These are the smoothest and fluffiest mashed potatoes ever! Made creamy by using cashews, this delicious side dish is packed with buttery flavor and seasoned to perfection. Plus, they can easily be made in advance, making it convenient to serve for both a holiday meal or just a busy weeknight!
I truly believe that these are the best mashed potatoes, and for good reason! This is one of my most-requested comfort food recipes, both by readers and my own kids. When the holiday season rolls around (especially Thanksgiving dinner!), no one can resist the ultra-creamy texture and delicious taste of this perfect side dish.
Make them on the stovetop in just 25 minutes and they come out fluffy, creamy, and full of buttery, garlic flavor. Oh my goodness, I can't even talk about them without craving a batch!
How to Get the Best Flavor in Mashed Potatoes
To achieve flavorful mashed potatoes without having them taste too salty, you want to salt the water that you cook them in. This infuses the potatoes with flavor so that they won't taste bland.
Once the potatoes are cooked, the rich dairy-free butter, homemade vegan cashew cream (cashews blended with water), fresh garlic, salt and a touch of pepper add even more flavor. For the butter I typically use Earth Balance brand. It melts and cooks perfectly!
I like to garnish the mashed potatoes with fresh chives which pair wonderfully with the cashew cream. Garlic, cream and chives are such a classic flavor combination for traditional mashed potatoes, and this is no different. Together, these ingredients create the perfect balance of flavors without anything being too overpowering. Every spoonful is mashed potato perfection!
Ingredients
This easy recipe uses simple ingredients. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
- Potatoes: I prefer using either russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Water (for boiling): Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water at the end of the boiling process.
- Salt: Use for both boiling and seasoning the potatoes afterwards.
- Dairy-free butter
- Homemade vegan cashew cream (ready in 5 minutes): A blend of raw cashews, filtered water and a little salt.
- Garlic: Use roasted garlic (roast in the air fryer or the oven) or press 1-2 garlic cloves through a garlic press (not minced as we don't want chunks of garlic).
- Ground black pepper
Garnish Ideas:
- Caramelized onions: next level amazing for extra flavor!
- Fresh herbs: chives, thyme sprigs or diced Italian parsley (large stems removed).
- More vegan butter: I like to serve with a pat or two in the center of the bowl.
How to Make the Best Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
1. Cook the potatoes. Fill a 5.5 quart dutch oven or large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the peeled and chopped potatoes. Return the water to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
2. Drain the potatoes. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and drain the potatoes in a colander. Set aside.
3. "Rice" the potatoes. Working in batches, push the drained potatoes through a potato ricer and place directly back into the dry dutch oven once "riced." Alternatively, you can mash the potatoes in the dry dutch oven with a potato masher. The potato ricer makes them smoother, creamier and fluffier, whereas the potato masher method yields chunkier mashed potatoes.
4. Season the potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup of the reserved cooking water, vegan butter, cashew cream, garlic and black pepper to taste. Stir all ingredients together well with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
5. Make it creamier, if desired. Add in more of the reserved potato water for more creaminess.
6. Garnish and serve. Serve with 1-2 pats of vegan butter as garnish and a sprinkle of diced chives, fresh parsley or thyme. I love to serve caramelized onions overtop as well.
The Secrets to Getting Fluffy and Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Use a potato ricer. This is such a simple but effective tool. I put the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer in batches after they cook. This doesn't take long at all since the potatoes will be so soft, and the result is extra smooth, light and fluffy mashed potatoes.
Use some of the reserved water. The starches from the potatoes get released into the cooking water and make the water amazing for adding creaminess back into the mashed potatoes. So, before you drain the mashed potatoes, be sure to save ½ cup of the cooking water. You will add this back in once the potatoes are drained and riced. If you plan to make this dish in advance then you should reserve an extra ½ cup of the cooking water for reheating.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.
For best results, reheat mashed potatoes on the stovetop with ½-1 cup of reserved cooking water. The cooking water helps to rehydrate the mashed potatoes without completely diluting the flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Another option is to use a neutral tasting non-dairy creamer when reheating such as unflavored, unsweetened oat creamer or cashew creamer. Unsweetened plain almond milk (or any plant-based milk) will also work in a pinch.
You can freeze these mashed potatoes too. Store in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to use you can reheat on the stovetop over medium heat with 1 cup of the reserved cooking water. Once thawed out, you can taste and adjust seasonings if needed. If you think of it in advance you can move the frozen mashed potatoes from the freezer to the refrigerator 1-2 days before enjoying to make reheating faster.
