Silky smooth dairy free creamy garlic mashed potatoes that are restaurant quality can be easily made at home with this recipe. Free from the top 9 food allergens, gluten free, and vegan makes the garlicky potatoes side dish a hit at gathering. We love to serve these allergy friendly potatoes with our Sunday roast dinners.
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Jump to:
- The Quick Lowdown:
- Why We Like This Recipe
- Ingredients
- The Ingredient Low Down
- Instructions/ Directions and Tips
- Low Food Waste Tips
- Substitutions, Variations, & Adaptations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- How to Send Dairy Free Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes as Leftovers for Lunch
- Pro Tip
- What To Pair With
- 📖 Recipe
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- Food Safety
- Allergy Resources
- 💬 Comments
The Quick Lowdown:
Flavour: A garlic flavour that doesn't overwhelm and mixes well with the creaminess of the side dish.
Texture: Silky and smooth, perfect mashed potatoes.
Speed: Very quick with good time management. Get the garlic minced and dairy free milk and butter heated while the mashed potatoes are boiling to make it go quicker.
Difficulty: Beginner. The hardest thing is to not let the diary free milk boil over when warming it.
Return for effort: A super easy recipe that tastes top shelf but is beginner level.
Why We Like This Recipe
When we used to go to restaurants we always got the garlic mashed potatoes. One day the teens asked if we could make them mashed potatoes like they used to have when they would go to The Keg, a family steak chain restaurant in Canada.
We set about trying a few different techniques before nailing it with this recipe. The key? Heating the diary free milk and butter. Adding the garlic to the pot while they are heating helped to take the bite out of the garlic. It gave us exactly the flavour we were looking for.
Ingredients
- Starchy Potatoes
- Garlic
- Dairy Free Butter
- Dairy Free Milk
- Salt
- Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down
Starchy Potatoes
Our preferred potatoes for mashed potatoes of any kind are a starchy variety. These can include Idahoan, Russet, or Yukon Gold potatoes. They will give a smoother mashed potato as they release the starch found in them when boiled. For more info on varieties of potatoes check out The Potato Goodness website guide for more information.
Potato Tip
For a change use a less starchy potato, to make a garlic mashed red potato side dish. Wash them well and leave the skin on to add texture and colour to the dish. The different potatoes may need a bit longer to boil to be as tender as the starchy potatoes.
Garlic
Fresh garlic is the key to this recipe. Do not substitute dried garlic or garlic powder for the fresh garlic. It will not give the same garlic taste.
Garlic Tip
For a more mild, less bitter garlic taste remove the germ. This is especially important if the germ is green as it can be more potent.
Dairy Free Butter
You can use whichever diary free plant based buttery spread or buttery block. Either the spread or the sticks will work the same.
Dairy Free Milk
We prefer to use gluten free oat milk as it is really creamy. Rice, flax and other dairy free milks will also work but may be thinner and flavour the mashed potatoes slightly. Add a bit of oil or dairy free butter (1-2 tsps) and 1-2 tsps arrowroot or corn starch to the dairy free milk that is not oat milk to get the same creaminess.
If you use a plant based and dairy free creamer such as country crock plant based cream, it can be used without needing any extra fats or starch.
What To Avoid Using
Using canned coconut cream in this recipe will alter the taste of the dairy free garlic mashed potatoes. They will give a bit of a sweet taste to the mashed potatoes.
Salt & Pepper
Be sure to check your spices for cross contact and for allergens on the product labelling and with the manufacturer. Some spices have shared lines with priority food allergens and gluten.
Brand Suggestions
What works for us:
- Maldon Sea Salt
- McCormick Black Pepper
Check to see if they are suitable for you.
Pink Peppercorns and Tree Nut Allergies
Pink peppercorns are not pepper. They are a berry from the cashew family of plants. If you are allergic to cashews, tree nuts, or other allergens be sure to talk to your doctor, allergist and medical team to see if they are safe for you before trying them.
