Creamy Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
The easiest, most delicious mashed potatoes! Russet potatoes blended with creamy vegan butter, garlic, & dairy-free milk. The BEST holiday side dish!
This post was originally published on September 16, 2019, and updated with new photos and copy on November 4, 2021!
Ooey, gooey, creamy mashed potatoes chock full of butter, milk, and garlic are what Holiday dreams are made of. But you don’t have to sacrifice your diet (or how you feel after) to get all that creamy goodness. In fact, with this mashed potato recipe, I bet you can’t even tell the difference! With a few easy (& healthy) swaps, my dairy free mashed potatoes will delight your guests and go easy on their gut!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Makes This Recipe Work
Mashed potatoes are probably one of my most favorite side dishes of all time. I live for them smothered in gravy at Thanksgiving. These creamy mashed potatoes have all of the texture and flavor of regular old mashed potatoes but without any of the butter or heavy cream. Instead, I use almond milk (or coconut), vegan butter (or ghee if you prefer), salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I top mine with chives for a punch of flavor.
Ingredient Notes
potatoes: You can use Russet, Yukon Gold, or white potatoes for this recipe.
butter alternative: If you are allergic to dairy or if you prefer to stay 100% vegan, you can use coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or vegan butter like Miyokos or Kite Hill instead of ghee. Ghee is clarified butter, where the dairy proteins and casein have been removed. My favorite ghee is 4th and Heart. Unfortunately, traces may remain, so if you are allergic to milk, definitely avoid ghee!
milk alternative: Use your favorite plant based dairy free milk alternative. My favorite coconut milk is Native Forest (I use full-fat). You can also use unsweetened almond milk if coconut milk isn’t your thing! You really can’t taste the coconut in this recipe though – just FYI. Make sure you mix up the coconut milk prior to measuring, as it separates in the can.
How to Make Paleo Mashed Potatoes Without Dairy
Stove Top:
- Fill a large pot with water and add peeled potatoes. Bring potato pieces to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 12-14 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to the pot.
- Add remaining ingredients (minus the chives) to the pot and use an immersion blender to blend until creamy. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher – they will just be a little chunkier! Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with chives if desired. Enjoy!
Instant Pot:
- Add Potato chunks to the Instant Pot. Add water to cover potatoes completely (about 4-5 cups).
- Lock the lid and turn the vent to “sealing”. Cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Manually release the steam. Drain the potatoes then add them back into the pot.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mash well using a potato masher. Make them even creamier by blending with an immersion blender after!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Consistency: If your potatoes are too thick, slowly add more dairy free milk of choice until they reach the desired consistency!
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
FAQs
Can you freeze mashed potatoes? Yes. While I haven’t test this myself, you can store mashed potatoes in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or on the stove over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
Are these mashed potatoes gluten free? Yes! Using the ingredients I have listen here, these mashed potatoes are gluten free. Be sure to check all labels if you swap an ingredient.
Are these mashed potatoes Whole30? Yes! The ingredients in the vegan butters listed above (as as well ghee) are Whole30 friendly. I bet your guests will have no idea these Whole30 mashed potatoes have no dairy!
How to make dairy free mashed potatoes with chicken broth? If you prefer to skip the milk alternative altogether, feel free to use chicken broth instead. They will still have a creamy texture from the vegan butter, with added flavor from the broth. Remember, if you are vegan, substitute vegetable broth instead.
More Delicious Paleo Thanksgiving Side Dishes
“Soy” Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Thyme Roasted Radishes with Onion
Dairy Free “Cheesy” Broccoli Casserole!
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Creamy Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes {Whole30 + Vegan}
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet or white potatoes, 4 large potatoes or 6 small, peeled and cut into fourths
- ¼ cup ghee, sub vegan butter for 100% dairy free
- ⅓ cup dairy free milk of choice, coconut and unsweetened almond milk work great.
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- chives, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Stove Top
- Fill a large pot with water and add peeled potatoes. Bring potato pieces to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 12-14 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to the pot.
- Add remaining ingredients (minus the chives) to the pot and use an immersion blender to blend until creamy. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher - they will just be a little chunkier! Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with chives if desired. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- Add Potato chunks to the Instant Pot. Add water to cover potatoes completely (about 4-5 cups).
- Lock the lid and turn the vent to "sealing". Cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Manually release the steam. Drain the potatoes then add them back into the pot.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mash well using a potato masher. Make them even creamier by blending with an immersion blender after!
26 Comments on “Creamy Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes”
What is the serving size on this? So delicious!
So easy and delicious! Thank you, being dairy free, I didn’t think I could have mashed potatoes. So yummy!
So simple and perfect. I made mine with canned coconut milk and added chives and they were excellent. So creamy and straightforward to make!! Thanks Mary!!
Classic and delicious!
Thank you, Kaylyn!
These are so good! I made them for Thanksgiving. I have a son who can’t have dairy and these were perfect.
So glad you enjoyed them!!
Best mashed potatoe recipe in our house! We love every recipe of Mary’s we’ve ever tried!
Great flavor. Easy to make. Great texture using the immersion blender.
This recipe was great! tasted just like regular mashed potatoes. I would make these even when I am not doing Whole30!
Delicious! But the spot while we’re doing whole30. Kids loved it too!
*HIT the spot! ☺️
Excited to try these tonight with your Mississippi roast (which I have made several times!) Do you have an Instant Pot cooking method for this amount of potatoes? Thank you!
Made these for our steak night, they were sooo delicious! I loved using the coconut milk to bring them together – they didn’t have a noticeable coconut taste either (important to note!). I added a bunch of garlic powder to mine 🙂 my husband loved these too! So tasty! Thanks Mary!
Amazing to hear! Thanks Taylor!
Your mashed potatoes provided for a delicious Whole30 Easter side dish! We were really not looking forward to missing some of our non-Whole30 approved favorites, but my husband actually prefers your mashed potatoes to my traditional milk/cream/butter recipe. The best part – leftovers heat up perfectly!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks, Lauren!
Made these for Easter yesterday and I absolutely love them!! I made a little too much and am wondering how long these will last in the fridge. Do you know if they freeze so I can save leftovers for a later date?
Sorry for the late response here Lauren! These last in the fridge for 4-5 days. I haven’t tried freezing them!
I love potatoes in all forms, but these potatoes had all things I didn’t know I needed from mashed potatoes. These potatoes with the Mary’s Mississippi Pot Roast? Complete comfort food heaven.
I would love to make these this evening if possible. Would you please let me know how many servings there are? Thank you!
This recipe feeds 3-4 people
We loved these creamy mashed potatoes! No gravy needed. A true comfort food that is full of flavor and oh so satisfying!! And Whole 30 compliant!! WOW! Thank you Mary!
Thank you Laura!!
I found this link on a Pinterest. These should not be labeled as “Dairy Free” because ghee is DAIRY. My son is severely allergic to milk… I clicked on this link, excited to check out a new “Dairy Free” mashed potato recipe… which these are not.
I labeled them as dairy free since the casein and milk proteins have been removed from the butter in ghee. I am sorry if this was misleading! You’re welcome to use olive oil or avocado oil in place of the ghee and these potatoes will still be delicious.