Butter Bean Mash

Naturally, season mashed potatoes by simply adding butter beans. Butter bean mash is an easy and healthy way to enjoy creamy vegan mashed potatoes. This butter bean mash recipe is the perfect side dish for the holidays. Gravy recipe included.

During the holidays, as a child, I ate all the mashed potatoes and left the turkey on the table. Even as an adult, I never lost my love for mashed potatoes. So, to continue my mashed potato obsession, I 'veganized' mashed potatoes and made them fat-free by making butter bean mashed potatoes with easy 'no chicken' gravy. This vegan mashed potato recipe, also called butter bean mash, combines mashed potatoes and butter beans to form creamy, buttery-tasting mashed potatoes. Not only does this butter bean mash recipe taste like it's swimming in butter, but it's healthy, too.

Since my love for mashed potatoes is an addiction, I figured out how to make buttery without oil or vegan butter. What's my secret? Butter beans.  

What are Butter Beans?

Butter beans are precisely the same as lima beans! 

Butter beans, or large lima beans, are large, flattish beans that range from pale yellow to white.  Butter beans have a velvety texture and rich, savory, buttery flavor.

Although most butter beans may sound fattening, butter beans are high in fiber, not fat.  

With 5 grams of fiber per half-cup, butter beans are also a great source of potassium, a mineral with natural diuretic properties that removes excess sodium and fluid from the body.

Butter Bean Mash Ingredients:

• Baking Potatoes: I peel the baking potatoes and cut them into equal-sized chunks so they cook evenly.
• Butter Beans: Butter beans or lima beans can be purchased in a can or soaked overnight and cooked before using them in the recipe.
• Organic Vegetable Broth: I buy it in bulk at Costco because I often use it.
• Unsweetened, Unflavored Plant Milk: I like oat milk plant-based recipes because it's creamy.
• Salt/Fresh Ground Pepper: I love fresh ground pepper mashed potatoes. I suggest adding as desired, as salt and pepper enhance all the flavors in the butter bean mash recipe.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder adds a sweet and savory flavor to dishes you can't get from fresh onions.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds an intense, concentrated garlic flavor to a recipe, while garlic cloves offer a slightly subtler flavor
• Parsley: Parsley adds freshness and a bright green garnish to the butter beans and mashed potatoes.

Butter Bean Mash Ingredient Substitutions

• Any potato works well for this recipe. It is possible to leave the skins on for a chunky rather than creamy mashed potato recipe.
• Cannellini beans are often substituted for butter beans in recipes; however, they do not have the buttery flavor, so I suggest adding 2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast if using these beans.
• Any plant milk works well, but be sure it's unsweetened and unflavored.

How to Make Butter Bean Mashed Potatoes

• Wash, peel, and cut potatoes into similar-sized large chunks.
• Drain one can of butter beans, and set aside.
• Place potato chunks into a pot, cover with water, and add a little salt.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce to medium-low and boil uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
• Add the drained butter beans into the pot with the cooking potatoes for the last 6 minutes.
• It is essential to heat the beans, so everything is hot and ready to be whipped together when combining the potatoes and beans.
• Drain the potatoes and butter beans and place them in a bowl.

• Next, add 1 cup of vegetable broth and mash on high using an electric mixer.
• Now, add ½ cup of unsweetened plant milk. 
• The buttery flavor of the beans flavors the butter bean mashed potato recipe without added salt. But add salt and pepper for individual preference.

You don't need butter to get a buttery flavor despite popular belief.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Combine the drained butter beans with the boiling potatoes as a shortcut. 
• Use unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk.
• Make sure to cut the potatoes into equal-sized so they cook evenly. 
• Also, the size of the potato pieces determines the cooking time. For instance, larger-sized chunks take longer to cook. Conversely, smaller-sized pieces cook more quickly. 
• Butter bean mash prepared in advance heats up nicely. 
• The no-chicken gravy also stores well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before reheating and serving.

Vegan Gravy Ingredients

The same is true for not needing chicken and fat for delicious, savory gravy.

• Organic Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth in bulk at Costco because I often use it.
• Flour of Choice: Any flour works well. I used whole wheat flour.
• Vegetable Bouillon Cube: Vegetable bouillon is a type of flavoring made of vegetables, herbs, and spices. It is a concentrated, compacted version of broth or stock. It is typically a green or brown color due to the vegetables and spices. It often comes in cubes or small bricks, paste, or liquid.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is a ground and dried-out version of the fresh garlic bulb. You might also hear it referred to as “granulated garlic”—that's the same thing, only ground a tad bit coarser. One huge advantage of using this versus fresh garlic is that it's less prone to burning.
• Salt/Fresh Ground Pepper: Salt and pepper enhance the flavors in the gravy. Add as desired.

