Creamy mashed potatoes to go with just about every single meal under the sun – that’s the dream right there!
If you are lactose intolerant or just don’t like milk, you may be wondering how to make mashed potatoes without milk. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with that.
How To Make Mashed Potatoes Without Milk?
I’ll let you into a secret… You don’t actually NEED milk to make super creamy mashed potatoes. There, I said it!
Sometimes, adding too much milk can change the flavour of the potatoes, or make them too runny.
If you don’t like the taste of milk, or you are allergic to dairy, you can simply not add it to your potatoes.
There are a great many other ways out there that you can use to make your mashed potatoes super creamy:
- Butter. Use either dairy butter or a vegan alternative – just add a little more than you usually would, for that same creamy effect without using milk.
- Sour cream. This will make a lovely smooth texture, and add another dimension of flavour too.
- Milk alternatives. There are a lot of options out there that you can add to your mash instead of milk, so don’t feel you have to add milk.
- Water. You can simply substitute water for milk if you don’t like it, or you have an allergy to it.
- Mash really well. Beating your potatoes to a super soft, fluffy texture using a fork or even a food processor will give almost the same results as if you added milk!
Milk is not a necessity to add to mashed potatoes – it just changes the texture. You don’t have to use it if you don’t like it; there are many other options.
Why Do People Add Milk To Mashed Potatoes?
Mashed potatoes are meant to be creamy and soft, aren’t they? Well, adding milk to it can help it to become more smooth.
Some people even suggest that you add milk or cream to the water as you boil the potatoes, before they are even mashed, so that they suck it right up into themselves!
If you use skimmed or semi skimmed milk you probably won’t notice much difference in flavour, but using full fat milk will definitely make a creamy taste.
Many of the milk alternatives have a very mild taste, so adding them will change the texture rather than the flavour of the mash.
You can add in other flavours along with your milk, such as half a stock cube, or extra salt – or pretty much anything you like!
Mashing potatoes can take a bit of elbow grease too, and adding milk can make them easier to fluff up.
If you don’t want to add milk, remember that you don’t have to – but it will definitely help with the texture and the ease of mashing.
What Can I Substitute For Milk In Mashed Potatoes?
In this day and age, so many of us have complicated dietary requirements that dairy alternatives are all over the place!
You can choose from a whole range of dairy free milks, if you still like that added element of creaminess in your mash.
- Soya milk is a good alternative – it is relatively tasteless, so you won’t notice much of a flavour difference.
- Oat milk is a nice creamy one to use instead of milk – again, it doesn’t really taste of much so you won’t be affecting the flavour of your potatoes.
- Coconut milk can also be used – bear in mind that this one does taste fairly coconutty, and might give your mash a tropical edge!
Can You Add Water Instead Of Milk To Mashed Potatoes?
If you are wanting to add liquid to your mash to make them smoother and you’re not too fussed about the taste, you can definitely substitute water.
Just remember not to add too much – water is thinner than milk, so adding the same amount of water as you would milk may make a slightly runny mash!
If you want to add a bit of pizazz to your potatoes, you can add other flavours in alongside the water…
- Nutritional yeast will add a delicious nutty flavour, and it has the added bonus of being very good for you.
- Sour cream is another good option – this will make a very creamy mash, with that characteristic tangy taste.
- Miso broth is a great option – again, this will add smoothness, flavour, and it is packed with health benefits.
- Make some concentrated stock, and pour this into your spuds instead of milk – it will really enhance the flavour as well as making them smooth!
Whatever you want to add to your mashed potatoes to make them smooth, creamy and tasty is absolutely fine – you are only limited by your imagination!
Do You Start Mashed Potatoes In Hot Or Cold Water?
When boiling most foodstuffs, we are told to bring the water to the boil before adding the food – but it is slightly different for mashed potatoes.
You should always start the cooking in cold water – if you add the potatoes to boiling water than the outsides will cook quicker than the insides, meaning you will be left with crunchy bits.
The starch in the potatoes will react the second it meets boiling water, which will mean uneven cooking and a less than ideal texture.
It is always a good idea to add salt to the water when you are boiling potatoes – this not only makes it boil faster, but can add a depth of flavour too.
If you want to make some really good, professional style mashed potatoes, check out this video (it does use cream, but no milk!):
Mashed potatoes are one of those really easy, simple, go-to dinner options that just about everybody loves.
Now that you have some options on how to make mashed potatoes without milk, you can get on and get creative with your cooking!
