Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes / Best No-Oil Recipe
Creamy, fluffy, and richly flavorful, these Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes will have everyone around your Thanksgiving table coming back for seconds! A full head of slow-roasted garlic is blended with cashew cream to make the most luxurious dairy and oil-free mashers.
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
When you picture yourself sitting down to a Thanksgiving spread, what is the one dish you look forward to eating most? On a vegan table, you will probably see a colorful and hearty main like Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash, a tempting salad like Caprese Salad, and that oh-so-anticipated side dish, mashed potatoes. It’s carbs and cream, what could be better?
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes may seem pretty basic, but when done right, they are the one dish that everyone goes back to for seconds, young and old, vegan or not. In this blog post I’ll show you how to make the creamiest, perfectly garlicky, fluffy vegan mashers that are addictively delicious and oil-free.
Tips and Tricks for making the BEST oil-free Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Start with roasted garlic: Slow roasted garlic is worth its weight in gold when it comes to flavoring mashed potatoes. Use the whole head of garlic. Trust me on this one. After roasting your garlic for 90 minutes, it will turn from vampire repellant into a sweet, mellow, nutty, rich garlic dream. I’ll roast garlic just to fill my kitchen with that irresistible aroma!
The secret to roasting garlic without oil is cacao butter. Cacao butter is a cholesterol-free fat that is a beautiful substitute for oil when melted. Just like canola oil, cacao butter has a high smoking point (446 F / 230 C) which makes it great for roasting garlic. Light amber in color, it even looks like canola or olive oil when it’s melted. It has a sweet, chocolatey aroma that is undetectable when paired with savory garlic.
Roasted Garlic with Cocoa Butter
You can easily melt the cacao butter in the microwave by putting the solid pieces in a heat-proof dish, microwaving for 30 seconds, checking to see if it’s melted, and then repeating this process until all the chunks have turned into liquid. To melt cacao butter on the stovetop, add the solid pieces to a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer until liquified. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of liquid cacao butter per head of garlic.
To roast garlic, start by peeling off the loose papery skins on the outside of a whole head. Cut off the very top of the entire head so you can see the tips of all the garlic cloves inside. This will be ¼” to ½” depending on how large your head is. Line a small baking dish with a piece of tin foil that is large enough to wrap up over the garlic. Place the garlic head, cut side up, in the dish.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of melted cacao butter so it reaches down into each clove. I will slide a knife in between the cloves, if needed, to help the melted fat reach the inside. Then rub the liquid on the outside of the garlic head as well. You want the whole head to be fully saturated in the melted fat. Wrap the foil up and around the garlic, making a tight seal. I always roast more than one head, so the garlic doesn’t tip over in the dish and because it freezes really well for later use.
Roast at 375 F / 190 C (gas mark 5) for 90 minutes. This slow-roasted process creates perfectly mellow, sweet, nutty, and buttery-rich garlic that will not burn and is well worth the time.
How to cook potatoes:
It’s easy to cook potatoes to the “just right” consistency for mashing, if you follow a few simple steps. This makes sure that your potatoes are evenly cooked through without falling apart or becoming waterlogged.
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Start with cold water. This allows the potatoes and the water to heat at the same time for even cooking. Dropping potatoes in boiling water will cook the outsides faster than the insides, leaving you with a flakey exterior and an undercooked core.
Peel and cut the potatoes into same size chunks (roughly chopped) so that they cook at the same rate.
Bring the water and potatoes to a boil, cover, and cook until very tender but not falling apart. Allow around 15 minutes to reach a boil and then 7-10 minutes to fully cook the taters.
Fully drain your potatoes using a colander. Dry potatoes will better absorb all that lovely cream without tasting waterlogged or soggy.
I use golden potatoes in this recipe for their rich flavor. You can also use russet potatoes which have less flavor but more starch, or a combination of both!
Using a Hand Masher for Mashed Potatoes
Onto the mashing!
Potatoes are loaded with starch, so you want to handle them gently. Place the drained potatoes back into the cooking pot (with the heat off) and, using a hand masher, gently mash until fluffy. Using an electric mixer will leave you with gooey, dense, gummy mashed potatoes.
