Fluffy Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

By Molly O'Neill

Fluffy Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 20 minutes
Rating
4(786)
Notes
Read community notes

Buttermilk and a smidge of baking soda work together here to create an impossibly fluffy potato side dish. We like to finish ours with an extra pat of butter that melts into a golden pool while we set the table.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • pounds potatoes (like Yukon Gold), peeled and sliced
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½cup buttermilk
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • 2teaspoons unsalted butter
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

140 calories; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 409 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Fluffy Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Place the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

  2. Step

    2

    Place the potatoes in a large bowl and mash partly. Cook the buttermilk in a saucepan over low heat to just barely warm it; do not let the buttermilk get too hot or it will separate. Add it and the baking soda to the potatoes and mash completely.

  3. Step

    3

    Stir in the butter, additional salt and the pepper to taste. If you like very creamy mashed potatoes, add the reserved cooking liquid. Serve immediately.

Ratings

4

out of 5

786

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Kate

I didn't bother with moving the potatoes to a separate bowl and warming the buttermilk, I just dumped it all in the pot together after draining the potatoes. Added 2 tablespoons instead of teaspoons of butter. And it was fantastic! Very fluffy, light, and creamy. Ideal mashed potatoes.

DJ

It came out a little more cement-y/thick than some of my guests preferred, especially when cooled. The flavor was nice, but I suggest using a ricer or something to fluff them up.

kris

Yukon Gold potatoes are not good for mashing. They don't "dry out" the way the brown baking potatoes do...

Randy G

I've noticed in Houston, many restaurants prepare their mashed potatoes with buttermilk. In theory, I presume to lower the calories. However, I used Borden's whole milk Bulgarian cultured buttermilk, doubled the butter because I like butter. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and the mashed potatoes were a smashing hit!

Mari

Here is an Irish girl's recipe for perfect mashed spuds:Take 4 Large floury potatoesCut the potatoes up so that each piece is about 2 in X 1.5 in approxSteam them until soft in the middleHeat up about 1 cup whole milk and about 1.5 oz butter with a little salt in a saucepan until almost boiling.Tip in the soft steamed potatoes, and mash - adding more milk and butter and salt to tastePut mash in a shallow ovenproof dish, fork over, dot with a little butter, and bake at 325F for 20-30mins

gail

Loved this! Thank you, Molly!

ReginaB

These potatoes were bland and a bit gluey. They also had a green hue much like others who wrote notes. I have a recipe from Pioneer Woman that is my go to mashed potato recipe. I’ll stick with that in the future.

Nicole N

Really enjoyed the flavor with the tang of the buttermilk, but mine turned out far from fluffy - much denser and paste-like. I'll stick to my usual no recipe method next time I want mashed potatoes.

Es

These were nice, particularly if you have the buttermilk in the refrigerator. Flavor was good.

anna frances

i made this in a food processor, as me and my brother are both recovering from wisdom teeth surgery. i added: another potato, 1 TBS miso, 1 TBS nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/3 cup sour cream & 1 green onion. it was delicious, but if i was remaking it for a normal occasion i’d make it in a stand mixer to avoid a soup-like consistency.

Chabe San Diego

I could taste the baking soda. I did not like that.

Mari

Here is an Irish girl's recipe for perfect mashed spuds:Take 4 Large floury potatoesCut the potatoes up so that each piece is about 2 in X 1.5 in approxSteam them until soft in the middleHeat up about 1 cup whole milk and about 1.5 oz butter with a little salt in a saucepan until almost boiling.Tip in the soft steamed potatoes, and mash - adding more milk and butter and salt to tastePut mash in a shallow ovenproof dish, fork over, dot with a little butter, and bake at 325F for 20-30mins

Anna

When it came to boiling the potatoes, I salted 1 qt water with 2 tbsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (thanks Samin Nosrat!) and added the potatoes once the water reached a boil. I checked after 10 min, found them still hard, then forgot about them for maybe 5 min when they were a little past fork tender.I didn’t heat the buttermilk (didn’t really see a point) and used low-fat buttermilk. I then used a hand mixer to mash, added in 1 tbsp unsalted butter, and a dash more of salt. Perfection!

John

Everyone found these potatoes bland, and I added more buttermilk and butter. Very disappointed.

Dave Snow

Very easy to prepare and delicious. I used a ricer because I couldn't find my masher and was really pleased with the results. One strange thing, though... They turned a sickly green color as they cooled after dinner. Could the baking soda have something to do with that?

Marg

Buttermilk is added for its zippy flavor.

Anja Parker

These were very easy and delicious! I added an additional ounce of buttermilk (just my preference), and they were perfect.

Juliette

This is more involved than I thought it would be.It would simply if I would take the time in the morning or afternoon to mis en place, but since I didn’t, and was handling a long phone call from a dear friend right in the prep time, I used a bag of small mixed potatoes from TJ’s and ended up with green mashed potatoes! Not particularly off-putting but entirely novel!This recipe is very good, but I think I still prefer my thirty year old recipe that is a riff on someone else’s original. ***

Anna

I doubled the recipe, except for the baking soda, I kept it at 1/2 t. It really does fluff up the potatoes. The only thing different I would do next time is use a ricer- there were just too many lumps for our taste using the masher. I also adder an extra dollop of butter as I plated.

Lise Nelson

I feel like an idiot, but how think should I slice the potatoes? I wish this was included in the recipe.

