Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes in 20 Minutes

This easy vegan mashed potatoes recipe is going to change your comfort food game forever! Made with only 5 ingredients, these delicious mashed potatoes are loaded with yummy, garlicky flavor, yet they’re still healthy and easy to make in 20 minutes or less. Dairy free, gluten free, egg free, oil free, low fat; suitable for plant based, vegan, and vegetarian diets.

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As someone born and raised in Russia, I’ve always loved everything potato-related – cue in all of my vegan recipes with potatoes here on the blog. But when it comes to simplicity and wholesomeness, few recipes can compare to my easy vegan mashed potatoes.

I’ve been making this recipe for years now, but haven’t really thought about sharing it here on the blog. There’s a gazillion vegan mashed potato recipes already on the internet, so for a while I didn’t think that the world needed another one.

Yet out of all the recipes for mashed potatoes I’ve seen online, none come close to being as easy and quick to make as mine.

So, because I aim to share simple vegan recipes here on Vegan Runner Eats to make it easier for busy families to get dinner on the table quickly, I realized that I had to share my 20-minute vegan mashed potato recipe with the world.

What I love about these easy vegan mashed potatoes

• They are made with only 5 ingredients!
• It only takes 20 minutes (or less!) to go from thinking about mashed potatoes to having them on a plate in front of you!
• They are low in fat (no butter or oil), so they won’t leave you feeling like you’ve swallowed a brick – yay to room for dessert!
• They are loaded with delicious, garlicky flavor, yet don’t require a cooking detour of roasting garlic in advance for 45 minutes.
• The recipe uses a quick, fail-proof method to cook the potatoes that helps them retain more nutrients and become perfectly creamy when mashed (more on this below).
• These potatoes have been approved by both vegans and omnivores, including hardcore mashed potato lovers and picky eater kids.
• This recipe is perfect both for weeknight dinners and holiday feasts like St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.

Are you sold yet?!

Make sure to pin this recipe to avoid losing this gem on the interwebs!

Watch me make these mashed potatoes in this video on my Youtube channel:

What’s the best way to cook potatoes to make the perfect mashed potatoes?

Believe it or not, steaming potatoes works best! I find that it helps cooked potatoes develop a texture and density that’s perfect for mashing them easily and quickly. Plus, steaming cooks potatoes quicker than boiling – yay to saved time!

On top of that, steaming potatoes causes less nutrient loss than boiling. Boiling destroys up to 80% of vitamin C in potatoes, plus water-soluble nutrients like B vitamins, potassium and calcium may get washed out (source).

I understand that not everybody has a steamer in their kitchen, but the good news is, steamers are quite affordable!

I use a steamer similar to this one on Amazon. If you don’t want to get yet another cooking pot for your kitchen though, you can get a standard-sized steamer insert that’ll work just fine with a lid-covered pot you already have.

What type of potatoes works best for mashed potatoes?

I prefer using Russet potatoes when I make my vegan mashed potatoes because of their light, fluffy texture when steamed and mashed. Russet potatoes also cook quicker than other potato types.

A lot of mashed potato recipes suggest using yellow Yukon Gold potatoes because of their richer flavor. Those will work fine too, but I find that they take a bit longer to steam than Russets.

Plus, they may take a bit more effort to mash if you’re mashing them manually with a good ole’ potato masher. A tool like potato ricer will work better in this case.

If your goal is to get mashed potatoes on the table in 20 minutes or less, stick with Russet potatoes. If time or effort is of no concern, feel free to use Yukon Golds (or a mix of both).

How to make vegan mashed potatoes in 20 minutes or less

If you aim to make mashed potatoes in 20 minutes or less, it’s important to work efficiently.

Step 1 (6-8 minutes). Fill a steamer pot with water about 1 inch deep. Cover with a lid, then bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat.

While the steamer is heating up, wash and peel potatoes, then cut them into 1-inch cubes.

Step 2 (10-12 minutes). Once the water starts boiling, add cubed potatoes into the steamer basket. Cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-high and steam the potatoes until fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes.

Don’t have a steamer? There are a lot of affordable steamer pot options on Amazon – I use an older version of this one, but a steamer insert will also work.

While the potatoes are steaming, heat unsweetened non-dairy milk (I like almond or oat milk here) in the microwave or on stovetop until it’s hot but yet not boiling.

Tip: make sure your non-dairy milk is not vanilla flavored! Nobody likes vanilla mashed potatoes 🙂

Prepare a large flat-bottomed mixing bowl or an empty pot, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.

Part 3 (2-3 min). Once the potatoes are cooked, immediately transfer them into the mixing bowl/empty pot. Pour in the hot milk, add garlic powder, salt and pepper.

It will look like there’s too much milk, but don’t worry – once you start mashing, the starches in the potatoes will thicken everything up.

Mash the potatoes well, mixing them lightly with a potato masher as you go. Mash longer for smoother texture, or shorter if you like your mashed potatoes chunky.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Enjoy!

What can I serve with these mashed potatoes?

The possibilities are endless! These healthy vegan mashed potatoes make a great side for my barbecue seitan with homemade BBQ sauce, plus they’ll work really well alongside my BBQ tofu sandwich, easy sauteed kale and onions in balsamic reduction, and smoky roasted Brussels sprouts.

Serving these at Thanksgiving? Don’t forget my creamy dairy free green bean casserole and slow cooker vegan collard greens!

I’ve also successfully used these mashed potatoes as a filling for my veggie-loaded vegan enchiladas and vegan eggplant rollups with black bean-potato filling.

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 Servings

20-Minute Vegan Mashed Potatoes Recipe

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These 20-Minute Vegan Mashed Potatoes have a fluffy texture and a light, garlicky flavor. The easiest, quickest, and healthiest recipe for mashed potatoes you'll ever try! Dairy free, gluten free, egg free, butter free, oil free, vegan, whole food plant based.

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 2 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium russet potatoes (about 2 cups cubed)
• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk*
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• Pinch black pepper

Instructions

1. Fill a steamer pot with about 1 inch of water. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil over high heat on the stove.
2. Meanwhile, wash and peel potatoes. Cut them into 1-inch cubes.
3. Add the cubed potatoes into the steamer pot basket once the water starts boiling. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-high, and steam for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat unsweetened non-dairy milk* in the microwave (1 min) or on stovetop (3-4 min) until hot. You don't want the milk to boil, but it needs to be uncomfortably hot if you test it with your finger.
5. Once the potatoes are cooked, immediately transfer them into a flat-bottomed bowl or an empty pot. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour in the hot milk - it will look like too much milk at first, but the potato starches will thicken it.
6. Mash the potatoes well, making sure to mix them lightly with a potato masher as you go. Mash longer for smoother texture, or shorter if you like your mashed potatoes chunky. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Enjoy!

Notes

*I like unsweetened almond or oat milk in this recipe. Just make sure they're not vanilla-flavored! ?

Recommended Products

This recipe contains affiliate links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on my blog, I receive a very small commission that helps me run this blog, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

• 
  Calphalon Hard-Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Saucepan with Steamer Insert, 4 1/2-quart
• 
  OXO Good Grips Nylon Potato Masher for Non-Stick Cookware
• 
  Premium Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Non-Slip Bottoms, Set of 4

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

3/4 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 262Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 7g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.

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