out on thanksgiving when I saw I only had unsweetened coconut milk. I read this recipe which says they come out great with coconut milk and they did! No sweet or coconut flavor just fluffy creamy mashed potatoes.
Hi Melissa, I know this recipe is years old, but I came across it while searching for dairy free mashed potatoes for a Friendsgiving. It mentions that this can be made in a crockpot and I was wondering if you had specific instructions for that as well. Thanks!
I made a dairy free duck cottage pie for guests on Christmas Eve. I roasted the duck until the meat came away from the bone easily. When cool, I shredded the duck and made a sauce using Chinese Five Spice plus soya sauce and hoisin. I thickened the sauce with slaked corn flour. ( or use a packet of FLAVIA IT Chinese style mix)Then this was put into an oven proof pie dish I topped it with creamy mashed potatoes using dairy free milk (any), the zest of one lemon and a sprinkle of spice which can be cumin or five spice according to taste. Beware of using mustard as they often ‘hide’ dairy milk in the ingredients. put this back in the oven to get the top golden brown and serve with braised red cabbage, broccoli and/or salad. A really good prep ahead dish for a family gathering.