Fluffy Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

By Molly O'Neill

Fluffy Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 20 minutes
Rating
4(791)
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

791

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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

Lauren Spark

Delicious and easy. I cooked the potatoes in water with some chicken bouillon instead of salt. And doubled the buttermilk. Perfect mashed potatoes.

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.

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Fluffy Buttermilk-Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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

Using a potato ricer or food mill breaks down cooked potatoes without overworking them, and from there you can gently fold in butter and milk for light and airy mashed potatoes, or you can control the level of starch manipulation to produce creamy pommes purée.

How to keep mashed potatoes fluffy? ›

Removing the potato starch both before and after cooking ensures fluffy, not gluey, mashed potatoes. Milk and butter give the potatoes richness.

Why my mashed potatoes are never fluffy? ›

Chances are the interior of the potato was not fully cooked. That's why we recommend peeling and cutting the potato into even sized chunks, 1 ½ to 2 inch cubes and then boiling. For a drier mashed I've had success in baking potatoes with the skin on till 210 degrees F inside, 185 degrees minimum.

Why add baking soda to mashed potatoes? ›

Directions. Throw just a pinch of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda into potatoes while mashing to make them fluffier.

What is the secret to non-gluey mashed potatoes? ›

Start With the Proper Potato

You want to avoid low-starch, high-moisture potatoes such as red bliss or white potatoes, which need more exuberant mashing to break them down, potentially overworking the starch and turning them gluey. Russets, also called Idaho or baker potatoes, make the fluffiest mashed potatoes.

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.

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

Do you rinse potatoes after boiling for mashed potatoes? ›

Rinsing potatoes helps remove excess starch, so it is recommended to rinse the potatoes before cooking. To ensure even more starch is out of the way, it's recommended that they even be quickly rinsed after boiling. We recommend using hot water for rinsing after boiling and cold water prior to boiling.

How long do you let potatoes boil for mashed potatoes? ›

Once boiling, reduce heat, adjusting as needed to maintain a simmer. Cook potatoes until they offer no resistance when pierced: 10–12 minutes for baby potatoes, 15–20 minutes for small potatoes, or 30–40 minutes for large cubed potatoes. Drain potatoes in a colander and let cool 10 minutes.

Why do you put vinegar in mashed potatoes? ›

The addition of a mildly acidic vinegar to a starchy veggie like potatoes not only deepens the flavor profile, but it also helps to tenderize the tubers.

Is it better to boil potatoes with vinegar or baking soda? ›

Baking soda will cause the potatoes to break down, making them a little mushy and fall apart. Vinegar will make them hold their shape better.

What does adding an egg to mashed potatoes do? ›

They just taste rich (almost impossibly so). They do, however, feel creamy, because egg yolks are also emulsifiers (and are, in fact, the ingredient in mayo that makes it an emulsifier). The yolk emulsifies water and fat to create a cohesive, velvety bite, while providing a little fat and body of its own.

How do you keep mashed potatoes from getting gluey? ›

Thick-skinned varieties like russets will give you the fluffiest results. Steer clear of waxy red-skinned potatoes, which turn gluey when mashed. If it's too late to make the swap, change course and roast the potatoes tossed with oil, garlic and some fresh rosemary if you have it, instead of boiling them.

What causes mashed potatoes to be gluey? ›

When too much starch gets released, the potatoes become gummy, gluey, and unappetizing. Overworking the potatoes can happen in a couple ways: either by simply handling them too much, or by using a food processor, blender, or similar tool, which mixes the potatoes too aggressively.

How to make mashed potatoes so they don't get gummy? ›

Don't overmix the potatoes! 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.

How to make mashed potatoes creamy and not sticky? ›

Throwing in a cold stick of butter and a splash of milk straight from the refrigerator will immediately cool down some of the spuds, which will prevent a creamy, smooth mash. If you take the time to slowly heat milk or heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan on the stove, you'll have much better results.

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