Here's my secret for making vegan cauliflower mashed potatoes for someone who super loves mashed potatoes.
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I love cauliflower, but most cauliflower mash leaves me wanting. They're just missing that starchy umami that you get from legit mashed potatoes. Think of these vegan cauliflower mashed potatoes as a delicious compromise.
The secret to making your cauliflower mashed potatoes is to shift your thinking. We aren't making a cauliflower mash. We are sneaking cauliflower into our mashed potatoes.
The base for this recipe is an easy cream sauce made from thawed frozen cauliflower. You use that to mash your potatoes up into light, fluffy heaven!
Do you love mashed potatoes? Check out my collection of vegan mashed potato recipes! It's got recipes for potatoes, whole meals centered around them, and main dishes that pair deliciously with mashed potatoes!
✓ Ingredients and substitutions
- potatoes - Choose thin-skinned potatoes, like red potatoes or Yukon golds. We are not peeling these potatoes, and thin skinned potatoes just mash up creamier.
- vegan butter - For mashing. Or use olive oil. If you use olive oil, you'll just need to add more salt, since vegan butter is usually salted.
- frozen cauliflower - Thaw this according to package directions. You can use an equivalent amount of steamed, fresh cauliflower, if you prefer.
- garlic and onion powders - Give these cauliflower mashed potatoes a great umami flavor!
- soy or oat milk - For making the cauliflower cream. You can use other creamy, plant-based milks, if you prefer.
- salt and pepper - To season to taste after mashing.
🔪 How to make cauliflower mashed potatoes
First, cook the potatoes.
To cook them in the Instant Pot, cut them into cubes and cook with ½ cup water at high pressure for 6 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. For stovetop, add the cubed potatoes to a pot with enough water to cover, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender.
While the potatoes cook, add the cauliflower, garlic and onion powder, and the ¼ cup soy milk to your blender, and puree until completely smooth. Add another tablespoon or two of milk, if needed, to get a smooth mixture.
In a large bowl, use a fork or a potato masher to mash the hot potatoes with the vegan butter until the butter is melted. Don't worry about getting them super smooth. Some lumps are a-OK.
Pour the cauliflower mixture into the bowl with the potatoes, and mix and mash until they're totally combined, adding more soy milk, as needed by the tablespoon, to get a creamy mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
💡 Helpful tip
During the initial mash, don't worry about getting the potatoes totally smooth. You'l be mixing and mashing even more after adding the cauliflower cream. What you do want to make sure of is that your cauliflower cream is completely smooth.
🫙 Storage directions
Leftovers will keep for three to five days in the fridge.
💬 Frequently asked questions
The thing about potatoes is that they taste delicious! These hybrid cauliflower mashed potatoes are still lighter than conventional mashed potatoes, and they still include sneaky veggies. But they deliver that potato mouthfeel.
I love this as part of a hearty meal! Try pairing them up with quinoa lentil loaf, vegan pot roast, or baked BBQ tofu and one or two veggies sides, like air fryer butternut squash and mushrooms, jalapeno slaw, air fryer beets, or air fryer Brussels sprouts.
🍴 More fall/winter side dishes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed yellow or red potatoes 1" pieces, Do not use Russet potatoes for this recipe. You want thin-skinned potatoes, because we are not peeling them.
- ¼ cup vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 12 ounce bag of frozen cauliflower cooked according to package directions
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup soy or oat milk plus more, as needed
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the potatoes.
- Instant Pot: Cut them into cubes and cook with ½ cup water at high pressure for 6 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Stovetop: Add cubed potatoes to a pot with enough water to cover, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender.
Make the cauliflower mashed potatoes.
- While the potatoes cook, add the cauliflower, garlic and onion powder, and the ¼ cup soy milk to your blender, and puree until completely smooth. Add another tablespoon or two of milk, if needed, to get a smooth mixture.
- In a large bowl, use a fork or a potato masher to mash the hot potatoes with the vegan butter until the butter is melted. Don't worry about getting them super smooth. Some lumps are a-OK.
- Pour the cauliflower mixture into the bowl with the potatoes, and mix and mash until they're totally combined, adding more soy milk, as needed by the tablespoon, to get a creamy mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Jessica
Big hit tonight! Real comfort food. Went well with The “meat”loaf. I’d for sure make it all again!
Becky Striepe
Awesome! Thank you so much for coming back to review and comment, Jessica!
Chocoviv
I love this recipe!!
Becky Striepe
Thank you!