These easy creamy vegan mashed potatoes are fluffy, comforting, and easy to customize. Make them on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot, then choose vegan butter, olive oil, or tahini for an oil-free option. Add roasted garlic for deeper savory flavor.
Serve them with my rich and creamy cashew gravy, easy vegan gravy, or hearty vegan meatloaf.
A Quick Look: Easy Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- 📝 Recipe Name: Easy Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- 🕒 Total Time: 30 minutes without roasted garlic
- 👥 Servings: 5
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Yukon Gold potatoes, plant-based milk, vegan butter or olive oil, optional roasted garlic
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, with an oil-free option
- ✨ Best For: Holiday dinners, weeknight meals, comfort-food bowls, and meal prep
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: Fluffy, easy to customize, and made on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot
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Jump to:
- A Quick Look: Easy Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tested Tips
- How to Make Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Method
- Roasted Garlic Option
- Make It Your Way
- Make it a Meal
- Mashed Potato Troubleshooting
- Storage, Meal Prep & Make-Ahead
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes FAQs
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Growing up, mashed potatoes were always a comfort food I looked forward to. I could’ve happily eaten them every day, and honestly, not much has changed.
For weeknight meals, I often use the Instant Pot and make them without vegan butter or oil, adding tahini for a little richness. For holidays and special occasions, I usually use vegan butter and roasted garlic for a more traditional mash, served alongside vegan meatloaf, homemade vegan stuffing, and vegan cheesy hash brown casserole.
The base recipe works either way, so you can make it fit the meal instead of needing a completely different recipe.
Why This Recipe Works
- Yukon Gold potatoes stay naturally creamy. Their smooth, buttery texture works especially well in dairy-free mashed potatoes.
- Starting in cold water promotes even cooking. The potatoes heat gradually, so the centers soften before the outsides begin to fall apart.
- Warm plant-based milk blends in smoothly. It keeps the potatoes hot and makes it easier to control the final consistency.
- Steaming works well in the Instant Pot. Keeping the potatoes above the water helps prevent excess moisture.
If you're looking for a light everyday mashed potato made without milk, try my creamy mashed potatoes without milk, which pair really well with roasted cabbage steaks.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe for vegan mashed potatoes, plus easy swaps if needed:
- Yukon Gold potatoes: My first choice for their naturally creamy texture and buttery flavor (skins may be left on). Russets make a fluffier mash, while red potatoes create a more rustic texture.
- Vegan butter or olive oil: Vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) gives the richest, most traditional flavor. Olive oil works well for a lighter variation.
- Unsweetened plant-based milk: Soy or oat milk gives the creamiest texture, but unsweetened almond milk also works. Avoid sweetened or vanilla-flavored milk.
- Roasted garlic: Optional, but it adds a mellow, savory flavor. Use one head or adjust to taste.
- Tahini: Use for the oil-free variation. Start with 1-2 tablespoons, or to taste.
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and exact amounts.
For more easy potato recipes, try my Air Fryer potato wedges and Air Fryer sweet potato wedges.
Tested Tips
- Let the potatoes dry before mashing: After draining, return them to the warm pot for 1–2 minutes. This evaporates excess moisture so they absorb the plant-based milk instead of turning watery.
- Add the fat before the milk: Mash in the vegan butter, olive oil, or tahini first, then add the warm plant-based milk gradually. This gives you more control over the final texture.
- Judge doneness by resistance, not time: A fork or knife should slide through the center without catching. Even slightly undercooked potatoes can leave firm pieces that never mash smoothly.
- Keep tahini in the background: For the oil-free version, start with 1 tablespoon. You want it to add richness, not make the potatoes taste strongly of sesame.
- Stop sooner than you think: Once the potatoes are creamy, stop mixing. This is the easiest way to avoid a gluey texture.
Next, try my cheesy broccoli and cauliflower baked potatoes or these grilled foil potatoes.
How to Make Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
Stovetop Method
Step 1: Cover evenly cut potatoes with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until completely fork-tender.
Step 2: Drain well and return the potatoes to the warm pot for 1–2 minutes.
Step 3: Mash in the vegan butter, olive oil, or tahini and roasted garlic, if using. Gradually add warm plant-based milk until creamy, then season to taste.
Instant Pot Method
I like to use this method for weeknight meals because then I don’t have to watch the pot of water.
- Add 1½ cups water to a 6-quart Instant Pot. Cut the potatoes into similar-size quarters and place them in a steamer basket above the water.
- Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, allow a 10-minute natural release, then release the remaining pressure and finish as directed.
