Duchess Potatoes (Pommes Duchesse)
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When I want to impress, I make these duchess potatoes. Let me show you how to turn mashed potatoes into the star of your dinner. Don’t worry, it’s easy.
One thing I never want to do is fuss with complicated dishes as my guests arrive. That’s why I created a Duchess potatoes recipe that can easily be made in advance. You’ll be able to do all the messy work ahead of time and pop them into the oven when you’re ready.
This is the recipe you should make if you want to wow your dinner guests. Whether you invite some friends over this weekend or are preparing for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, duchess potatoes will be the star of the show.
What are duchess potatoes?
Duchess potatoes are a fancy version of mashed potatoes. They’re made by mixing buttered potatoes with egg yolks, and they hold their shape after baking.
Then, they’re piped into pretty swirls using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
The interior stays beautifully soft when baked, and the outer edges get nice and crispy.
Duchess Potatoes FAQs
Can these be made without the egg?
Unfortunately, these don’t work well without the egg. In testing, we found that egg-free duchess potatoes fell flat when baked and were very difficult to remove from the tray.
Can I make this duchess potatoes recipe without a pastry bag?
Yes, but they will look different. If you don’t have a pastry bag, your best option is to spoon the mashed potatoes into a resealable plastic bag, then cut off the tip. You can then pipe the duchess potatoes onto a baking tray. They’ll have smoother edges, so they won’t get quite as crispy, but they’ll still be very tasty.
Duchess Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb russet or Yukon gold potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup whipping cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 whole egg + 1 tablespoon milk (for the egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Place them in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes.2 ½ lb russet or Yukon gold potatoes
- Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer. Alternatively, you can mash them with a potato masher, making them as smooth as possible.
- Add the butter and let it melt. Mix in the cream, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt, if wanted. When the mashed potatoes have cooled slightly, stir in the egg yolks.4 tablespoons butter, ⅓ cup whipping cream, 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 4 large egg yolks
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. (You'll need to work in batches.) Pipe the potatoes onto the parchment-lined baking sheets into swirls about 3 inches in diameter.
- Whisk the whole egg with the milk then gently brush it over the duchess potatoes. You don’t want to use a lot and you’ll likely have leftovers.1 whole egg + 1 tablespoon milk
- Bake the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, or until they have started to turn golden along the ridges. Serve with a little minced parsley, chives, or thyme sprinkled over the top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
you need to go back to culinary school. didnt work. one, you dont put cream in them. 2. you dont use yukon, the sugar content doesnt stand up. need more starch. fail!
Hahah might want to reread the recipe, Damian. 😂
Very good and easy to follow recipe. Had tried Ree Drummond’s recipe, but it’s for a crowd and was difficult to reduce the amount to 6 servings. Loved the notes for making ahead and freezing the duchess potatoes.
How much mashed potato should the 2.5 lbs become? Like in cups.
It should yield about 5 cups of mashed potatoes
These look so pretty! What is the serving portion for these? It says serves 6. The recipe also says use 2 baking sheets. In the photos I see 12 swirls. Does it mean that each guest would get 4 as a serving? I’m trying to figure out what an appropriate serving would be to go with a slice of porchetta for Christmas party.
Thank you so much ☺️.
That’s right! Each serving is 4 swirls. It’s a pretty generous serving, especially at a bigger dinner feast. BTW porchetta for Christmas sounds wonderful!
These are really nice! I made a bunch at Thanksgiving and will make them again for Christmas. Love the crispy edges.
How much cream ? The recipe just says 1/3
Sorry about that! ⅓ cup. 🙂
That egg used in this dish are mainly to enrich has well as offer the crisp golden brown of the finished piped potato product. “Doo chess” potatoes do not require the egg and you can use butter to achieve the glistening crispy goodness on top of the finish piped out potatoes by just brushing the potatoes with melted butter before baking
These look amazing! Is there any substitute for the whipping cream though? I want to make them but need to make them non-dairy…
I would try using a non-dairy milk. They won’t be quite as rich but they will still be good. I think un-sweetened almond milk would probably be your best bet. I find that soy often leaves a funny taste in food whereas almond milk is a lot more neutral. 🙂
Any luck with egg free? Did you try either the panko bread crumbs or cheese? Would like to make theses along with a tenderloing of beef for Christmans dinner, but have to work around someone’s egg allergy. Any sugestions are appreciated. thank you.
I tried an egg free version once just by omitting the egg but not changing anything else. They turned out ok, the taste was good but they shrunk a little in the oven.
What I would do (what I have done before at the supper club) is make a batch but before you add in the egg just take enough out to make a couple for your one guest with the egg allergy. I’ve even cooked them on the same pan but separated from the rest with some aluminium foil to make sure there was no contamination. It’s barely any more work at all and then most of them will be perfect and just a couple slightly shrunken.
Hope you have a great Christmas dinner!
What about cheese (like Parmesan) or panko bread crumbs to add stability without eggs?
That’s a great idea. I will have to try that next time I make them. Thank you for the suggestions!
I love Dutchess potatoes, I don’t think I’ve made them since culinary school though. I’ll have to whip some up again soon.
I’m absolutely making these for my next dinner party. What an attractive way to serve potatoes! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
these are really pretty !
They certainly are pretty.
You did such a great job but I must not have filed the recipe carefully enough cuz mine just melted down to mush..