Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
16 Comments May 23, 2024
Updated Aug 11, 2025
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These Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes call for just potatoes, butter, cream, and milk. These rich and flavorful potatoes are a crowd pleaser!
Featured Comment
So easy and so delicious! Everyone loved it for Easter
– Madeline
This no-boil mashed potato recipe is perfect when you need a hands-off side dish. The slow cooker cooks the potatoes while you are busy with other tasks. Just drain and add in butter and heavy cream!
Making mashed potatoes in a crockpot is perfect and absolutely delicious for the holidays like Christmas dinner, parties, or buffets for the slow cooker will keep the potatoes warm until everyone is served.
Key Ingredients
- Potatoes – I use russet potatoes for this classic recipe. You can use Idaho potatoes, yellow potatoes, or any you prefer.
- Water – Enough to cover, but avoid filling your slow cooker to the brim, as it may overflow during cooking.
- Heavy whipping cream – This makes creamy and decadent potatoes
- Salted Butter – This is a must for homemade mashed potatoes, the butter is an added fat that adds flavor to the potatoes.
- Salt (and Pepper) – Salt is added after the potatoes are cooked. Adding pepper is a personal preference.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- Cook peeled, cubed potatoes in the slow cooker until tender.
- Drain well, then mash with butter until mostly smooth.
- Mix in cream and seasonings, adjusting to your preferred texture.
Tips & Variations
- Cheesy – Add 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese to the potatoes and top with 2 more cups of cheese. Place the lid on top and let the cheese melt for 10 minutes. (Or add 8 ounces of velveeta).
- Cream Cheese: You can add a box of cream cheese to this recipe instead of heavy cream if desired. You will need to add a splash of milk to thin out the potatoes.
- Lower fat – Cut the butter in half. Omit the heavy cream and use fat-free milk in its place.
- Garlic – Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder while blending to quickly turn these into garlic potatoes.
- Broth – For added flavor, substitute the water for chicken broth or vegetable broth.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Classic Serving: Serve the crockpot mashed potatoes with pats of butter and black pepper.
- Loaded Mashed Potatoes – Serve the potatoes buffet style with bowls of cheddar cheese, bacon, green onion, and sour cream on the side for guests to serve themselves.
- Mains: Serve these along with your favorite main dish, such as Crockpot Ham, Crockpot Turkey Breast, or Crockpot Brisket.
- Other Sides: Try another side to round out the meal, we love slow cooker green bean casserole, slow cooker baby carrots and slow cooker candied yams.
How Long Can I Keep Mashed Potatoes on the Warm Setting?
2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. If the potatoes start to dry out, add extra cream, milk, or butter. Store any leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container.
How do I keep my potatoes from browning while prepping?
Keep your potatoes covered with water while prepping. Add some water to the slow cooker while you dice your potatoes. Only cut 2 potatoes at a time, rinse off the dirt, dice and add to the water in the slow cooker. This will keep them from browning.
Can I Leave the Skins on for Mashed Potatoes?
If you are short on time or love mashed potatoes with skins on, you can leave them on! Be sure to scrub your potatoes well before dicing (especially russets).
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. russet potatoes
- water to cover potatoes
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (can be labeled heavy whipping cream), can use regular whipping cream or whole milk
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper (optional), Many prefer no pepper, and the potatoes look beautifully white.
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes. Be sure to rinse off any dirt that is left on the potatoes after peeling. Cube into 1/2-1 inch pieces. Add to the slow cooker.
- Pour over water to cover the potatoes but do not fill water to the brim of the slow cooker, at least leave an inch.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker on HIGH for 4 hours.
- When the cooking time is up, drain the water off the potatoes. I do this with 2 potholders, using the lid to hold the potatoes in, but leaving a crack for the water to come out.
- Add the stick of butter to the drained potatoes. Bury it into the potatoes while you set up a handheld mixer. Blend the butter into the potatoes on medium speed, then add the heavy cream, salt and pepper (if you are using it). Blend until smooth and fluffy. Add additional cream (or milk) if needed. (Be careful not to scratch up your slow cooker with the mixer, avoid hitting the sides or bottom with the beaters). You can use a potato masher if you do not have a hand mixer.
- Taste and see if you want to season with additional salt.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More slow cooker potato recipes:
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes are simple, comforting sides.
Million Dollar Mashed Potatoes and Slow Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes add rich, flavorful variety.
Garlic Parmesan Potatoes, Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes, and Baked Potato Casserole are sure to please any crowd. If you are looking for an Irish version try Colcannon potatoes (made with the addition of cabbage!).
Can you cook these on low overnight?
6-7 hours is the longest I would do.