It’s just about the ultimate comfort food if you ask me: mashed potatoes. But, around here we all need to eat gluten free, and so then there is a logical question that arises. “Are mashed potatoes gluten free?” Let’s find out.
Do mashed potatoes have gluten?
Good news here, folks! Most of time, mashed potatoes ARE GLUTEN FREE! If we’re talking about homemade mashed potatoes, they are almost always gluten free. That’s because of the simple reason that most mashed potato recipes are for these types of ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Milk or cream
- Butter
- Sour cream
Sometimes the lovely mash can include all of those ingredients listed above, and sometimes only a couple. But, if you’re making homemade mashed potatoes then you can rest assured that all of those ingredients are naturally gluten free.
Are mashed potato mixes gluten free? Are instant mashed potatoes gluten free?
This is where things can get a little trickier. What about if you’re making a pre-made mix of mashed potatoes? Then you’ll need to check the ingredients on the package. If it’s not clearly labelled as gluten free, then it’s never 100% safe to eat. Always, always look for a gluten free label on the package to ensure that the food is safe for you and/or your friends or family to eat.
Idahoan (Canadian link here) seems to be a brand that is labelled gluten free, so that’s a great place to start! Maybe keep a box or two of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes around – it makes a very quick and easy and GLUTEN FREE side dish for just about anything you’re making for dinner.
Are mashed potatoes dairy free? Are they vegan?
Since more and more people also need to eat dairy free, or are choosing to eat vegan foods only, we thought this was also an appropriate question to answer. The answer is: No, usually mashed potatoes are neither dairy free nor vegan. That’s because they are often rich with dairy products mixed in, such as milk, cream or butter.
BUT, the good news is that you can easily use dairy-free margarine, dairy free and vegan butter and dairy-free milk to make your own homemade mashed potatoes at home. Easy! And still super yummy.