Vegan Mashed Potatoes with Almond Milk

These ultra-creamy vegan mashed potatoes with almond milk and garlic are the perfect side dish for your holiday gathering or any time of year when you’re in the mood for decadent comfort food.

Jump to:

• 💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥣 Ingredients and Notes
• 📖 Variations and Substitutions
• 🛠 Tools and Equipment
• 👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Vegan Mashed Potatoes with Almond Milk
• 📝 Expert Tips
• ❓FAQS
• 🍽 How to Serve
• 🫙 How to Store and Keep
• 🥔 More Vegan Potato Recipes!
• 🎥 Video
• ⚖️ Serving Size
• Recipe

Just like Green Bean Casserole, good old mashed potatoes are a classic comfort food! When planning your Thanksgiving or holiday meal, it goes without saying that mashed potatoes are a must!

I served these for dinner with my simple vegan gravy for the ultimate side dish.

These mashed potatoes are creamy, rich, decadent, and delicious. With one entire head of garlic, this recipe is as rich and flavorful as it gets!

The great thing about classic recipes like this one is that you can easily adapt it to be vegan with just a few tweaks. This recipe is based on my mom’s classic recipe. With a few tweaks and substitutions, I made it vegan-friendly.

I guarantee your omnivore friends and family won’t even know these are vegan and made with almond milk!

💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Creamy and Comforting: Vegan mashed potatoes can still achieve that creamy and comforting texture you crave, thanks to ingredients like plant-based milk and vegan butter or olive oil.

Versatile: You can customize these mashed potatoes with various toppings such as chives, vegan cheese, or nutritional yeast, for unique and delicious flavors.

Variety of Potatoes: You can use a wide variety of potatoes from russet to Yukon Gold, providing different flavors and textures to suit your preference.

Easy to Make: Vegan mashed potatoes are simple to prepare and can be whipped up quickly for a delicious side dish any time you like.

Suitable for Special Diets: Vegan mashed potatoes can accommodate a range of dietary restrictions such as dairy-free, and gluten-free.

🥣 Ingredients and Notes

Yukon Gold Potatoes: These potatoes have a thin skin and yellow flesh. They have a creamy texture and a medium starch content. They are not as dry and fluffy as russet potatoes and create a creamy texture when mashed.

Unsweetened Almond Milk: Be sure to use unsweetened and unflavored.

Vegan Butter: Creates a rich flavor.

Garlic: You’ll need one full head of garlic which adds loads of flavor.

Salt and Black Pepper: I recommend ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper.

Chives: They add a pop of color and a subtle flavor when sprinkled on top.

📖 Variations and Substitutions

Different potato varieties: You can substitute Yukon Gold potatoes for Russet or red skins. For a fluffier, starchier texture both russet and red skins will do the job well. They are starchier than Yukon Golds, which results in that thick, fluffy consistency. Whereas Yukon Golds are creamier and yield a smoother texture.

Olive Oil Instead of Butter: If you prefer not to use vegan butter, substitute for olive oil. If you don’t want to include oil or vegan butter, I suggest unsweetened coconut cream, although it may have a slight coconut undertone.

Add Fresh Herbs: Chives are a classic topping, but you can opt to serve these with fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, or your favorite fresh herbs.

🛠 Tools and Equipment

• Use a vegetable peeler or pairing knife to peel the skin off the potatoes.
• Use a cutting board to chop the potatoes into chunks.
• Large pot to boil the potatoes.
• Potato masher, ricer, or food mill to mash the potatoes.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Vegan Mashed Potatoes with Almond Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Wash and peel the potatoes. Chop them into large, even chunks.
2. Transfer to a large pot and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Stir in salt. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer. Do not cover. Check for doneness around 10 minutes by inserting a fork. If the fork easily pierces the potatoes, then they are done. It will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your chunks.
3. While potatoes are boiling, remove some of the outer layer of skin from the garlic head. Wrap in aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil before wrapping it in aluminum foil. Place it on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven at 400° F for 30 minutes.
4. When the garlic head is roasted, gently press cloves out of the skin and mash smooth with a fork.
5. When the potatoes are done, reserve ½ a cup of the starchy potato water and drain the rest. Combine roasted garlic, vegan butter, almond milk, and salt and pepper using a potato masher.
6. Mash until smooth or desired consistency is reached. If potatoes need more liquid, add the reserved water. For a creamier texture, use a ricer or food mill.
7. Sprinkle with freshly chopped chives and serve it warm!

📝 Expert Tips

• Make sure the potatoes are fully cooked before mashing. Potatoes are done when tender all the way through. You can test that they are done by piercing them with a fork. If it easily pierces all the way through, then the potatoes are done.
• For a chunkier consistency mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
• Use quality unsalted vegan butter. I like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s. Using unsalted butter allows you to season your potatoes to your taste.
• Be sure to use unsweetened almond milk. Sweetened or vanilla-flavored almond milk will result in a very unfavorable flavor.
• Bring your potatoes to a boil in cold water. If you add potatoes to boiling water, they will likely cook unevenly.
• Don’t transfer to a food processor. You don’t want to overwork your potatoes, or too much starch will be released. If you wish to creamier mashed potatoes, use a ricer or food mill.
• Slightly warming your almond milk and butter or bringing it to room temperature before adding them to your potatoes will allow them to incorporate with the potatoes better. Cold milk and butter will cool down the potatoes.

❓FAQS

🍽 How to Serve

Classic Side Dish: Serve mashed potatoes as a classic side dish alongside your favorite main courses. They pair well with vegan gravy and vegetables for a traditional comfort food meal.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie: Use mashed potatoes as the topping for a classic Shepherd’s Pie. Spread a layer of mashed potatoes over a savory filling of lentils and vegetables, then bake until golden brown.

Potato Bowls: Create loaded potato bowls by topping a generous serving of mashed potatoes with toppings like vegan shredded cheese, vegan sour cream, chives, and diced tomatoes.

🫙 How to Store and Keep

Refrigerate: Make sure that the potatoes are cooled to room temperature. Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. These mashed potatoes with almond milk will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Freeze: Transfer the mashed potatoes to a freezer-safe container. Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Leave a little space at the top of the containers or bags to allow for expansion during freezing. Keep them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months for the best quality.

Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy the mashed potatoes, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. To reheat, use the microwave, stovetop, or oven, adding a little more almond milk as needed to restore the desired consistency.

🥔 More Vegan Potato Recipes!

🎥 Video

⚖️ Serving Size

This recipe makes six large servings. Double the recipe for a larger group.

Recipe