Name: Garlic Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (or any type of yellow potato); 2 teaspoon sea salt (for boiling); ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 3-4 garlic cloves, minced; ½ - ¾ cup "lite" coconut milk; 1 teaspoon sea salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper

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No one will notice the absence of dairy here! These garlic olive oil mashed potatoes are rich and creamy with great flavor. Made with yellow potatoes, olive oil, garlic and "lite" coconut milk! (Don't worry, you can't taste any coconut) Perfect for every day or a special occasion, like the holiday season.

bowl of olive oil mashed potatoes — *This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here.*

We just had our Canadian Thanksgiving and we've been eating a lot of leftover mashed potatoes. But I don't mind because they are delicious!

Traditional mashed potatoes call for a lot of dairy... butter, milk, cream, sour cream, cream cheese. There are lots of ways people do it and they are usually very tasty.

I have nothing against dairy. Just like with the eggs in my eggless pumpkin pie, it's my husband that's the issue. (Okay, not him. His dietary needs!)

Dairy doesn't agree with him, so we've learned to do without in many cases and discovered that it's okay. You can make delicious food without dairy.

Honestly, I wouldn't even be able to tell there isn't milk or butter in these mashed potatoes if I didn't know, because they are so creamy and buttery. So for all my dairy-free friends or friends with dairy-free friends or family (phew!), or if you just want perfect mashed potatoes, this one's for you!

container of mashed potatoes with chopped chives on top

Can You Make Mashed POtatoes without BUtter?

Yes, it is possible to make delicious mashed potatoes without butter! The combination of olive oil and coconut milk in this recipe, along with a hint of garlic, help to bring the creaminess and richness that the butter normally would bring.

There are many dairy-free mashed potato recipes that use "vegan butter", but that is usually highly processed with refined, inflammatory oils that do no good for the body, so we avoid that stuff. I'm sure there are some decent options out there, but we haven't found any yet that are as healthy as using pure olive oil!

Are Olive Oil Mashed pOtatoes Healthy?

This recipe is only made with real, whole-food ingredients:

Potatoes - Full of good carbs (excellent for boosting energy), Vitamin C and potassium, along with decent amounts of Vitamin B6, fiber and thiamin.

Did you know that cooling cooked potatoes increases the amount of resistant starch in them? Resistant starch is a "prebiotic" and provides food for the good bacteria in your gut and can also reduce inflammation. It also helps reduce blood sugar spikes after meals. So really, the leftovers are healthier than the fresh potatoes! Read more about this here. It's so interesting!

Extra virgin olive oil - Rich in healthy fats and antioxidants. It can also reduce inflammation, decreasing the chances of many diseases.

Garlic - Contains small amounts of many vitamins and minerals, can fight sickness, improve heart health and more!

Coconut milk (lite)- Coconut milk contains many vitamins and minerals (especially manganese, copper, iron and Vitamin C). Always choose good quality coconut milk with minimal or zero additives. Be sure to read the label and go for pure coconut milk, because many brands have nasty additives and chemicals.

Using lite coconut milk means there is less fat in it. I’m not afraid of fat at all, but I chose this because lite coconut milk has a more mild coconut flavor, so it adds creaminess but you don't even notice it in the potatoes!

What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use?

The best potatoes for mashing are any yellow variety, the most common being the "Yukon gold". Yellow potatoes have a creamy texture and inherent buttery flavor, which is especially important when you are not adding butter. Also, after being cooked, Yukon golds aren't grainy or watery.

If you don't have yellow potatoes, my second recommendation would be russet potatoes.

White or red potatoes, the waxier ones, aren't as creamy when mashed.

What Kind of Olive OIl SHould I Use?

There are a lot of different olive oils out there and it's ideal to use high-quality cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil. It's the least processed and therefore retains the most nutrients. EVOO is loaded with healthy fats, Vitamins E and K and antioxidants.

Variations of Olive OIl Mashed POtatoes

Roasted garlic - Instead of cooking the garlic in the olive oil, you could use roasted garlic cloves if you already have some on hand. In that case, just add the garlic and oil in separately.
Fresh chives - Stir in some chopped chives for added color and subtle onion flavor
Fresh herbs - Add your favorite herbs, fresh or dried, to the mashed potatoes. Rosemary is my favorite.
Pesto - Mix in some homemade pesto for a flavorful mashed potato.
Nutritional yeast - Sprinkle in some nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavor without the dairy.
Cheese - Top with some shredded cheese if you aren't dairy-free.
Substitutions - If you don't have coconut milk, you can use a different unsweetened non-dairy milk like almond milk, chicken broth, vegetable broth or reserved potato water (take some out before straining the potatoes). The resulting flavor will be subtly different and the potatoes won't be as creamy, but will still be delicious.
Butter and milk - Of course, if you can and do enjoy dairy, feel free to use butter and milk instead of the olive oil and coconut milk. If you can eat dairy, go all out and use whole milk for the creamiest result.

Tips for Making Olive OIl Mashed Potatoes

Peel potatoes - this is an optional step, but it helps create the creamiest possible dairy-free mashed potatoes.
Same sized potato chunks - It's important to cut your potatoes into pieces that are relatively the same size, so they will all finish cooking at the same time. If you have some large and some small chunks you'll end up with overdone and mushy pieces mixed in with underdone, not-quite-mashable pieces!
Cold water - Adding cold water to the potatoes and then bringing it to a boil (instead of adding the potatoes to a pot of boiling water) again helps to ensure proper, uniform cooking.
Salt the water - The potatoes will take on some of the flavor from the water.
Cook garlic over very low heat - Two reasons for this. First, olive oil doesn't have a high smoking point so the lower it's cooked the more of it's beneficial properties will remain. Second, garlic can burn easily and quickly, so cooking it at a low temperature will reduce the chance of burning.
Stand or hand mixer - You could use a stand mixer or hand mixer to mash/whip the potatoes, just don't overwhip them. I would not recommend using a food processor. Every time I've tried that, the potatoes have turned gummy.

Tools YOu May Need

Large saucepan, pot or dutch oven

Small saucepan

Colander

Potato masher

How to Make Olive OIl Mashed POtatoes

Ingredients:

3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (or any type of yellow potato)
2 teaspoon sea salt (for boiling)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
½ - ¾ cup "lite" coconut milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with enough water (cool or cold) to fully cover the potatoes by about an inch.

Add 2 teaspoon sea salt and bring water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, until a fork pierces through the potato chunks easily.

While potatoes are cooking, combine garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will soften the garlic and mellow out the flavor.

Drain potatoes & return them to the pot. Add the garlic olive oil, ½ cup coconut milk, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If the potatoes seem a little dry and not as smooth as you'd like, mix in the remaining ¼ cup coconut milk.

cooked potatoes with seasonings in pot before mashing

How to Store Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Store leftover olive oil mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Can You Freeze Mashed POtatoes Without Butter?

It's really only advisable to freeze mashed potatoes that are made with a lot of milk and butter. The dairy fat helps to keep the mashed potatoes the proper consistency. Recipes made with oil don't retain their proper texture when thawed. So.... they'd still be edible, but not very enjoyable.

Did you try this recipe and love it? If so, I would so appreciate a 5-star review and your comments below!

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