Even though I love trying out new recipes during the holidays, my family always requests (read: demands) that I make this one dish every single year: vegan mashed potatoes.
And it’s hard to blame them. After years of testing and retesting, these miso garlic butter vegan mashed potatoes are both richly indulgent and fluffy and light, and every bit as good as their dairy-rich non-vegan counterparts.
They’re even better when served with rich, savory vegan gravy as part of your vegan Thanksgiving menu.
Make them once, and your family, too, will never stop asking for them.
Tested, Re-tested, and Improved!
A handful of you said your mashed potatoes were perfect fresh… then turned soupy upon reheating.
So, I re-tested the recipe half a dozen times until I figured out the issue: if you over-stir the mashed potatoes, they’ll get soupy when they’re reheated.
The fix: I now recommend seasoning upfront, with more salt in the cooking water and a bit of salt and pepper in the miso butter mixture. The potatoes need little to no seasoning at the end, so folding is minimized.
Six secrets to making amazing vegan mashed potatoes
I’ve been making vegan mashed potatoes for over ten years and these are my six secrets to keep your guests coming back for more.
1. Use two kinds of potatoes.
Russets are high-starch potatoes which yield fluffy potatoes, but they have very little flavor. Yukon Gold Potatoes have a creamier texture and less starch but great potato flavor.
Use a 2:1 ratio of Russets to Yukon golds for the best of all worlds: fluffy, creamy, and richly-flavored potatoes.
If you don’t have these potato varieties, check the FAQ for alternatives.
2. Dry the potatoes well
If you mash potatoes while still wet, you get watery, soggy, sad mashed potatoes.
So after you cook and drain the potatoes, return them to their pot over low heat for a few minutes to cook off excess moisture.
3. Use “lite” coconut milk
Picking the right plant-based milk is important, and in my many tests, canned lite coconut milk was the winner. It makes the potatoes creamy without weighing them down, and it doesn’t impart a coconut flavor.
Allergic? See the FAQs for alternatives.
4. Great mashed potatoes need a hit of umami
Vegan mashed potatoes need a little oomph to rival the classic, and you get fantastic results using whole roasted garlic mashed with vegan butter and umami-packed miso.
The miso—a fermented soybean paste—truly makes these special, adding a rich savory depth of flavor that no one (omnivores included) can resist!
5. Season generously (from the beginning!)
Potatoes are dense nuggets and need a generous amount of salt in order to be properly seasoned. If you season early in the recipe, you’ll minimize the amount of stirring you need to do later, which will keep the potatoes light and fluffy upon reheating.
6. Mash gently
Use a potato masher or a ricer like this. Please never use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender, or you will have gluey potato soup.
When you’re adding the miso butter milk into the potatoes, make sure (1) the milk mixture is warm (otherwise it will cool down the potatoes, making it harder to incorporate) and (2) use a gentle folding motion and stir until just combined.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Roast the garlic: Slice off the top of the garlic head, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly in foil. Roast in the oven at 400ºF/200ºC for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cloves are soft and golden.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes, then wash them. Cut into fourths or eighths, depending on their size.
Add the potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
Add 2 TBSP kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft and almost fall apart when pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes, then return to the pan over low heat for a few minutes to dry out.
Make them miso-garlic butter: Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves into a bowl. Mash the garlic together with the softened butter and miso into a paste.
Add the miso-garlic butter to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once almost melted, pour in the lite coconut milk plus salt/pepper and whisk well. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
While the potatoes are still warm, mash them with a potato masher (or ricer).
Pour in 1/3 of the miso butter-garlic-milk mixture. Fold gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon just until the liquid has been absorbed.
Repeat with another 1/3 of the liquid mixture.
Repeat with the remaining liquid and gently fold until just combined. Don’t overmix!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make these up to 4 days ahead of time. Refrigerate them in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat, you can add them to a microwave-safe dish and heat in 1-minute intervals. Or you can reheat them over low or medium-low in a saucepan, but try not to stir too often.
For extra indulgence, add a few pats of vegan butter during the last 30 seconds of reheating, then stir the melted butter in to combine. Garnish with fresh chopped chives (or parsley).
Sure! This recipe comfortably serves 8 people as side. But if you’re feeding a larger crowd, it’s very easy to double the recipe.
Yukon Gold substitute: Use a yellow-fleshed, medium-starch potato with a buttery flavor. In the U.K, this might be a Vivaldi or Rooster. In Australia, Nicola or Dutch Cream.
