This dairy free scalloped potatoes recipe is the ultimate good for you comfort food casserole aka “dauphinoise potatoes” as the French like to call it! Also gluten free, super creamy, no lactose, no oil, no mayo, egg free, wheat-free and vegan.
A bubbling homemade potato casserole that checks all the boxes. Rich and creamy, comforting and naturally vegan, made with thinly sliced buttery golden potatoes, nutritional yeast and cashews. Relatively quick and easy to make for a weeknight dinner and just as perfect for the family holiday table. Simply the best dauphinoise potatoes!
A quick blender sauce made without milk, butter or flour based roux. Instead the sauce calls for raw cashews blended together with nutritional yeast, a touch of dijon and spices into the most delicious and luscious creamy sauce.
About the Potatoes
Golden waxy potatoes with thin skins are the best potatoes for making scalloped potatoes. No need to peel them so less prep work, but most importantly their buttery waxy flesh will hold together during cooking so you won’t end up with a starchy potato mash in the end. Use a mandolin (with a guard) to slice the potatoes if you have one, we are looking for 1/8 inch thick slices or so, not too thin so they hold together.
Ingredient Tips + FAQ
Herbs – Elevate the dish with a sprinkling of fresh herbs like thyme or onion chives.
Plant Based Cheese – Traditionally scalloped potatoes do not contain cheese, that would make them Au Gratin Potatoes, therein lies the difference. You can certainly make it cheesy with a layer of vegan dairy free cheese on top as I did but totally optional. ( I love the provolone and smoked gouda slices from Violife and Follow Your Heart).
Make it smoky – If you are a fan of smoky flavors you can add a couple of teaspoons of liquid smoke to your cream sauce.
Filling – Go wild if you like with a filling of caramelized onions, leeks, sautéed garlic spinach or mushrooms. Typically I would add this in the middle of the casserole between two layers of potatoes. Pour the cream sauce over the top, cover and bake.
Should I cover the potatoes during baking? – Yes absolutely, covering the casserole is very important to create steam which helps cook the potatoes and prevents them from drying out. You can uncover for the last 10 minutes if desired to get some browning.
Make Ahead – This casserole is best baked and served hot straight out of the oven. To cut down on prep time you can slice the potatoes the night before and store covered with cold water to prevent browning.
Storage – Any leftovers can be refrigerated up to 5 days and reheated in the microwave or oven @350″F for 35 minutes or until heated through. Freezing is not highly recommended as the texture of the sauce changes during the process, although still delicious it won’t be silky and creamy as it is when freshly made.
This dairy free scalloped potatoes recipe is the ultimate good for you comfort food casserole aka "dauphinoise potatoes" as the French like to call it! Also gluten free, super creamy, no lactose, no oil, no mayo, egg free and wheat-free.
Scrub and rinse the potatoes well. Using a mandolin with a hand guard (or a very sharp knife), slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch slices. (If using russets instead of golden potatoes make sure to peel those first).
2 lb Yukon gold potatoes
Place the potato slices in a large bowl and rinse in cold water. Drain well.
Lightly oil an 8x10 inch baking dish. (Alternatively you can line the bottom with parchment paper and omit oil). Transfer the potatoes slices to the dish and spread them around evenly. (If adding a filling like sautéed mushrooms or caramelized leeks you'll want to layer half the potatoes first, top with the filling and the remaining potatoes).
2 lb Yukon gold potatoes
Make the Sauce
Add all cashews and all the sauce ingredients into a powerful blender like a Vitamix. Process until the sauce is creamy smooth without any lumps. Taste the sauce and add extra salt if desired at this point.
Pour the sauce over the potatoes and give the dish a good shake. At this point you can layer the vegan cheese slices on top to cover the top layer of potatoes. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Turn up the heat to 400"F and cook an additional 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. (To crisp up the edges you can bake them uncovered for the last 10 minutes, I prefer the gooey creaminess all over instead). Serve sprinkled with fresh herbs like chives or thyme and. pinch of red hot chili flakes for heat.
8 slices vegan cheese, 1/4 cup fresh herbs
Video
Notes
The Potatoes - Golden waxy potatoes with thin skins are the best potatoes for making scalloped potatoes. No need to peel them so less prep work, but most importantly their buttery waxy flesh will hold together during cooking so you won't end up with a starchy potato mash in the end. Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes if you have one, we are looking for 1/8 inch thick slices or so, not too thin so they hold together.
Herbs - Elevate the dish with a sprinkling of fresh herbs like thyme or onion chives.
Plant Based Cheese - Traditionally scalloped potatoes do not contain cheese, that would make them Au Gratin Potatoes, therein lies the difference. You can certainly make it cheesy with a layer of vegan dairy free cheese on top as I did but totally optional. ( I love the provolone and smoked gouda slices from Violife and Follow Your Heart).
Make it smoky - If you are a fan of smoky flavors you can add a couple of teaspoons of liquid smoke to your cream sauce.
Filling - Go wild if you like with a filling of caramelized onions, leeks, sautéed garlic spinach or mushrooms. Typically I would add this in the middle of the casserole between two layers of potatoes. Pour the cream sauce over the top, cover and bake.
Should I cover the potatoes during baking? - Yes absolutely, covering the casserole is very important to create steam which helps cook the potatoes and prevents them from drying out. You can uncover for the last 10 minutes if desired to get some browning.
Make Ahead - This casserole is best baked and served hot straight out of the oven. To cut down on prep time you can slice the potatoes the night before and store covered with cold water to prevent browning.
Storage - Any leftovers can be refrigerated up to 5 days and reheated in the microwave or oven @350"F for 35 minutes or until heated through. Freezing is not highly recommended as the texture of the sauce changes during the process, although still delicious it won't be silky and creamy as it is when freshly made.
Unbelievably delicious potatoes without dairy,how can this be? Incredible recipe, a must make!