Name: Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2-3 pounds small Yukon or yellow waxy potatoes; 3 tablespoons kosher salt or flaky sea salt (plus more to taste); 5 quarts water; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)

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Our family recipe for pure and simple olive oil mashed potatoes, made without butter or cow’s milk. These potatoes are simply the best-tasting natural potatoes I’ve ever had!

A white casserole dish full of olive oil mashed potatoes with a wooden serving spoon.

This is my favorite dairy-free mashed potato recipe, the one that I’ve made for years and years.

First, let me tell you I grew up LOVING my mom’s homemade mashed potatoes.

Her method involved putting cooked cubes of Russet potatoes in a stand mixer, adding loads of melted butter and scalded (hot) whole milk and whipping them for about half and hour.

Those mashers were so soft and smooth it was almost like eating buttery clouds.

A gray metal colander with small yellow Yukon Gold potatoes ready for boiling.

Making mashed potatoes without milk

I had to come up with dairy-free alternative to my mother’s recipe because a few of my family members have sensitivities to milk and butter.

This recipe contains nothing but:

Potatoes
Water
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil

In other words, they taste pure and simple. I believe this is the very best way to make mashed potatoes without milk.

Want to know my SECRET?

Instead of milk and butter, I simply use the salted potato cooking water to lubricate the potatoes when they’re mashed.

Secret to dairy-free mashed potatoes is using the salted cooking water.

That cooking water is loaded with natural potato starch and since the water is seasoned with a generous amount of salt, it’s tasty, too.

Olive oil instead of butter

I probably don’t need to tell you this, but here goes. Since there are only a few ingredients in this recipe, the main things you want to taste are the potatoes and olive oil.

Over the years, I’ve tested mashed potatoes using liquids and fats other than cow’s milk and butter and always felt the flavor was off.

I’m talking almond milk (and other non-dairy milks), vegan butters, vegetable/chicken stock and even coconut milk.

But each of them added their own distinctive personality and masked the natural potato flavor.

To me, that takes away the whole point of making mashed potatoes, which should be all about the texture and the tuber.

The olive oil doesn’t need to be super-fancy, but do use a good one. Choose your go-to brand of extra-virgin olive oil — just taste it first to be sure the oil tastes fresh and delicious.

White mixing bowl with handheld potato masher blending cooked potatoes with olive oil, salt and water.

Smooth or chunky mashed potatoes

These potatoes are rustic. I like to keep the skin on for extra flavor and nutritious goodness, and coarsely mash them with a handheld potato masher for a soft but chunky texture.

If you enjoy a smoother mashed potato experience all you need to do is peel the potatoes before cooking.

Once they’re cooked, puree them with a potato ricer or food mill, or put them in a stand mixer and beat until smooth.

Yukon gold or yellow potatoes are my top choice for mashed potatoes. They aren’t as dry as baking (Russet) potatoes and will soak up all the flavor of your olive oil.

Serving olive oil mashed potatoes

These potatoes are the perfect canvas for any tasty topping or mix-ins.

Think grated cheese, roasted garlic cloves, chopped fresh herbs like rosemary or parsley, and of course a good drizzle of additional olive oil.

Olive oil mashed potatoes go with:

Simple Roasted Chicken and Hazelnut Brown Butter Green Beans
Mushroom Bolognese Sauce
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs