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Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes – Soft, tender potatoes smothered in a thick, creamy garlic sauce with crispy-edged potatoes on the top are the best! This easy recipe is perfect for sophisticated holiday and casual everyday dining!

top down view of vegan scalloped potatoes with serving spoon.

The holidays are almost here, and who doesn’t love a side of ultra-creamy, garlicky, sensationally delicious scalloped potatoes made from scratch?

And a vegan scalloped potatoes recipe to boot, with no dairy and gluten-free, they’re just wonderfully easy, healthy, and completely crave-worthy!

I’ve made these over and over for the last few weeks, loving every bite. I’ve tested and tweaked the final recipe, which I know you’ll love.

And if potatoes are totally your thing, like they’ve been mine lately, you may want to try these:

top down view of ingredient used to the best vegan scalloped potatoes recipe.

What Is The Best Potato For Scalloped Potatoes?

Starchy is best when making scalloped potatoes from scratch. such as Russets or Yukon Golds. During the cooking process, the starch content helps the cashew cream to thicken up, creating a wonderful creamy sauce.

  • Russet potatoes – have the most starch and will make the creamiest sauce.
  • Yukon Golds – will hold their shape a little better through baking, and the sauce will be slightly more milky.
side by side photos showing the process of making vegan scalloped potatoes cheese sauce in blender.

How To Make Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Cheese Sauce?

Making vegan cheese sauce for scalloped potatoes is super easy and only takes about 10 minutes. All you have to do is blend raw cashews with almond milk and vegetable broth to make the creamy sauce.

It’s similar to a béchamel style white sauce filled with garlic flavors and cheesy nutritional yeast, then poured over and layered in between your sliced potatoes. It’s pure creamy perfection for this vegan scalloped potato side dish.

side by side photos of thinly sliced potatoes and potatoes arranged in a white baking dish.

How To Make Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Make the creamy cheese sauce. As mentioned above, start with the cream sauce, blending the cashews, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and non-dairy milk for about 1 minute. Sauce may seem liquidy, but it will thicken as it cooks and rests.

Prep the potatoes. Either peel the potatoes or leave the skin on. Leaving the skin on does add more nutrition. If leaving the skin on be sure to scrub the potatoes well. Cut the potatoes about 1/8-inch thick, as uniformly as you can for the best results and even cooking. I used this mandolin (affiliate link) and it was a breeze, if you don’t have a mandolin just do the best you can using a kitchen knife.

side by side photos showing the process of pouring cheese sauce over scalloped potatoes in baking dish before baking.

Layer the potatoes and pour sauce overtop. To assemble your vegan scalloped potatoes, lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil or vegan butter/margarine. Make 3 rows of potatoes layered at an angle, and pour sauce overtop. Alternatively, layer half the potatoes into the bottom of the baking dish, pour half the cream sauce overtop, and repeat.

Bake covered, then uncovered until potatoes are fork tender. Once assembled, sprinkle with thyme and any optional vegan cheeses, and place, covered, in preheated oven set to 375 degrees for 40 minutes, remove cover and bake another 30 minutes. Cover again if the top browns too quickly.

And there you have it—creamy and delicious, whole-food, plant-based scalloped potatoes made simple and easy!

Top Tips

  • Add vegan cheese. Add a handful of your favorite packaged vegan cheeses sprinkled over the scalloped potatoes before baking. It will add a wonderful texture and cheesy top!
  • Add sliced onion. For even more flavor, add sliced onion in between the potatoes as you layer.
  • Keep the sauce neutral. Use your favorite non-dairy milk. I know some may not care for almond milk, and you may taste it. Use cashew, oat, or soy milk for the most neutral flavor. Vegetable broth or water works great, too, and will yield a creamy sauce with a mostly neutral flavor. Alternately, use half milk and half vegetable broth for a flavorful sauce.
  • Make it your own. As with all recipes, feel free to change things up to suit your taste.

top down view of baking dish with freshly made vegan scalloped potatoes.

Can Scalloped Potatoes Be Made Ahead?

Absolutely! Just prepare this vegan scalloped potatoes recipe in advance as directed, and let them cool completely to room temperature. Then simply cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 – 3 days. When ready to reheat, bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

FYI – I recommend only making ahead for casual dining, as it may not be quite as pretty reheated!

How To Store Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 – 5 days in a covered container.

Can You Freeze Scalloped Potatoes?

Yes, they freeze beautifully for up to 2 – 3 months if stored properly. To freeze, let the potatoes cool completely and store them in small portions or large portions using freezer-friendly containers or bags. Make sure to squeeze out any excess air before sealing. Use a marker to date the baggies or add dated stickers to containers.

side angle view of vegan scalloped potatoes with serving spoon.

Serving Suggestions

Need a little inspiration for a complete vegan meal? Here are a few of my favorite main dishes and sides that pair well with scalloped potatoes.

More Easy Potato Recipes!

head on view of baking dish with freshly made vegan scalloped potatoes.

