There is something so comforting and versatile about mashed potatoes. They suit nearly any occasion – from casual weeknight dinners to holiday celebrations, like Easter or Thanksgiving. But most recipes are loaded with dairy and limited in nutrition. Enter these dairy-free mashed sweet potatoes, carrots, and potatoes with fresh rosemary. They have even more depth in flavor, are rich in nutrients, and contain no oil or butter of any kind!
Why You’ll Love this Root Vegetable Mash
- Family Favorite: This dairy-free mashed sweet potatoes (plus!) recipe was submitted by the Taylor family for one of our recipes contests. It has since become a staple for many of our other dairy-free families.
- Sweet & Savory Flavor: The carrots and sweet potatoes dress up ordinary potatoes with their rustic, natural sweetness.
- Creamy Consistency: Dairy-free milk alternative helps the texture, but the types of root vegetables in this mash also tend to have a silkier mouthfeel than starchy russets.
- Allergy-Friendly: Not only is this recipe vegan and gluten-free, it’s also free of top allergens and suitable for most dietary needs.
- Healthy & Light: We won’t judge if you do add a little oil or dairy-free butter, but as is, this mashed sweet potato dish is butterless and oil-free. It’s also rich in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin, C, and a host of other micronutrients.
- Versatile: These mashed sweet potatoes are a great base for vegan meals, but they also pair well with chicken, steak, pork, turkey, or ham.
How to Choose the Best Root Vegetables
- Sweet Potatoes: We usually pick the orange flesh variety for dairy-free mashed sweet potatoes, because they’re often a little more moist. But the white flesh sweet potatoes are still a good option. Skip purple sweet potatoes. They are simply too starchy and need more fat for balance. Here’s a great sweet potato guide if you want to compare the varieties.
- Potatoes: Any type of white or yellow potato will work great, but Yukon gold potatoes are the best if you have them. None of these potatoes need peeling since they are very thin-skinned. Russets will work in a pinch, but are starchier. Skip waxy potatoes, like red potatoes.
- Carrots: We haven’t found much difference between carrots aside from color. But it is good to taste test and make sure your carrots aren’t bitter or flat in taste. If you only have baby carrots on hand, about 8 baby carrots will work in place of 1 medium carrot.
How this Recipe Works Without Butter
Instead of starchy Russets, the combination of mashed sweet potatoes, carrots, and yellow potatoes has a creamier finish. When cooked until very soft, these vegetables release more moisture, allowing them to mash into a pleasing texture. The addition of rosemary and chives and the natural sweetness of the root vegetables also adds depth, which compensates for the low fat profile.
Recipe Options
- Herbs: If you don’t have rosemary or chives on hand, you can simply use just one or the other. Or you can substitute another aromatic herb, like thyme.
- Cream Alternative: If you want a little fat and richer finish without oil or butter, you can use full-fat canned coconut milk in place of the milk alternative. It will add a hint of coconut flavor, but this does complement the vegetables.
- Richer Finish: This recipe might be oil-free, but there is no rule that says you have to keep it that way! You can swirl in some dairy-free butter alternative (or serve it on the side), or even mix in a little olive oil or coconut oil to increase the richness. Just a tablespoon or so is plenty.
- Other Root Vegetables: We also like parsnips in place of the carrots. Beets or rutabagas could be used in place of the carrots, but these do impart a more pronounced flavor. I do recommend sticking with a potato base (sweet and/or yellow potatoes) as they do provide some necessary starch.
Special Diet Notes: Rosemary Mashed Root Vegetables
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose a milk alternative that suits your dietary needs.
Dairy-Free Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, and Potatoes
Ingredients
Method
- Place the sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and carrots in a pot, and cover with water.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let bubble until the vegetables are fork tender. This usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and drain the vegetables.
- Place the vegetables into a medium bowl, and add the milk alternative, rosemary, chives, salt, and pepper. Mash the ingredients together with a potato masher or lightly blend with a hand mixer to combine.
1 Comment
This is such a great idea and it looks fantastic! I love the natural sweetness and complexity that this blend of root vegetables would bring to standard mashed potatoes.