Russet substitute: use a high-starch potato (floury and dry). In the U.K., look for King Edward potatoes (or Maris Piper). In Australia, try Sebago or Coliban.
If you can’t find it, you can make your own lite coconut milk using full-fat coconut milk. (1) Shake the can very well (or empty it into a bowl and whisk) until the thick cream and thin liquid are fully blended. (2) Then whisk ⅔ cup (160 ml) of the coconut milk with 1 cup (240 ml) water. That’s it!
Allergic to coconut? Full-fat oat milk was the best substitute in our tests.
Watch the YouTube video!
Note: This is an older video but many of the techniques remain the same 🙂
If you and your family love these vegan mashed potatoes, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments. Leaving reviews and ratings helps more than you know, so thank you so much 🫶🏽
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 large whole head of garlic (or 2 small heads)
- Olive oil for roasting garlic
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 1 for other salts)
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup “lite” or reduced-fat coconut milk (See Note 2)
- 1 stick (8 TBSP) vegan butter (See Note 3)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste (See Note 4)
For serving (optional)
- Vegan butter, melted
- 1 small handful Fresh chives (or flat-leaf parsley), chopped
Instructions
- Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Remove the outer papery layers of the garlic head and then slice off a thin layer off the top to expose the skin of the cloves. Rub the exposed cloves with a few drizzles of olive oil. Wrap in foil and then place directly on an oven rack.Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and lightly golden. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork.
- While the garlic roasts, take the vegan butter and miso out of the fridge to soften.
- Peel the potatoes, then rinse them in cold water. Chop smaller potatoes into fourths and larger ones into eighths, or, so they’re roughly equal in size.
- Cook the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add enough cold water to cover. Stir in 2 tablespoons (21g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 1 for other salt types).Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer until potatoes are very soft and yield no resistance when poked with a fork and almost start to fall apart, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Dry the potatoes: Drain the potatoes, then return to their saucepan. Over low, heat for a few minutes, tossing the potatoes around to prevent sticking (don’t skip, as this removes any remaining moisture in the potatoes).
- While the potatoes cook, prep the miso-garlic butter: to a bowl, add the softened butter, miso, and mashed roasted garlic. Using a fork, cream together until well combined.
- When the potatoes are done cooking, add the miso-garlic butter to a small saucepan. Turn to med-low heat. Once almost melted, pour in the lite coconut milk, 15 to 20 twists of black pepper, and ½ tsp (1.8g) kosher salt (see Note 1 for other salt types). Whisk well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edges and just breaking the surface). Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.
- Mash the potatoes: While still warm, add the potatoes to a large bowl and mash using a potato masher, or push them through a ricer (do NOT use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender—this makes potatoes gluey and gummy).Add about ⅓ of the warm miso milk mixture, then gently fold with a silicone spatula (or wooden spoon) just a few times or until the liquid is absorbed.Repeat with the next ⅓ batch of milk and fold just a few times. Finish with the final ⅓ milk, folding until just combined. TIP: Be gentle, as overmixing can make potatoes watery.
- The potatoes should be well-seasoned at this point, but if needed, gently fold in a bit more salt or pepper as desired.
- Serve warm. If desired, drizzle a little melted vegan butter on top of the potatoes right before serving and garnish with chopped chives.
Video
Notes
General Note: These instructions were updated in October 2026 to address some concerns about the potatoes turning soupy after refrigeration and resting. We’ve tested this multiple times since then and determined that the cause is too much stirring. If you over-fold the mashed potatoes, it loosens their starches, causing them to get soupy when reheated.
Accordingly, this recipe has been updated to season the potatoes well before mashing to minimize the stirring needed. Note 1: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using other salts, use the same weight of salt in grams, or see conversions below.- Fine sea salt, use a bit more than half: for step 4, use 1 TBSP + a scant ½ tsp; for step 6, use a heaping ¼ tsp.
- Morton’s kosher salt: for step 4, use 1 TBSP + 1 tsp; for step 6, use a heaping ¼ tsp.
- Table salt, use half the salt: for step 4, use 1 TBSP; for step 6, use ¼ tsp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!If you love these creamy yet fluffy Vegan Mashed Potatoes, please rate and review the recipe below. It’s always so very appreciated 🙂
I’m planning on making these to put on a shepherds pie. Do you think they will hold up okay in the oven, or will they get watery? Is there anything I should do differently when making them?
