How to make super fluffy mashed potatoes step by step

Are you tired of bland store-bought mashed potatoes? Want to impress your dinner guests with homemade goodness?

In my previous post, I showed you how to use leftover mashed potatoes to make tasty flatbreads. This time, we’re starting from scratch with whole potatoes to make the most heavenly mashed potatoes you’ve ever tasted. With my step-by-step instructions and insider tips, you’ll be a mashed potato pro in no time!

The recipe is vegan, but you can use the same technique to make mashed potatoes from any kind of milk.

This recipe is also available in Finnish in my other blog, Melkein vegaani.

In this article

• Equipment
• Ingredients
• Choosing the right potato variety
• How to whip mashed potatoes
• How to make fluffy mashed potatoes step by step
• Recipe

Equipment

To make mashed potatoes you will need:

• a large pot for boiling potatoes (or two small ones)
• a potato masher
• a whisk

Use a whisk to make perfectly fluffy mashed potatoes – see below for tips on whipping mashed potatoes. A fork will do, but a whisk is super helpful.

Ingredients

For this recipe, all you need are potatoes, plant milk, vegan margarine, and salt. That’s it!

You can also use the cooking water from the potatoes instead of plant milk, but the mash won’t be quite as delicious.

Choosing the right potato variety

I recommend using a floury variety of potato to make mashed potatoes. It results in the best texture – wonderfully smooth, velvety, and fluffy. The floury potatoes are so soft that they almost mash themselves after cooking!

If you don’t have floury potatoes, you can also use general purpose potatoes. I have also made mash with these potatoes. If you know the technique, the end result can be quite good, but I don’t recommend this potato variety for beginners.

I would advise you to stay away from the dense and firm potato varieties if you want to make good mashed potatoes. These potatoes are difficult to mash and tend to result in a gummy texture that is not very appetizing. Yuck.

For more information on the potato varieties and their characteristics, see Potato varieties and how they cook.

How to whip mashed potatoes

The best type of whisk to use is one with sparse strands, where the whisk strands are not too close together. Since mashed potatoes can be quite stiff, this type of whisk will help prevent it from getting stuck between the strands.

In fact, the whisk that I have found to work best is the metal whisk that came with my electric mixer. When making mashed potatoes, I use this whisk manually, not attached to the mixer. The whisk part is very sturdy and the potatoes don’t get easily stuck. The only downside is the whisk’s short stem.

this recipe

I know that some people whip mashed potatoes with an electric mixer, but if the potatoes are poorly mashed and you start whipping them at high speeds, there is a serious risk of failure. That’s why I recommend hand whipping for the best results.

How to make fluffy mashed potatoes step by step

Start by peeling the potatoes. If you prefer, you can also steam the potatoes until tender, in which case you will probably want to peel them after they are cooked.

Cut each potato into 2-3 pieces and boil them until tender. Add enough water to the pan to cover the potatoes completely.

If you use a floury potato variety, they are prone to crumbling and cracking once fully cooked. To check if they are done, test with a fork – if the fork easily slides through the potato and it starts to crumble, you know they’re ready.

Pour off the cooking water (but save it if you want to use it instead of plant milk).

Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for a few minutes to allow most of the moisture to steam off. This will leave you with fully cooked, fairly dry potatoes that can easily be mashed.

Using a potato masher, evenly press the masher through the potatoes on all sides.

The end result should look like this:

Add vegan margarine and let it melt in.

Heat the plant milk (for example, in the microwave) and gradually add it to the mashed potatoes. Add only a small amount at a time so that you can see when the puree reaches the right consistency. The exact amount of milk needed will vary depending on the type of potato used.

Add salt and whip all the ingredients together to create a fluffy mashed potato mixture. Check the taste and add a bit more salt if needed.

For a finishing touch, drizzle some melted vegan margarine over the top to make it even more delicious. Serve warm.

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