If you aren’t making Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, then you are doing them all wrong! Seriously friends, this is the BEST and easiest way to make creamy, fluffy, no drain Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes right in your Instant Pot!
Reason number 9 million that I love my Instant Pot: Delicious Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes.
Guys…please tell me you have already tried this out for yourself. I mean, you have definitely made my Healthy Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes right? Because that’s what I have for you today…just minus the meatloaf.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you are not utilizing your Instant Pot for Mashed Potatoes then you aren’t doing it right. Mashed Potatoes cook perfectly in an IP and you should trust me…I am married to a man who fills up 75% of his Thanksgiving Plate with Mashed Potatoes and would never settle for anything but the best.
Click for more Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes!
Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
My son is dairy-free and I used to make two separate pots of mashed potatoes – one with and one without the milk/cream. And then when I made my Healthy Instant Pot Shepherds Pie, I fell in love with just using broth and our dairy free butter (I love Earth’s Balance) and started making all of my mashed potatoes this way. They still taste so creamy and you won’t even miss the milk!
Not dairy free? You can use regular butter and even add some milk during the mashing process if you would like!
Why you will love this recipe:
- They are ready in about 30 minutes – and this includes the time it takes to come to pressure, cook time, AND mashing time.
- You don’t need to drain these potatoes! No burning yourself on hot water steaming water as you pour it out of the large pot (been there!).
- You don’t need to use your stovetop, freeing it for other dishes.
- You don’t need to watch over them like you do with regular mashed potatoes.
- You can mash your potatoes RIGHT in the Instant Pot, which means less dirty dishes cluttering your sink.
- You can make it and set your pot to Keep Warm to keep your potatoes hot for dinner!
- They go with just about any main course and perfect for every day meals or for holidays and special occasions!
Equipment
As far as equipment, you don’t need much. You need:
- A pressure cooker, Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi.
- A good Y shaped veggie peeler – I have had this one from Pampered Chef for years, but you can also get this Y shaped peeler on Amazon for a great price.
- A potato masher – I use it to mash all the things – eggs for egg salad, avocados for guac, even apples for chunky applesauce!
Ingredients Needed
Get more info on the best dairy free mashed potato ingredients in the recipe card down at the bottom of the post.
- Russet, Yukon gold, or red potatoes
- Vegan butter or ghee (or regular butter if you aren’t dairy free)
- Chicken broth
- garlic (optional)
- salt
- pepper
How to Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (No Drain)
It’s so simple!
- Peel and cut 3-5lbs of russet, Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes into one inch chunks.
- Add one cup of broth and quartered potatoes to your instant pot and sprinkle with ½ tsp of salt. Add one or two cloves of garlic, if desired. Lock lid and set on manual for ten minutes.
- After cook time, do a natural release and remove lid.
- Do not drain potatoes – just mash right in the pot, adding ¼-⅓ cup of vegan butter or ghee. If necessary, add in some additional broth. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, and fresh herbs, if desired (we love it with just butter and salt, honestly!).
- Enjoy the best mashed potatoes!
Storage
For best results, leftover mashed potatoes should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tips and Variations
- If following a vegan diet, you can make this a vegan mashed potato recipe by swapping the chicken broth out for vegetable broth.
- Add more broth after you’ve started mashing the potatoes if they’re super thick and you want a creamy texture.
- Add more butter, salt, and pepper once you give it a taste test until your taste buds are happy.
- I like using sea salt or kosher salt to enhance the flavors of everything in this perfect side dish.
- If you don’t have a potato masher, you can use an electric hand mixer to mix it all together. Just mash or mix until they reach the consistency desired. We like a creamy consistency, but if you like a chunky one, that’s perfectly fine too!
Recipe FAQs
It’s a matter of preference and what types of potatoes you have on hand, but I find peeled russet potatoes to give the best texture in the Instant Pot. While russets give make for creamy potatoes, I do, though, also like Yukon gold, especially if I am leaving the peel on. I’ve also used red potatoes and honestly, if that’s what you have, they will come out fine, too! My mother-in-law always uses red potatoes for her mashed potatoes and hers are out of this world yummy! Any of these options will make delicious creamy dairy-free mashed potatoes.
I know you want me to say you can make these days in advance, but I always love freshly mashed potatoes and I think they taste best when you eat them within an hour or so of making them.
That being said, you can make these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes earlier in the day and then set them to Keep Warm or Slow Cook. Before serving, just heat up some additional butter and broth and mash again. This is a great option for checking something off your list when making a holiday meal.
The broth gives the potatoes extra flavor, so if you swap it out for water, you might need
What to serve with mashed potatoes
Is there anything mashed potatoes doesn’t go with? We love making them as a side for Air Fryer Whole Chicken, Instant Pot Chicken Marsala, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, and obviously my Easy Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy.
Some other mains to pair with mashed potatoes include:
21 Day Fix Grilled Lemon-Herb Pork Chops
21 Day Fix Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes [Dairy Free]
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds russet, Yukon gold, or red potatoes
- 1/4 -1/3 cup vegan butter or ghee or regular butter if you aren’t dairy free
- 1-2 cups chicken broth or veggie broth for vegan
- Garlic optional
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Peel and cut 3-5lbs of russet, Yukon gold, or red potatoes into 1 inch chunks. If you want to leave the peel on, don’t use russet potatoes.
- Add 1 cup of broth and quartered potatoes to your instant pot and sprinkle with ½ tsp of salt. Add 1-2 cloves of garlic, if desired. Lock lid and set on manual for 10 minutes.
- After cook time, do a natural release and remove lid.
- Do not drain potatoes – just mash right in the pot, adding ¼-⅓ cup of vegan butter or ghee. If necessary, add in some additional broth. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
Gail says
Never making my mashed potatoes any other way. They were a hit on Thanksgiving and it was nice that I did not have to use my stovetop.
Nancylynn says
I am so happy to hear this, Gail! ❤️
Kathryn says
Can I do 10lbs of potatoes?
Nancylynn says
I haven’t tested 10 lbs at once before so I’m not personally sure, but I think you’d have to do it in two batches, 5 lbs each so the potatoes cook to the desired consistency.
Cindy says
Can you use an immersion blender instead of a potato masher?
Nancylynn says
A potato masher will give the best texture! An immersion blender could work, but could also result in gummy potatoes.
McKenzie says
I LOVE this recipe! Im making it for Thanksgiving tomorrow to show people the easy and delicious way 😉 how many 1/2 cup servings does this recipe make?
Nancylynn says
Thank you! It depends on how many lbs of potatoes you use. 3lb is about 6 servings and 5 lb is about 10 servings.
Kim says
This recipe is a total game changer for me! I made them last night and they were delicious. This is so much easier, has less clean up and tasted even better than boiling the potatoes. We will definitely be using this recipe for the holidays.
Nancylynn says
Ahhh! Hey Kim – this is awesome!! Thanks so much for letting me know!!
Melissa Harris says
Is the 6qt IP large enough for a double batch of this recipe?
Nancylynn says
Yes!
Melissa Harris says
Woohoo!! Thank you for quick reply!!
Bri says
Could you use sweet potatoes instead??
Nancylynn says
Yes!
Kat says
I’d love to try – we are not dairy free so how much milk would you add? Would it be in addition to the stock or equal parts or what? Thanks.
Nancylynn says
I would add it at the end – keep the stock for cook time, but add 1/4 cup of milk along with the butter and potentially more if needed.