Recipes › Turnip › Mashed Turnips with Brown Butter
Mashed Turnips with Brown Butter
Creamy mashed turnips — silkier and more complex than plain mashed potato — enriched with brown butter and a splash of cream. The turnip's natural pepperiness plays beautifully against the nutty, caramelized butter. Serve this alongside pot roast, roast chicken, or a holiday beef tenderloin as a sophisticated alternative to mashed potatoes.
Turnip is usually ready May to November. More turnip recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream, warmed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
Contains: milk.
Method
- Boil turnips and garlic in heavily salted water for 18-20 minutes until very tender. Drain well.About 22 min
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling, until golden brown and nutty-smelling, 3-4 minutes.About 5 min
- Mash turnips (and garlic) until smooth, or use a food processor for extra silkiness. Add warm cream, most of the brown butter, and remaining salt. Beat until fluffy.About 8 min
- Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle remaining brown butter on top. Scatter chives.About 2 min
Tips
- Drain turnips very well — excess water makes gluey mash.
- Brown butter has far more flavor than regular melted butter — it's the difference maker.
- Mashed turnips have a beautiful lavender-white color — don't cover it with too much topping.
Ring the changes
- Mix half potato and half turnip for a milder version.
- Add a teaspoon of horseradish for a punchy kick alongside beef dishes.
Keeping it
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of cream and extra butter.
In the app this recipe finds you
Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 2,482 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.
More from the same crop
A Southern classic: turnip greens slow-cooked with smoked ham hock until silky and deeply flavorful, served with the pot likker — the intensely savory cooking liquid — and a wedge of cornbread to soak it up. This is soul food at its most honest: minimal ingredients, maximum flavor, and a tradition that stretches back generations. The greens are tender and the pot likker is liquid gold.
1 h 45 min · easy · Turnip
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 4 April 2026.