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Creamy and buttery Vegan Mashed Potatoes made with roasted garlic, cashew cream, and nutritional yeast. Top them with the homemade garlic miso compound butter for an out-of-this-world side dish! Vegan and Gluten-Free.
Just when you think a classic side dish can’t get any better, this Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe walks into your life. Fluffy mashed potatoes are infused with the mouthwatering richness of roasted garlic and served with homemade garlic miso compound butter on top. With pure umami bliss in every bite, these potatoes are a must-have on your everyday and holiday dinner menus!
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An Unbeatable Side Dish for Any Occasion
It’s hard to claim a mashed potato recipe as being the best, but my version is pretty darn close. All it took were a ton of recipe tests and a handful of unbeatable flavor boosters!
One bite of these Vegan Mashed Potatoes and you’ll never not want to make this version. Perfectly mashed potatoes are combined with roasted garlic, made extra creamy with cashew cream, and finished with a knob of homemade miso compound butter on top. You can make them on either the stovetop or the instant pot – they’re incredibly rich and buttery, as mashed potatoes should be – and made extra tasty thanks to the boost of umami.
These fluffy mashed potatoes are so similar to the original recipe that no one at the dinner table will be able to tell the difference. Even if there are a few skeptics, just cover the potatoes in this Mushroom Gravy! They won’t be able to resist the buttery, umami goodness.
Ingredients for Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This recipe has three key elements: roasted garlic, compound butter, and potatoes. Together, they form the perfect side dish! These are the key ingredients you need:
- Garlic: once you try roasted garlic, you’ll never go back to the raw or powdered stuff. The roasted cloves are soft and 10 times as savory, giving the mashed potatoes elevated mouthwatering flavors.
- Vegan Butter: you need unsalted butter for the vegan compound butter and salted butter for the potatoes. It’s okay if you only have unsalted or salted butter and not both—you’ll just need to taste and adjust the flavors of the compound butter and potatoes as you go.
- Miso Paste: use white or yellow miso paste. Any leftover miso can be used in salad dressings, soups, pasta dishes, and so much more.
- Potatoes: the secret to seriously amazing mashed potatoes comes down to the type of potatoes. I used a 1-1 blend of Russet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes to achieve the perfect balance of creamy and fluffy textures and rich and buttery flavors. Go ahead and use all Russet’s or all Yukon Gold’s if you don’t want to use both.
- Cashews: raw cashews are blended with water to make a luxurious cashew cream. You can swap this with store-bought or homemade cashew milk or vegan heavy cream if you prefer a lighter consistency.
- Seasonings: nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper bring a hint of cheesiness and balance to the potatoes.
How to Make Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Roast the garlic in the oven. Set it aside to cool, then squeeze the cloves onto a plate or cutting board. Mash them into a paste, then set aside.
- Mash the butter, miso, and half of the roasted garlic paste together to make the compound butter. Transfer it to a piece of parchment paper, form it into a log, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water or in a pressure cooker until fork tender.
- While you wait, blend the cashews and water until you have a smooth cashew cream.
- Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot, and set aside to allow the excess water to evaporate. Add the butter, cashew cream, remaining garlic paste, salt, and nutritional yeast to the pot and mash everything together with a potato masher. Mix with a spatula until the potatoes are fluffy. Adjust the seasoning and consistency, as needed.
- Serve the mashed potatoes with chives and pats of compound butter on top. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- To peel or not to peel: I like silky smooth mashed potatoes, so I always peel my potatoes before cooking. If you prefer a bit of texture, I recommend peeling the Russet potatoes (as their skins are thicker) and leaving the Yukon Gold potato skins intact (they’re more tender). This way, you get the best of both worlds—a smooth mash with bits of tender skin.
- For perfectly boiled potatoes: Once the potatoes are in the pot, cover them in cold water before heating it to a boil. This will give you more evenly cooked potatoes compared to if you added them to a pot of already boiling water.
- Avoid overmixing the mashed potatoes: Overworking the mashed potatoes will make them gluey, which is not what we want! Use a potato masher, then a spatula to very gently combine the potatoes with the cream, butter, and seasonings until the consistency is to your liking.
- Warm the cream/milk before combining it with the potatoes: By gently warming the cashew cream or milk for about 30 seconds in the microwave, your potatoes will remain hot and smooth. This is especially important if you plan on serving them fresh off the stove.
Serving Suggestions
Whether it’s a regular weeknight family dinner or an extravagant holiday celebration, these dairy-free mashed potatoes will always be a popular side dish. I like to pair them with comforting main dishes for weeknight meals, like this Lentil Loaf, this Cozy Vegan Stew, and this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie.