Instructions/ Directions and Tips
Step 1
Wash the potatoes well. Peel the potatoes and dice them into 1 inch square pieces.
Step 2
Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. The water should cover the potatoes by 1-2 inches. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt into the pot of water.
How to Keep the Potatoes Fresh Looking
Potatoes oxidise and turn brown if they are left out of water once peeled. It can happen quickly so putting them in a bowl of water whilst cutting them can help keep your potatoes from going brown.
Step 3
Heat the pot with the water and potatoes over medium high heat.
Step 4
Bring the water to a boil. Let it continue to boil for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
Step 5
While the potatoes are cooking, mince the garlic. Set aside.
Step 6
In a separate medium pot, over low-medium heat melt the dairy free butter.
Step 7
Add the minced garlic from the previous step that was set aside to the melted dairy free butter. Stir well.
Step 8
Pour in the dairy free milk to the medium pot with the dairy free melted butter and garlic. Stir continuously. When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low. The mixture can scald or boil over very quickly. Keep the mix warm until it is added to the potatoes. Stirring often.
Step 9
Drain the potatoes in a colander. Turn off the stove burner.
Potato Water Can Thicken Sauces
If you are making gravy you can use some of this potato water to help thicken the gravy or sauce.
Step 10
Return the potatoes to the empty hot pot they were cooked in. Return the pot to the hot turned off burner. Stir the potatoes and let them steam for 2-3 minutes.
Smooth Mash Tip
This helps them to steam off any excess liquid. This is done to help them absorb the hot dairy free milk and butter mixture. This wil give you the smoothest mashed potatoes.
Step 11
Add the hot garlic, dairy free milk and butter liquid to the potatoes. Add in the pepper and the remaining salt.
Step 12
Remove from the stove to a trivet or heat proof mat. Mix well with an immersion blender, an electric hand mixer until creamy and fully mixed. Do not overmix. Overmixing will yield gluey mashed potatoes.
Mixing Tip
You want to find the happy medium between getting all the lumps out and not gloopy
Step 13
Taste the mashed potatoes to see if the seasoning needs adjusting. Serve hot.
Seasoning Tip
This is usually done by adding in a bit more salt or pepper. It is easier to add more than to try and resolve if too much is added.
Low Food Waste Tips
Veggie Broth from Scraps
If you have a bag of veggie scraps going for broth, adding one or two potatoes worth of peels to it is great. Don't add too many as they will make the broth cloudy.
Sauce Thickening
Save some of the water with the potato starch that has come out in cooking for thickening gravies or in bakes to replace eggs. You want the potato water that is nearest the bottom of the pan as it will have more starch in it. Boiling the potato water down to concentrate it and then dehydrate it to get the starch in dried form can also be done.
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Substitutions, Variations, & Adaptations
- Shallots - For a milder flavour try switching the garlic out for minced shallots.
- Red Potatoes - If you want to swap out the starchy potatoes for a less starchy one try this dish with red potatoes. Leave the skin on, clean it well. You may need to boil for a bit longer.
- Herbs - Adding in fresh chopped herbs such as parsley, sage or rosemary!
- Bacon and Dairy Free Cheese - When mixing add in cooked bacon crumbled into bite sized pieces.
- Spicy - Adding a diced hot pepper to the heating milk will infuse a lot of spice into the mashed potatoes.
- Vegan Mayo - Instead of all the dairy free milk switch a portion out for vegan soy free mayo. Fold it in when the hot dairy free butter is added to the potatoes but don't heat the vegan mayo.
- Plain Mashed - Skip the garlic to make plain mashed potatoes.
Check out this plain version of dairy free mashed potatoes.
Equipment
Immersion Blender or Handheld Electric Mixer
To get that super smooth and creamy feel that is needed for garlic mashed potatoes, use an immersion blender or handheld mixer. Make sure not to over mix the potatoes. Once all the lumps are gone stop blending as they can go from creamy to gluey when overmixed.
