gluten-free | dairy-free
These mashed potatoes are gluten-free and dairy-free—silky and creamy thanks to a garlic-Ripple sauce and Earth Balance that together do what butter and cream usually do. The garlic is the key: it cuts the Ripple’s off-flavors so you get depth of flavor, not just liquid. Use a potato ricer for the smoothest result. Serve alongside the meatloaf and green bean bundles.
When you are dairy-free, delicious mashed potatoes can seem so far out of reach. No butter. No cream. Not fair!
I have been working on my dairy-free mashed potatoes for a few years. The main issue is finding a dairy-free “cream” that does not have too much sugar, does not taste like coconut, and does not taste bad with no depth of flavor.
I found Ripple Half and Half and decided to give it a try. I knew I could not use it “out of the container” and had to make a “sauce” to eliminate its inherent flavors. It doesn’t taste terrible, but it doesn’t taste enough like milk or cream either.
2026 Update
Ripple is nearly impossible to find now, and that’s okay since heavy cream (which was what I wanted in the first place but did not exist dairy-free) is now available. Here are three wonderful options (Country Crock is my favorite):
Califia Dairy-Free Heavy Cream
Country Crock Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream
The garlic added to the sauce is the key to cutting masking Ripple’s flavor, so, in essence, I use the Ripple only for the liquid component, not necessarily the flavor. Simmering the sauce on the stove while the potatoes are cooking also helps thicken it. The addition of the chicken stock gives the sauce and the potatoes more depth of flavor, and the Earth Balance adds the buttery flavor all mashed potatoes should have.
Serve with Velvety Meatloaf with Magical Sauce and Green Bean Bundles
Now, go eat something amazing!
Gluten-Free Creamy Mashed Potatoes
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The Ingredients
- 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup Ripple Dairy Free Half & Half
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
- 2 cloves garlic, or 1 clove black garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp Italian parsley, for garnish, or you can use scallions
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
The Process
Mise en Place
- Gather all your ingredients. Measure out the Ripple, chicken stock, and Earth Balance. Peel the garlic and crush slightly, but not too much it breaks apart.
Simmer the "Sauce"
- Combine the Ripple, chicken stock, Earth Balance, and garlic in a small saucepan. Add a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Heat on medium until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and keep simmering until it is time to mash/rice the potatoes.
Prepare the Taters
- Wash, peel and rinse the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into 2 inch chunks and place in a large stock pot. Add cold water to the potatoes, enough to cover them with one inch above potatoes. Add a tablespoon of Kosher salt to the potatoes. The water should taste like ocean salt water and if it does not, add more salt until it does. Put the pot on the stove on high.
- Let the potatoes cook until a fork inserted in them pushes through easily, about 10-15 minutes after you achieve a full boil. You may need to turn the heat down after the boil is achieved.
Mash the Potatoes
- Strain the cooked potatoes and transfer to a bowl.
- Using the potato ricer, rice all the potatoes into the pan you boiled the potatoes in. Add the "sauce" a ladle at a time and mix the potatoes as you add the liquid. Keep adding and mixing until you achieve the desired consistency. You may not use all the liquid.
Taste and Serve
- Taste the potatoes to check the seasoning level and add more Kosher salt needed. Add a generous amount of ground pepper and mix well. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley or scallions and serve. Enjoy.
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