By Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves

Robin Shreeves is an award-winning wine journalist, food and lifestyle features writer, and book author with over 15 years experience writing for print and online publications.
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 Published on March 1, 2024

TikTok has become a go-to source for recipe ideas, cooking hacks, and prep tips that keep us scrolling for inspiration. Creators have brought us many brilliant ideas that are keepers. However, not all TikTok ideas are created equal, and some may be problematic.

Recently, the practice of adding instant yeast to already cooked mashed potatoes has been a hot topic on social media. It’s supposed to make the mashers fluffier and give them a savory, bready flavor. 

Traditional mashed potatoes are already fantastic, so adding a bready note to them might have you wondering, “Why bother?” But since the yeasted version is so popular right now, Allrecipes culinary producer Nicole McLaughlin had to try it for herself.

Why Add Yeast to Mashed Potatoes?

Yeast is what makes certain foods, like bread, rise. When yeast is activated (with heat and moisture) and mixed with flour, it feeds on the sugars and releases carbon dioxide, creating bubbles in the dough that cause it to rise.

When yeast is mixed with milk and added to mashed potatoes, the carbon dioxide bubbles do their magic, changing the texture and flavor of the potatoes and making them rise into a fluffy mass. 

In the video, Nicole points out the bubbles in the mashed potatoes after they’ve sat with the yeast for about 20 minutes, although she says the potatoes have risen just “a little bit.” 

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