I’m pretty sure I can say with confidence that everyone looks forward to mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.
I mean, it’s a whole thing: if you have Thanksgiving, you have this iconic side dish. Smashed spuds are everyone’s favorite side, whether they admit it or not.
It’s one of those dishes that you give yourself an extra large heaping scoop, then look at your plate a little forlornly because it doesn’t look like quite enough. So you dive in for another.
It’s that dish.
The standard recipe has lots of tasty, fatty flavor components, like butter and cream.
But if you’re the kind of person who avoids those ingredients for whatever reason, making it can be… challenging.
So, I’ve tried many variations of a vegan version of this classic side dish. Some were okay (I mean, really, they’re carbs mixed with some kind of fat – they can’t be that bad). Some were pretty good.
But none have been as creamy as these.
I did something pretty crazy here to achieve that super creamy, melt-in-your-mouth taste that the traditional recipe has. I’ve tried all sorts of non-dairy milks and was never super impressed with the result. But this time, I succeeded. Two words:
That stuff has been my jam lately. Not like the fruity jam, but you get it. I am using it all over the place and LOVING it, like in my fresh pesto recipe and homemade caramels. It’s so good.
Aside from the cashew cream, my recipe has some vegan margarine, salt, roasted garlic, and crispy shallots.
Roasted garlic and crispy shallots! Love!
Even if you have no intention of ever making this non-dairy version, you must put roasted garlic and crispy shallots on your mashers next time.
These vegan mashed potatoes use cashew cream for the ultimate creamy texture. With roasted garlic and crispy shallots, they can’t be beat.
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup water
1/2 cup cashews
2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil*
4 tablespoons vegan margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Boil 1 cup of water. Combine with the cashews in a large bowl, and let sit for 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If preferred, peel the potatoes, or leave the skins on. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Carefully drop the potatoes in the boiling water, and boil for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
While the potatoes boil, place the garlic cloves in a heavy, dry skillet. Cook on medium-high heat, turning every now and then, for about 15 minutes, until they have brown spots on all sides. Let cool, then remove the skins and trim the ends.
Peel the shallot and mince finely. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and add the shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the heat.
Add the cashews and their soaking water to a blenderwith the peeled roasted garlic cloves. Blend until smooth, 1-3 minutes depending on your blender. It’s best to let the blender stop and cool down every minute or so.
When the potatoes are done cooking, drain in a colander. Add to the bowl of your stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. Alternatively, add to a large, wide bowl and use a potato masher.
Add the cashew cream, margarine, and salt. Beat for about 5 minutes for slightly lumpy potatoes, and up to 10 minutes for smooth potatoes.
Serve topped with the crispy shallots.
Notes
*If your skillet is large, you may need to use more olive oil. You want to have plenty in there for the shallots to cook in, otherwise they may burn instead of browning.
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Category:Side Dish
Method:Stovetop
Cuisine:Vegan
Keywords: mashed potatoes, vegan, Thanksgiving, side dish, cashew cream
How to Whip ‘Em Up
To make these super creamy, I used my KitchenAid mixer to whip them. It is by far the easiest way to make them nice and fluffy.
If all you have is a potato ricer or masher, that’ll work too, but will take a little more time. You’ll also have nice toned arms afterward!
The masher is also a great option if you prefer a chunkier side dish – I do really enjoy biting into perfectly al dente chunks scattered amongst the creamy base.
How do you like your pulverized spuds? Creamy or chunky? Skins or no skins? Do you have any special ingredients for making your own non-dairy substitute of this fall-favorite dish? Comment below, and rate my recipe!
And for more vegan potato recipes, why not try some of these:
Cabbage, Potatoes and White Beans
Potato and Chanterelle Soup with Fresh Arugula Pesto
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
Any plant-based or dairy free milk is a great substitute for regular milk in mashed potatoes. For an even creamier mashed potato, use cashew cream, which is similar in consistency to heavy cream. For a richer option when you're short on time, use full fat coconut milk.
Heavy cream will make for the creamiest mashed potatoes, but whole milk or half and half will also work. Don't use anything with less fat than whole milk, otherwise, your potatoes won't be as flavorful or creamy.
Can I substitute the heavy cream in mashed potatoes? Short answer: Yes. Recommended substitutes: Whole milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, onion cream. Caveats: Dairy is a free-for-all in mashed potato recipes.
Any oat milk, really, will do. You can also use light coconut milk in the can, and this will ensure you won't get much of a coconut taste (but that's personally why I choose oat milk or soy milk over coconut). Vegan sour cream: Using sour cream is the absolute *key* to good mashed potatoes, vegan or not.
Soy Milk. Soy milk is the OG of non-dairy milk and is made by soaking soybeans (which have been hulled and ground) in water. Soybeans contain essential amino acids, high levels of protein, and iron, and soy milk has lower fat and cholesterol levels than cow's milk.
Greek Yogurt. Greek yogurt is yogurt that's been strained to remove the liquid whey, resulting in a thicker yogurt that's higher in protein and lower in fat. ...
Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!
Waxy potatoes (such as new, red, or white varieties) require more mashing to become creamy which could result in gluey, pasty spuds. Butter before milk: Always add the butter first so the butter fat coats the potato starch molecules. Then, add the hot milk to make them creamy.
The British use double cream in recipes the way we use heavy cream or whipping cream here in the US, but they also allow it to accompany dessert the way we might use ice cream.
Sour cream is an easy replacement for heavy cream. It can be easily stirred into a dish and offers another flavor profile to soups, stews and sauces. Plus, using it as a heavy cream substitute is a great way to use up that lingering tub in the fridge.
A nondairy milk (such as soy or almond) and a neutral oil (like vegetable or canola) can replicate heavy cream in certain recipes—namely, sauces and soups, but also some baked goods.
But in general, you'll want to avoid waxy red potatoes like red bliss, because they don't mash very well, nor do they absorb other ingredients such as butter and milk.
Oat milk: This will take a little longer to curdle than soy milk, and it is not as thick. Results are also inconsistent. Pea protein milk: Another decent option because it is high in protein, however, the flavor is less neutral than soy or oat milk.
If you want your oatmilk to be thicker, similar to what you purchase in the store, you will need an added gum. Xanthan gum works great to thicken cold liquids and you don't need much for a batch.
Almond milk is a great substitute for dairy milk in mashed potatoes. Use an unsweetened plain almond milk for the best flavor. What is a substitute for butter in mashed potatoes? You can use plant-based butter or olive oil to substitute the butter for a dairy-free alternative in mashed potatoes.
Oat milk's steaming capabilities are similar to dairy milk's. There's a slight learning curve for the barista using it, but in general it performs incredibly well for latte art. It has another benefit too: it won't curdle when added cold to a hot drink.
Sour cream or full fat yogurt can be substituted 1:1 for whole milk. Use this substitute in baking quick breads or for adding creaminess to pan sauces. Sour cream works especially well in recipes calling for buttermilk, too and vanilla-flavored yogurt can be used for sweet quick breads and cakes.
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