I love mashed potatoes with a little spice and often add my creamy jalapeño salsa to the potatoes. The creamy potatoes balance the heat really well. For group gatherings, one of my favorite ways to serve them is in these crispy mashed potato tacos.
Roasted Garlic Option
Roasted garlic adds a mellow, savory flavor without the sharp bite of raw garlic. Slice the top from a garlic head, drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400°F for 30–40 minutes, until soft and golden.
Roast it while the potatoes cook or make it 1–2 days ahead. I usually save this variation for holidays or prepare the garlic ahead for an easier weeknight meal.
Make It Your Way
- Classic: Use vegan butter and leave out the roasted garlic.
- Rustic: Leave some of the skins on and mash by hand.
- Extra creamy: Fold in 2–4 tablespoons vegan sour cream after mashing. Start with less, then add more to taste.
- Fresh herbs: Finish with chives, parsley, or green onions.
Make it a Meal
- For an easy comfort-food bowl, layer mashed potatoes, corn or roasted veggies, cashew gravy, and tofu sausage crumbles.
- Finish the meal with vegan pumpkin mug cake, vegan pumpkin pie with a pecan-graham cracker crust, or a warm pumpkin spice chai latte.
Mashed Potato Troubleshooting
- Too thick: Add warm plant-based milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Too thin: Return the potatoes to low heat and stir gently until some moisture evaporates.
- Gluey: This usually comes from overmixing. Stop as soon as the potatoes reach the texture you want.
- Watery: Drain more thoroughly and allow the potatoes to dry briefly before mashing.
- Flat flavor: Add more salt first (sparingly). If needed, add a little more vegan butter, olive oil, tahini, roasted garlic, or black pepper.
For an easy meal-prep lunch or dinner, pair these mashed potatoes with Instant Pot vegan mac and cheese or baked mac and cheese and a simple steamed vegetable.
Storage, Meal Prep & Make-Ahead
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Make ahead: Prepare the potatoes up to 2 days before serving.
- Meal prep: Portion them with lentil loaf, gravy, or roasted vegetables for easy lunches and dinners.
- Reheat: Warm gently with a splash of plant-based milk, stirring only until creamy again.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Vegan Mashed Potatoes FAQs
Yes, you can also use russet or red, but I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes for the texture and flavor.
Use a plain, unsweetened plant-based milk. Oat and soy milk create the creamiest texture, while unsweetened almond milk also works. Avoid sweetened or vanilla-flavored milk.
Replace dairy milk with unsweetened plant-based milk and dairy butter with vegan butter, olive oil, or tahini. Roasted garlic and fresh herbs can add even more flavor.
Vegan butter gives the most traditional flavor, while olive or avocado oil creates a lighter variation. For an option without added oil, use tahini with a little extra warm plant-based milk.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
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Easy Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes, scrubbed, quartered evenly, and peeled if preferred
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, or olive oil or 1-2 tablespoons tahini for an oil-free option
- ¾ cup unsweetened plant-based milk, warmed, plus more as needed
- 1-¼ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 20 turns pepper
- 1 head roasted garlic, optional
- Chopped chives, parsley, or green onions for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Roast the garlic, if using. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the top from the garlic head, drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30–40 minutes until soft and golden.
- Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Salt the water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until completely fork-tender.
- Drain: Drain well and return the potatoes to the warm pot for 1–2 minutes to release excess moisture.
- Mash: Add the vegan butter or olive oil and roasted garlic, if using. Mash by hand, then gradually add the warm plant-based milk, adding a little more as needed. Once mostly smooth, mix briefly on low with a hand mixer if desired, and stop as soon as creamy. See notes for a ricer option.
- Season and serve: Add the salt and black pepper, taste, and adjust as needed. Garnish with chives or parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Instant Pot method: Add 1½ cups water to a 6-quart Instant Pot. Cut the potatoes into similar-size quarters and place them in a steamer basket above the water. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, allow a 10-minute natural release, then release the remaining pressure and finish as directed.
- Oil-free option: Omit the vegan butter and olive oil. Mash in 1-2 tablespoons tahini, then gradually add warm plant-based milk. Add more tahini only to taste.
- Ricer option: For extra-smooth potatoes, peel them and pass them through a potato ricer while hot, then gently stir in the remaining ingredients. For skin-on potatoes, use a hand masher instead.
- Mixing: Avoid a blender or food processor, which can make the potatoes gluey.
- Rustic texture: Leave some of the thin skins on and mash by hand.
- Extra creamy: Fold in 2–4 tablespoons vegan sour cream after mashing.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
One of my favorite things about cooking is that recipes don't have to be all-or-nothing. Some nights these are simple and oil-free, other times I add roasted garlic and vegan butter for a holiday meal. Both are delicious!