Alternative Potato Ricer Method
Another method is to use a potato rice or potato press to get all the lumps out of the potatoes without them being gluey. This was always my grandma's choice for the smoothest mashed potatoes. It does take a bit of oomph to press the potatoes through the ricer. We get our teens to do this part. Rice the potatoes after they have steamed, before adding in the garlic, hot dairy free milk and butter.
Large Pot
A large pot is used to boil the potatoes. You will need a pot that is large enough to fit all the potatoes plus one to two inches of water without it boiling over.
Vegetable Peeler
A vegetable peeler to remove the potato peels is needed. You can use a knife but a peeler is much easier. There are many different kinds of peelers use the one that is most comfortable for you.
Colander
To strain the cooked potatoes from the water they cooked in. It can be any kind of colander that sits you. We like to use one that can stand up hands free in the sink or a fine mesh sieve basket that lays across the sink. This way we can use both hands to pour the water out.
Knife and Cutting Board
The potatoes need to be cut into 1 inch cubes with a knife and cutting board. We recommend using a cutting board and knife that are just for allergy friendly foods. Wooden cutting boards and deep grooves on plastic and other cutting boards can trap allergens in the grooves. Wooden handles on knives can also increase the cross contact with allergens.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
Be sure to cool the potatoes following the best food safety practices. We like to use containers that can store individual portions or 2 containers for a family sized portion. Always thaw the mashed potatoes in the fridge if they have been frozen. They may need a full 24 hours to thaw.
Fridge
If there are any dairy free creamy garlic mashed potatoes leftover they can be stored in the refrigerator. We recommend storing the mash potatoes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer
You can freeze garlic mashed potatoes. They are best when portioned and frozen in a freezer safe container that is inside a freezer bag, like a ziploc. The double helps to keep the mashed potatoes fresh and from getting freezer burnt. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. This is a great way to meal prep or make meals for when you are tired and don't fancy cooking a big meal.
Reheating
When reheating, cook them thawed and not frozen. Once food has been reheated, it is not recommended to reheat or store them again. It is best to reheat only the portions you need for that meal. Serve them hot.
Oven
If you are baking the garlic mashed potatoes, put them in an oven safe casserole dish that has been greased with dairy free butter. Add a couple of teaspoons of butter to the top of the mashed potatoes in the casserole dish. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake at 350 F. Bake until the internal temperature is 165 F throughout.
Leftovers Tip
Leftover garlic mashed potatoes are great to top a dinner casserole, like shepherd's pie, or a vegan lentil shepherd's pie.
Stove Top
We reheat our garlic mashed potatoes on the stove top with a couple tablespoons of water added to what you are reheating. In a pan over medium heat bring the potatoes with the water to a simmer and cover with a well fitting lid for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the lid and stir continuously to let any excess water evaporate. You can also add a bit of diary free butter or dairy free milk to make them extra creamy.
How to Send Dairy Free Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes as Leftovers for Lunch
It is really easy to send mashed potatoes to school in an insulated container. They reheat really well and will keep hot if the insulated container is pre-warmed and the mashed potatoes are reheated on the stove. We layer the mashed potatoes at the bottom of the container then top it with pulled pork or whatever protein and veg we had for dinner. Don't forget to send cutlery in the lunch bag.
Pro Tip
Getting the dairy free milk and butter hot and adding them to the potatoes after they have steamed will give you the most amazing restaurant style garlic mashed potatoes.
What To Pair With
We like to use this as a starch side dish with any roast whether it be chicken, turkey, or lamb. You can also pair it with meatballs or sloppy joes.