If you try this scalloped potato recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

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5 from 7 reviews

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes feature soft, tender potatoes smothered in a creamy cashew garlic sauce with crispy edged potatoes on the top, and are perfect for casual holiday and everyday dining!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 70
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 810 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 pounds potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 1 cup raw cashews*
  • 2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or vegetable broth (or combo)
  • 1/41/3 cup nutritional yeast, optional
  • 23 garlic cloves or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder***
  • 1 teaspoon mineral salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, to garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Potatoes: If leaving the skins on, scrub the potatoes, and remove any unsightly blemishes. Alternately, peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch slices using a mandolin, or manually with a knife. If manually slicing, do try to cut evenly as possible so potatoes will cook uniformly.

Cream Sauce: Add the cashews, milk and/or veg broth, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper and lemon juice/vinegar to a high speed blender and blend until creamy, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Taste for flavor, adding more of anything you like. Makes about 3 cups.

Assemble: In a 9 x 13 baking dish, pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, layer 1/2 of the potatoes, top with 1/2 cream sauce, and repeat. Top with a sprinkle of thyme, and any additional vegan cheese. Alternatively, after adding sauce to the bottom of the dish, make three rows of potatoes, layering them at an angle, pour sauce evenly overtop.

Bake: Place in oven, cover with lid, foil or silpat (see notes), and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 30 minutes, potatoes should be fork tender. Once done, sprinkle with a little more thyme, and let cool 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Serve topped with optional chopped chives, parsley, or more fresh thyme and/or freshly ground pepper.

Store leftovers in an air container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in oven at 350, covered with foil, for 20 – 30 minutes, until warmed through.

Notes

*You can soak your cashews, as recommended, if you are sensitive or want better nutrient intake. Both of the following methods will help break the cashews down. Be sure to drain and rinse before using.

Soak cashews in 1 of 2 ways:

  • Cover with cold water and soak for 2 – 3 hours. 
  • Soak in hot water for 5 – 15 minutes. 

**Use your favorite non-dairy milk. I know some may not care for almond milk, and you will taste it. Water works just as well and will yield a creamy sauce with the most neutral flavor. Alternately, do half milk and half water. You may even opt to use 1 cup vegetable broth, just know that your sauce may be a little darker.

***You may opt to use 1/2 of a fresh sliced onion with the potatoes in place of the onion powder used in the cream sauce. Simply thinly slice the onion, or finely dice, and sprinkle in, towards the middle and bottom, when layering the potatoes.

As of yet, I don’t use any packaged vegan cheeses, but I would suggest if you do, feel free to add a handful sprinkled overtop the scalloped potatoes before baking. It will a wonderful texture and cheesy top!

To make ahead: Prepare this scalloped potatoes recipe in advance as directed, and let them cool completely to room temperature. Then simply cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 – 3 days. When ready, bake covered, with foil, at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Keep in mind, it may not be as pretty reheated.

For the silpat as a baking dish cover, they are stiff enough to use as a cover in the oven without them bowing in the center while baking, as long as your food is below the baking dish line, it works well and is handy if you don’t have foil or a lid.

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29 Comments

  1. Kelli Fisher says:

    Absolutely delicious! I always measure with my heart so I’m sure I used more garlic and noosh. I also added tofu to the sauce to thicken it up a bit and give it a little protein. Thanks for this amazing recipe, it’s definitely pot luck/holiday dinner worthy!






  2. The cheese sauce is SO liquidy. It resembles nothing like cheese. Maybe because I did the 15 minute soaking in boiling water option?

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      So you had issues, Naomi! Once baked, the sauce should thicken up as it cools. I hope that was your case!

  3. This was so delicious and the best vegan scalloped potatoes we’ve made yet! It comes together pretty easily, too with essentially two steps, making the cream sauce and then peeling, slicing, and assembling the potatoes. We make this pretty regularly. Thank you!






  4. Delicious, but the cook time listed at the top is incorrect: if it’s being baked first for 30 minutes covered, then 40 minutes uncovered, it takes 70 minutes.

    My timeline was more like: Prep Time: 25 + Cook Time: 30 + 40 + = 95 minutes

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Oh my, you are so right, Heidi! Not sure how we missed that, but thank you for pointing it out. I will update the times asap!

  5. I understand that the cashews are vital for a creamy sauce, but my son is allergic to peanuts and most nuts are at high risk for cross contamination with peanuts just because of the way they are processed. Do you think that by substituting coconut cream for the cashews it would still turn out ok?

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      You can certainly give that a try! It should be great creamy-wise, I’m just not sure if it will more coconut tasting than you might like. But that is a great idea to work with! Also, you could try making a roux as the base which consists of fat and flour. We used a roux to make this Spicy Mac & Cheese. Use the cooking method replacing the herbs and spices for this recipe. I hope helps!

  6. Cashews are expensive, got any reasonably priced suggestions?

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Great question, Allie! I would suggest to buy them in bulk and just purchasing as much as you need for the recipe which is 1 cup. One cup of raw cashews is about 5 ounces. Either purchase from a place that sells them in bulk or search the web for the smallest bag of cashews, with at least 5 ounces, to buy. I hope that helps! :)

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