Wholesome Mashed Potatoes With Carrot & Parsnip (Vegan)
This carrot, parsnip and potato mash recipe is a healthy and vegan vegetable side dish. It’s creamy, full of flavour and spices, and uses fiber-rich white russet potatoes. A tasty alternative to classic mashed potatoes!

Love mashed potatoes, but looking for a fun, healthy twist on a classic recipe? This carrot, parsnip, and potato mash is just what you need!
Made with mashed carrots, parsnips, and potatoes, this recipe packs in a ton of different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibre. All things that make me happy as a dietitian!
The carrots and parsnips add an extra punch of flavour to basic mashed potatoes. Plus, it’s seasoned with minced garlic, cinnamon, thyme, and nutmeg for even more tasty goodness.
Did I mention that this recipe is super easy to make? You basically just steam the vegetables, then mash them with the other ingredients!
This healthy side dish recipe is also perfect if you happen to have guests or family members with different dietary needs. It’s naturally gluten-free and can (super) easily be made vegan.
Want more side dish inspiration? Check out my roundup of 20+ easy, healthy vegetable side dish recipes for more ideas!
Ingredients Needed
All you need to make this recipe are 11 simple ingredients:
- carrots
- parsnips
- potatoes
- garlic
- butter (regular or vegan)
- almond milk, unsweetened (or other milk/milk alternative)
- nutmeg
- cinnamon
- thyme
- salt
- pepper
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Mashed Potatoes With Carrots & Parsnips
Start by chopping all the vegetables into roughly 1-inch chunks. There’s no need to be too perfect here – they’ll be getting mashed, afterall!
Place the chopped carrots, parsnips, and potatoes into a large pot with a lid. Add water and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, cover, reduce heat, and let the veggies steam for about 20-25 minutes, or until you can easily pierce them with a fork.
When the veggies are cooked, drain the remaining liquid. Return the vegetables to the pot and add almond milk, butter, minced garlic, nutmeg, thyme, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
With a potato masher, mash all ingredients together until your desired texture is achieved. The carrots, parsnips, and potatoes should be fluffy but textured. Adjust seasonings as needed!
Transfer mash to a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh cracked pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, or a sprinkling of fresh thyme (optional).
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
Store any leftovers of this carrot, parsnip, and potato mash in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3-5 days.
Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
If you’d like to keep this recipe even longer, the mash can be frozen in a freezer safe container or heavy duty bag for 10-12 months.
Recipe Modifications & Variations
To make a vegan version of this recipe, be sure to use a dairy-free milk (I used almond) and a vegan butter instead of regular butter.
While this recipe is meant to use carrots, parsnips, and potatoes, you could always experiment with just 2 of those veggies.
For instance – carrots and potatoes, or carrots and parsnips. Just be sure to adjust the amounts of each accordingly (approx. 6 cups total chopped vegetables). You could even try using sweet potatoes, too!
If you prefer a purée to a mash, simply add all the ingredients to a high speed blender instead of mashing together by hand. A purée will be a silkier, smoother texture.
Carrot Nutrition
Carrots are a great source of:
- various micronutrients, such as vitamin A, K, B6, C, folate, and potassium.
- in particular, carrots are a great source of beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A. 1 cup of chopped carrots provides 428% of your daily needs!
- antioxidants, like beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene
- dietary fibre, with 1 cup of chopped carrots providing almost 4 grams of fibre (about 14% of your daily needs)
Parsnip Nutrition
Parsnips are a type of tuberous root vegetable that pack in a nutritious punch:
- dietary fibre, with 1 cup of parsnips containing 6.5 grams (26% of your daily needs)
- vitamins C, K, E, B6, folate, and thiamine
- minerals, like magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc
- antioxidants, like vitamin C
Potato Nutrition
White potatoes are a great source of:
- fibre-rich complex carbohydrates
- minerals, like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron
- vitamin C and B-vitamins, like folate, niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin
More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes
- Baked Parsnip Fries With Honey Mustard Sauce
- Maple-Roasted Carrots With Harissa Yogurt
- Miso Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Broccoli Salad With Cranberry, Farro & Feta
- Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash With Kale
Did you give this Carrot, Parsnip & Potato Mash Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Wholesome Mashed Potatoes With Carrot & Parsnip (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 cups carrots, chopped into ~1-inch chunks
- 2 cups parsnips, chopped into ~1-inch chunks
- 2 cups white potatoes, chopped into ~1-inch chunks (I used russet)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)
- 1 Tbsp butter (vegan if needed)
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme (optional – see notes)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional – see notes)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional – see notes)
- Salt + pepper, to taste (be generous!)
- Optional toppings: fresh cracked pepper, drizzle olive oil, fresh thyme or parsley
Instructions
- Place the chopped carrots, parsnips, and potatoes into a large pot with a lid. Add about 1.5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Once water is boiling, cover the pot, reduce heat, and let the veggies steam for about 20-25 minutes, or until you can easily pierce them with a fork.
- When the veggies are cooked, drain the remaining liquid. Return the vegetables to the pot and add minced garlic, almond milk, butter, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- With a potato masher, mash all ingredients together until your desired texture is achieved. The carrots, parsnips, and potatoes should be fluffy but textured. Adjust seasonings as needed!
- Transfer mash to a serving bowl. Add optional garnish, if desired.
Notes
- Store any leftovers of this carrot, parsnip, and potato mash in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3-5 days. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- If you’d like to keep this recipe even longer, the mash can be frozen in a freezer safe container or heavy duty bag for 10-12 months.
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
6 Comments on “Wholesome Mashed Potatoes With Carrot & Parsnip (Vegan)”
This was a nice twist to mashed potatoes!
Thank you so much Marguerite!! So glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
Loved the dish. Only thing I recommend is less cinnamon and nutmeg. I found it too away the ingenuity of the dish. I was expecting more of a “mash” or mashed potatoe like.
Hi Skylar! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one despite the amount of spices (I guess we all have personal preferences here!!)
I’m not sure I quite understand what you mean by more of a “mash?” I find if you use a potato masher like I did it will make the mash more thick and textured, but if you want something more smooth and creamy then I would throw everything into a high speed blender. I hope that helps 🙂
I’m really sorry to say that we made this tonight and my husband, toddler, and I were not fans. The spices really seemed to miss the mark. I would have preferred just butter with the mashed vegetables.
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so sorry to hear that your family didn’t enjoy this one. I personally like the spices, but can totally understand if you’re looking for something a bit more traditional (i.e. just butter!) I’ve heard this from another reader and I will adjust the recipe to make the spices optional.