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These garlic mashed potatoes are creamy, comforting, and easy to make. Restaurant-style mashed potatoes are totally doable in your own kitchen!

You may also like my Make Ahead Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (Creamy & Garlicky) for similar recipes with different cooking methods.

the best garlic mashed potatoes in a beige bowl with plenty of butter on top!

Why you’ll love them

In my opinion, when you’re making mashed potatoes, this ain’t the time to go easy on the butter or cream. I remember Bobby Flay saying the same thing, and I was happy that he agrees with me. 😉 Ever wonder why mashed potatoes taste so good at steakhouses? They are absolutely loaded with butter and cream. So don’t skimp on them, whatever you do!

There are, of course, many ways to make mashed potatoes from scratch, but my all-time favorite is to use cream, making it the ultimate side dish that goes with practically everything. The classics really never fail. If you’re wondering how to make garlic mashed potatoes, you’ve come to the right place. I like to keep it simple since you can never go wrong with a tried and true method.

What you’ll need

  • Potatoes – I usually like Russets for mashed potatoes, but Yukon Gold are a close second if they’re unavailable
  • Heavy cream – for that signature creamy texture
  • Butter – what makes really good mashed potatoes special
  • Garlic – it’s way easier to mince garlic with a garlic press vs. chopping it since you don’t even need to peel the cloves first
  • Salt & pepper – it’s important to be generous with salt especially to bring out the flavors

Pro tips

  • When I make mashed potatoes, I always add garlic. My mom did it that way, and it just tastes right to me. I used four fairly normal sized cloves of garlic. I notice garlic cloves are getting bigger and bigger these days, but I didn’t use the huge ones.
  • With that said, you can add as little or as much garlic as you want. I tried to make this recipe not too garlicky since not everyone is a massive garlic lover like me, but you can definitely taste it. My little trick is to slightly cook the garlic in the butter and cream mixture to take the edge off so you don’t have that stronger raw garlic taste. 
boiling potatoes and making creamy mixture in a saucepan

How to make garlic mashed potatoes

This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

  • Clean and peel the potatoes, and cut them into thirds. Boil them in a pot of salted water.
  • While they’re boiling, add the ingredients for the cream mixture to a small pan. Warm through until the garlic cooks a little.
  • Thoroughly drain the potatoes, and return them to the pot. Pour in the cream mixture slowly, and mash using a handheld potato masher until smooth without overworking them. Top with extra butter and chopped parsley or chives if desired.

Substitutions and variations

  • Starchy potatoes like Russets or Yukon Gold make the best mashed potatoes. You can use other varieties like red potatoes; just take extra care not to overwork them since they can end up gluey.
  • You can definitely include potato skins if you want. It’s totally up to you. You could even peel a couple of the potatoes and leave the others as-is. Just be sure they’re scrubbed clean beforehand.
  • I don’t recommend substituting the butter or cream for lower fat alternatives. It just won’t taste nearly as good! However, you could even add a bit more of each than I recommend if you really want to go all out.

What to serve with them

garlic mashed potatoes in a yellow Le Creuset pot

Leftovers and storage

  • They’re best fresh, but leftover mashed potatoes will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • I reheat them on a low heat and add a splash more cream and then mash them again to restore them to their former glory.
close-up of creamy garlic mashed potatoes in a serving bowl

I hope you’ll love this garlic mashed potatoes recipe as much as I do! Questions? Made it? Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram, and leave me a comment below. 🙂

the best garlic mashed potatoes in a beige bowl with plenty of butter on top!
5 from 33 votes

Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These garlic mashed potatoes are creamy, comforting, and easy to make. Restaurant-style mashed potatoes are totally doable in your own kitchen!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 3 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Peel the potatoes (or leave some/all of them unpeeled if you prefer, just make sure to scrub them well) and cut them into thirds. Add them to a salted pot of water and boil until a sharp knife easily pierces them.
  • While the potatoes are boiling, add the cream, butter, garlic, and salt & pepper to a small saucepan over low heat. Let it slowly warm through. The garlic slightly cooks, infusing the cream so the potatoes are more evenly flavored.
  • Drain the potatoes thoroughly and leave them in the pot. Slowly pour in the cream mixture and mash the potatoes using a hand-held potato masher. Mash until the cream has been absorbed and you've got a nice, smooth mash. Don't over-mash or they may end up gluey.
  • Serve potatoes with extra butter on top (if desired).

Notes

  • Serves 6-8 depending on portion size.
  • Chopped parsley and/or chives make a great garnish for mashed potatoes if you happen to have some.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 409mg, Potassium: 732mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 683IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

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89 Comments

      1. Hi,
        do you keep minced cooked garlic in the cream mixture or drain the cream mixture to remove garlick before adding it to the mashed potato?

        1. Hi! I keep it in there. If I was going to drain it, I would definitely include that step in the instructions as readers couldn’t read my mind. Hope you love the recipe, Victoria!

  1. 5 stars
    So easy and delicious! I only ended up using about two thirds of the cream mixture as I felt it was creamy enough (we ended up used the remaining cream for a second smaller batch the next day, as there were absolutely no leftovers)!

      1. 5 stars
        First time making mashed potato’s and these were absolutely perfect! So easy to follow, creamy, and delicous flavor. These will be a new regular in our household- thank you Natasha!!

  2. 5 stars
    Made for the first time with Christmas dinner and it turned out great! Compliments all around, perfect amount of garlic, appreciated all the tips as well. Thanks and happy holidays!

  3. 5 stars
    Hi Natasha
    I have been making your potatoes for about 5 years now! My family absolutely loves them and I am the only one they let make the potatoes anymore.
    Thanks for a great recipe

        1. Hi Mary! While I’ve never used one to make mashed potatoes before, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work if you’ve used it before. 🙂 Let me know!

  4. 5 stars
    Really delicious and a simple way to amp up mashed potatoes. We mixed chives in since we love the taste and look. Definitely recommend!

  5. 5 stars
    Wow!!! I tried this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner and they were the star of the table!!! And my old mashed potatoes were always a favorite, but these really are exceptional. Thanks!!