Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Recipe with Light, Creamy & Cheesy Options

Many traditional potato recipes are loaded with dairy cream and cheese, but these vegan scalloped potatoes are simply delicious. They use everyday, dairy-free ingredients. Nevertheless, I’ve included a range of options to customize this dish to your taste and occasion. You can make them low fat for weeknight meals, or more indulgent for the holidays (or cravings!).

Easy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes with Cheesy, Creamy, and Light Options

Here are some notes and tips to make this vegan scalloped potatoes recipe your own.

The Liquid

This recipe uses a classic roux with unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage for the lightly creamy consistency. You can swap in broth or stock for a lighter, more flavorful finish. Or you can use a dairy-free half and half for an even creamier consistency.

The Fat

Dairy-free buttery spread provides richness and wonderful flavor. But if you can’t find one that suits your dietary need, you can use oil instead. Oil like coconut oil or olive oil will provide nice richness, but they will influence the flavor a touch.

The Flour

Regular old all-purpose flour works best, but you can use wheat flour, if desired. Some gluten-free flour blends will work well, but avoid using just starch. Starch tends to break down the longer it cooks.

The Cheese Alternative

Again, this is optional. These potatoes are delicious without the cheesy topping. But if you are craving something cheesy, don’t hesitate to sprinkle it on. If you are dealing with a cheese alternative that doesn’t melt easily, or your are craving extra cheeze, layer the cheese alternative in the vegan scalloped potatoes. Most dairy-free cheese alternatives need moisture to melt, so they perform better inside the dish. You can also opt for a buttery breadcrumb-style topping instead.

Special Diet Notes: Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

Low Fat Scalloped Potatoes (Vegan)

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

I recommend using a mandolin to slice the potatoes. They make the job fast and easy, and result in potato slices with even thickness.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Recipe type: Side

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (medium Russets or Yukon gold work great)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons dairy-free buttery spread (can sub coconut oil or olive oil)
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried basil or other dried herbs
2½ cups unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage (lightly heated, but not boiled)
½ cup shredded or grated dairy-free cheese alternative (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Layer the potatoes and onions in a large casserole dish, lightly sprinkling ½ teaspoon of the salt between the layers as you go.
Melt the buttery spread in a saucepan, remove from the heat and whisk in the flour until smooth. Return the mixture to heat and cook for 1 minute, while whisking. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk beverage until smooth. Return to the heat and simmer, but do not boil, until mixture begins to thicken, whisking often. Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and basil. Pour the sauce over the potatoes.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the dairy-free cheese alternative, if using. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.