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These pumpkin mashed potatoes are the coziest upgrade to a classic side dish. Buttery, creamy, and subtly spiced – the perfect addition to your holiday table!

overhead view of a bowl of pumpkin mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a non-negotiable on my holiday table. Always have been, probably always will be. But I’ve been on a bit of a mission lately to find new ways to make them feel a little more special than the usual butter and cream situation.

My mashed potatoes with leeks started that whole project, and these pumpkin mashed potatoes are the latest addition to the lineup.

Pumpkin season in this house goes well beyond pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice everything. Once October hits I’m putting pumpkin in anything I can justify – from this pumpkin chocolate chip cake to pumpkin baked oats, and now these pumpkin mashed potatoes that have firmly joined the rotation.

They taste exactly like the coziest, most fall-appropriate version of mashed potatoes you can imagine. Buttery, creamy, subtly sweet, with a hint of nutmeg and a generous amount of Parmesan that keeps them firmly in savory territory.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes

Only a handful of ingredients. Nothing here is hard to find, and if you’ve got a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry (or part of a can hanging out in the fridge, as I often do) you’re most of the way there.

One pot. The potatoes boil, dry out, and get mashed all in the same pot. Fewer dishes on a day when the sink is already full.

Easy to make ahead. Holiday cooking is mostly a game of oven and stovetop space. These reheat well, which frees up a burner when you need it most.

Ingredient Notes

ingredients used to make pumpkin mashed potatoes pictures and labelled

Yukon Gold Potatoes

These are my go-to for mashed potatoes. They’re naturally creamy and buttery, and they hold up well without turning gluey. You can peel them or leave the skins on, depending on how rustic you like your mash.

Cut the chunks about the same size so they all finish cooking at the same time.

Pumpkin Purée

Canned or fresh both work. If you’re using canned, double check the label. You want plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which comes with sugar and spices already added.

Butter

I tend to use unsalted so I can control the seasoning, but salted works just fine, simply ajust the amount of salt you add later. The butter goes in right after the potatoes are drained, so it melts into them while they’re still hot.

Whole Milk

Warm it before it goes in. Cold milk cools down the potatoes and makes them harder to get smooth.

Parmesan Cheese

Finely grated is best here because it melts right into the potatoes instead of leaving little clumps. I vastly prefer to use Parmesan that is freshly grated from a block, it melts right in with no grittiness. Parmesan adds a salty, nutty depth that balances the sweetness of the pumpkin.

Garlic Powder

While I usually choose fresh garlic over garlic powder, this recipe is an exception. It distributes evenly through the potatoes and gives you a gentle garlic flavor without any bite.

Nutmeg

Just a tiny amount. It’s what makes these taste like fall, but too much will take over, so measure carefully! I love freshly grated nutmeg if you have it, but it’s quite potent so use with caution.

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

Salt goes in the cooking water and again at the end. Seasoning the water well is what keeps the potatoes from tasting flat.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Salt the water generously and bring it to a boil over high heat.

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Turn the heat down to keep a steady simmer and cook until a fork slides into the potatoes with no resistance, about 18 to 22 minutes. If they’re still a bit firm, you will end up with some lumps.

Drain the potatoes well and return them to the hot pot. Set it over low heat for a minute or two, stirring now and then, to cook off any extra moisture.

Add the butter and mash until the potatoes are mostly smooth.

Stir in the pumpkin puree and the warm milk until everything is combined.

adding pumpkin puree to the mashed potatoes

Add the Parmesan, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and nutmeg. Keep mashing and stirring until the potatoes are creamy and smooth. If they seem too thick, add a splash more milk until they’re the texture you like.

rest of the ingredients added to the mashed potatoes

Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with chives or parsley before serving.

Recipe Tips for Success

Start the potatoes in cold water. Dropping them into boiling water cooks the outside before the inside, and you end up with uneven chunks. Cold water heats everything gradually.

Don’t skip the drying step. Those couple of minutes in the hot pot make a real difference. Wet potatoes turn out watery, and extra moisture also stops the butter and Parmesan from blending in properly.

Stick with a masher or a ricer. A food processor or blender will turn potatoes gluey almost instantly. A hand masher keeps a little texture, and a ricer gives you the smoothest result.

Add the milk gradually. Potatoes vary in how much liquid they take, so hold back a bit and add more at the end if you need it. It’s easy to thin them out and much harder to fix a runny batch.

Taste before serving. Potatoes soak up salt, so you may want a little more than you think. Season, stir, and taste again.

Variations

Brown the butter. Cooking the butter until it smells nutty before adding it gives the whole dish a deeper, toastier flavor.

Add fresh sage. Sage and pumpkin are a natural pairing. Frying a few leaves in butter and crumbling them over the top looks great and tastes even better.

Swap the cheese. Gruyère or white cheddar both work in place of Parmesan if you want something creamier or sharper.

Mix in sweet potatoes. Replace some of the Yukon Golds with sweet potatoes for an even sweeter, more orange mash.

Make it dairy-free. Use a good olive oil or dairy-free butter and a plain unsweetened plant milk. Skip the Parmesan or use a dairy-free alternative, and add a little extra salt to make up for it.

Serving Suggestions

These are made for a holiday table, but they’re just as good on an ordinary weeknight in fall. They’re a natural partner for roasts and anything with a sauce or gravy, since they soak it up so well. I made them with this red wine braised beef and it was such a hit!

My top round roast beef is another favorite pairing, and my cranberry glazed pork loin works just as well if you’re skipping the turkey. Add some simple oven roasted green beans or a simple green salad on the side for something green.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Let the pumpkin mashed potatoes cool a bit, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. These freeze fine for up to 2 months, though the texture can be slightly less smooth once thawed. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well while reheating.

Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring often. You can also reheat them in a covered baking dish in the oven, or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each.

For a holiday, you can make these a day or two in advance and reheat them right before serving. Stir in a little extra milk and/or butter when you warm them up to bring back their creaminess.

Tell me what you think!

If you try this recipe, l’d be so grateful if you’d leave a comment and a rating in the recipe card. I love to hear your feedback, and your tips can help other readers too!

Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes