These dreamy, creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are a side dish with only 8 simple ingredients that turn into the creamiest mashed potatoes– perfect for weeknight dinners or holiday meals. Each bite is full of rich flavor to pair beautifully with a delicious protein or to add to the menu for any holiday meal.
One of our recipe testers raved, “I’m not even a garlic lover, and I fell in love with these potatoes.”
Updated March 2026: This Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe was originally published in 2017 and has been updated with new photos, clearer instructions, and extra tips for perfectly creamy mashed potatoes every time.
For years, I was trying to convince my youngest son to like mashed potatoes…can you believe it, a kid who doesn’t like mashed potatoes?! After he tried our friend’s recipe for her Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, he was finally converted, and I immediately asked her for the recipe!
I developed my own version of the creamiest mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and now he requests them for every holiday and many weeknight dinners to pair with pot roast or pork tenderloin. My secret for the silkiest texture is to add cream cheese, half and half, as well as butter – it’s a trifecta of insane flavor!
If you’ve never roasted garlic before, you’re in for a treat. It’s truly restaurant-quality flavor and is so simple to do! Just roast a head of garlic in a piece of foil with a drizzle of olive oil. Everyone at the dinner table will be asking what the secret ingredient is, but it’s up to you if you tell them!
Ingredients
- Potatoes: I really love Yukon Gold potatoes; they are already so very creamy and have a lovely yellow flesh. Wash them well, then mostly peel them, leaving on a little skin is okay, unless you don’t like the rustic look, but why wouldn’t you!? I’ve also used a combination of russet and red, Yukon and red, russet and gold!
- Onions: Use sweet or yellow onions, sliced thin
- Garlic: You’ll need some for smashing and some for roasting. (I show you how to roast the bulb of garlic below — promise, it’s worth it.)
- Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and Seasoning Salt like Lawry’s
- Olive Oil: You only use this if you are roasting your garlic, just a touch.
- Bay leaf: Believe it or not, it adds great flavor!
- Butter: I use salted, if using unsalted butter, you may need to add a bit more salt. Room temperature or melted is best here.
- Cream cheese: Regular or Neufchâtel, softened.
- Half-and-half: Makes it so creamy, like in While You Were Sleeping; “These mashed potatoes are so creamy.” You may also use heavy cream.
- Garnish: Chopped chives (or green onions) and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Step 1: Roast the Garlic (optional
Please, oh please do this step! Roasted garlic is beyond amazing! It mellows and deepens in flavor as it roasts, resulting in a creamy, healthy, smushy, oh-so-tasty clove of garlic. It enhances many dishes like my Slow Roasted Veggie Pasta or my Grandpa Frank’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce.
Cut a little off the top to expose the cloves, drizzle a little olive oil over and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Pop in a 400°F (205° C) oven wrapped in foil or parchment paper. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until soft and golden.
Step 2: Peel and Boil the Potatoes
Fill a large stockpot with of cold water, about ⅔ of the way full. Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces, roughly into thirds and then again in quarters. Toss them in the water.
Slice ½ an onion and toss in the water along with the potatoes.
Smush your garlic, peel it and toss it into the pot with the potatoes and onions. Yeah, even if you roasted your garlic, because, hello, “garlic”!
Now, add your bay leaf.
Dump in your sea salt…Redmond Real Kosher salt is my favorite, chock full of minerals!
Step 3: Finish the Mashed Potatoes
Boil potatoes, herbs and onions until they are soft, like falling apart soft, about 30-40 minutes. Stick ’em with a fork or knife every now and then to check on them.
Drain using a colander, straining out the water.
Discard the bay leaf, you don’t want that mushed up in your potato masher. The bay leaf has worked hard, let it rest — in the trash or compost.
Return the drained potatoes, onions and garlic to the pot, over very low heat, get out your favorite hand masher, and mash, mash, mash away!! A potato ricer will work too. Mash until the steaming reduces, then remove from heat.
Once they are nice and mashed, toss in your softened butter (or melted butter works too) and cream cheese. I’ve also used sour cream, Greek yogurt and…drool alert, creme fraiche! Or you can leave out…see notes for lighter mashed potatoes below.
Pour in your half-and-half (quit counting the fat and calories, I know you are, it’s a special occasion, make these potatoes taste out of this world). But in case you can’t stop counting, I give tips to lighten below.
Mash, mash, mash it all up! My mom gave me this masher years ago.
Add your seasoning salt, make sure it doesn’t have MSG or any additives in it!
Finally, add your black pepper (yes, I know shocking, I actually added some this time!) And your roasted garlic!
Gently mash one more time, adjust seasonings, if needed. At this point you want to be gentle, mashing and stirring potatoes too much more will cause them to become gummy.
Spoon into a buttered or sprayed medium baking dish or bowl. If serving right away, top with a few pats of extra butter and sprinkle with a little regular or smoked paprika, pop back in a 350°F (175° C) oven, covered until butter is melted and they are warmed through.
Expert Tips
- Always add the potatoes to cold water in the pot, then bring to a boil. This makes them cook evenly and at the same rate.
- Boil the potatoes until they are tender. This makes them extra creamy. To test, insert a paring knife into the potato and if it slides in easily, then they are ready.
- Drain the boiled potatoes well or they will be watery. Really shake the colander before mashing with cream cheese and half and half. Excess water can change the texture.
- Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature. It will melt into the hot potatoes quickly and easily.
- You know the garlic cloves are done roasting when they are light golden in color and squeeze easily out of their skins once cooled.
- Don’t Overmix: When you overbeat them, extra starches release, which takes them from creamy to gummy in a heartbeat. So skip the hand mixer and do it by hand!
Variations
- If you want the potatoes a little lighter in fat and calories, use these ingredient ratios below:
- Reduce butter to ⅔ – ½ cup (1 stick) or omit and increase Greek yogurt and milk
- Omit cream cheese, or use Neufchâtel cheese
- Use Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese
- Replace ½ & ½ with whole milk or low-fat milk
- It won’t be nearly as creamy or rich, but still good!
- Add herbs like thyme or rosemary. You can fold them in or roast them with the garlic cloves in the foil packet for nice herb flavor.
- For dairy-free potatoes, swap the cream cheese for your favorite non-dairy substitute, and half and half for a creamy nut milk.
- Vegan/Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes: Replace butter, cream cheese, and half and half with plant-based equivalents.
What to Serve with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Where do I even begin with the list?! It could be a mile long, these potatoes compliment so many dishes too well. Here are my top choices whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter or a simple weeknight dinner.
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- Oven Baked Barbecue Brisket
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Bangers and Mash
- Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
- Giblet Turkey Gravy
- Simple Turkey
What to serve with the best mashed potatoes
Storage
Store any leftover roasted garlic mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of milk or cream.
Freezing the potatoes works well too, just place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat according to the instructions above.
FAQs
Not boiling the potatoes long enough or roasting the garlic until tender. Making sure the cream cheese or butter is softened before mixing for the creamiest texture.
About 2 to 5 days in the fridge and they reheat beautifully.
Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes, garlic, cream or half and half, butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper.
More Easy Potato Recipes
This Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2026 with new photos, clearer instructions, and extra tips.
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic (Optional)
- 1 bulb garlic for roasted garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil extra virgin
- sprinkle kosher salt
Mashed Potatoes
- 5 pounds potatoes I like Yukon Gold, can use Russet, Idaho or even Red; washed, peeled, cubed
- ½ large onion sliced thin, yellow or sweet
- 5-6 cloves garlic smashed, skins removed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup salted butter softened, if using unsalted, you'll need about ¼ teaspoon additional salt.
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature, full-fat or Neufchatel,
- ½ – ¾ cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- ½ – 1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt like Lawry's, to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
Instructions
Roast Garlic
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205° C) and slice off a little of the top of a garlic bulb revealing the garlic cloves. Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle a little salt over the top. Seal in a foil pocket placed on a sheet pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until soft and caramel colored. Set aside to cool, while you boil the potatoes.
- Peel and cut the potatoes into similar sized pieces and place in a large pot filled with cold water. Potatoes should be covered in water, but only by a bit. Slice onion and smash garlic cloves (non-roasted ones)and toss in with the potatoes. Add bay leaf and salt, stir to combine. Bring to boil and cook for about 30-40 minutes until they are just about falling apart. Slip a butter knife into one and if it goes through smoothly, they are done.5 pounds potatoes, ½ large onion, 5-6 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 bay leaf
- Drain well in colander, discard bay leaf.
- Return potatoes, onions and garlic to dry pot (same one you cooked them in) with burner still on low. Using a hand masher, mash the potatoes, onions and garlic in pot over low heat. Allowing the steam to escape before adding any other ingredients. The steam won't completely go away but it will diminish. Squeeze out your roasted garlic cloves and mash into the potatoes, watch you don't get garlic skins in the potatoes.
- Turn off stove and add 1 ½ sticks of softened butter, room temperature cream cheese and about ½ a cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash it all up! Add your seasoning salt and black pepper, stir well. Being careful not to overmash, as it releases starches from the potatoes making them gummy¾ cup salted butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, ½ – ¾ cup half-and-half, ½ – 1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Place into lightly sprayed or butter medium-sized baking dish.
- If serving right away, place a few pats of butter on top and place them in a 350°F oven and heat until the butter is melted, potatoes are hot. Sprinkle lightly with regular or smoked paprika and serve.
Notes
- Reduce butter to ⅔ – ½ cup (1 stick)
- Omit cream cheese, or use Neufchatel cheese
- Use Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese
- Replace ½ & ½ with whole milk or low-fat milk
- Storage: Place cooled mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge and store for 2-5 days, best within about 2 days.
Freeze: Cooled potatoes in freezer baggies (with air removed) or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 year. This works best with high fat recipes, like this one. - Reheat from frozen, or thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat in the oven, stovetop, or microwave, adding a splash of milk or cream.
Nutrition
Robin
I have always been kind of a mashed potato “snob”. I was soooo picky when I was a kid! I continued into adult years been pretty picky, just a “purest” as far as mashed potatoes go. I made these potatoes totally expected not to like a “doctored up” mashed potato. I was SHOCKED!! I absolutely LOVED them!! Your never to old to try something new!!
Love that I made a doctored up mashers believer out of you!
Joan
Could these be made and then held in a crockpot to keep hot until ready to serve?? Like 3-4 hrs?
Yes Joan, I’d just keep on warm, and you may want to add a little butter, broth or cream so they don’t dry out.