Rich, creamy and so satisfying all without the dairy. These creamy vegan mashed potatoes have a secret trick that make them next level delicious!
This post was originally published on 11/17/2018
I cannot live without potatoes. Every holiday meal I attend, potatoes is one thing I go back for again. But making a healthy creamy version of the mostly butter laden variety I used to love was a task I had to complete!
Vegan Mashed Potatoes
I had a few ideas on how to get the often boring tasting vegan mashed potato up a notch, because we all know I don’t do boring. Lucky for me, my multiple trials ended in a perfect result. Lucky for you, I shared the recipe.
Are potatoes vegan?
I see this question often, basically anything grown from the ground is vegan. It’s a plant and therefore, plant based! But there is a difference when it comes to potatoes and what each kind is best for.
Russet potatoes are high in starch and great when you want something light and fluffy, like mashed potatoes! However these are mild in flavor so take that into account.
White and yellow potatoes have a medium starch level. These are a good all around potato.
Waxy potatoes like red, yukon gold and fingerling are low in starch and hold their shape well when cooking so things like scalloped potatoes, soups, potato salad, etc are great with these. However, I like to use Yukon gold for mashed potatoes because of their great buttery flavor.
What can I substitute for milk in mashed potatoes?
There are many options when it comes to making vegan mashed potatoes, here are a few that I have seen:
- coconut cream
- plant based milks- almond, cashew, coconut, soy…
- nuts
- broth
However I wanted to make sure that these were the richest and creamiest ever! So I opted for something a little different:
- White beans. Yep, extra protein and creaminess.
- My vegan Parmesan cheese. It’s incredible and you need it!
- Cashew milk (or almond or whatever) but cashew is my fave. It tends to give the best creaminess without compromising flavor.
How to Make the Creamiest Vegan Mashed Potatoes
1. First, I wash the starch off of my potato pieces before and after I cook them. This helps with soft fluffiness. Then I mix in the secret trifecta for that base creamy factor.
2. You take all these and stick them in a blender for a thick heavy cream to die for. Then you whip it into the cooked potatoes and BAM. Instadrool.
3. Last you need to top it off with its BFF, my 4 ingredient caramelized onion gravy, for the next next level of amazing.
My son literally had this for his after school snack and I think I saw his eyes roll into the back of his head.
What can I serve these mashed potatoes with?
- Smoky Maple Roasted Carrots
- Baked Lima Bean Recipe (Gigantes Plaki)
- Easy Vegan Quinoa Stuffing
- Baked Broccoli Cauliflower Veggie Tots
- Vegan Scalloped Cauliflower
- Creamy Gluten-Free Scalloped Potatoes
Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes , see note
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups white beans , about one 15 ounce can (drained and rinsed)
- 1 ½ cups Grateable Vegan Parmesan Cheese , if using my Parmesan double it when making it and also make the crumble version not the wheel because it’s easier to use for this (or use your favorite store brand)
- 1 cup cashew milk (can sub another plant based milk if you prefer)
- Ground black pepper , optional for garnish
- Rosemary sprig , optional for garnish
- Serve with Caramelized Onion Gravy
Instructions
- Cut potatoes into big pieces, rinse to remove some of the starch.
- Put them with the salt in a pot and cover with water. Boil for about 15-20 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, put white beans, cheese and milk in a blender and puree until nice and smooth.
- When the potatoes are done, rinse them one more time. Allow them to dry a bit then put them in a bowl with the creamy sauce.
- Use a potato masher, hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the potatoes and the creamy sauce into a nice fluffy mound. Do not over mix or they will become gluey.
- Serve with caramelized onion gravy and optional pepper and rosemary sprig.
Notes
- You can use any potato, Russet are the fluffiest but Yukon gold are my favorite flavor for these because they are so buttery in taste.
- You can sub with another plant based milk but make sure it is creamy.
- The portions are for a side dish size.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Lee says
Yes!! Vegan friendly mashed potatoes. I’m so excited to try these
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Lee!! They are super flavorful and you won’t believe they don’t have any butter or oil with my special vegan parmesan!
Lue says
For the 1 1/2 cups white beans, if they are canned, did you drain and rinse them or measure the beans with the liquid?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Lue! I drained and rinsed. I thought I added that in but I’ll add it now!
Lue says
So. Flippin’. Delicious.
We had dinner guests last night and I made these mashed potatoes to top a plant-based shepherd’s pie. Creamy and rich, just as described in blog. In my former life, I used cream cheese and butter to make mashed potatoes. I can honestly say this recipe fills that gap and I don’t miss the old mashed potatoes at all.
veggiesdontbite says
Wow!! What a great review! Thank you so much for telling me how much you enjoyed them. I really appreciate it!
Jcb says
I make a walnut /nutritional yeast Parmesan. Would that work for your mashed potato recipe? It sounds so good and creamy, I’d like to try it with what I have on hand.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi! So it really depends on the flavor. My Parmesan has a really sharp flavor and it gets creamy when mixed in things. If you’re is similar it should work. Let me know what you do!
The Vegan 8 says
Looks so good girl! Mashed potatoes have always been my favorite part of Thanksgiving, such a classic that I eat year round!! Just give me a huge plate and I’m good! Forget the rest of the meal, haha!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much! They are SO good. I love mashed potatoes but am really picky in the kind, so I figured I should just make my own!
Colleen says
Love that there is no butter! Is one recipe of the cheese enough for this recipe (does it give 1 1/2 cups grated)?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Colleen! I would double the batch. You will want extra! Also make it as the crumble, not the grated cheese wheel. I’m going to update that on the recipe, it’s just easier!