Best Vegan Loaded Potato
Hands down, this vegan, loaded potato recipe is the best you’ll ever try. These are a hit with everyone—even non-vegans—because the homemade dairy-free cheese sauce is the secret ingredient that wins over all types of eaters!
These loaded potatoes are the perfect snack or appetizer for family and social gatherings or game nights. Not only do they make a beautiful display, but they also taste amazing! The secret ingredient is my creamy vegan cheese sauce.
I have served them as a side dish and an appetizer, but oftentimes we simply add a side dish like mixed bean salad or healthy lettuce wraps and call it dinner!
This vegan potato recipe is so good, that it was even published on the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies website.
Reasons to love these loaded potatoes
- Flavorful and Satisfying: This dairy-free loaded baked potato recipe is made with a combination of my delicious homemade vegan creamy cashew cheese and this easy eggless mayo recipe along with onions and chives.
- Nutrient-Dense: Packed with vitamins, minerals, and plant-based protein, these loaded potatoes provide a nutritious option that supports a healthy diet.
- Versatile and Customizable: Easily adaptable to your taste preferences, you can add your favorite toppings, such as avocado, salsa, or our tofu sour cream, to make these loaded potatoes uniquely yours.
How to make loaded vegan potatoes
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Preheat the oven to 400°F and bake whole small potatoes until tender, the time will vary depending on the size of the little potatoes.
STEP #2: Remove potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool. Slice potatoes in half, scoop out pulp leaving 1/4″ in the shell. Place pulp in a medium bowl.
STEP #3: Add plant milk, low-fat mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, half of the cheese sauce (1/2 cup), and minced onion to the bowl with potato flesh and mash together using a potato masher or fork.
STEP #4: Drizzle the rest of the cheese sauce (1/2 cup) over the top of each potato, sprinkle with more smoked paprika and chives, and serve.
Some additional toppings that you might add include my tofu vegan sour cream and these simple vegan bacon bits made from soy curls.
*Original publish date December 24, 2015.
Tips & Suggestions
- COOKING. Make sure to cook your potatoes until they are soft. Hard and chunky is not good.
- MAYO. The mayo recipe makes more than needed. Leftover mayo can be used on sandwiches, wraps, and in other sauces. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It does NOT freeze well.
- CHEESE SAUCE. This recipe makes approximately 1 quart which is more than you will need for this potato recipe. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen. It is delicious on nachos, tacos, steamed veggies, pizza, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
I usually use Russett potatoes but any type of potato you like could be used. When I’m making these as an appetizer to take somewhere, I opt for smaller potatoes to make them more of a finger food.
Some additional toppings that you might add include my tofu vegan sour cream and these simple vegan bacon bits made from soy curls.
I made them a day in advance and then drizzled a little more cheese sauce over them and warmed in the oven the following day. They were great!
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I haven’t tried freezing them yet.
For more great vegan potato recipes, check out my article, 25 Amazing Vegan Potato Recipes.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
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Vegan Loaded Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
Loaded Potatoes
- 3-4 potatoes, medium size approximately 1 lb or 2 cups cooked potato pulp
- 1/4 cup plant-based milk almond, soy, etc.
- 2 tablespoons low-fat mayo, heaping tbsp (recipe below)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons onion, finely minced
- chives for topping
Low-Fat Eggless Mayo
- 1 package silken soft tofu 12-60 oz
- 1 tablespoon sugar (cane, date, etc)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup potatoes peeled & diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onions diced
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews raw, or 1/2 cup white beans
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
Loaded Potato Bites
- Preheat oven to 400°F and bake whole small to medium potatoes until tender.
- Remove potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool. Slice potatoes in half and scoop out pulp leaving 1/4" in the shell. Place pulp in a medium bowl.
- Add plant milk, low-fat mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, HALF of the cheese sauce (1/2 cup), and minced onion to the bowl with potato flesh and mash together using a potato masher or fork.
- Use the mashed potato mixture to fill each of the potato skins.
- Drizzle the rest of the cheese sauce (1/2 cup) over the top of each potato, sprinkle with more smoked paprika and chives, and serve
Low-Fat Eggless Mayo
- Drain and press excess water from tofu. Blend all ingredients in a blender. This recipe will make more mayo than needed. Leftover mayo can be used on sandwiches, wraps, and in other sauces. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Creamy Vegan Sauce
- In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain and place them in the blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- This recipe makes approximately 1 quart which is more than you will need for this potato recipe. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen. It is delicious on nachos, tacos, steamed veggies, pizza, and more.
Video
Notes
- COOKING. Make sure to cook your potatoes until they are soft. Hard and chunky is not good.
- MAYO. The mayo recipe makes more than needed. Leftover mayo can be used on sandwiches, wraps, and in other sauces. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It does NOT freeze well.
- CHEESE SAUCE. This recipe makes approximately 1 quart which is more than you will need for this potato recipe. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen. It is delicious on nachos, tacos, steamed veggies, pizza, and more.
- POTATOES. I usually use Russett potatoes but any type of potato you like could be used. When I'm making these as an appetizer to take somewhere, I opt for smaller potatoes to make them more of a finger food.
- TOPPINGS. Some additional toppings that you might add include my tofu vegan sour cream and these simple vegan bacon bits made from soy curls.
- MAKE AHEAD. I made them a day in advance and then drizzled a little more cheese sauce over them and warmed in the oven the following day. They were great!
- STORAGE. These potatoes keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
What type of potatoes are you using in this picture?
Lena– Those are Russetts, but I’ve used a number of different types of potatoes for this recipe.
In the photo, what is it that looks like bacon bits?
Hi Diana- The potatoes are sprinkled with smoked paprika. I think that must be what you’re seeing. It adds great flavor and makes them more colorful too.
Can you make these in advance? They look delicious
I have made them a day in advance and then drizzled a little more cheese sauce over them and warmed in the oven the following day. They were great!
Even my meat eaters loved these!!!!!
Is there another type recipe for mayo….that doesn’t use tofu?
Yes, here is another recipe that is soy-free. I haven’t tried it but have been told that it’s good. https://cookingwithplants.com/recipe/soy-oil-free-vegan-mayonnaise/
Can these be frozen for future use?
I have not tried freezing these. If you do, I would love to hear how they turn out.
Hi Terri, for the mayo how many ounces should be in the container of tofu? Is it firm tofu, extra firm?
Betsy, I use silken tofu, usually the shelf-stable kind because it is so smooth for mayo, sauces, and mousses. The container I have is 12.3 oz, but small variations in size will work just fine too.
Have you read the ingredients on the shelf-stable tofu lately? It now contains soy protein isolate, not good! Better to use regular refrigerated tofu that is pure soy beans, water, and a coagulant, nothing else.