For silky smooth potatoes, run them through a potato ricer (which is basically just a large garlic press) or a food mill. This process is fussy but makes for holiday-worthy mashers. I will hand mash for weeknight dinners and use a food mill for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Cashew cream:
Cashews are a dairy-free dream come true. When soaked and blended with a liquid, they magically turn into cream. You can soak your cashews in a small bowl, while the potatoes are cooking, by pouring boiling water over them, enough to cover while they expand, covering them with a lid, and letting them sit for 20 minutes.
Drain off the soaking liquid and rinse the cashews with fresh water. Place them in a small cup-style blender along with the soymilk, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth. This may take well over a minute, depending on how powerful your blender is. Blending roasted garlic into the cashew cream ensures that every mouthful of savory mashers is seasoned with just the right amount of garlic.
Folding Cashew Cream into Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Remember potatoes are starchy and like to be handled gently so fold the cashew cream into the mashed potatoes with a soft spatula until well combined.
Salt as you go for layers of flavor:
Salting as you go creates depth of flavor that isn’t overly salty. Start by adding 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the cold cooking water. Next add 1 teaspoon of salt to your cashew cream. Finish by salting the mashed potatoes to taste.
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Are you ready to make the best Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes that your family and friends will rave about? Turn up the holiday music, slip into an apron, and let’s get cooking!
Ingredients for Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients for Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1 whole head of garlic, medium in size (about 10 cloves)
1 tablespoon of cacao butter, melted
2½ pounds (1,134 grams) of golden potatoes, (such as Yukon gold) peeled and cut into large chunks
Salted water for cooking the potatoes (2 quarts of water salted with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt)
¾ cup (105 grams) raw cashews
1 cup (8 oz. / 237 ml) of unsweetened soymilk
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chopped chives and parsley for garnish
Makes 6 servings. This recipe is easily doubled.
How to make Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Roast Your Garlic:
Steps 1-2:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 F / 190 C (gas mark 5)
2. Start by peeling off the loose papery skins on the outside of a whole head of garlic. Cut ¼“ to ½“ off the top so you can see the tips of all the garlic cloves inside. Slide a knife in between the cloves to loosen them up a bit.
Steps 3-5:
3. Line a small baking dish with a piece of tin foil that is large enough to wrap up over the garlic. Place the garlic head, cut side up, in the dish.
4. Melt cacao butter in the microwave by putting the solid pieces in a small dish, microwaving for 30 seconds, checking to see if it’s melted, and then repeating this process until all the chunks have turned into liquid. Or, melt the cacao butter on the stovetop in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquified.
5. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of melted cacao butter so it reaches down into each clove. Then rub the liquid on the outside of the garlic head as well. You want the whole head to be fully saturated in the melted fat.
Steps 6-7:
6. Wrap the foil up and around the garlic, making a tight seal, and roast for 90 minutes. I usually roast more than one head, so the garlic doesn’t tip over in the dish and because it freezes really well, for later use.
7. When cool enough to handle, separate the garlic cloves and peel away the outer skins, squeezing out the soft and buttery insides. Set aside 1 full head, or 10 cloves, for the cashew cream.
Roasted Garlic with Cocoa Butter
Make the Cashew Cream:
Step 1:
1. Soak your cashews in a small bowl by pouring boiling water over them, enough to cover them while they expand, covering them with a lid and letting them sit for 20 minutes. Do this first, before you begin cooking the potatoes.
Steps 2-3:
2. Drain off the soaking liquid and rinse the cashews with fresh water. Place them in a small cup-style blender along with the soymilk, peeled roasted garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Blend on high until completely smooth. This may take well over a minute, depending on how powerful your blender is.
Cook the Potatoes:
Steps 1-3:
1. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes so they are the same size and give them a rinse. You can do this step ahead of time and then store the potatoes, covered in cold water, in the fridge.
2. Fill a 4-6 quart cooking pot with 2 quarts of cold water salted with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Place your potatoes in the pot, so they are covered by about 1” of water.
3. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. This can take up to 15 minutes, depending on your burner. Reduce to a gentle boil and continue to cook until the potatoes are very tender but not falling apart. You’ll know they are done when they can be easily pierced by a fork, around 7-10 minutes more.
Step 4:
4. Drain the potatoes in a colander until all the water has drained away and the potatoes look dry. This is a good time to blend your cashew cream.
Step 5:
5. Put the potatoes back into the cooking pot with the heat off. Using a hand-masher, gently mash the potatoes until they are light and fluffy. For completely smooth potatoes, run them through a potato ricer or a food mill.
Steps 6-7:
6. Using a soft spatula, fold in the cashew cream until the whole mass is smooth and creamy.
7. Garnish with fresh chopped chives and/or parsley and serve straight away.
Storing:
Mashed potatoes have the best texture when they are served right away. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat them on the stovetop, use additional soy milk, as they tend to dry out when cool. I don’t recommend freezing mashed potatoes because the texture gets kinda funky.
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Wondering what to serve alongside your perfect mashed potatoes? Try these crowd-pleasing recipes!
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Vegan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes / Best No-Oil Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 F / 190 C (gas mark 5)
- Start by peeling off the loose papery skins on the outside of a whole head of garlic. Cut ¼“ to ½“ off the top so you can see the tips of all the garlic cloves inside. Slide a knife in between the cloves to loosen them up a bit.
- Line a small baking dish with a piece of tin foil that is large enough to wrap up over the garlic. Place the garlic head, cut side up, in the dish.
- Melt cocoa butter in the microwave by putting the solid pieces in a small dish, microwaving for 30 seconds, checking to see if it’s melted, and then repeating this process until all the chunks have turned into liquid. Or, melt the cocoa butter on the stovetop in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquified.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of melted cacao butter so it reaches down into each clove. Then rub the liquid on the outside of the garlic head as well. You want the whole head to be fully saturated in the melted fat.
- Wrap the foil up and around the garlic, making a tight seal, and roast for 90 minutes. I usually roast more than one head, so the garlic doesn’t tip over in the dish and because it freezes really well, for later use.
- When cool enough to handle, separate the garlic cloves and peel away the outer skins, squeezing out the soft and buttery insides. Set aside 1 full head, or 10 cloves, for the cashew cream
- Soak your cashews in a small bowl by pouring boiling water over them, enough to cover them while they expand, covering them with a lid and letting them sit for 20 minutes. Do this first, before you begin cooking the potatoes.
- Drain off the soaking liquid and rinse the cashews with fresh water. Place them in a small cup-style blender along with the soymilk, peeled roasted garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Blend on high until completely smooth. This may take well over a minute, depending on how powerful your blender is.
- Peel and roughly chop the potatoes so they are the same size and give them a rinse. You can do this step ahead of time and then store the potatoes, covered in cold water, in the fridge.
- Fill a 4-6 quart cooking pot with 2 quarts of cold water salted with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Place your potatoes in the pot, so they are covered by about 1” of water.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. This can take up to 15 minutes, depending on your burner. Reduce to a gentle boil and continue to cook until the potatoes are very tender but not falling apart. You’ll know they are done when they can be easily pierced by a fork, around 7-10 minutes more.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander until all the water has drained away and the potatoes look dry. This is a good time to blend your cashew cream.
- Put the potatoes back into the cooking pot with the heat off. Using a hand-masher, gently mash the potatoes until they are light and fluffy. For completely smooth potatoes, run them through a potato ricer or a food mill.
- Using a soft spatula, fold in the cashew cream until the whole mass is smooth and creamy.
- Garnish with fresh chopped chives and/or parsley and serve straight away.
Notes:
Storing:
Mashed potatoes have the best texture when they are served right away. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. To re-heat them on the stovetop, use additional soy milk, as they tend to dry out when cool. I don’t recommend freezing mashed potatoes because the texture gets kinda funky.
For step-by-step instructions, with photos, see blog post!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
299.39Fat (grams)
9.96Sat. Fat (grams)
2.73Carbs (grams)
46.97Fiber (grams)
5.07Net carbs
41.90Sugar (grams)
3.35Protein (grams)
8.63Sodium (milligrams)
233.35Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.