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!
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.
Potatoes with a higher starch content tend to be best for mashing. Yukon Golds, Russets, Desirées or King Edwards are all good options.
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.
- Place cashews in a food processor with 8 tablespoons of water.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- Drain the potatoes and add the blended cashews and salt + pepper.
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes until smooth.
Things you can add for extra flavour
- Dried or fresh herbs: parsley, sage, thyme or rosemary.
- Roasted garlic.
- Nutritional yeast.
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.
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
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
Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (GF)
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):
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
- Dried or fresh parsley, rosemary, sage or thyme.
- Roasted garlic.
- Nutritional yeast.
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.
Anonymous
Fab idea to use blended cashews - will try this soon!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Anonymous
Lovely!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!