These Vegan Mashed Potatoes are luscious, creamy, and rich--but without any butter or oil! The flavor comes from the nutritional yeast and powdered vegetable broth. Perfect for a holiday meal or any night of the week, these low-fat and healthy mashed potatoes are sure to please.
When I was a kid my favorite food was mashed potatoes. I loved the buttery, rich flavor and the comforting starchiness of the potatoes. But as I grew up and my palate expanded, I forgot about my childhood favorite. It wasn’t until I had kids of my own—and I was frantically trying to come up with meal ideas that they’d not only be willing to try but be excited to eat—that I turned back to my roots.
When I was first experimenting with vegan cooking, I figured mashed potatoes would easy enough to
Jump to:
You'll love these Vegan Mashed Potatoes because they're:
- Creamy & Delicious
- Hearty & Satisfying
- Fully Vegan
- WFPB (Whole Foods Plant Based)
- Dairy-Free
- Made without Butter or Oil
- A Quick & Easy Vegan Side Dish
- Kid-Friendly
- Allergy-Friendly
Can I make Mashed Potatoes without Butter?
I was convinced I couldn’t possibly recreate REAL mashed potatoes without the rich, creamy, and flavorsome addition of gratuitous amounts of congealed fat butter. I resigned myself to a life without. S
But then--lightbulb!--I thought, what if I could replace the butter with the right flavors and add extra plant milk to maintain creaminess? Would such a thing even be possible? In fact, it is possible. And thus, this recipe for Healthy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Without Butter) was born.
And as if they don't taste delicious enough, you can bet that by skipping the oil and butter you're cutting down on fat and calories. Add in the flavor, take away the fat. That's the kind of math I like. Why would you ever want to go back to butter?
What is nutritional yeast?
- Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that has a cheesy, buttery flavor that is the holy grail of vegan cheeses, sauces, and creamy dishes.
- You can usually find it in the health-food section of your grocery store. Or order *Nutritional Yeast online right here.
- For more info check out my post on Essential Vegan Pantry Staples or this collection of Nutritional Yeast Recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- ¾ cup plant milk of choice (I use soy milk) (plus ¼ extra if needed)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp powdered vegetable broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chopped dill and/or other herbs (optional)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
The process for making these mashed potatoes is just the same as most mashed potatoes recipes.
- First, wash and clean your potatoes. I like to keep the skins on, but you can peel them if you like.
- Next, you cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes, add to a pot with (salted) cold water, and boil until fork tender.
- After the potatoes are fully cooked, drain, rinse, and return to the pot.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and mash with a potato masher or hand mixer.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to serve Vegan Mashed Potatoes
These No Butter Mashed Potatoes are so fluffy, so flavorful, and yes, dare I say it--even buttery! They pair great with tofu nuggets, maple balsamic brussels sprouts, and will wow the crowd at your next holiday feast. Vegan Mashed Potatoes also make the perfect topping for a Lentil Shepherd's Pie.
Can I make it ahead?
- You can make Vegan Mashed Potatoes ahead of time. Store in a refrigerator and reheat in a skillet with a little extra soy milk, stirring to keep the potatoes from sticking or getting dried out.
- If you are prepping for a big holiday meal, you can peel and cut the potatoes and place them in a covered pot of water for several hours before cooking them.
How to store & reheat leftovers
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet with a splash of extra soy milk to keep the potatoes from drying out.
- Stir a few times during reheating for even cooking. (If you're using a microwave stop the cooking and take them out to stir.)
You might also love
- Lentil Shepherd's Pie
- No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites
- Tempeh Bacon Sandwich
- Super Simple Tofu Nuggets
- Creamy Vegan Potato Salad
📖 Recipe
Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Without Butter or Oil)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- ¾ cup plant milk of choice (I use soy milk) (plus ¼ extra)
Spices
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon powdered vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill and/or other herbs
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and scrub off any eyes or bad spots. Depending on your preference you can either peel the potatoes or leave the skins on.
- Dice potatoes into cubes 1 inch cubes. Place potatoes medium sized pot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes with 1 inch of cold water.
- Bring to a boil for roughly 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain in a colander and let the potatoes steam for a few minutes. While the potatoes are steaming, add plant milk and and all of the other ingredients to the warm pot. (Turn the heat off, but keep the pot on the warm burner for the rest of the preparation so that the mashed potatoes don't get cold.)
- Return potatoes to the pot. Stir to combine with warmed liquid and seasonings.
- Mash with a potato masher or hand mixer until you reach your desired creaminess. (I like mine extra creamy but some people prefer chunky. You do you!).
- If the potatoes seem too dry, add more plant milk, a little at a time. If the there is too much liquid, cook the mash over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve!
Notes
- If you prefer to use liquid vegetable broth, simply reduce plant milk by half, and add ½ cup liquid broth instead of powdered broth.
- Unlike cooking pasta (where you boil the water first), when cooking potatoes, you want to start with cold water and bring everything to a boil at the same time.
Nutrition
Want access to my Exclusive Meal Planning Tips & Printables page?
Sue Che
Best ever oilfree mash. Very delicious
Julianne Lynch
Wow! Thanks and I'm so glad you liked the recipe!!
Jason p
We really enjoyed this. I used half as much nooch but it was 👍
Julianne Lynch
Great! I'm so glad you liked it!
Ava Gardner
Good recipes. I used nutmeg, skipped nutritional yeast.
Thanks
Julianne Lynch
So glad you liked it!
Sheree
What's with the yeast?
Julianne Lynch
Nutritional yeast is something you'll find in many vegan recipes. It has a light, cheesy flavor. It's not the same as active yeast that you would use to make bread. YOu can read more about it here: https://nosweatvegan.com/nutritional-yeast-recipes-vegan/
Linda Schmeeckle
Excellent recipe. We absolutely loved it. Thank you!
Julianne Lynch
Great!! I'm so glad you liked it!