13 Vegan Mashed Potato Recipes That Prove This Dish Doesn’t Need Dairy To Be Good

Thanksgiving is about gathering family around the table to give thanks. Gratitude is the essence of the holiday. Another essence? Mashed potatoes. Let's be real, the holiday isn't the friendliest to vegans. But just because you're vegan doesn't mean you can't indulge in the side dishes. There are vegan mashed potato recipes for Thanksgiving 2017 that everyone, even your Turkey gobbling uncle, can enjoy. You ~can~ and ~will~ enjoy the second essence of Thanksgiving: indulging in the aromas rising from the table.

Mashed potatoes in their natural state are vegan treasures. They're also a Thanksgiving table staple. My advice is to claim taking care of the potatoes this year before grandma douses them with butter and heavy cream because she innocently doesn't understand the difference between vegan and vegetarian. Some may assume that mashed potatoes without dairy is a dry wreck. But you know what they say about the word "assume." You don't need any animal byproducts to get a resulting smooth texture that reduces conversation to the blissful, harmonized tune of "mmm." Creamy doesn't have to solely be associated with dairy. There are plenty of ways you can achieve the winning characteristics of mashed potatoes without butter. You can even abandon potatoes all together and still wind up with a praised mashed dish this Thanksgiving. Your stomach will thank you.

Saffron Mashed Potatoes

The Saffron Mashed Potatoes from Tori Avey uses canned coconut milk which is a secrete weapon in vegan baking and cooking, if you ask me. It acts in the place of cream to bring you a dish to savor.

Vegan Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

This cauliflower mash by Love and Lemons still uses two pounds of Yukon Gold Potatoes, but also includes another ingredient: Cauliflower. Cauliflower works wonders and even if the bulk of your mashed potatoes is actually another vegetable, you'll still enjoy a familiar creamy texture.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Avocado Garlic Aioli

OK. This is next level. If you're planning on taking a more alternative mashed potato route altogether, the smashed potatoes by Oh She Glows is path you're looking for. While it's not presented as a vat of mashed potatoes in a serving bowl, it'll be an intriguing starchy addition to the table that finds it's creamy texture in the vegan aioli. Show them your chef moves!

Vegan Lentil Shepard's Pie With Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

This recipe by Making Thyme For Health combines russet potatoes with parsnips. Parsnips can be sweeter than you'd expect which would add a flavor element here without the help of maple syrup.

Garlic Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes With Spinach

The flavors here in Oh She Glows recipe will have everyone thinking about going vegan. Adding pumpkin puree elevates the mashed texture to, um, heaven. It's perfectly fitting for your Thanksgiving table.

Rosemary, Olive Oil, And Sea Salt Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A lot of vegan mashed potato recipes call for the use of alternative butter and milks. You won't find any of those here. Instead, Ari's Menu is all about using olive oil to achieve that winning creamy texture. I would also suggest taking the immersion blender route when mashing to get the roasted sweet potatoes all nice and naturally creamy.

Oil-Free Mashed Root Veggies

This recipe by Healthful Pursuit brings the dish back to the basics, but it's anything but basic. The combination of root vegetables (carrots and parsnips) gives every bite of the mash a different sweetness, so this bowl won't be dull.

Tahini Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Fried Sage Leaves

Want to upgrade your vegan mashed potatoes to not only impress the people around the table, but ignite all the sensations rooted in your tastebuds? Try adding tahini as suggested by What Jew Wanna Eat. Tahini deepens the dish, giving the mashed potatoes a nuttier vibe. Even if you decide to omit the pine nuts.

Maple Turnip And Carrot Mash

Maple syrup will sweeten up this bowl of mashed root vegetables. Carrots are already naturally sweet (hello, nature's candy) so this recipe by Healthful Pursuit could be an ideal replacement for candied yams!

Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

This is a flavor combination that is guaranteed to awaken the dullest of vegetables. The always aromatic rosemary and garlic are here to convince your friends and family that vegan life is good with this recipe from Big Girls Small Kitchen.

Vegan Garlicky Mashed Potatoes With Mushroom Gravy

Bonus points for making the vegan gravy by My Darling Vegan! This recipe is the complete package for your side dish noshing this very vegan Thanksgiving.

Aloo Bharta — Indian Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes by Vegan Richa bring every spice that is good together in one mashed dish. If you're not one for mustard, this recipe comes with notes for preparing without!

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes are abandoned altogether in this cauliflower mash by Pure Ella. Whip a head of cauliflower up for the table this Thanksgiving and see if anyone catches the difference. Or even likes it more!