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My keto mashed potatoes are buttery, creamy, and made with no potatoes OR cauliflower. They’re pure comfort and only 3 grams of net carbs.
Ready for more keto side dishes? Try my keto mac and cheese, keto green bean casserole, and keto potato salad next.
Craving the cozy comfort of a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes? My low-carb mashed potatoes are the answer!
And before we get into it, yes, I realize this is a bit of an oxymoron as there are no potatoes in the recipe. There ARE, however, heaps of butter, heavy cream, and tender rutabaga that look, taste, and feel like regular mashed potatoes…just with none of the carbs.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Zero cauliflower needed. I love a low-carb cauliflower mashed potatoes as much as anyone, but sometimes, I need a side that doesn’t involve cauliflower rice.
- Straight-up comfort food. The texture of rutabagas compared to potatoes is uncanny, and the balance of butter and cream leaves no room for wanting.
- Easy to make. Just boil the rutabagas, mash them up, and fold in the rest of the ingredients. It’s that easy.
- A versatile side. Pair it with my keto fried chicken, layer it on my keto shepherd’s pie, or bring it to Thanksgiving for a low-carb side. There are no wrong answers.
Ingredients needed
- Rutabaga. Also known as swedes, rutabagas are tender and soft when boiled and mashed.
- Butter. Use either salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted, go easy on the salt and pepper.
- Heavy cream. Essential for creaminess. I much prefer heavy cream over milk or half-and-half. It’ll need to be at room temperature before adding to the mash so it doesn’t curdle.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
How to make keto mashed potatoes
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Cook the rutabagas. Chop the rutabaga and add it to a pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
Step 2- Mash. Drain the rutabaga and mash until smooth. Add melted butter and cream. Stir until creamy, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3- Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
Arman’s recipe tips
- Go easy on the cream. Add it slowly so the mash doesn’t become too thin.
- Prefer thicker, creamier mashed potatoes? Swap half of the cream for cream cheese or sour cream.
- How about ultra-smooth mashed potatoes? Blend with a high-speed blender, food processor, or puree with an immersion blender.
- Add flavor. Whisk in freshly minced garlic, Italian seasonings, or smoked paprika for more flavor.
- Serve with keto gravy for a heartier side.
- Garnish the mash with fresh herbs (like chives or green onions) for a pop of color.
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Let the mash cool completely, transfer it to a shallow container, and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat: Microwave single-servings in 30-second intervals or heat in a small saucepan until warm.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional mashed potatoes are not suitable for a keto diet. They contain far too many carbs that could easily kick someone out of ketosis.
There are several potato brands that are marketed as a lower carb potato. These include spud-lite and Carisma potatoes. While they are both lower in carbs than traditional potatoes, they still contain a significant amount.
If you don’t have rutabagas, you can substitute daikon or kohlrabi, but the flavor will not be the same.
What to serve with this
Keto Mashed Potatoes (NO cauliflower!)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Chop your rutabaga into bite sized pieces.
- Add the rutabaga into a pot of salted water. Bring it to a boil and cook it until tender.
- Drain the rutabaga and using a hand mixer or potato masher, mash until perfectly smooth. Add the melted butter. Slowly add the warmed heavy cream until thick and creamy.
- Transfer into a bowl and serve immediately.
Oh my gosh! Best recipe for mashed with only 3 net carbs per serving. Thank you for yet another great recipe.
If i dont have heavy cream what can i use instead?
You could use full fat coconut cream.
Silly me, I wish I had known how hard it is to cut a rutabaga and how much longer it takes to cook them as opposed to a potato. The consistency was not smooth for me. If I try them again I’ll know to cook them much longer to get them super soft before mashing…. Thanks for the intro to rutabaga! I’ll put them in my next stew 🙂
Made this today. Added leaks and cream cheese. It was fantastic!!
Thank you!!
Love that!!
How big is the serving in your nutrition count?
Amazing! I will be making this for Thanksgiving!
Rutabagas are not in season here at this time of year-at least this is what my local grocer told me. Can I use canned rutabagas instead? Have you tried them?
Thanks!
I’ve never tried it with the canned ones but I’m intrigued- Please let me know how that goes!
Well the canned rutabagas are just gross! They had a strange canned vegie taste if you know what I mean. I couldn’t get rid of the aftertaste either. I will wait to try this recipe with fresh ones when I can get my hands on them. Thanks though!
Thanks for testing it out and coming back to report your findings!
thanks so much debbie
I do this all the time!!! And you can even make it healthier: no cream, no butter…..just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper! Yum!
I do this all the time!!! And you can even make it healthier: no cream, no butter…..just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper! Yum!