These perfectly creamy dairy free mashed potatoes are made without butter thanks to a secret ingredient! Rich, fluffy and filled with flavor, they are the best easy side dish for the holidays or a regular cozy dinner. Gluten free and vegan.

Mashed potatoes are an ESSENTIAL part of any holiday table. Am I right or am I right?

Buttttt there’s also that small fact that they tend to be loaded up with gobs of butter and plenty of heavy cream. Which, um, is not a good thing when you can’t eat any dairy.

So, after much trial and error, today I bring you the BEST creamy, dreamy, dairy free mashed potatoes. That don’t involve any sort of butter substitute. 

Now, hear me out. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with butter substitutes. BUT I’ve found that some of them can leave a sort of weird flavor or aftertaste in the mashed potatoes. 

Which we definitely don’t want. No. No. No. So, you may be asking… 

What IS a good substitute for butter in mashed potatoes?

Extra virgin olive oil. It’s adds a rich, buttery flavor to the potatoes … without any actual butter. And it helps to give them that perfectly creamy, fluffy texture thanks to the healthy fats involved. 

And when you combine that richness from the olive oil along with some extra creaminess from unsweetened plain almond milk, you wind up with some seriously delicious mashed taters.

Which are just begging to be added to your Thanksgiving menu ASAP.

How To Make Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes

So, let’s talk about how these easy potatoes go down:

Boil the potatoes. First up, we’ll slice our potatoes and cook them in a large stockpot until nice and tender. 

Add in the mix-ins. We’ll drain the potatoes, set the pot back over the warm burner and then add in some olive oil, almond milk, salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Mash, mash, mash. Next, we’ll mash away until smooth and creamy, pouring in additional almond milk as needed to reach that perfect consistency. 

Adjust the seasonings. Last but certainly not least, we’ll add in additional salt and pepper as needed to really make the flavors pop.

Tips & Tricks

1. You can absolutely peel your potatoes – I just prefer the added texture from the skins and all the extra nutrients.
2. While I HIGHLY recommend sticking with yukon gold potatoes as they make for the creamiest final product, you could substitute russet potatoes instead. Just keep in mind there will be a difference in texture.
3. Want to kick up the flavor even more? Fold some extra sliced chives into the potato base instead of just using them over the top.
4. And finally, feel free to garnish your potatoes as desired. My mom always serves her mashed potatoes with a good dash of paprika – also delicious! 

How To Store

Let the potatoes cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge for about 4 days. 

When reheating, I suggest adding in a good splash or so of extra almond milk and / or olive oil, as the potatoes tend to dry out a bit as they sit in the fridge.

So stir in as much as needed to get them back to your desired creaminess / texture. 

You can reheat them in the microwave OR in the oven. I suggest about 325 to 350ºF in a covered dish for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

Additional Dairy Free Sides You Might Enjoy:

• Dairy Free Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Dairy Free Sweet Potato Casserole
• Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
• Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Dairy Free Biscuits
• Maple Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Maple Roasted Vegetables

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.