Thank you!
Hi Kiera, that sounds like a delicious idea, but we want to make sure your Shepherd’s Pie stays sturdy and fluffy!
Because this recipe contains miso, we actually don’t recommend mixing it directly into the potatoes before baking them on a Shepherd’s Pie. Miso contains natural enzymes that break down potato starches. When they sit or are reheated in the oven, this can cause the topping to lose its structure and become watery or “soupy.”
If you’d like to keep that amazing flavor profile without the watery risk, here is what we suggest: Make your mashed potatoes for the pie using this recipe minus the miso. Once the Shepherd’s Pie is out of the oven and ready to serve, mash some room-temperature miso into a tablespoon or two of vegan butter. Dollop or swirl this mixture into the potatoes on each individual plate for that signature flavor boost!
I tried this recipe for thanksgiving, following the recipe to the letter, and my potatoes turned into soup. The flavor was great, but it was ugly. ^_^’
Hi Kathryn, sorry to hear you had this experience, they definitely shouldn’t have turned out soupy! Did you mash them using an electric tool like an electric handheld mixer, immersion blender, stand blender or food processor by any chance? We only recommend you mash them using a potato masher or ricer, or they can turn out soupy.
I made these for thanksgiving. They are absolutely INCREDIBLE.
I omitted the miso, and I made my own vegan butter (coconut oil and soy milk based).
Sooo far beyond what I thought was possible for vegan mashed potatoes.
Wow, what a lovely comment! Thank you, Gretchen!
Also – wanted to note that I have since had one portion of leftovers, and I had no issues reheating. I made them in the instant pot (saute, not pressure cook)
I have an electric steamer and I shoveled all my left overs (stuffing, butternut mash, mashed potatoes, gravy) into a glass container and then into the steamer for 15 minutes. Perfect.
Yum! Delicious mashed potatoes.
Hi Aileen, thank you so much for your kind review!
Loved the flavor and the texture literally right after making. 3 hours later I had potato soup. Still yummy but not mashed potatoes.
Hi Mitzi, sorry to hear the texture changed for the worse in your case!
In the future, I would recommend if you need to make these ahead of time to either (a) omit the miso; and for a flavor boost, when serving, mash room temperature miso into a tablespoon or two of room temp vegan butter, then fold this mixture into your warmed up mashed potatoes; (b) use all Russet potatoes (these are starchiest and while they lack the same flavor as Yukon golds, they tend to produce the fluffiest, least liquidy mashed potatoes).
Really excellent mashed potatoes! I learned SO MUCH of the science of potatoes, different types and their makeup during this recipe.
I tripled the recipe, used a pressure cooker and dried them out overnight so they had a great dry consistency when mashed however I needed to crockpot them to them to bring them Thanksgiving… And then they did get sloppier. (But you could see it happening so I really appreciated the author’s attention to detailed notes here). They weren’t bad, just soupy, which I’m sure wouldn’t have happened if I served them right away.
The flavour was quite good. I let my hubby try them first and he swore there was butter in them! Others at the dinner also were thrown off, asking if chicken stock was in them! However my astute kiddoes and their cousins could taste the coconut milk (I could too) which they did not like).
I will definitely pass this recipe on to my vegan family and friends. 🙂
We appreciate the detailed feedback, L! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, we’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
These were surprisingly good! Great texture and flavor!
I’m eliminating dairy from my daughter’s diet, and since she’s a big mashed potato fan, I needed to find a recipe that had dairy alternatives. I’ve become a bit of a mashed potato pro, but I’d never made a dairy-free or vegan version before and was honestly a little worried they’d taste “off.”
First of all, my end result was not watery or soupy in the slightest. I genuinely believe the folks who ended up with watery potatoes either overcooked them or didn’t let them dry properly. That step really matters and was something I did with classic mashed potatoes that have regular dairy, so I don’t think this has anything to do with them being vegan even in the slightest…
I skipped the roasted garlic (I forgot to grab a head) and used a little garlic powder instead. I also weighed the potatoes since it was my first time and i was nervous about measurements and weighed exactly 1 pound of gold potatoes and 2 pounds of russets. I didn’t time the cooking exactly, but it was definitely 20 minutes or less and sometimes at barely a simmer. I’m pretty confident in knowing when potatoes are cooked just enough to mash smoothly, but not so long that they get waterlogged. Keep checking with a fork until they are JUSTTTTT falling apart.
