Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

If you’re looking for the most delicious, creamy and crowd-pleasing Vegan Garlic Mashed Potato recipe, here it is!

If you know me, you know that I’m a huge potato fan. My roommates in university used to make fun of me (nicely, of course) for how much I loved potatoes. That love hasn’t waned at all, but I like to think I’ve gotten a little more creative than just popping a potato into the microwave for baked potatoes (although those are seriously delicious).

Naturally, because I love potatoes so much, one of the first dishes I set out to ‘veganize’ when making the transition to a vegan diet was mashed potatoes. Growing up, mashed potatoes were my absolute favorite dish at any holiday, and I simply couldn’t bear the thought of going without. Luckily for me, my family is so accommodating and always makes a huge effort to ‘veganize’ holiday dishes, including mashed potatoes, so I never feel left out. These Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes have become the new holiday staple, and there are definitely no complaints from my non-vegan family members.

Of course, you don’t only need to enjoy these Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes at holidays. They make the perfect pairing for pretty much any meal, and since they’re so simple to throw together but so delicious, they’ll make any ordinary weeknight meal feel extra special.

These Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes taste like little fluffy clouds of garlicky heaven. If you’re not a huge garlic fan, feel free to reduce the amount of garlic. Sometimes I even add a tablespoon of miso paste into these potatoes when mashing to give them a unique, umami-packed flavor. Either way, these vegan mashed potatoes are sure to be an absolute staple for your holiday or winter meals. If you’re looking for the perfect holiday pairing for these Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes, try them with my Maple Glazed Roasted Carrots and Brussel Sprouts and Tempeh Roast.

Are Potatoes ‘Healthy’?

If I have one pet-peeve, it might be how potatoes are demonized. This probably comes as no surprise, considering how much I just said I love potatoes. Potatoes are an incredible source of carbohydrates, which we need to feel energized. They’re also packed with fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and vitamin B-6.

Now, are these Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes the epitome of ‘nutritious’? Maybe not. But that has nothing to do with the potatoes, and more to do with the vegan butter and salt that we add. With that being said, that doesn’t mean that these mashed potatoes don’t deserve to be enjoyed. All foods can fit in a nutritious diet, and if you love vegan mashed potatoes, by all means, enjoy them. I know I will!

You can read more about why the All-or-Nothing Mindset around food can be dangerous, here.

Main Ingredients in these Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Yellow Potatoes: I’ve found that yellow potatoes work best in this recipe, but feel free to use whatever potatoes you like best and have on hand. Potatoes are an incredible source of fiber (which is so important to help us stay fuller for longer and gut health!), potassium, vitamin B-6, magnesium and vitamin C.

Vegan Butter: I consider vegan butter to be one of my vegan swap essentials. There are so many great brands of vegan butter these days, so it’s all about finding what works best for you!

Plant-Based Milk: It’s important to use neutral-tasting plant-based milk in this recipe. I tend to use unsweetened, unflavored oat milk or soy milk. Almond milk or cashew milk would also be great options. I would avoid coconut milk since it has a more distinct taste. Of course, make sure your plant-based milk is unsweetened!

Garlic: I use a blend of fresh and powdered garlic in these Vegan Mashed Potatoes to ensure good garlic flavor throughout.

Recipe Notes:

• I’ve chosen to keep the skin on these potatoes since that’s where most of the nutrition is (plus I love the texture!), but feel free to peel half or all of the potatoes if you’d prefer.
• If you don’t have any vegan butter on hand, you can increase the amount of plant-based milk and salt, but keep in mind they won’t be quite as creamy.
• When I’m looking for a unique spin on mashed potatoes, I love adding a tablespoon or two of miso paste to this recipe and reducing the salt by half. Feel free to try out this variation!
• The smaller you dice the potatoes, the quicker they’ll cook! I tend to dice my potatoes to about an inch or less so that they cook faster.