These Crockpot mashed potatoes are the creamiest, dreamiest buttery mashed potatoes that are perfect for making ahead of time to free up the stove!
Slow cooker mashed potatoes are perfect for bringing to potlucks or for Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can keep them warm for hours right in the Crockpot. They're simple to make, and they have just the right amount of garlic. Soo good.
These are no-boil and no-drain mashed potatoes. As in, you add everything to the slow cooker and then mash them right in there without any hassle.
I've made these twice in the past week because the winter light has been giving me grief, and the four photos you see were taken over three different days. It's just so dark that it's much harder to plan the photoshoots out! Thankfully, in a few weeks it'll slowly start getting lighter again. I can't wait.
You may also like my Instant Pot mashed potatoes.
How to make slow cooker mashed potatoes
- Add the broth and salt to your Crockpot. Turn it on high to get things started.
- Prep your potatoes. I prefer not to peel them, but it's totally up to you. If you don't peel them, be sure to scrub them well and remove any spots. Cut them into rough 1" cubes then place them in your Crockpot.
- Give the potatoes a stir, cover the slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 3-3.5 hours. The potatoes should be nice and soft. I haven't tested them on low, but I'd give them 6-8 hours and probably stir them a few times so they cook more evenly.
- When the potatoes are about ready, add the cream, butter, and garlic to a small saucepan. Warm it through.
- Add the cream/butter/garlic mixture slowly to the potatoes as you mash them with a hand-held potato masher (no need to drain the broth from the potatoes). Mash until they're nice and smooth, but be careful not to overwork them so they don't end up pasty. Season with extra salt if needed. Leave them in the Crockpot on the "keep warm" setting until you're ready to serve.
(Scroll to the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions)
See? Making mashed potatoes in your Crockpot is so easy.
This is the 7-quart slow cooker I used for this recipe.
Recipe notes/tips:
- I recommend either using Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes. You can use red potatoes, just be sure not to over-mash them or they may end up gluey.
- I like using an old fashioned hand-held potato masher. If you use an electric hand mixer, there's a chance they will end up gluey if you're not careful.
- These are creamy, buttery, thick, restaurant-style mashed potatoes. I would not describe them as light and airy.
- I don't typically include broth in mashed potatoes, but it's a great way to keep them moist - especially if you're not serving them for a few hours.
- You can leave the garlic out if you're not a fan.
- If you want to substitute the cream with half-and-half or milk, you can, but (in my opinion) mashed potatoes are the place to go all-out, and real cream can't be beat. I wouldn't recommend skimping on the butter, though.
- Feel free to peel the potatoes if you prefer.
- Reheating tips: If you plan on eating these mashed potatoes the same day, I recommend keeping them in your slow cooker on the "keep warm" setting. Just give them a stir prior to serving, and you'll be good to go. If you need to eat them the next day or even the day after that, you can either reheat them in the Crockpot or in a covered pot on the stove over fairly low heat. Once they're warm, I re-mash them and add a bit more butter and cream (or you could add milk) to bring them back to their former glory.
Love mashed potatoes? Try my bacon ranch mashed potatoes.
I hope you'll love these easy slow cooker mashed potatoes!
Questions? Ask me in the comments below.

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1" pieces
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt + more to taste
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Add the broth and salt to your slow cooker. Turn the heat on high.
- Prep your potatoes. I don't peel them, but you can if you wish. I cut them into roughly 1" pieces. Add them to your Crockpot.
- Give the potatoes a stir. Cover and cook for 3-3.5 hours or until the potatoes are nice and tender.
- When the potatoes are close to being done, add the cream, butter, and garlic to a small saucepan. Warm it through over medium heat until the butter is melted and the garlic infuses the mixture.
- Mash the potatoes right in the Crockpot (don't drain the broth). Gradually pour in the cream mixture as you go along. Be careful not to overwork the potatoes so they don't end up gluey. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed. If you're making these ahead, use the "keep warm" setting and give them a stir prior to serving.
Notes
- Serves 8-10 depending on how much people eat.
- I recommend using either Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes.
- See the blog post for more tips/tricks/recipe notes.
- This is the 7-quart Crockpot I used to make these potatoes. It was fairly full, so I wouldn't go smaller than a 6-quart.
- Want to make these in your Instant Pot? Here's the recipe.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Julie says
So glad this recipe "popped up" on my Instagram! My husband, who always helps with Thanksgiving dinner, had hand surgery last week. Of course he still wanted to help - he always does the turkey and mashes potatoes. Now when a crock pot recipe for mashed potatoes appears from above AND no peeling is involved, HELLO!
Loved how easy this recipe was! Not a single store in our area had heavy cream - WHAT? So stuck with whole milk and did add the chopped garlic. Potatoes were DELICIOUS and just that little bit of garlic smelled amazing! This is how I will always make mashed potatoes for the holidays AND one less pot on the stove, as you mentioned, loved that too! Thank you so much! Now I'm on to check out other recipes of yours!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it worked out, Julie!! ๐ Let me know if you make anything else! Hope your husband is on the mend. XO
Lisa Keis says
I just made these - tripled the recipe and cooked in 2 large crockpots! We're having our Christmas dinner tomorrow, 23 people, and I wanted a make-ahead mashed potato recipe, but without sour cream or cream cheese, which is what most of them call for. My adult daughter is here and I pretty much had to threaten her life to get her to stop eating these! ๐ They are creamy and flavorful and look so appetizing. Thanks, I'm sure they'll be a huge hit tomorrow.
Natasha says
Oh wow... that is a lot of mashed potatoes haha! I am glad your daughter likes them so far. ๐ Happy holidays!!
Stephanie says
This recipe is a keeper! I've tried a few slow cooker mashed potato recipes because I'm always looking for easy side dishes that don't use the oven. In the past I've had issues with the potatoes being too dry or having an odd texture/consistency. But yet I persisted to look for the "perfect" recipe because it's not a holiday without mashed potatoes. My search is finally over... The potatoes came out very creamy and full of flavor, and I still can't believe how easy they were to make! I know I'll be making this recipe for years to come!
Natasha says
Oh wow this comment made my day! Thank you so much for letting me know. I'm so happy you found this recipe! ๐
Kaitlyn Anderson says
This was delicious! Creamy and flavorful and so so easy. I made this for just my partner and I so was a lot of food- next time I'll probably quarter the recipe. Can't wait to make it again!
Natasha says
I am very happy to hear you enjoyed it, Kaitlyn! Yup, it definitely makes a lot haha. My husband had leftovers for a while. Thanks so much for leaving me a review! ๐