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Home » Recipes » Lunch & Dinner

Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (GF)

Last updated - July 14, 2021; Published - November 28, 2017 By Rhian Williams 4 Comments

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Photo of a pile of mashed potatoes topped with green herbs with sliced carrots and broccoli on a black plate with brown gravy being poured over in a silver saucepan against a dark grey background

These Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes are melt-in-your-mouth creamy, soft and fluffy and so easy to make. They're also gluten-free and oil-free, and make a great side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and everything in between!

A pile of creamy vegan mashed potatoes sprinkled with green herbs with sliced carrots and broccoli on a plate
How do you make creamy vegan mashed potatoes?


I spent so long trying to think how to make some amazing creamy vegan mashed potatoes and really wasn't sure what the best option was.

1. Vegan butter/dairy-free spread - potentially not very healthy, and taste can really vary between brands.
2. Almond milk - too watery and not that creamy.
3. Coconut oil - too fatty and not creamy enough either.

Then I remembered...blended soaked cashews! Which are: irresistibly creamy, luxuriously smooth, seriously velvety but not greasy. They're also neutral in flavour, and just all round absolutely perfect for this dish.

What are the best potatoes for mashing?


Potatoes with a higher starch content tend to be best for mashing. Yukon Golds, Russets, Desirées or King Edwards are all good options.

Can all potatoes be mashed?


Waxy or firm-fleshed potatoes such as new potatoes or salad potatoes are not recommended for making mashed potatoes.

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

  • Place peeled and sliced potatoes in a pan, roughly cover with water and cook for around 15 minutes, until soft enough to pierce with a fork.
Sliced potatoes and water in a pan
  • Place cashews in a food processor with 8 tablespoons of water.
Cashew nuts and water in a food processor
  • Blend until completely smooth.
Blended up cashew nuts in a food processor
  • Drain the potatoes and add the blended cashews and salt + pepper.
Cooked sliced potatoes and blended cashew cream in a pan
  • Use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes until smooth.
Slicked cooked potatoes and blended cashew cream in a pan being mashed with a potato masher

Things you can add for extra flavour

  • Dried or fresh herbs: parsley, sage, thyme or rosemary.
  • Roasted garlic.
  • Nutritional yeast.
Creamy vegan mashed potatoes in a pan

Tips for making perfect mashed potatoes

  • Make sure to salt the water when boiling the potatoes.
  • Peel the skins off the potatoes for a soft, creamy consistency.
  • Don't over-mash the potatoes as this can cause them to become overly starchy, rather than fluffy.
  • Absolutely don't use a food processor or blender to mash the potatoes, as this will make them incredibly starchy and they will have a sticky, gloopy texture.

Substitutions you can make

  • To make this recipe nut-free, you can replace the cashew cream with any type of plant-based yogurt (coconut yogurt, soy yogurt, almond yogurt etc).
  • If you can't be bothered to make your own cashew cream, use 1 tablespoon of shop-bought cashew butter instead.
  • You can replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes.
A pile of creamy vegan mashed potatoes topped with green herbs with sliced carrots and broccoli on a plate with vegan gravy being poured over

Serving suggestions

You can't have mashed potatoes without gravy! And here's my favourite vegan gravy recipe - it's easy to make and full of flavour.

More vegan potato side dishes

  • Potato Salad
  • Potato Dauphinoise Gratin
  • Scalloped Sweet Potato Gratin
  • Sweet Potato Fries

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make it

A pile of creamy vegan mashed potatoes topped with green herbs with sliced carrots and broccoli on a plate with vegan gravy being poured over

Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (GF)

These Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes are the side dish you need in your life! They're melt-in-your-mouth creamy, soft and fluffy and so easy to make!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, British
Keyword: vegan creamy mashed potatoes, vegan mashed potatoes
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 370kcal
Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

  • 1.6 kg (56.5 oz) potatoes (varieties suitable for mashing include: Russet, Yukon Gold, Desirée, King Edward)
  • 100 g (¾ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked overnight in cold water or in boiling water for 15 minutes
  • Salt + pepper to taste

To serve (optional):

  • Vegan gravy

Instructions

  • Peel potatoes and slice thinly.
  • Add to a pan without enough water to roughly cover, and a good pinch of salt.
  • Bring to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft enough to pierce gently with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, drain the soaked cashews and add to a food processor with 8 tablespoons of water.
  • Blend until completely smooth (you may need to mix it a couple of times).
  • Once the potatoes are cooked, drain away the water and, keeping the potatoes in the pan, add the blended cashew nuts and salt + pepper to taste.
  • Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until completely smooth.
  • Add extra suggested flavourings if desired*.
  • Best enjoyed immediately!

Video

Notes

*Other delicious add-ins include:
  • Dried or fresh parsley, rosemary, sage or thyme.
  • Roasted garlic.
  • Nutritional yeast.
 
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (GF)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 370 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Sodium 43mg2%
Potassium 1817mg52%
Carbohydrates 57g19%
Fiber 10g40%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin C 45.6mg55%
Calcium 129mg13%
Iron 14.6mg81%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Anonymous

    May 01, 2018 at 8:58 pm

    5 stars
    Fab idea to use blended cashews - will try this soon!

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      May 01, 2018 at 9:59 pm

      Thank you!

  2. Anonymous

    June 15, 2018 at 10:26 pm

    5 stars
    Lovely!

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      June 16, 2018 at 12:49 am

      Thank you!

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Photo of a pile of mashed potatoes topped with green herbs with sliced carrots and broccoli on a black plate with brown gravy being poured over in a silver saucepan against a dark grey background
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Hi, I’m Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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