Vegan Gravy Substitutions

• Choose gluten-free flour as an alternative to whole wheat flour for a gluten-free option.
• Instead of vegetable bouillon cubes, try Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet Browning and Seasoning Sauce.
• Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder; it should be finely grated.

How to Make Vegan Gravy

• Place two cups of vegetable broth in a medium saucepan.
• In a one-cup blender measuring cup, add 1 cup vegetable broth and ¼ cup flour.
• Blend until mixed well.
• Set aside.
• Add 1 vegetable bouillon cube into boiling vegetable broth until disintegrated, garlic powder, and freshly ground pepper.
• Slowly add flour/vegetable broth and whisk.
• Continue to stir over medium-high until it begins to thicken.
• Reduce to simmer.

If you love low-fat, creamy vegan mashed potato recipes, look no further! Even adults love these vegan mashed potatoes. Or, if you're anything like me, eat butter bean mashed potatoes as a meal! 

So, the next you make mashed potatoes, try butter bean mash. These vegan mashed potatoes never disappoint.

Try These Holiday Dishes

If you love this butter bean mashed potatoes and easy no chicken gravy, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe

Butter Bean Mashed Potatoes with Easy 'No-Chicken' Gravy

Kathy Carmichael

"Buttery" Mashed Potatoes without any vegan butter or added fat. Naturally season your potatoes by simply adding butter beans. Enjoy the buttery taste without the guilt.

4.86 from 14 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 521 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Mashed Potatoes

• ▢ 4 large baking potatoes peeled and cut into equal sized chunks
• ▢ 1 15 ounce can butter beans drained
• ▢ ½ cup organic vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 cup Unsweetened plant milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons onion powder
• ▢ Salt optional to taste
• ▢ Parsley garnish optional

'NO CHICKEN" GRAVY

• ▢ 3 cups organic vegetable broth
• ▢ ¼ cup Flour of Choice gluten-free works well
• ▢ 1 cube Vegetable Bouillon Cube or 2 teaspoons Gravy Master
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Fresh Ground Pepper

Instructions

 

Butter Bean Mashed Potatoes

• Wash, peel, and cut potatoes into equal-sized chunks.
• Place the potato chunks into a pot and cover with water with a pinch of salt.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce to medium-low and boil uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Time varies depending on the size of the potato chunks.
• Add drained butter beans to the boiling potatoes for the last 6 minutes of cooking. Or See another option for cooking butter beans below separately.
• Drain potatoes and butter beans in a colander.
• Transfer cooked potatoes and butter beans to a large bowl.

Butter Beans (cooking option)

• Drain one can of butter beans.
• In a small pan, heat beans through (you may also microwave to speed up the process)
• *It is essential to heat the beans, so everything is hot and ready to be whipped when combining the potatoes and beans.

Mashing

• Drain potatoes and return to pan.
• Add hot butter beans to potatoes.
• Add ½ cup vegetable broth and mash on high using an electric mixer.
• Add 1 cup unsweetened plant milk and continue mixing on high.
• Add additional plant milk, if necessary, in small amounts and continue to mix to get desired texture (potatoes differ in size, so other plant milk may be needed)
• Add ground pepper and other seasonings.
• Continue mixing until smooth.
• Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with parsley (optional).

Vegan Gravy

• Add two cups of vegetable broth to a medium saucepan.
• Add 1 cup vegetable broth and ¼ cup flour in a one-cup blender measuring cup.
• Blend until mixed well.
• Set aside.
• Add 1 vegetable bouillon cube into boiling vegetable broth until disintegrated.
• Add garlic powder.
• Add Freshly ground pepper.
• Slowly add flour/vegetable broth and whisk.
• Continue to stir over medium-high until it begins to thicken.
• Reduce to simmer.

Notes

• Butter Mash and gravy may be prepared ahead of time and reheated.
• When reheating gravy, add a small amount of vegetable broth if it's too thick.
• Save time by adding butter beans to the cooking potatoes.
• Use an electric mixer.
• Additional plant milk may be needed for a creamier texture, but add in small amounts and blend between, adding more milk.
• Serve with or without gravy.
• Combine the drained butter beans with the boiling potatoes as a shortcut. 
• Use unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk.
• Make sure to cut the potatoes into equal-sized so they cook evenly. 
• Also, the size of the potato pieces determines the cooking time. For instance, larger-sized chunks take longer to cook. Conversely, smaller-sized pieces cook more quickly. 
• The no-chicken gravy also stores well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before reheating and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 521kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 9gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 456mgPotassium: 759mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 320IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 106mgIron: 3mg

Tried our recipe?Let us know how it was!

Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/