What is Vegan Cashew Cream?
I use my homemade vegan cashew cream to give these mashed potatoes their perfectly creamy and fluffy texture. The cream stays nice and thick in this dish which keeps the mashed potatoes smooth, fluffy and light.
Cashew cream is actually a really simple recipe that I almost always have on hand. I make it at least once a week year-round. I sometimes even make a double batch and keep extras in my refrigerator. It comes in handy all the time to make everything a little creamier/better.
It has a cashew/water base for creaminess with a pinch of salt. You really won't believe it's dairy-free! I would suggest making your cashew cream ahead of time so it has time to thicken up overnight before using in this recipe. It is also important to soak your cashews in water in advance of making the cashew cream. Learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews.
Raw cashews offer plant-based protein and are also incredibly nutrient dense. Cashews are an excellent source of copper and a good source of magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, phosphorous and zinc. I buy them in bulk since I use them so often in recipes.
This recipe is vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free. It's wonderful for serving a crowd with varied food allergies or sensitivities. Everyone agrees it's a classic mashed potato experience and they wouldn't even guess it's totally vegan!
If you'd like an even faster, more hands-off mashed potato recipe, try my Instant Pot vegan mashed potatoes! This is a nut-free recipe with only 5 ingredients that's another really great option for the holidays or weeknights.
My Favorite Recipes for Thanksgiving:
Below are some of my go-to dishes for the holiday table. You can find all my vegan and gluten-free recipes for Thanksgiving here.
Appetizers
Soups/Salads
Sides
Desserts
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
- How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream (an easy, light holiday dessert when served with fresh berries or served on top of the Pumpkin Pie)
- Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Creamy and Fluffy Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8-10
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These are the smoothest and fluffiest mashed potatoes ever! Made creamy by using cashews, this delicious side dish is packed with buttery flavor and seasoned to perfection. Plus, they can easily be made in advance, making it convenient to serve for both a holiday meal or just a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
- 10 cups filtered water for boiling the potatoes - before draining the potatoes, reserve 2 cups of this cooking water at the end of the boiling process
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon salt (for boiling the potatoes)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for seasoning the potatoes after cooking and draining)
- ½ cup vegan, soy-free butter
- ⅔ cup homemade vegan cashew cream
- 1 head roasted garlic (roast in the air fryer or the oven) OR 1-2 large raw peeled garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press (not minced)*
- ground black pepper to taste (I usually do ½ teaspoon black pepper)
Garnish Ideas:
- caramelized onions (next level amazing!)
- fresh thyme sprigs
- diced fresh chives
- diced fresh Italian parsley leaves (large stems removed)
- a pat or two of vegan, soy-free butter
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. Fill a 5.5 quart dutch oven or large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the peeled and chopped potatoes. Return the water to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and drain the potatoes in a colander. Set aside.
- "Rice" the potatoes. Working in batches, push the drained potatoes through a potato ricer and place directly back into the dry dutch oven once "riced." Alternatively, you can mash the potatoes in the dry dutch oven with a potato masher. The potato ricer makes them smoother, creamier and fluffier, whereas the potato masher method yields chunkier mashed potatoes.
- Season the potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup of the reserved cooking water, vegan butter, cashew cream, garlic and black pepper to taste. Stir all ingredients together well with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Make it creamier, if desired. Add in more of the reserved potato water for more creaminess.
- Garnish and serve. Serve with 1-2 pats of vegan butter as garnish and a sprinkle of diced chives, fresh parsley or thyme. I love to serve caramelized onions overtop as well.
Notes
I have made this recipe with both Yukon Gold and russet potatoes and both work great. The Yukon Gold have a slight yellow color and are creamier in my opinion. The russet potatoes yield a whiter mashed potato dish and they may take a bit longer to cook. Overall, I prefer the Yukon Gold potatoes.
For raw garlic: I love garlic and typically add a second large clove. If you are not a garlic lover, go with one clove to start. I find the raw garlic flavor mellows out once mixed into the mashed potatoes as the heat of the potatoes start to "cook" the garlic. The flavor will also mellow out if you make the mashed potatoes in advance. If you are making these potatoes just before serving then you can briefly sauté the pressed garlic in olive oil before adding to the mashed potatoes. This will help the flavor mellow out.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
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