These mashed potatoes without milk are so incredibly CREAMY and FLUFFY, you won't even miss the added dairy! With only 5 ingredients, minimal prep time, and 15 minutes of cooking, you'll have a delicious side dish on the table in no time!
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📋 About the Recipe
- The combination of russet potatoes and butter makes these mashed potatoes so rich and creamy, you won't even realize they're made without milk!
- Made with unsweetened almond milk, these mashed potatoes become thick and fluffy with added garlicky flavor from fresh garlic cloves.
- No fancy gadgets are needed for this fluffy mashed potato recipe - just a large pot and some arm strength for mashing!
- It's the perfect side dish to a holiday meal, great served with Thanksgiving turkey, or Christmas and Easter ham. It's also the best recipe for a quick and easy addition to your weeknight dinners.
- Serve along with brown sugar and dill roasted carrots and healthy ground chicken meatloaf for a complete meal!
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Russet potatoes - russets are always my first choice for perfectly light and fluffy mashed potatoes. They are starchy, not waxy, and fall apart easily after boiling.
- Almond milk - for mashed potatoes without milk, opt for a milk alternative instead. I prefer unsweetened almond milk since I always have it on hand. You won't even taste a difference!
- Fresh garlic cloves - fresh garlic tastes much better than the jarred stuff. And as an added bonus, there's no mincing involved in this recipe! Instead, simply peel and mash the cloves on a cutting board before throwing them into the pot.
- Unsalted butter - butter adds a rich, creaminess to the potatoes. I prefer unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt added.
📓 Instructions
1. Cut the potatoes into eighths.
2. Peel and smash the garlic cloves. Add them along with the potatoes to a large stockpot.
3. Cover the potatoes and garlic with room temperature water. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over top.
4. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fall-apart fork tender. Drain out the water.
5. In a large liquid measuring cup or microwave-safe mixing bowl, measure out the almond milk and add the butter. Microwave the mixture in 30 second intervals until the butter completely melts into the almond milk.
6. Add the warm butter and almond milk mixture to the potatoes. Mash all together in the hot pot with a potato masher. Make sure to mash the potatoes and garlic until they're fluffy and the butter is mixed through, but don't over-mash as that will result in a gluey texture.
7. Taste and adjust the salt, adding another ½ teaspoon if necessary. Serve mashed potatoes warm topped with fresh chives.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
Instead of unsalted butter: you can substitute 1:1 with a dairy free or plant-based butter.
Instead of almond milk: you can use any of your favorite milks or milk alternatives. Unsweetened cashew milk or oat milk are both great options. You can also use vegetable or chicken broth.
❄️ How to Store
To store: Allow the mashed potatoes to cool completely before scooping into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
To freeze: Freezing is not recommended.
To reheat: You can easily reheat the potatoes in the microwave, but for a more even heating, place them back in a large pot on the stove. Add in a touch more almond milk to prevent them from drying out or burning and stir until heated through, smooth, and fluffy.
🔍 FAQs
No! You can't taste the almond milk at all. In fact, I tried this recipe with an unsweetened vanilla almond milk as well and I couldn't taste the vanilla either, so you can use whatever you have on hand.
Mashed potatoes need some form of liquid to become smooth and fluffy. If you don't have almond milk, you can use other milk alternatives, vegetable or chicken broth, or even the starchy water leftover from boiling.
Yes! These potatoes store pretty well. When stored in the fridge, they may appear dry, but that's just because the butter has solidified from the cold. When heated up, they will become light and fluffy again.
This is completely up to you! I like to keep things easy, so I don't peel my potatoes before boiling. However, if you prefer a smoother texture you can peel them.
The skin of potatoes contains most of its nutritional value, such as additional vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Russet potatoes are my number one choice because they are starchy, break down easily, and become light and creamy when mashed.
Other kinds, like fingerlings, red bliss, or new potatoes are too waxy and are better for roasting than mashing. Yukon golds would be the next best substitute if you don't have russets.
💭 A Few More Tips
- It is super important that you DO NOT OVER-MIX your mashed potatoes. Over-mixing will change the texture and result in gluey potatoes.
- Don't skip the salt! Salt really brings out all the flavors and enhances this side dish.
- Don't add raw potatoes to water that is already boiling. Start by filling the pot with the potatoes, then covering them with room temperature water. Bring both the water and potatoes to a boil together. This will cook the potatoes more evenly for a better overall texture.
- Make sure to cook potatoes until they're fork tender. Undercooked potatoes will result in lumpy mashed potatoes, instead of fluffy.
- Warm the almond milk and melt the butter together for perfectly smooth and creamy potatoes that stay warm while mashing.
🍴 Related Recipes
Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
📖 Recipe
Fluffy Mashed Potatoes without Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 small russet potatoes (around 4 pounds)
- 4 garlic cloves
- water for boiling
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or other milk alternative
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into eighths.
- Peel and smash the garlic cloves. Add them along with the potatoes to a large stockpot.
- Cover the potatoes and garlic with room temperature water. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over top.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fall-apart fork tender. Drain out the water.
- In a large liquid measuring cup or microwave-safe mixing bowl, measure out the almond milk and add the butter. Microwave the mixture in 30 second intervals until the butter completely melts into the almond milk.
- Add the warm butter and almond milk mixture to the potatoes. Mash all together in the hot pot with a potato masher. Make sure to mash the potatoes and garlic until they're fluffy and the butter is mixed through, but don't over-mash as that will result in a gluey texture.
- Taste and adjust the salt, adding another ½ teaspoon if necessary. Add more melted butter, depending on your preference. Serve mashed potatoes warm topped with fresh chives.
Storage
- To store: Allow the mashed potatoes to cool completely before scooping into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.To freeze: Freezing is not recommended.To reheat: You can easily reheat the potatoes in the microwave, but for a more even heating, place them back in a large pot on the stove. Add in a touch more almond milk to prevent them from drying out or burning and stir until heated through, smooth, and fluffy.
Notes
- Instead of butter, you can substitute 1:1 with a dairy free or plant-based butter.
- I like to keep things easy, so I don't peel my potatoes before boiling. However, if you prefer a smoother texture you can peel them.
Nutrition
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Josh
This was great!! I love mashed potatoes and this recipe was delicious. I will definitely make this weekly.
Alana Lieberman
That's great! Thanks for sharing.