Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes are comfort food at its best. Potatoes baked in a casserole covered with a creamy vegan white sauce. Herbs sprinkled over the top for a finishing touch
Comfort food can take a step forward and still give you that old nostalgic feeling. This Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes recipe is a great example of that.
Since it is lower in fat, it can also provide lots of comfort. Right out of the oven comes a bubbling casserole filled with potatoes and creamy sauce.
The difference is that dairy-free milk is used in the roux, and the vegan scalloped potatoes casserole is sprinkled with a few fresh herbs, which cranks up the flavors a notch.
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Chef Tips
There is no onion in this recipe either so it covers all of the picky eaters. You, of course, can add finely chopped onion into the melted dairy-free butter before you add the flour.
It will be great that way too but since I had to make it 'onionless' for my 'big kid' I thought I would give exact measurements for that.
There isn't any cheese in real scalloped potatoes. If there is cheese then it is Potatoes Au Gratin. So if I wanted Potates Au Gratin then I would add a little nutritional yeast to the sauce.
Potatoes come in all colors and sizes. Some are better for boiling, some are better for baking.
I used russet potatoes for this casserole. They are such a straightforward tasting potato that holds up really well with lots of sauce.
Sliced, diced, roasted, baked, fried, creamed, mashed, served alone or added to casseroles they are a perfect vegetable. You can even make them into Baked Potato Soup.
This vegan scalloped potatoes recipe was so good last night. Ed verbally complimented me on the potatoes and went back for more. He is so happy there are leftovers for tonight.
Me too. Besides looking forward to a dish it is also almost like having the night off. That is something we can all use once in a while, right?
How do you make a roux
A roux is the beginning of a sauce and it starts with butter and flour. In our case, it's dairy free butter.
Melt the dairy-free butter in a saucepan or skillet. For this recipe, a saucepan is used. I like to use one that holds at least four cups. This aids in stirring and making a larger quantity than you thought you might.
Add the flour and it is often the same amount as the butter. Stir until all is well blended. It will seem like a thick clump of moist flour. Keep stirring for about a minute. This cooks out the raw taste of flour.
How to make a sauce from roux
- Pour in the dairy-free milk or whatever liquid your recipe calls for. It could be a broth or stock but this recipe is for dairy-free milk. Bring to a low boil and stir often. It will thicken as it comes to a boil.
- Make sure you don't curdle the milk and as soon as it just starts to bubble turn the heat down to medium.
- Not all dairy-free milks will curdle but be careful - just in case.
- The sauce may become clumpy but keep stirring. The clumps will smooth out. I love this type of stirrer as it helps make it smoother faster than a wooden spoon.
- Keep stirring until it's smooth and thick and add the salt and pepper. If it becomes too thick just add more milk or even a little water.
- Stir well and taste to make sure it's seasoned enough.
- After all the baking, you'll get a nice forkful of sliced potato that almost melts in your mouth.
Another great russet potato recipe that is impressive for company, yet still simple, is Twice Baked Potatoes. It gets ooohs and aaahs every time.
Potatoes are such a great side dish. From one method to another they are crowd pleasers. They are such delicious vegetables in themselves that potatoes usually don't need much preparation.
You do make a sauce for this classic dairy free Scalloped Potatoes Recipe and it's NOT intimidating at all. Just creamy goodness all throughout the whole casserole.
My most popular recipe on the web!
Whether these easy vegan scalloped potatoes are served in a fancy casserole dish or in a clear pyrex dish they look beautiful. Eyes will light up and everyone will say "Pass the Potatoes, Please'.
I don't think anyone can have enough potato recipes and you might as well start by having the most delicious and classic ones.
Scalloped Potatoes, first, Twice Baked Potatoes, second, Roasted New Red Potatoes, third, Potato Patties, fourth, Fried Potato Slices in an Iron skillet, fifth, Hasselback Potatoes, sixth. All Classics!
Can you freeze scalloped potatoes
- IF FREEZING:
- You'll need to make the casserole in two smaller casseroles so that you can slip them into the large freezer bags.
