The Best Creamy Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Fact: cooking time is very limited on Thanksgiving. You’ve got to somehow fit a turkey in your oven, make mashed potatoes and gravy, serve a pie, and put the other amazing sides on the table. How will you do it?!

Don’t worry, I’ve got a solution: amazing slow cooker mashed potatoes! It’s a game changer, and frankly, I was shocked when they came out exactly the way I wanted them to: creamy, smooth, delicious, and full of flavor.

This recipe was inspired by my mother-in-law, who is known for making the most creamy, delicious mashed potatoes during Thanksgiving. She always does something a little different, but my favorite is when she adds just a little butter and sour cream and then mashes them to perfection. This is an ode to her famous recipe!

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Ingredients for slow cooker mashed potatoes

These easy crock pot mashed potatoes use minimal ingredients but turn out so creamy and delicious. You’ll need:

• Yukon gold potatoes: I think gold potatoes give the best, buttery texture and flavor. Looking for a sweet potato option? Try my Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
• Garlic: get all of that savory, delicious flavor from 4 cloves of garlic.
• Butter: what are mashed potatoes without plenty of butter?! Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter, or even vegan butter.
• Milk: I also like to add creaminess with whole milk, but feel free to use any milk you’d like. If you’re finding that your mashed potatoes are too thick after cooking or sitting for a bit, feel free to add more!
• Sour cream or greek yogurt: the secret ingredient for silky crock pot mashed potatoes is sour cream or whole-milk greek yogurt.
• Seasonings: don’t forget to add plenty of salt and pepper to taste. I also like to garnish with fresh thyme sprigs or even chives!

How to make mashed potatoes in the slow cooker

In order to simplify the process and save a little time on Thanksgiving day, I decided to take my mother-in-law’s mashed potato recipe and make it in the slow cooker for ease! They came out magnificently flavorful and silky smooth in just a few easy steps and with some simple tips:

1. Combine potatoes, garlic & milk. You’ll start by adding your diced, raw potatoes to your slow cooker with the minced garlic and milk. No need to boil the potatoes beforehand! Turn your slow cooker to high to cook the potatoes. The broth will prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bowl of the slow cooker and allows the potatoes to steam while they cook.
2. Add creamy elements. After the potatoes have been cooking in your crock pot and are very fork tender (4 hours on high was perfect for mine!), add in the sour cream or greek yogurt, butter, a little milk to start, salt & pepper.
3. Mash ’em up. You’ll then want to mash everything together with a potato masher or a hand mixer. Be careful if you use a hand mixer, as there are a lot of potatoes and you don’t want them to fly everywhere!
4. Adjust flavors & textures. Everyone enjoys their potatoes a little differently, so you can really adjust here as you see fit. Add additional milk to make the potatoes creamier, or more butter for a richer flavor!
5. Remember to have fun & enjoy! This recipe is easy and pretty impossible to mess up. Don’t stress too much about it. When all done and your potatoes are creamy and taste delicious, simply scoop them into a warm bowl right before serving, then garnish with a pat of butter and freshly ground black pepper on top. YUM.

Lighten them up to perfection

To make healthy crock pot mashed potatoes, I recommend using unsweetened cashew milk and whole milk greek yogurt instead of sour cream in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter! Trust me, they’re still going to be incredibly flavorful, silky, and delicious. If you can also feel free to use skim or 2% milk!

I would be careful about using almond milk, as even plain, unsweetened kinds can have a slight sweetness to them that you may not enjoy!

Peeling vs not peeling potatoes

In this recipe, you can either decide to peel your potatoes or leave the skins on. It just depends on how you like your mashed potato texture. I also like to keep the skin on the potatoes, since I think it adds a nice texture, but feel free to peel them if you want an even smoother, creamier version.

