Easy Dairy-Free Whole30 Mashed Potatoes (Paleo & Vegan)
Whole30 Mashed Potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to epic dinners, whether it’s the holiday season, Easter, Burn’s Night, or just a regular weeknight meal. These Paleo Mashed Potatoes are loaded with garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. You won’t miss the cream! They’re Whole30 + Paleo + Vegan.
This post was originally published on November 26th, 2021.
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- They’re easy to make: This is the most straightforward homemade mashed potatoes recipe I’ve ever made: just 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper.
- They have plenty of flavor: These healthy mashed potatoes are garlicky and herby thanks to the rosemary. They are also creamy and rich as we add almond milk and olive oil. So delicious!
- We use simple ingredients: No heavy cream, no butter. Just simple, wholesome ingredients.
- They keep really well: Perfect for meal prep, the leftovers will be something to look forward to!
- They’re vegan: As there is no dairy, this delicious mashed potato recipe is the perfect vegan option for a holiday meal or side dish anytime.
- Mashed potatoes go with anything: This is the perfect side dish recipe to whip up anytime! Serve it with baked chicken, meatballs, or steak. Take a look at my list below for more main dish serving suggestions.
🗝️ Key Ingredients
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are the best potatoes for mashing in my opinion, however, any variety of white potatoes should work, like russet potatoes for example. Red potatoes are also a great option!
- Herbs: I’m a big fan of using fresh herbs whenever I can. Fresh garlic and rosemary are pan-fried until golden and crispy and mixed into the potatoes. Such a delicious flavor! I used rosemary from my garden and minced garlic cloves. Fresh herbs are important for the amazing flavor, however, garlic powder and dried rosemary would be fine in a pinch!
- Olive oil: I used light olive oil to pan-fry the herbs and then mixed it in with the potatoes. It adds a richness that you usually achieve with cream, butter, milk, or cream cheese. Extra virgin olive oil is a great substitute if you like the olive flavor or refined coconut oil.
- Almond milk: The mashed potatoes need a little liquid for perfect consistency, so I added unsweetened almond milk which made the mashed potatoes creamier as well. Any paleo-friendly dairy-free milk will work!
🥣 How do I make mashed potatoes without milk?
1. Boil water: Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove.
2. Cook the potatoes: Diced the potatoes, add them to the pot and close the lid. You may need to turn the temperature down to keep it from overflowing.
3. Strain: When the potatoes are fork-tender, turn off the heat, strain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
4. Fry herbs: Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat add the olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden brown, add the pepper, and then remove the pan from heat.
5. Add ingredients together and mash: Pour the contents from the pan including the oil into the pot with the potatoes, along with almond milk and sea salt, and begin to mash them with a potato masher.
6. Season: Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
🪄 Recipe Notes and Tips
- Mashing: For the best mashed potatoes, use a potato masher instead of a hand mixer or immersion blender. Over mashing or blending the potatoes makes them gluey instead of fluffy.
- Seasoning: Play with your flavors! I like to add a little thyme when I have it on hand. Chicken seasoning is also great in this recipe.
- Oil: Any healthy oil like light olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, refined coconut oil, or avocado oil can be used. If you’re okay with dairy, feel free to add a little ghee, butter, or vegan butter.
🫙 Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a pot on the stove, the microwave, or in the oven until piping hot.
- Freeze: Yes, these dairy-free mashed potatoes freeze really well! Store them in an air-tight container and consume them within 4 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
🥔 Can you eat mashed potatoes on whole30?
Potatoes are allowed on the whole30 diet, provided that they aren’t in the form of fries or potato chips/crisps. When making mashed potatoes for whole30, avoid dairy foods like butter, cheese, cream, milk, and sour cream. Dairy is not permitted in the whole30 diet.
🥛 What’s a good substitute for milk in mashed potatoes?
Here are my favorite dairy-free alternatives that also fit in the whole30 or paleo diet:
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Coconut cream
- Soaked & blended neutral nuts to make a cream, like cashew cream
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Coconut oil (use refined to avoid the coconut flavor)
- Whole30 Mayonnaise
❓ Why is my mash like glue?
If they are over-mashed, they become gluey because too much starch is released. For this reason, I recommend using a little elbow grease and mashing the potatoes with a masher and not a food processor, hand mixer, or immersion blender (speaking from experience here!).
🍽️ What to serve with mashed potatoes
- Meatballs and gravy
- Roast Chicken
- Citrus Roast Turkey
- Greek Leg of Lamb
- Paleo Pork Loin
- Steak Bites
- Beef Stew
- Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff
- Chicken drumsticks
- With sausage links for Bangers ‘n Mash
- On top of fish pie
- On top of cottage pie
- On top of shepherds pie
😋 More Whole30 Recipes you will love
- Paleo Stuffing
- Whole30 Coleslaw
- Over 40 of the Best Whole30 Ground Beef Recipes
- Whole30 Carnitas
- Parsnip Puree with Red Chili Flakes
- Mashed Rutabaga
Have you made this recipe? I’d love to know <3 Tag me (@makehealthyrecipes) on Facebook and Instagram, Pin it on Pinterest, and please leave a star rating review below! Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list (top right of this page) for sparkly new recipes in your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Whole30 Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 kg 4.4lbs white or red potatoes (I used yukon gold)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary about 30 leaves
- 3 tbsp olive oil see note 3
- 2 cups 473ml unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove.
- Diced the potatoes, add them to the pot, and close the lid. You may need to turn the temperature down to keep it from overflowing.
- When the potatoes are fork-tender, turn off the heat, strain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
- Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat add the olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden brown, add the ground black pepper, and then remove the pan from heat.
- Pour the contents from the pan including the oil into the pot with the potatoes, along with unsweetened almond milk and salt, and begin to mash them with a potato masher.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Notes
- Mashing: For the best mashed potatoes, use a potato masher instead of a hand mixer or immersion blender. Over mashing or blending the potatoes makes them gluey instead of fluffy.
- Seasoning: Play with your flavors! I like to add a little thyme when I have it on hand. Chicken seasoning is also great in this recipe.
- Oil: Any healthy oil like light olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, refined coconut oil, or avocado oil can be used. If you're okay with dairy, feel free to add a little ghee, butter, or vegan butter.
- Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a pot on the stove, the microwave, or in the oven until piping hot.
- Freeze: Yes, these dairy-free mashed potatoes freeze really well! Store them in an air-tight container and consume them within 4 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
These mashed potatoes were excellent! Adding them to my Christmas recipes.
These mashed potatoes were excellent! Adding them to my Christmas recipes.