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Yes, you can make mashed potatoes without milk, and yes, they are just as rich and creamy as the status quo! Whether you’ve run out of milk or you’re lactose intolerant, this recipe will save the day.
It’s Thanksgiving Day and you’ve realized your milk is sour. Or maybe you’ve got a guest or two who can’t do milk. Whatever the reason, you need a recipe for mashed potatoes without milk—and I’ve got a good one.
These mashed potatoes are creamy, buttery, and fluffy, no milk needed. Best of all, it’s delicious enough that everyone at the table will devour them with gusto, which means you don’t need to make one batch of mashed potatoes for the milk abstainers and another batch for everyone else.
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes – I like to use a combination of Yukon gold, russets, and red potatoes.
- Butter – Want to make dairy-free mashed potatoes? Use a plant-based butter.
- Chicken stock – Warm this up first. For vegan mashed potatoes, use a vegan chicken stock or vegetable stock.
- Potato water – The starchy water helps make the potatoes creamy without the milk.
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Mashed Potatoes Without Milk
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Fill a stockpot one-third of the way full with cold water.
Peel the potatoes and rinse them, then cut the potatoes into ~1-inch pieces. Add them to the pot of water.
Bring the pot of water to a boil and let it continue to boil for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water, then drain the potatoes in a colander.
Place the butter in the pot. Press the potatoes through a ricer into the pot with the butter.
Fold the potatoes into the butter, then slowly add the chicken stock and potato water until your mashed potatoes without milk reach the perfect consistency.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.
Storage
Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Mashed potatoes are one of the rare foods that’s best reheated in the microwave or oven. On the stove, you’ll need to add more broth or water, and the texture and flavor are never quite right.
Freezing: Check out my post on how to freeze mashed potatoes.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Make sure you cut the potatoes into similarly sized chunks. This way, they’ll all be tender at the same time.
- No ricer? No problem! You can use a potato masher. This is also a good option if you prefer more of a smashed potato texture than smooth and creamy. Do not overmix as that will give your mashed potatoes a gluey texture.
- Don’t forget to reserve some of the cooking water before draining the potatoes. I use a ladle to scoop the water into a liquid measuring cup. This water is starchy, so you can’t substitute tap water and expect the same results. The starchy potato water is the trick that makes this recipe work.
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Fill one-third of a large stockpot with cold water.
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Peel potatoes and rinse.
5 lbs potatoes
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Cut each potato into 12-16 pieces. Place in the stockpot.
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Bring water to a boil.
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Boil for two minutes, and then reduce to medium-high and cook until the tip of a knife can pierce through one of the potatoes (~10 minutes).
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Drain the potatoes, reserving 1-1.5 cups of the water.
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Add the softened butter to the bottom of the pot that the potatoes were just in.
8 tbsp butter
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Using a large spoon, fill a ricer halfway and press the potatoes over the pot. Repeat until all the potatoes have been through the ricer.
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Using a large spatula, fold the potatoes into the butter.
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Slowly add the chicken stock, adding potato water bit by bit until the potatoes are the exact consistency you want.
1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup potato water
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Salt and pepper to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste
- No ricer? Add the drained potatoes to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher until they’re at the consistency that you prefer.
- Meal prep tip: cover the cut potatoes with cold water and store them in the fridge for up to 36 hours.
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 614mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 178IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