- Partially bake for the first 40 minutes. Let cool, lay plastic wrap over that but tap it down so that it touches the top of the casserole, then cover with foil then slip in a freezer bag.
- TO BAKE:
- Defrost overnight in the fridge and then remove the foil and plastic wrap. Replace the foil and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Then uncover and bake another 30 minutes or until heated through.
📋 Recipe
Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dairy free butter - to grease the bottom and sides of a 9"x13" casserole or butter two smaller casseroles
- 6 cups russet potatoes - peeled and sliced
- 4 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups dairy-free milk - unsweetened
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Instructions
- Peel and slice potatoes to measure 6 to 7 cups.
- Place in a large bowl of water as you go along slicing. This will keep the potatoes from turning brown.
- Melt the dairy free butter in a large saucepan.
- Add the flour and stir over medium-heat for a few minutes. Keep stirring so that it is all blended well.
- Pour in the dairy free milk.
- Bring to a low boil stirring often.
- After the sauce comes to a boil turn down the heat to medium and cook until it is smooth and thickens a bit. About 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper and stir.
- Layer the potatoes in a large 9" x 13" casserole dish, overlapping in a staggered type of style. This lets the sauce get down in between the nooks and crannies.
- Pour the sauce all over the top. Cover with a lid or foil.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake another 60 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle fresh herbs over the top.
- Let stand for 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken.
Alison
Looks yummy!
How thick should the potato slices be? Thanks!
Ginny McMeans
Thanks Alison! Thin, probably around 1/8" thick. If some come out a little thicker that's ok. They'll still bake and the casserole will still be delicious.
Diana
Thanks for this recipe! Two questions:
(1) Can you make and refrigerate this a day or two in advance and refrigerate till cooking time?
(2) Do you think almond milk would work okay in the recipe?
Thanks!!
Ginny McMeans
Yes Diana, unsweetened almond milk (not Almond Breeze - it's too strong) would be very good. It works really well to make ahead of time as you mentioned. You may have to cook it about 10 to 15 minutes longer to make sure it's heated all the way through. Sometimes too, if you place a glass dish straight from the refrigerator into a hot oven the glass will crack so let it sit out about 20 minutes or so before placing it in the oven.
Erin
Recommended dairy free milk for this recipe? What has worked well?
Ginny McMeans
I like oatmilk, almondmilk and coconutmilk. Choose you're favorite and make sure it isn't sweetened. I got a comment lately that someone used a can of coconut milk/cream. They said it was great. You may have to thin the sauce a little with water but not more than a couple of tablespoons.
Diana
Ginny, thanks so much! I'm excited to give it a try. I'm glad to hear your comment about Almond Breeze. I made a tapioca pudding with it recently and the smell/taste was overwhelming and extremely unpleasant. I thought it was just because I have a bad case of super-sensitive-pregnancy-nose right now, but now the mystery is solved - it was the brand! Glad I won't have to abandon almond milk. Thanks again!
Ginny McMeans
Great Diana! I really am a lover of Silk's Almondmilk but I am sure there are others that you would like. Thank you so much for the rating.
Cindy
Hi! My husband would love this but has a dairy allergy so this would be perfect. Could o make this is individual ramekins? If so, what would you suggest for bake times? Could I parboil the potatoes or would it be too mushy? Thanks!
Ginny McMeans
Yes, you can make them in ramekins. I wouldn't parboil - just let the oven and sauce do the cooking. They will take about 1 hour to bake at 350 degrees.
Mary Gillespie
An hour and a half to bake?
Ginny McMeans
Yes, 1/2 hour covered and 1 hour uncovered.
Rachael
My sister and I decided to make these potatoes for dinner tonight. They were absolutely delicious! We added some Myokos Roadhouse cheddar, used oat milk, and subbed the regular flour for cassava flour and it was a crowd pleaser-even for our non-vegan eaters. So creamy and soooo tasty!