It’s clear that a generous scoop of mashed potatoes would also perfectly complement this Tofu Turkey, these Portobello Mushroom Steaks, and this Classic Vegan Stuffing at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Just don’t forget a generous drizzle of this Mushroom Gravy or this Tahini Gravy on top of everything. After all, no holiday plate is complete without being almost completely covered in gravy.
If you’re looking for more classic side dishes made vegan, you’ll also love this Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, this No-Boil Vegan Mac & Cheese, and this Healthy Green Bean Casserole!
How to Store Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Allow the leftover mashed potatoes to cool before transferring them to an airtight container. They’ll stay creamy and fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Allow the leftovers to thaw before reheating and serving.
The leftover compound butter can be refrigerated for up to 10 days as well. Wrap the log in the parchment paper or plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
To reheat, warm the mashed potatoes for 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave or in a saucepan until they’re heated through. You may need to add a splash of milk or water to make them creamy again.
Recipe FAQs
No, you can substitute the roasted garlic with fresh garlic if you’re short on time. Use one minced or finely grated clove in the compound butter and 2 to 3 minced cloves in the mashed potatoes.
Yes, the potatoes can be made 1 day before serving, but I find that they’re best served fresh. You can also roast the garlic and make the compound butter up to 3 days in advance.
Something fatty and creamy, like cashew cream, is best for mashed potatoes; however, if you prefer something lighter, vegan heavy cream, cashew milk, almond milk, and oat milk work well, too.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Vegan Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Miso Compound Butter
Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic:
- 1-2 heads garlic* see notes for substitutions
- Olive oil for drizzling
For the Compound Butter (Optional):
- 1 stick unsalted plant-based butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white or yellow miso paste
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 1 1/2 lbs. Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into 1-2” chunks
- 1 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and cut into 1-2” chunks, or sub with more Russet Potatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided; plus more to taste
- 6-7 cups water plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked* OR
- 3/4 cup cashew milk (or sub vegan heavy cream)
- 6 tablespoons plant-based butter I used salted
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
- Black pepper to taste
- Chives Mushroom Gravy, or Tahini Gravy, for serving (optional)
Instructions
For the Roasted Garlic & Compound Butter (Optional):
- Roast the Garlic: Preheat the oven to 415F. Slice the top portion of the head of garlic off to expose all of the cloves. Transfer the garlic to a cocotte or wrap in foil; drizzle the top of the garlic with oil, then cover and roast in the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Once the garlic has cooled to the touch, squeeze it onto a plate or cutting board and use a fork to mash into a paste; divide it in half and set aside. (Note: This step can be done up to three days in advance; just store the garlic in the fridge until ready to use)
- Compound Butter: Add the butter to a small bowl along with the miso and half of the roasted garlic paste. Use a fork to mash everything together until you get a relatively uniform texture. Use a spatula to transfer the butter to parchment paper, form into a log, then place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. This can also be made up to 3 days in advance.
For the Potatoes:
- Cook: In the meantime, place the potatoes in a large pot or the pot of a pressure cooker and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over them. Add cool water until there is about 1” of water above the potatoes.
- Stovetop: Bring the pot of potatoes to a rolling boil, uncovered, over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until a fork can pierce through the potatoes easily.
- Instant Pot: Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the potatoes sit for 5 minutes, then cover the pressure valve with a towel and quick release the pressure.
- Cashew Cream (Optional): While the potatoes cook, blend the cashews with 2/3 cup of water in a high-speed or bullet blender for 45 to 60 seconds to form a smooth and rich cashew cream. Set aside. (Note: skip this step if you are using cashew milk instead)
- Season: Drain the potatoes, then return to the pot off of the heat, letting them sit for a minute or two to allow any extra water to evaporate. Add the butter, cashew cream (or milk or heavy cream), remaining garlic paste, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and nutritional yeast (if using). Use a potato masher to mash everything together; once the potatoes have been softened to your liking, switch to a spatula and continue mixing the potatoes until everything is combined and the potatoes are fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the potatoes are too thick, thin them out with additional milk or water to your preferred consistency.
- Serve: Serve the potatoes with chopped chives and the compound butter, or as desired. Leftover potatoes will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Leftover compound butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Recipe Notes
- Roasted Garlic: Use 1 head of garlic for a mild garlic flavor in both the butter and mashed potatoes, or use 2 heads for an intense garlic flavor.
- No Roasted Garlic: Add 1 clove of minced or finely grated butter to the compound butter and 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic to the mashed potatoes in step 5.
- Peeled Potatoes: I prefer to peel my potatoes for a smooth consistency, but if you prefer some potato skins in your mashed potatoes I would recommend only peeling half of the potatoes before chopping and leaving the skin on the rest of them. I’d recommend leaving the skin on the Yukon potatoes (as it is more tender) and peeling the Russet Potatoes.