The only tweak I’d make next time is cutting the miso in half (or maybe even more). That was the only flavor that stood out a bit too much and threw my daughter off. I tried them as-is first and thought they were good, but then I stirred in some Kite Hill vegan sour cream, and that hit the nostalgic note we’re used to, since we normally make Ina Garten’s Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes. The Kite Hill sour cream is really good.
I used Earth Balance vegan butter (from the tub) and Goya canned light coconut milk, making sure to shake the can well before using.
All in all, these were surprisingly good. These were not just good, they were even better the next day. I’ll absolutely be making them again and am very excited to show off my skills with a good friend who’s fully vegan sometime soon!
Hi Hillary, thank you so much for the thoughtful and thorough review! I’m sure many others in the future will benefit from it. We’re so happy the mashed potatoes surpassed any expectations you had and are now in your recipe rotation. Thanks again 🙂
The best mashed potatoes I ever had. Great taste
Awesome, Cheryl. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Yikes! The longer my mashed potatoes sat, the wetter they became. We made them on Christmas Eve for Christmas dinner and now they are the consistency of soup! I’m wondering if we boil some more russets, mash them and add them to the mixture tomorrow, if we can save them? The flavor is amazing!
Hi Laura, thanks for reaching out.
Nisha tested this recipe again to see if she could figure out what happened. She tested three batches: one default recipe as written, one batch without the miso to see if the miso was the culprit, and one with miso but without roasted garlic to see if the roasted garlic was possibly the culprit.
After 24 hours, she removed all three batches from the refrigerator and the texture was fairly similar. Once she reheated them (she used the microwave), the batches with the miso were less fluffy and more runny, but not soupy. The batch without the miso was still fluffy (but much less flavorful).
So we suspect that the miso does affect the texture of the potatoes after resting. But for Nisha and her partner, the texture after reheating was not soupy. It just not as fluffy as day 1 and a bit runnier.
In the future, I would recommend if you need to make these ahead of time to either (a) omit the miso; and for a flavor boost, on the day of serving, mash room temperature miso into a tablespoon or two of room temp vegan butter, then fold this mixture into your warmed up mashed potatoes; (b) use all Russet potatoes (these are starchiest and while they lack the same flavor as Yukon golds, they tend to produce the fluffiest, least liquidy mashed potatoes).
Sorry again to hear your mashed potatoes became liquidy, we hope these tips help for next time!
Can I reheat the mashed potatoes in the oven instead of the microwave
Sure, Paulette. Here’s what we’d do:
Remove the mashed ptoaotes from the fridge to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven in the meantime to 350ºF.
Add the mashed potatoes to an oven-safe dish, spread out, and top with a tablespoon or two of vegan butter, sliced into pats. Cover the pan. Heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through. Stir in the melted butter.
The flavor was amazing, but I made them several hours before we ate and at first the consistency was perfect, but by time we ate, they were very soupy rather than fluffy… help!
Did you weigh the potatoes before or after peeling them? That will make a difference in the weight of the potatoes, messing with the ratios. I’ve made this recipe countless times and haven’t had any problems.
Hi Kate, Nisha responded to a similar comment last year:
“I tested this recipe this week to see if I could figure out what happened. I tested three batches: one default recipe as written, one batch without the miso to see if the miso was the culprit, and one with miso but without roasted garlic to see if the roasted garlic was possibly the culprit.
After 24 hours, I removed all three batches from the refrigerator and the texture was fairly similar. Once I reheated them (I used the microwave), the batches with the miso were less fluffy and more runny, but not soupy and certainly not like mashed potato soup. The batch without the miso was still fluffy (but I will say, much less flavorful).
So I suspect that the miso does affect the texture of the potatoes after resting. But for me and my partner, the texture after reheating was not soupy. It just not as fluffy as day 1 and a bit runnier.
In the future, I would recommend if you need to make these ahead of time to either (a) omit the miso; and for a flavor boost, on the day of serving, mash room temperature miso into a tablespoon or two of room temp vegan butter, then fold this mixture into your warmed up mashed potatoes; (b) use all Russet potatoes (these are starchiest and while they lack the same flavor as Yukon golds, they tend to produce the fluffiest, least liquidy mashed potatoes).”
