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Learn how to make delicious and creamy mashed potatoes in the crock pot with this delicious Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes recipe. It only takes a few minutes to prep, and it’s always a crowd favorite. :)
Sometimes I wonder if I love my slow cooker a little too much.
Well, actually I have three of them, since I seem to have developed a love of slow cooker entertaining with all three going at once. And I love all of them equally very very much, just as you do with children, ahem, slow cookers.
Seriously, though, I am totally that sentimental cook who often has a little “moment” with my slow cooker. Especially when I come home to a house that smells so yummy after being gone all day, and then I peer through the glass lid past the condensation, and see that my food has somehow already been prepared for me?! I know the technology is nothing new, but I have to say, it feels just a tiny bit like magic. And if I think about all of the past generations — or more importantly, the millions of people around the world today — who don’t have access to this little modern miracle? Well, it actually very genuinely makes me thankful for the gift of slow cooked food. And it makes me want to slow down and make the most of those extra moments I don’t have to stand in front of a stove cooking my food (like, you know, that big holiday that’s just around the corner).
And when delicious, creamy, couldn’t-be-easier-to-make slow cooker mashed potatoes like these ones are involved, it makes me want to dive IN.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Oh man, slow cooker mashed potatoes seem to be “the thing” this year. Just in the past few weeks since I photographed these, I have seen no less than five more recipes for them pop up on Pinterest! There’s a good reason for the buzz, though. These slow cooker mashed potatoes are perfection!!!
You can customize them just about however you’d like. But leave the basics to your slow cooker, and I promise it won’t let you down. Here’s how to make ’em:
Begin by chopping up your potatoes and tossing them in the slow cooker. I’m a big fan of using Yukon gold potatoes for the ultimate in buttery, creamy, mashed potato deliciousness. Add some chicken or vegetable broth, about 4 tablespoons of butter (cut into small pieces), and a few cloves of minced garlic on top. Then cover it and let your slow cooker work its magic for about 4 hours on high heat.
Then mash it all up. You can either do this by hand with a potato mixer, or use a handheld electric mixer. I prefer mine to be slightly chunky, so I do it by hand. (Also, heads up, if you use the electric mixer be very careful not to over-beat the potatoes.)
Stir in some Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper.
And voila! Your perfect mashed potatoes are ready to go!
Feel free to stir in or top them with any of your other favorite mix-ins. For example, you could go the classic shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bacon route. Or go simple with chopped chives or green onions. Or one of my favs — oodles of gorgonzola cheese.
Actually, though, I have to admit that I actually love these best just plain. But however you make them, I guarantee you will love the creamy, buttery, slow cooked, deliciousness.
This slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe is unbelievably easy to make, and it’s perfectly creamy and delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
3 pounds Yukon Gold or Red potatoes, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces and peeled if desired (*edited: Russett potatoes tend to oxidize more quickly and turn a bit gray while cooking, so I don’t recommend them)
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 – 1/2 cup milk, warmed
(optional add-ins: crumbled bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, chopped green onions or chives, etc.)
Instructions
Add potatoes and stock to the bowl of a slow cooker, and place butter cubes and minced garlic on top. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are cooked and soft.
Use a potato masher or an electric mixer to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. Stir in the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt, and black pepper. And add your desired amount of warm milk, until the potatoes reach your desired level of creamy-ness. Stir in any other add-ins if desired.
Serve warm.
Notes
*You’re also welcome to cook these in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low, however sometimes potatoes will get a little brown if they cook that long depending on the heat of your slow cooker. I recommend cooking for 3-4 hours on high.
If we peel and cut the potatoes tonight, will they be ok to start cooking tomorrow? My mom thinks they might get brown. Do you have any suggestions? We’re try to get as much done tonight as possible. Thank you!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Allison! You can cover them in cold water after peeling and cutting them, then just refrigerate until you’re ready to work with them (keeping them submerged in that cold water will prevent them from oxidizing). We hope you enjoy!
Just made these for Thanksgiving – I went with chicken stock, sour cream, and a mix of half and half and whole milk, and everyone raved about how these were the best mashed potatoes they’ve ever eaten. I split ten pounds of potatoes between my slow cooker and the regular stove method – we didn’t even touch the ones I made on the stove, even though there were 20 of us. This is my new go-to method for mashed potatoes. Thanks for posting this!
I made these and after three hours some of the potatoes were hard and some were soft??
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Oh no, that’s so strange! Were all your potatoes chopped evenly? What kind of potatoes did you use? We’re sorry this happened and we hope you were able to cook everything a bit longer and get all of them soft!
Hi, I am wondering whether I can make these the night before serving? Or whether I can cook potatoes while I’m at work (let them sit a couple hours) and then come home and mix in the dairy?
I’d selfishly like to make these vegan so that I can have them on Thanksgiving too. :) What do you recommend as a sub for the yogurt/sour cream? I think coconut milk/cashew milk should be fine for the regular milk – do you agree?
Thank you!
Trying your recipe today for ? day!!! My wife does not like peals in her mash. So, I will be peeling the potatoes. Hopefully that won’t matter. Wish me luck!!! And thanks for the great recipe!!!
Because the liquid doesn’t cover completely, some of the potatoes on the top got black. Is there a way to prevent this from happening next time? Thanks!
Absolutely amazing. Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had! Totally worth the labor. The garlic really gets in the potatoes from the long slow-cooking process.
