Creamy Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Looking for dairy free mashed potatoes that are super creamy and rich? This vegan mashed potatoes recipe is totally craveable, but I couldn’t help myself: I snuck in a secret ingredient to help feed your microbiome too!
I love mashed potatoes – potatoes are a great, affordable way to round out a meal…especially if you have kids to feed! I also find them supremely comforting because we ate a lot of them when I was little. So with the holidays almost here, I thought this was the perfect time to put my own spin on a vegan mashed potatoes recipe…and no, not by substituting cauliflower for potatoes!
Instead, I’ve whipped up this classic holiday fave with soft white beans with roasted garlic and a bit of plant-based milk which makes the potatoes extra flavourful and creamy. They’re also really good for your microbiome: beans and garlic are both high in FODMAPS, fermentable carbohydrates that feed your gut microbiome so it stays healthy and strong.
Are mashed potatoes healthy?
Sure, potatoes aren’t exactly kale – but they ARE healthy. I enjoy potatoes regularly as part of a healthy, plant-based diet! Potatoes fill the role of the energizing starches or grains on your plate so enjoy them alongside a bunch of colourful veggies instead of pasta or millet. I also always eat potatoes with the skin, because it not only helps preserve nutrients, but adds 2-3 grams of fibre. Potatoes contain a ton of potassium, which is critical for electrolyte balance in the body as well as iron, magnesium and B vitamins.
I think mashed potatoes get a bad rap for a few reasons: they have carbs (gasp!) and they are typically made with a ton of butter or sour cream.
Carbs aren’t the issue, my friend. You need carbs. Your gut microbiome needs carbs. Saturated fat on the other hand…you’re better off with less. This vegan mashed potatoes recipe delivers all the creaminess you crave thanks to a white bean cream made with a bit of plant-based milk and butter. Plus, cool gut fact: as cooked potatoes cool, some of the starch becomes resistant starch, which crazy good for your gut microbes.
How to make mashed potatoes without milk
Making delicious and creamy mashed potatoes without milk is much easier than you think! It’s all about cooking the potatoes until they are super soft and choosing the right non-dairy milk. I find that soy milk and oat milk (unsweetened of course!) are the creamiest options out there so they will perform much like traditional dairy milk in this recipe. Want to take your mash up about a thousand notches? Swap in a silky cashew cream for the non-dairy milk.
To make the potatoes even creamier, you can boost the fat content with a bit of vegan butter; here again, I find that type matters. Of all the spreads out there, Miyoko’s Butter is definitely the creamiest because it’s made from cultured cashew milk. It’s also a bit pricey, so a great alternative is Melt Organic. I like Melt because it has a good flavour and is designed with the quality of the fats in mind. Everything else is just margarine, in my opinion!
One final way to make them even creamier: run your mash through the food processor instead of mashing by hand. I really like a rustic mash, so designed this recipe to be creamy even though it’s mashed by hand.
Looking for even more Vegan Thanksgiving Dishes?
- My go-to cranberry sauce
- Vegan Oven-Baked Kale Gratin
- Vegan Mushroom Gravy
- Spiced Pumpkin Tart with Oat Crust
- Gluten Free Vegan Stuffing Recipe for the Holidays
Creamy Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 14 ounce can of white beans (navy, butter or cannelini), rinsed and drained
- 1 bulb garlic
- ⅓ cup unsweetened oat or soy milk
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, I like Miyoko's or Melt Organic
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
- freshly cracked pepper
- avocado oil, for the garlic
For serving, optional
- fresh chives, minced
Equipment
- Immersion blender or bullet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C)
- Slice the top off the garlic bulb to just expose the cloves. Place on a piece of tin foil, drizzle with a bit of avocado oil, salt and pepper then wrap garlic in the foil. Place on a small baking sheet and pop it into the oven. Roast garlic for 50-60 minutes until it looks caramelized and golden. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, slice potatoes in half, then cut the halves into quarters. You should end up with roughly 1 ½ inch (4cm) pieces.
- Place potatoes in a medium pot. Fill pot with water and bring it to the boil. Cook until potatoes are super tender and skins are loose, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and then place back in the pot, off the heat.
- Add beans, salt, pepper, milk and butter to large mouthed blending cup or bullet. Carefully squeeze garlic cloves out of their bulb and into the cup. Blend with an immersion blender until totally smooth.
- Add creamy bean mixture to potatoes and mash until well-combined. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Scoop into a serving dish and garnish with chives.
7 Comments on “Creamy Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes”
Could I do bean mixture in vitamix? Do not have immersion blender. Should pick one up. Which one do you have?
Congrats on new book. Will be buying!
Hi Karen,
You absolutely could! It’s a small amount but if you have a tamper it works. I do love an immersion blender as it is so versatile and less to clean. I have the Braun Multiquick 7 and it just occurred to me that I don’t have it in my affiliate shop so I will fix that!
Thank you so much for your support! I wish we didn’t have to wait so long for the book to come out 🙂
I tried it very good indeed I think I will do it again when my children come to visit me.
thank you for the delicious recipes
I’m so glad you liked them Carlo! I always love a good mashed potato 🙂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ These were the best mashed potatoes we have ever eaten in our lives! It is so worth roasting a whole head of garlic because it adds such a yummy, sweet flavor! Also, the cannelini beans and unsweetened, plain oat milk added incredible creaminess and such a velvety texture. Nice to know that the extraordinary flavor did not compromise the nutrition but instead the flavor used also had the great advantage of boosting the nutrition! Win-win! Desiree, you are a genius! Our otherwise normal lunch today was greatly elevated by this exceptional side dish!
Jordanna
Aw thank you Jordanna! I am so glad you like them – I always want to create nourishing dishes that are zero compromise. It has to taste good or what’s the point??? Have a great weekend 🙂
I want these five stars to go with my comments below! 🙂