These vegan scalloped potatoes are the perfect side dish for the holiday season or, let’s be real, any season. They have layers of potatoes in a cheesy sauce, the perfect au gratin potatoes.
These cheesy potatoes are a must for our holiday meal. It’s an easy recipe and a classic side dish.
Everyone needs a good potato side dish up their sleeve.
Whether it’s a good mashed potato recipe, these vegan cheesy scalloped potatoes, smashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato casserole, or whatever fits the bill for your special occasion, or simply a tasty dinner.
Potatoes in any form as a big hit at our house. They are so versatile and delicious.
I don’t think I’ve met a potato I haven’t liked.
My husband isn’t a big fan of traditional scalloped potatoes, but he actually really enjoyed these.
Some recipe tips;
- The higher the fat in the nondairy milk, the better for a more creamy flavor.
- Slice the potatoes as uniformly as possible, so they bake at an even rate.
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes for the best flavor.
- Broil the casserole at the end, so the cheese melts and gets a little crispy.
Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Recipe Q&A
What is the difference between al gratin and scalloped potatoes?
Scalloped potatoes are thin slices of potatoes in a creamy sauce; al gratin adds the cheesy part to the potatoes.
Can I use a different potato?
You can use a russet potato if you prefer, but I like the flavor of Yukon gold potatoes better. I wouldn’t use a red potato.
Can I leave the cashews out?
The cashews help give this dish that vegan cheddar flavor.
I’ve never tried to use anything but the cashews, but you could try using another nut, like blanched almonds.
How do I get my potatoes really thin?
I always use a knife and just slice it thin, but that can be tedious.
The best thing for making uniform slices is a mandoline slicer; however, sometimes, a food processor has an attachment to make thin slices.
But a knife will work also.
Can I make scalloped potatoes ahead of time?
If you want to make this a few days ahead of the event, I would bake the whole thing as you normally would, let it come to room temperature, and then cover it tightly with saran wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When you want to serve it, place it back in the oven covered with foil until heated through, then remove the foil and broil for a few minutes to get that cheesy crispiness on the top.
You wouldn’t want to freeze this before baking it. Potatoes raw can get real funky in the freezer.
Can I make this gluten-free?
If you need these vegan scalloped potatoes to be gluten-free, you can replace the all purpose flour with a gluten-free all purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio.
What ingredients do you need for a vegan scalloped potatoes recipe?
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
The potatoes
- Yukon gold potatoes
Creamy sauce
- onion, chopped small
- fresh garlic
- vegan butter
- all purpose flour
- salt
- Unsweetened non dairy milk (soy milk, cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk will make it rich but also with a hint of coconut)
Vegan cheese sauce
- potatoes, chopped
- carrots, chopped
- raw cashews
- nutritional yeast
- plant milk
- garlic
- onion powder
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- salt
- lemon juice
- refined coconut oil
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees; take a 9×13 baking dish and spray it with cooking spray.
Let’s start by making the vegan cheese.
Grab a small to medium saucepan and add your potatoes, carrots, cashews, and enough water to cover it.
Boil until soft (10-15 minutes); drain once cooked.
Take a high speed blender, mix the remaining ingredients and the cooked vegetables, and blend until smooth.
Set this aside until you’re ready for it.
Take your potatoes and peel the skin off with a potato peeler or knife.
Then slice the potatoes as thin as you can and as evenly as you can. If you have a mandolin slicer, this works great but is also really sharp, so be very careful. Set these aside.
Take a small to medium pot, add 1 TB of the vegan butter, and cook down the onions on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until cooked.
Then, add the salt and pepper remaining vegan butter; once it’s melted, add the flour and stir with a whisk; it will clump up.
Then add 1/4 cup of the plant-based milk and stir until mixed; then add the remaining vegan milk and stir until starting to thicken for a few minutes.
Combine your vegan cheese sauce and this roux until combined.
Now take your prepared 9×13, add a layer of potato slices, and sprinkle with a bit of black pepper.
Then layer half the cheese mixture, add the remaining potatoes, and repeat.
Bake in the preheated oven covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes, then check with a toothpick poking the potatoes to see if they are cooked through. You want tender potatoes.
If they aren’t, cover again and cook at 15 minutes increments until cooked through.
Then remove the foil and cook for 30 minutes; if you want the cheese to get that crispy look put your oven on broil and cook for 5 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn.
Let cool slightly before serving.
These taste even better the next day.
How do you serve these easy scalloped potatoes?
These are best served warm as a side dish.
How do you store leftovers?
Let the cheesy vegan scalloped potatoes come to room temperature before using plastic saran wrap tightly over the casserole dish or placing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, heat in the microwave or back in the oven.
Can you freeze scalloped potatoes?
I have never frozen this particular recipe, but I think it would work.
Make sure it’s room temperature before placing it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Let defrost on the counter and then reheat in the oven at 350 covered until heated through.
Want some other vegan side dish recipes?
- Easy Vegan Dinner Rolls
- Classic Vegan Gravy
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- The Best Vegan Corn Casserole
- Vegan Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 4 large golden potatoes
- 1 small onion chopped small
- 4 TB vegan butter
- 3 TB flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups unsweetened non dairy milk
Vegan cheese sauce
- 1 1/2 cups potatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup carrots chopped
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup plant milk
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 TB lemon juice
- 1 TB refined coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees; take a 9×13 pan and spray it with cooking spray.
- Let's start by making the vegan cheese. Grab a small to medium saucepan and add your potatoes, carrots, cashews, and enough water to cover it. Boil until soft (10-15 minutes); drain once cooked.
- Take a high-speed blender, mix the remaining ingredients and the cooked vegetables, and blend until smooth. Set this aside until you're ready for it.
- Take your potatoes and peel the skin off with a potato peeler or knife. Then slice the potatoes as thin and as evenly as you can. If you have a mandolin, this works really great but is also really sharp, so be very careful. Set these aside.
- Take a small to medium pot and add 1 TB of the vegan butter and cook down the onions for about 5 minutes until cooked, then add the salt and pepper remaining vegan butter. Once it's melted in the flour and stirred with a whisk, it will clump up. Then add 1/4 cup of the vegan milk and stir until mixed. Then add the remaining vegan milk and stir until starting to thicken for a few minutes.
- Ccombine your cheese sauce and this roux until combined. Now take your prepared 9×13, add a layer of sliced potatoes, and sprinkle with a bit of pepper. Then layer half the cheese mixture, add the remaining potatoes, and repeat.
- Bake in the preheated oven covered with foil for 30 minutes, then check with a toothpick poking the potatoes to see if they are cooked. If they aren't, cover again and cook at 15 minutes increments until cooked through. Then remove the foil and cook for 30 minutes. If you want the cheese to get that crispy look, put your oven on broil and cook for 5 minutes, watching closely, so it doesn't burn.
- Let cool slightly before serving. These taste even better the next day.
Notes
Nutrition
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