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Fluffy Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is buttermilk a good substitute for milk in mashed potatoes? ›

Buttermilk mashed potatoes have the same consistency as traditional mashed potatoes. Buttermilk is substituted for the typical milk, half and half, or heavy cream. Buttermilk lends them a slight tang while keeping the overall dish a tad bit lighter, due to its lower fat content.

How do you make mashed potatoes fluffy and not gluey? ›

For mashed potatoes that are smooth without being gummy, a potato ricer is your best bet. It gently presses the potato into fine pieces, so all that's left to do is add your liquid and a pat or two of butter.

Is it better to use milk or heavy cream in mashed potatoes? ›

As always, better quality ingredients equals better tasting food. Heavy Cream - While you, hypothetically, could use whole milk or something, I don't recommend it. Part of what makes these the creamiest mashed potatoes is the CREAM!

Can you use buttermilk in instant mashed potatoes? ›

To give your mashed potatoes a light tanginess, go with buttermilk or sour cream. For packages that call for butter or margarine, try using cream cheese instead for a thicker texture.

What happens if you use buttermilk instead of milk? ›

Buttermilk has more acid than regular milk, which will reduce the carbon dioxide released and thwart the leavening process important to these recipes. To achieve the desired result when using buttermilk instead of milk, be sure to substitute baking soda for some or all for of the baking powder.

How much buttermilk can I substitute for milk? ›

You can substitute buttermilk for regular milk in just about any baking recipe, cup for cup - but some experts advise making sure the recipe includes at least ½ teaspoon baking soda per cup of buttermilk. If the recipe calls for only baking powder, replace enough of the powder with baking soda to meet this requirement.

What should you avoid when making mashed potatoes? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make With Mashed Potatoes
  1. You Don't Wash Potatoes First. ...
  2. You Use Just One Type of Potato. ...
  3. You Don't Season the Water. ...
  4. You Add Potato Pieces to Boiling Water. ...
  5. You Use the Wrong Gadget to Mash the Potatoes. ...
  6. You Only Use Butter. ...
  7. You Make the Potatoes Too Soon.
Jun 15, 2021

Why do restaurant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

Garlic and herbs are added to boost flavor

Instead of boiling a few potatoes and mashing them plain, a lot of restaurant chefs like to apply a little more finesse. Garlic and herbs infused in butter and cream add a flavor boost without overpowering.

Why my mashed potatoes are never fluffy? ›

As already discussed, pastiness is caused by too much potato starch being worked into the mashed potatoes. The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish.

Which is better in mashed potatoes, sour cream or cream cheese? ›

Sour Cream: The sour cream helps keep the mashed potatoes fluffy. Cream Cheese: This adds a bit of creaminess without being too overpowering. Heavy Cream: Increases the creaminess and helps thin out the potatoes a bit.

Can you put too much milk in mashed potatoes? ›

Runny potatoes can happen for a few different reasons. Too much liquid: This is the most common reason. In the mashing process you may have added too much milk or broth.

Why do people add sour cream to mashed potatoes? ›

Sour cream adds a little bit of tangy flavor and a boost of richness to mashed potatoes. It's a fun change from the standard milk or cream and butter combo usually flavoring mashed taters. You can even try your hand at making homemade sour cream from heavy cream!

Why add butter before milk in mashed potatoes? ›

Waxy potatoes (such as new, red, or white varieties) require more mashing to become creamy which could result in gluey, pasty spuds. Butter before milk: Always add the butter first so the butter fat coats the potato starch molecules. Then, add the hot milk to make them creamy.

How do you enhance mashed potatoes? ›

Extra Salt

You should be salting the boiling water and the potatoes after cooking. You can also lean on seasoning salts like Tony Chacheres, for additional flavor and salt. For a fun twist, try adding a dollop of white miso to your next batch of mashed potatoes; it's not only salty, but savory.

Can you freeze buttermilk mashed potatoes? ›

The answer is simple: yes!

What can I use if I don't have milk for my mashed potatoes? ›

Yogurt or Greek Yogurt. Yogurt or Greek yogurt can be a great (healthy!) option if you run out of milk for mashed potatoes. This will add a slightly tangy flavor, and the consistency is also thicker than milk; therefore, less may be required to achieve the desired consistency of mashed potatoes.

Can you use buttermilk instead of milk in macaroni? ›

"I wanted to make a small amount mac & cheese but only had Light buttermilk, not regular milk. Then I figured it would work just as well and better yet wouldn't require butter. The buttermilk did work fabulously! This is a creamy, gooey kind of mac & cheese similar to Velveeta mac & cheese , not the baked crusty kind."

What is the best substitute for milk in a recipe? ›

Dairy Substitutes for Milk
  • Cream or Half-and-Half. Cream is richer than milk, so to avoid heavier dough or batter use a ratio of about 60 percent cream to 40 percent water. ...
  • Evaporated or Powdered Milk. ...
  • Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt. ...
  • Water (or Water and Butter) ...
  • Nut Milk. ...
  • Soy Milk. ...
  • Oat Milk. ...
  • Rice Milk.
Apr 3, 2023

What is a good substitute for cream in mashed potatoes? ›

Whole milk and light cream are the two components of half-and-half, so it's not that far off from the real deal. Use half-and-half as a 1:1 substitute for heavy cream. It can work nearly as well for bringing creamy texture and flavor to sauces, soups and stews, mashed potatoes, quiches, and casseroles.

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