Ellie
What a wonderful classic potato casserole this was. My little ones loved it too and I think that was because the onions were left out. Thanks for your thoughtfulness and a great recipe.
BJC
Hi there,
I’m relatively new to dairy free/ vegan cooking. Can I use vegan margarine and Kirkland Signature Organic Soy milk?
Ginny McMeans
Absolutely BJC! You're going to love it.
Sue
Hi there. Can you add DF cheese to this? I heard the nuts O cheese brand ( comes in a wedge ). Can be melted too. They have Asiago and artichoke and a few others
Would love to try a df Gf potato dish
Assuming I can use rice flour ? Tnx
Ginny McMeans
Yes, you can Sue. That would make the dish Potatoes au Gratin. Scalloped potatoes don't have cheese.
Nicole
Can I use gluten free flour in place of regular flour in this recipe? Will it thicken up okay?
Ginny McMeans
You can Nicole but the answer is very complicated> I would go with cornstarch but please read the hints on this page for using cornstarch. Such as, If you stir too much it can un-thicken. https://happyglutenfree.com/will-gluten-free-flour-thicken-a-sauce/
Rebecca
If I wanted to make it Au Gratin potatoes instead, (with Montechego cheese), would you recommend just sprinkling some on top? Or melting it into the sauce before combining it with the potatoes? Thanks!
Ginny McMeans
I'd sprinkle some (a cup?) in a middle layer and then on top too.
Taralie
Could you use frozen shredded potatoes in this recipe?
Ginny McMeans
I'm sure it would work I'm just now sure if it would be great. Maybe! If you try it - in a large bowl mix a whole bag of shredded potatoes in with the sauce, spread in a 9x13" casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Kaye
Oh my gosh Ginny. These are perfect. My non vegan family loves them. I keep hoping for leftovers but they always beat me to them! Thank you so much for an awesome recipe!
Ginny McMeans
That is great Kaye! I'm so glad you found this recipe. Happy Easter!
Abbey
I used almond milk and this dish turned out great!!!
Pamela
I added a half more of all the sauce ingredients, and it turned out amazing!
ALLISON ZUERCHER
Super yummy! I make a double or triple batch of this about once a month for my family to eat for a few days. We all love it!
Cheryl Buerckner
Brilliant
Wendi L
Hello, I found your blog through a search for kahlua (which I'll be making for Christmas gifts this year-THANK YOU)! I am not a vegan, but have been very interested in doing more meatless meals in our family. Your scalloped potatoes look great! So can I ask what your favorite vegan butter, milks, and cheeses are for recipes like this? Thank you so much for all your help!
Katie
If I bake these earlier in the day, should I wait until I reheat them just before dinner to add the fresh herbs?
Sarah B
This looks amazing. I am thinking about making this for Christmas Day. Do you think I could use GF flour?
Yovany Ciaramella
Just made this and my husband has requested that I make this everyday lol! SO GOOD! I halved the recipe since it's just the two of us but I didn't change anything else.
Meg
If I am making this a day ahead can I bake it for 30 minutes covered and then let it cool and then cook the next day uncovered for an hour
Ligia Lugo
Yes, I would wait until you reheat them to add the fresh herbs.
Ellen Westelaken
Thanks for the information on making it a day ahead. I've made this recipe several times now and oat milk works beautifully. I always use gluten free flour. My whole family loves it.
Dawn martin
Hello we are expecting company so I was wanting to make this ahead of time and wondering do I bake them partways before refrigerating and if I do how long? Thanks!
Daeryan Padgett
I’ve made this about 5 times now and I can’t get over how creamy and good it is. I was wondering if you tried this sauce but on pasta to make like a Mac and cheese sauce? I was thinking about trying it the other day, if probably add more nutritional yeast to kick up the cheesey flavor but I’m tempted to try and was wondering what you thought. Thank you so much for this recipe though, literally my favorite new dish!
Ginny McMeans
I haven't tried but it sounds delicious! If you try it out, let us know how it is and take photos.