Tips for making the BEST mashed potatoes

• Season properly. Be sure to generously season your mashed potatoes with salt and pepper, and then mix again and taste a bite or two before serving.
• Don’t be shy with milk and butter. Add additional milk to make the potatoes creamier, or feel free to add in more butter for richer, ultra creamy mashed potatoes.
• Taste as you go. It’s important to taste as you go, adding more of this and that where needed. Experiencing is what cooking is all about: learning to trust yourself and adjusting flavors.
• Choose the texture. If you like chunkier mashed potatoes, simply hold back on mashing them too much and leave some more chunks!

Keeping mashed potatoes warm in the slow cooker

Once your mashed potatoes are done cooking in the slow cooker and you have mashed them, you can turn the slow cooker to warm and keep it on warm for up to 3 hours. Before serving, I recommend tasting them again and stirring in a little more milk to keep them creamy, if necessary.

Storing tips

• In the fridge: store any leftover, cooled mashed potatoes in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat portions in the microwave in 1-minute intervals with additional milk and/or butter to maintain creaminess, or on the stovetop, stirring frequently with additional milk and/or butter.
• In the freezer: add cooled mashed potatoes to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in an oven-safe dish at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or on the stovetop with additional milk and/or butter until heated through.

More Thanksgiving recipes to try

Feel free to check out our Thanksgiving recipes here. Here are some of my other personal favorites:

• The Best Homemade Healthy Green Bean Casserole
• Matt’s Olive Cheese Bread
• Cheddar Broccoli Cauliflower Gratin
• Herb Butter Maple Roasted Turkey
• Lightened Up Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Oat Streusel
• Parmesan Bacon Sourdough Mushroom Stuffing

Get all of my side dish recipes here!

I hope you love these creamy slow cooker mashed potatoes. They’re easy, so GOOD and a wonderful way to save both time and space during Thanksgiving. Let me know if you make this recipe by rating the recipe and leaving a comment below — xo!

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The Best Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

4.94 from 29 votes

byby :Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Leave A Review Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

ServesServes 10 servings

The BEST slow cooker mashed potatoes infused with garlic and made extra creamy thanks to a hint of sour cream or greek yogurt. Keep them warm right in your crockpot to save oven and stovetop space, and watch your loved ones fall in love with this easy recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds gold potatoes, diced (peeled or unpeeled, your choice)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ to 2 cups whole milk (or half and half or heavy cream), divided
• ⅓ cup softened butter (or vegan butter)
• ½ cup sour cream or whole-milk plain greek yogurt
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• To garnish:
• Extra butter
• Fresh thyme spigs
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• In a large 5 or 6 quart slow cooker add diced potatoes, minced garlic and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours until potatoes are very fork tender.
• Once potatoes are done cooking, place slow cooker on warm setting and add in butter, sour cream and 1/2 cup of milk to start. MAKE SURE ALL INGREDIENTS ARE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE OR WARMED! Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until they reach your desired consistency. I happen to like my potatoes super creamy, so I mash them until they’re completely smooth! You can also use an electric hand mixer if you prefer. If you want your potatoes creamier, add in ½ cup-1 cup more milk. Finally, a generous amount of salt and pepper, then mix again. Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Transfer to a large warm casserole dish for serving, add a pat of butter, a sprinkle of fresh thyme, and a little freshly ground black pepper. Serves 10.

Recipe Notes

To make vegan: Use a dairy-free milk (I recommend unsweetened cashew milk for the best flavor) and dairy-free butter. I would skip the sour cream and simply add more vegan butter or milk.

If you don't like potato skins, feel free to peel your potatoes before dicing and placing in the slow cooker. They're delicious!

If you're keeping the potatoes warm in your slow cooker, you may need to add more milk before serving to keep their silky smooth texture. Mashed potatoes can be kept warm in the slow cooker for up to 3 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 204calCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 4gFat: 7.7gSaturated Fat: 4.5gFiber: 4.7gSugar: 2.1g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on November 23, 2020, republished on November 23, 2021, and republished on November 23rd, 2025.