Made these for a friendsgiving and everyone loved them!!!!! The miso really takes them to the next level!!! Will definitely be making this again!! Thank you for a tasty, easy recipe!!
That’s awesome to hear, Avi. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I agree with some previous comments. This recipe results in more of a potato soup than fluffy mashed potatoes. The flavors are good, but I strongly urge people to not follow the recipe and only add liquid until your mash is the texture you like.
Hey Nisha! Second time making this and we love it. Will definitely make it for family gatherings. I made double miso butter for reheating leftovers, can I freeze the miso butter?
Hi Jessica, so cool to hear the mashed potatoes are a family hit! Yes, you can freeze the butter. Just wrap the miso butter in parchment paper or plastic wrap, then store in a freezer bag for a few months. Thaw before using and whisk again. Cheers!
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say excellent blog!
Hi there, sorry about that! Thank you for the lovely compliment though 🙂
These are the best! I’m so happy to have finally found a recipe that is easy and delicious. Mashed potatoes are always a craving of mine and they have yet to make any instant or frozen vegan versions. I am curious can the same incredients/measurements be ud to make mashed sweet potatoes too?
Hi Jen, the measurements should be roughly the same and you may want to use a bit less salt (but most of the salt is to taste in this recipe, so that’s fine).
The miso might be a little strong for sweet potato flavors. It will likely be delicious, but perhaps not exactly what you’re expecting with a sweet potato flavor profile.
We have a sweet potato mash used in our brown butter sweet potato casserole, so you could also look to that recipe for measurements and quantities.
I am an omni eater with a vegan partner and we made this for the holidays! I have used another vegan recipe for mashed potatoes before that were not very creamy at all. This was really excellent and did not taste like coconut or “vegan” at all! Highly recommend & will use again!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Amy!
When I made this dish, it was superb and would have gotten rave reviews had I been able to serve it immediately. Hearty, yet light, just enough “fluffiness”, with rich, umami-infused potato flavor. Perfect. But I made it a day before Thanksgiving and kept it in the fridge until ready to serve. When I took it out the next day, I found that the dish had liquified. It was no longer mashed potatoes, it was mashed potato soup. Why? I am speculating that the miso somehow changed the texture of the potatoes, maybe some kind of continued mild fermentation? Anyway, be forewarned – this is not a make-ahead recipe.
Hi John, thanks for reaching out. I tested this recipe this week to see if I could figure out what happened. I tested three batches: one default recipe as written, one batch without the miso to see if the miso was the culprit, and one with miso but without roasted garlic to see if the roasted garlic was possibly the culprit.
After 24 hours, I removed all three batches from the refrigerator and the texture was fairly similar. Once I reheated them (I used the microwave), the batches with the miso were less fluffy and more runny, but not soupy and certainly not like mashed potato soup. The batch without the miso was still fluffy (but I will say, much less flavorful).
So I suspect that the miso does affect the texture of the potatoes after resting. But for me and my partner, the texture after reheating was not soupy. It just not as fluffy as day 1 and a bit runnier.
In the future, I would recommend if you need to make these ahead of time to either (a) omit the miso; and for a flavor boost, on the day of serving, mash room temperature miso into a tablespoon or two of room temp vegan butter, then fold this mixture into your warmed up mashed potatoes; (b) use all Russet potatoes (these are starchiest and while they lack the same flavor as Yukon golds, they tend to produce the fluffiest, least liquidy mashed potatoes).
This happened to us too. They were amazing right when they were made but unfortunately 3 hours later they were runny which took away from their flavor. I only used two Yukon potatoes total and doubled the recipe. I kept the weight of the potatoes the same overall. Next time I will try all russet potatoes, keep the miso out until right before serving, mash right before serving, and add less oat milk. I will definitely try the recipe again as they were delicious at first.
Hi Breanna, sorry to hear you didn’t have great luck with the recipe. We hope you get it just right next time!
I made this recipe tonight for Friendsgiving and it was a huge hit! Definitely the tastiest mashed potatoes I’ve ever made and I’m sharing your recipe with my friends 🙂
We’re so happy you loved it, Zachary! Thanks for sharing 🙂
These potatoes nailed my thanksgiving meal, everyone loved them. I doubled the recipe and was so happy I did because leftovers were almost fought over, I’m kidding but negotiations were in progress. The best part was no one ever realized they were vegan. Thanks for your amazing hard work
That’s so awesome to hear, Nelly. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review! 🙂