📖 Recipe
Dairy Free Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Add to Collection Add to Shopping ListEquipment
- Immersion Blender Handheld Electric Mixer, or Potato Ricer
- Large Pot
- Vegetable Peeler
- Colander
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Medium pot
- Cooking Utensils
Ingredients
- 4.5 Pounds Potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes, starchy
- 6 Cloves Garlic large cloves, minced
- ¾ Cup Dairy Free Butter
- 1 Cup Dairy Free Plant Based Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt divided into 2 tsps and 1 tsp
- ½ teaspoon Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes well. Peel the potatoes and dice them into 1 inch square pieces.4.5 Pounds Potatoes
- Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. The water should cover the potatoes by 1-2 inches. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt into the water.1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
- Heat the pot with the water and potatoes over medium high heat. Bring the water to a boil. Let it continue to boil for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
- While the potatoes are cooking, mince the garlic. Set aside.6 Cloves Garlic
- In a medium pot, over low-medium heat melt the dairy free butter.¾ Cup Dairy Free Butter
- Add the minced garlic from the previous step that was set aside to the melted dairy free butter. Stir well.
- Pour in the dairy free milk to the medium pot with the dairy free melted butter and garlic. Stir continuously. When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low. The mixture can scald or boil over very quickly. Keep the mix warm until it is added to the potatoes. Stirring often.1 Cup Dairy Free Plant Based Milk
- Drain the potatoes in a colander. Turn off the stove burner.
- Return the potatoes to the empty hot pot they were cooked in. Return the pot to the hot turned off burner. Stir the potatoes and let them steam for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the hot garlic, dairy free milk and butter liquid to the potatoes. Add in the pepper and the remaining salt.½ teaspoon Ground Pepper, 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
- Remove from the stove to a trivet or heat proof mat. Mix well with an immersion blender, an electric hand mixer until creamy and fully mixed. Do not overmix. Overmixing will yield gluey mashed potatoes.
- Taste the mashed potatoes to see if the seasoning needs adjusting. Serve hot.
Notes
Potato Ricer Instructions
If using a potato ricer, after the potatoes have finished steaming put them through the potato ricer, then add the hot garlic, dairy free milk and butter as well as the pepper and salt. Mix well with a large spoon.Potatoes Per Person
You will need about ½ ¾ of a pound per adult serving of smooth garlic mashed potatoes.Allergy Note 1
Always check that each ingredient is safe for you. Reading all the ingredients and labelling as well as checking with the manufacturer should always be done before buying any product. Each person's allergies are different and only you and your medical team can determine what is best for you. Checking with the manufacturer is best practice to see if shared lines, or facilities are used when making any of the suggested products. Just because a product is right for us does not mean it is safe for anyone else. You must do your own research on each product.
Allergy Note 2
If making this recipe for anyone with an allergy always check with them for suitable products and ingredients. Each person knows their allergies best and can advise on what is safe for them to eat. Keep in mind that if making for another person they may not be able to eat it with shared prep surfaces, cooking equipment, and kitchens or other safety reasons.
Allergy Note 3
This is not medical advice. Always discuss your allergies, nutrition, and suitable products and recipes with your medical team before using.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
"The Allergen Free Kitchen" is not a registered dietician or nutritionist, does not replace a registered dietician or nutritionist and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend you consult with your medical team to find a registered dietician or nutritionist and for you to calculate the nutritional information. Calories and nutritional values can vary vastly depending on which brands were used and any substitutions used.
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Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Allergy Resources
If you are struggling with allergies or which foods are safe for you we encourage you to contact your medical team to help determine what is best for you.
For additional resources please check out the following allergy education and advocacy pages:
In the United States:
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) - Home Page
- Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) - Home Page
- U.S Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - Food Allergies - Home Page
- Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in The United States of America
- Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA - Recalls
- US Food & Drug Administration, FDA - Recalls
- Celiac Disease Foundation - Home Page
- National Celiac Association (NCA) - Home Page
- Beyond Celiac - Home Page
- Celiac.com - Home Page
In Canada
- Food Allergy Canada - Home Page
- Celiac Canada - Home Page
- The Government of Canada - Health Site- Food Allergies
- The Government of Canada - Food Allergen Labelling, the List of Ingredients and Allergens on Food Labels, and Allergens and Gluten Sources Labelling
Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in Canada
Emily says
OMG!!! This was really good. We have started using this method for all our mashed potato dishes.