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’ve never been a mashed potatoes person, but considered giving these a try because I’ve enjoyed your other recipes. The miso butter addition is genius and I enjoyed it most when topped with something crunchy, like crispy shallots!
Great, Anisha! We are thrilled you love the mashed potatoes 🙂
These mashed potatoes turned out soo smooth and creamy! The coconut flavor is amazing and my entire family loved these.
Liv, So glad to hear everyone loved this recipe!
Guuuuurl! I’m deleting all my other mashed potato recipes – these are beyond amazing!!!! I didn’t use a ricer and I like my mashed potatoes on the rustic side with some chunks. The flavors and texture (creaminess) were so delicious. I also appreciate the extra tips for success! I had a lot of great things on my Thanksgiving plate but these were the star!!!
Awesome, Laura. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I’ve made these the past 3 thanksgivings & they are AMAZING!!!!!!! THANK YOUU!
Awesome, Emma. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Oh my goodness! I think these are the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made! I will send a pic tomorrow after I add the chives! Thank you.
Alecia, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
My daughter made them for her non-vegan in-laws and they loved them! Thank you for loving what you do!
Alecia, So glad to hear everyone loved this recipe! Cheers!
I just made these for the first time to bring to the Thanksgiving I am going to tomorrow, and I could not help but to eat several spoonfuls out of the bowl before putting it into the fridge. I am certain that dairy-eaters would not notice this recipe is vegan if nobody told them so. I ended up using about half of the garlic coconut milk miso mixture and am thinking about using it in a potato corn soup later this week. Thanks for another great recipe, Nisha!
Tasty, Steph! We’re thrilled you love the mashed potatoes, thanks for sharing!
When using a ricer peeling the potatoes is an unneeded use of prep time. Just clean, cut and cook the potatoes. When they are put through the ricer the skins will come right off in the device. Cooking in skins also limits the amount of water the potatoes absorb thus making the second cooking unnecessary.
Served these mashed potatoes for an early thanksgiving with my cousins and they were a huge hit. No one could believe they were dairy-free and at least five people asked for the recipe. Nisha, you’ve done it again!
We are so happy to hear that, Lindsay! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Whoops, forgot to add a rating!
Phenomenal! I did a test batch for a friendsgiving last week and everyone loved them. Will absolutely be making this again on the big day!
Awesome, Suzie. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I made these tonight following the recipe exactly. I loved all the tips and thorough explanations for each. The ricer made these mashed potatoes a beautifully smooth consistency. The methodology and the flavor of the recipe is great but I think there is too much coconut milk. It diluted the miso butter flavor and ended up being a bit too loose. Next time I make these I’ll go for 1/2 cup coconut milk and see how that works. I think it will amp up the roasted garlic miso butter flavor and result in a stiffer mash.
Hi Diana, feel free to substitute another unsweetened plant milk instead of coconut milk next time if you don’t like the flavor. Just err on the side of using less so the mashed potatoes don’t get too watery. Good luck!
Hi,
This recipe looks amazing! Can I make them day of, and keep them on warm in a crockpot? Thanks!
Great idea!
Hi Kathryn, thanks! Yes you definitely can!
Forgot to rate
Another 5 star recipe.I made this recipe exactly as written. I bought a ricer for this recipe. I could not tell these were vegan mashed potatoes. These are the best mashed potatoes I have ever made. Previously when making mashed potatoes, I would just add butter, milk and salt to boiled potatoes and use a potato masher (my diet is 75% vegan). The ricer def changed the texture for the better.
Glad the ricer helped, Moni. So happy the mashed potatoes turned out wonderfully!
These look amazing. I can’t wait to try them. Can the miso be substituted? I have a kid who is allergic to soy (which is a very common allergen).
From Nisha: “Hi Adriana, you can definitely omit it, but I’d try to boost the savory notes in another way. Perhaps a generous scoop of vegan sour cream or some vegan parmesan cheese?”
I am yet to find a RPL recipe that doesn’t impress everyone. I’ve made this several times, and most recently I tried using cashew milk instead of coconut milk because I had run out of it. So good! The roasted garlic is a great addition!
A little tip: boiling the potatoes with the skin on makes them easier to peel!
Hiyanthi, So glad to hear you love this recipes! Thanks for the awesome review!
Thoughts on using Miyoko Vegan Butter? This recipe looks divine! Thank you!
Hi Sadie, we love Miyoko’s butter… we definitely recommend!
Made this last year and they were the best vegan mashed potatoes I’d ever had! Will be making them again this thanksgiving!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Julia!
Made this with earth balance and I planned on using light coconut milk, but when I went to grab it, I realized I was out and so I used soy milk. I threw like half a bottle of dried chives in there. Good call, it was a great addition. Many nods up and these are the best comments. A little on the salty side for me, next time I’d use the unsalted version of butter sub. But very very tasty.
So delicious!!! My family didn’t even know it was vegan.
Hands down, these were the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made (vegan or non-vegan). Super simple and super delicious. The roasted garlic is a must, if you like/can eat garlic! I served these with your vegan Wellington recipe, along with the mushroom gravy. So so so good.