If you are looking for a super basic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes recipe, you’re in luck, my friends! These are soooo good! I have a really simple recipe to share with you plus my top tips on how to get the best results every time.

A close up of a bowl of buttermilk mashed potatoes with chives on top

I originally shared this recipe on November 4th, 2016. I have added more information and media to make this recipe more useful today.

Why We Love Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Give me a spoon and a bowl of freshly mashed potatoes and I am a happy girl! These buttermilk mashed potatoes are inspired from the delicious mashed potatoes we served at a restaurant where I worked when I was a culinary school intern. They remain my favorite way to make classic tasting mashed potatoes like you would find in a steak house.

I have lightened up these Mashed Potatoes with Buttermilk a little, this is Healthy Seasonal Recipes after all, but I do have tips below if you like a more indulgent mashed potato recipe for a special occasion, holiday meal or Thanksgiving.

Ingredient Notes

What Kind of Potato To Use For Mashed Potatoes

There are two main types of potatoes, floury and waxy (not to mention a lot of variations in each of these categories.) For mashed potatoes, you want to use waxy potatoes.

  • Floury Potato: These are the potatoes that have a thick skin, and fluffy dry interiors. A common example of a Floury Potato would be a Russet. Floury potatoes are best cooked with dry heat cooking methods (like baking.)
  • Waxy Potato: These are thin-skinned varieties that have moist and creamy interiors. A common example of this would be Yukon Gold. Waxy potatoes are best used for wet heat cooking methods (like steaming or boiling.)

For these buttermilk mashed potatoes, I used Yukon Gold potatoes. Other thin-skinned (waxy) varieties are also great in this recipe including red potatoes, white potatoes and chef’s potatoes.

{Note: floury potatoes take on much more liquid when used for mashed potatoes as well. My fellow culinerd Alton Brown, with whom I usually agree, suggests this is why you should use them- so that you can add in the max amount of cream and butter. I disagree since I want less fat added in.}

Other Ingredients

  • Buttermilk: Any type of buttermilk is fine. Most commercially available buttermilk are either fat free or low fat, but if you can find one made from full fat milk, that will be just fine too.
  • Softened Butter: To stay true to the Healthy Seasonal name I kept the butter to 4 tablespoons and to limit the fat calories. That said, if you’re in the mood for a more buttery and rich side dish, you can use a full stick (8 tablespoons) of butter. If you do so, you may not need the full cup of buttermilk. Note calories below are based on the 5-tablespoon version of this recipe.
  • Salt: In this recipe I call for 2 teaspoons of table salt. Which is a ton! But more than half of that goes into the cooking water. Then it gets poured out with the cooking water. Salting the water helps the potatoes become more salty at the beginning, so you can add less later.
  • Pepper: I like to use white pepper in my mashed potatoes. This is optional, but I really think it makes a difference in the flavor and appearance. I buy it pre-ground and use it a lot. If you don’t have it you can use black pepper, but it will make black specks.

How To Make Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Cook Potatoes: Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover generously with cold water. Add 1 ¼ teaspoon salt.

Place saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and continue cooking until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 19 minutes. See the tips below to make sure you cook your potatoes perfectly.

Mash Potatoes: Drain potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Alternatively, rice them into a bowl (see instructions below.) Mash the potatoes roughly with a potato masher. Immediately add the butter while the potatoes are still hot to start to melt the butter. Also add in ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ cup buttermilk and white pepper and continue mashing.

Gradually add more buttermilk as you mash to achieve the desired consistency. Keep warm until serving.

TIP: Because different varieties of potatoes absorb different levels of moisture, I recommend adding the buttermilk into the mashed potatoes in steps. That way you won’t run the risk of making them too wet and gloppy. When potatoes are overcooked, they become saturated and won’t take on as much buttermilk.

Expert Tips and FAQs

How To Cook Potatoes for Mashing Perfectly

Cut the Potatoes into the same size

After you peel the potatoes cut them into big chunks that are roughly the same size. Doing that will ensure that they will cook evenly. If you have some small pieces and some big pieces, the small pieces will be over-cooked and fall apart by the time the big pieces are ready. In this recipe, I cut my potatoes into 1 ½ -inch to 2-inch pieces.

Use Cold Water to Start

This is something I learned in culinary school. This also helps with the potatoes cooking evenly. When you bring the potatoes up to temperature with the water they cook more evenly.

Test for doneness

  • Getting creamy and tasty results is directly proportional to how the potatoes are cooked, over-cooking (or-under cooking) are both no-nos. Testing for doneness is key! To do so, dip a fork down into the pot of boiling potatoes, and press it into one of the boiled potatoes. If the fork slides in easily and meets little resistance on the way out, the potatoes are ready.
  • If the fork doesn’t go in easily, then your potatoes are still not cooked in the center.
  • Also note, if you’re seeing small pieces of potatoes breaking off and the pot is full of disintegrating potatoes, they are either over-cooked or there are smaller chunks that have overcooked while the larger chunks are still not cooked through. Also, floury potatoes will do this in boiling water.

Serving Suggestions

side view close up of potatoes with butter on top

You May Also Love These Recipes

  1. If potatoes are your love language you’ll adore my Oven Fries.
  2. I also love adding potatoes to soup. This Potato and Kale Soup with sausage has been a favorite around here from way back.
  3. If you’re serving this at Thanksgiving, you’ll want to check out my Cranberry Relish and my Cranberry Sauce with Orange recipes too when you’re menu planning.
  4. Check out my low carb cauliflower mashed potatoes too for a lower calorie and keto alternative to mashed potatoes.

Get more THANKSGIVING RECIPES here. Get my Healthy Thanksgiving Planner here.

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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A plate of Potato with butter on top

Simple Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes


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5 from 10 reviews

Description

If you’re looking for a super basic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes recipe, you’re in luck my friends! These are creamy, tangy and the perfect Holiday side dish!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 pounds organic thin-skinned “waxy” potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened* see note
  • 1 cup non-fat buttermilk, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • Chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook Potatoes: Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover generously with cold water. Add 1 ¼ teaspoon salt. Place saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and continue cooking until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to19 minutes.
  2. Mash Potatoes: Drain potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Add butter and mash the potatoes roughly with a potato masher. Alternatively rice them into a bowl (see instructions below.) Add the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ cup buttermilk and white pepper and continue mashing. Gradually add more buttermilk as you mash to achieve desired consistency. Keep warm until serving.

Notes

To Rice Potatoes

For the fluffiest and lump-free potatoes use ricer. Scoop cooked potatoes a little at a time into the back of the ricer, place the die on top and gently squeeze the handles together to press the potatoes through the die. Catch the potatoes in a large bowl. Add butter with the salt, buttermilk and white pepper. Stir well with a wooden spoon, adding more buttermilk as desired.

For Richer More Buttery Potatoes

If you’re in the mood for a more buttery and rich side dish, you can use a full stick (8 tablespoons) of butter. If you do so, you may not need the full cup of buttermilk. Note calories below are based on the 5 tablespoon version of this recipe.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2/3 cup
  • Calories: 136
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Sodium: 396 mg
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 21 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 3 g
Close up mashed potatoes