Despite all the reservations my teen have about garlic & sour cream in her mashed potatoes, I went ahead and replicated your recipe for our cell group’s potluck party and it was a HIT!!! So many raving about it, even my teen is totally sold on this one and this will be my only MP recipe. Thank you Hayley for your recipe and clear instructions.
I made this recipe around Thanksgiving last year and these were AMAZING! Hands down the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. I want to make these again this week for a work lunch, will the recipe still cook in time if it’s doubled? Thanks, great recipe!
I’ve made it as directed and loved it; this past time, I totally blanked and forgot to add the broth and I think they still turned out OK. (That said I did soak the potatoes overnight, so there might’ve been a little makeup liquid, and I also used regular yogurt, not Greek.) Just putting that out there in case anyone ever looks at the comments in a panic because they need to make the recipe but don’t have broth!
Hi Ali. I just came across this recipe. I want to use it for Thanksgiving but would like to use 5lbs of potatoes in a 6-quart Crock Pot rather than just 3lbs. Could you help me to adjust the remaining ingredients for the two extra pounds of potatoes? Thank you!
Made these last year for Thanksgiving with the three pounds and they were great. Made them this year with the 6 pounds and they go no where done cooking on low for 3-4 hours. Had to finish on the stove. Great recipe at smaller batch.
D. Monroe —
Probably because they’re supposed to be cooked on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours….
These were delicious! Used russett potatoes with no gray color thankfully. We used sour cream instead of yogurt and just 2 cloves of garlic. They were quite garlicky (for my taste) so next time I’ll just use one.
Thanks for the recipe- I’ll be using a slow cooker for mashed potatoes for family gatherings from now on!
Made these yesterday for our early Thanksgiving dinner. They were the best mashed potato’s EVER!!! Fabulous recipe and will definitely be making again. Thank u
If we peel and cut the potatoes tonight, will they be ok to start cooking tomorrow? My mom thinks they might get brown. Do you have any suggestions? We’re try to get as much done tonight as possible. Thank you!
Hi Allison! You can cover them in cold water after peeling and cutting them, then just refrigerate until you’re ready to work with them (keeping them submerged in that cold water will prevent them from oxidizing). We hope you enjoy!
Just made these for Thanksgiving – I went with chicken stock, sour cream, and a mix of half and half and whole milk, and everyone raved about how these were the best mashed potatoes they’ve ever eaten. I split ten pounds of potatoes between my slow cooker and the regular stove method – we didn’t even touch the ones I made on the stove, even though there were 20 of us. This is my new go-to method for mashed potatoes. Thanks for posting this!
I made these and after three hours some of the potatoes were hard and some were soft??
Oh no, that’s so strange! Were all your potatoes chopped evenly? What kind of potatoes did you use? We’re sorry this happened and we hope you were able to cook everything a bit longer and get all of them soft!
We like to add cream cheese ummm good
Hi, I am wondering whether I can make these the night before serving? Or whether I can cook potatoes while I’m at work (let them sit a couple hours) and then come home and mix in the dairy?
I’d selfishly like to make these vegan so that I can have them on Thanksgiving too. :) What do you recommend as a sub for the yogurt/sour cream? I think coconut milk/cashew milk should be fine for the regular milk – do you agree?
Thank you!
Trying your recipe today for ? day!!! My wife does not like peals in her mash. So, I will be peeling the potatoes. Hopefully that won’t matter. Wish me luck!!! And thanks for the great recipe!!!
Because the liquid doesn’t cover completely, some of the potatoes on the top got black. Is there a way to prevent this from happening next time? Thanks!
Absolutely amazing. Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had! Totally worth the labor. The garlic really gets in the potatoes from the long slow-cooking process.
Despite all the reservations my teen have about garlic & sour cream in her mashed potatoes, I went ahead and replicated your recipe for our cell group’s potluck party and it was a HIT!!! So many raving about it, even my teen is totally sold on this one and this will be my only MP recipe. Thank you Hayley for your recipe and clear instructions.
I made this recipe around Thanksgiving last year and these were AMAZING! Hands down the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. I want to make these again this week for a work lunch, will the recipe still cook in time if it’s doubled? Thanks, great recipe!
I’ve made it as directed and loved it; this past time, I totally blanked and forgot to add the broth and I think they still turned out OK. (That said I did soak the potatoes overnight, so there might’ve been a little makeup liquid, and I also used regular yogurt, not Greek.) Just putting that out there in case anyone ever looks at the comments in a panic because they need to make the recipe but don’t have broth!
Hi Ali. I just came across this recipe. I want to use it for Thanksgiving but would like to use 5lbs of potatoes in a 6-quart Crock Pot rather than just 3lbs. Could you help me to adjust the remaining ingredients for the two extra pounds of potatoes? Thank you!
Made these last year for Thanksgiving with the three pounds and they were great. Made them this year with the 6 pounds and they go no where done cooking on low for 3-4 hours. Had to finish on the stove. Great recipe at smaller batch.
Probably because they’re supposed to be cooked on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours….
Can you use vegetable broth in substitute for stock for this recipe? If so how much broth should be used?
These were delicious! Used russett potatoes with no gray color thankfully. We used sour cream instead of yogurt and just 2 cloves of garlic. They were quite garlicky (for my taste) so next time I’ll just use one.
Thanks for the recipe- I’ll be using a slow cooker for mashed potatoes for family gatherings from now on!
These are the best mashed potatoes ever!! So easy, so flavorful, and so delicious! A huge hit all around.
Made these yesterday for our early Thanksgiving dinner. They were the best mashed potato’s EVER!!! Fabulous recipe and will definitely be making again. Thank u