What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Mine is gravy, but my family keeps telling me that is not a choice. So I’ll choose mashed potatoes, since they are a preferred gravy vehicle. Here is a simple dairy-free mashed potatoes recipe that lets the other dairy-free Thanksgiving sides (Gravy!) shine. We think it is the best!
Mama’s Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes are Loved by the Whole Family
Yes, I have extended family members who insist on having both dairy and non-dairy mashed potatoes on the table. One year these dairy-free mashed potatoes were served to all of the dairy eaters by mistake, and no one noticed the swap. So don’t wear yourself out making two varieties of mashed potatoes that are only going to be buried under the other foods (Gravy!) anyway.
Plus, this will leave you with lots of dairy-free leftover possibilities. Open-face turkey sandwiches with dairy-free mashed potatoes! Potato cakes! Shepherd’s pie! You get the idea. I originally shared this favorite recipe back in 2012, but we’ve just updated it!
Special Diet Notes: Mama’s Best Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 4 pounds Russet potatoes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste
- ½ cup dairy-free buttery spread (or 1 stick)
- ½ cup unsweetened dairy-free creamer or soymilk (can sub your favorite milk beverage, chicken broth, or vegetable broth), or as neeed
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
- Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the pot. Boil them until tender.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander.
- If you are my husband (who is our mashed potato chef), you return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. If you are me or anyone from my side of the family, you mash the potatoes with a potato ricer or Foley food mill and then return them to the pot. Chef's choice!
- Add the salt, buttery spread, and milk beverage to the potatoes and continue to mix until the ingredients are blended.
- Check for salt and add more milk if they aren't moist enough. Serve with all of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes and lots of gravy.
More Classic Holiday Sides
Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole that’s Just Like Campbell’s
Golden Dairy-Free Cornbread
Traditional Vegan Stuffing
26 Comments
If you place these into a casserole dish and refrigerate overnight do they become gluey when slowly reheated the next day?
I wouldn’t think so, but hopefully Sarah can weigh in. I’m not too sure, as I’m not a mashed potato expert! Usually leftover mashed potatoes are good. I would just avoid over-mixing them upfront.
Thank you for the over-mixing tip!
Hi Rebecca,
We usually make these the day of, but the leftovers reheat well with a bit of added milk beverage as needed.
Great! Thank you so much!
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I don’t like the taste of the soy or the almond milks or the color that they make the mashed potatoes. I use plain, unsweetened coconut milk which I heat before adding to the potatoes. It is pure white so the potatoes look more appetizing and I don’t taste coconut at all. Heading the milk before adding it helps to keep the mashed potatoes more fluffy.
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thank you so much for this simple yet delicious recipe! i can’t even tell that there’s no dairy in it. it’s creamy and tastes amazing! i think the key is soy creamer. yum!
That’s awesome! So glad you love it Janet and thank you for the feedback 🙂
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Try goat milk when making your dairy free mashed potatoes. Along with a 1/4 cup dairy free chicken broth works great! Yummy and creamy!
We’ve always used olive oil and salt with chopped chives…they are delicious! Even our dairy lovin’ friends and family love them!
I recommend a combo of olive oil and coconut oil, too Shawna. It adds a buttery richness.
How many servings does the dairy free mashed potatoes recipe make? And when you sub chicken broth for milk do you match amount for amount? Just beginning the dairy free journey.
About 10 to 12 servings. The broth is a comment suggestion, not one that we’ve tested. I would assume that they did an even swap, but you could start with 1/4 cup and work up from there to the full 1/2 cup if desired.
Loved your show. I’m curious and sounds silly but how do you make oatmeal milk? Just soak the oatmeal and then drain because I have never heard of it before but sounds super good to try.
THX
Shirley, see the recipes section on this page – http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-substitutes/how-to-substitute-milk-skim-low-fat-whole – for links to homemade oat milk.
I love making my mashed potatoes with almond milk! These look fabulous and oh so light and fluffy!
I make mine with oat milk and Earth Balance. Comes out very smooth and tasty!
I use homemade oat milk, too, Carrie. Works great!
If you can’t use soy milk, try using some of the water from the potatoes and then add some coconut milk creamer (So Delicious). We also add a ton of black pepper. 🙂
Unfortunately, omitting soy as well leaves a lot to be desired in the way of flavor. I have given up trying to make mashed potatoes that really taste savory when omitting soy and dairy.
Chicken broth in place of any dairy makes excellent savory mashed potatoes!
Don’t give up! I use golden potatoes (I leave the skin on), which have a slightly buttery taste. Then I use earth balance buttery spread (non soy) until desired taste and consistency. Plus salt and pepper to taste.