Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
This vegan scalloped potatoes recipe combines a rich, creamy sauce with thinly sliced potatoes for a plant-based spin on the classic cheesy potato bake! There are no cashews in the sauce, so you don’t need a blender to make it.
Scalloped potatoes are a fixture at our Christmas and Thanksgiving Day tables. And they’re always a hit, even when I make them for weeknight dinners. I make the sauce for these easy vegan scalloped potatoes with nutritional yeast, combined with starchy potatoes, melty cheese, and a brown, crispy top layer. It’s everything you love about the traditional recipe, minus the dairy.
All About This Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- No cashews needed. Just like traditional recipes, these vegan scalloped potatoes start with a roux. There’s no need to fuss with soaking cashews or using a blender to make cashew cream.
- Easy to make. Simply whisk the ingredients on the stovetop, pour the sauce over the potatoes, and bake to perfection.
- Savory and comforting. Serve these cheesy vegan scalloped potatoes at a dinner with mixed eaters, and I promise, there will be no complaints! These potatoes are rich, cheesy, creamy, and absolutely delectable.
- Perfect for a special occasion. I don’t think any holiday meal or potluck is complete without a potato dish, and these scalloped potatoes are just the ticket. They are the indulgent kind of side you save for special occasions and gatherings.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Russet potatoes – Starchy potatoes are best for scalloped potatoes, so use Russet or Yukon Gold.
- Vegan butter – Use your preferred vegan butter brand, or you can make your own vegan butter.
- Yellow onions – Shallots or white onions will also work.
- Garlic – I sometimes like to switch things up by using roasted garlic in my scalloped potatoes.
- Flour – All-purpose flour or gluten-free flour, to make a roux (base and thickener) for the creamy sauce.
- Veggie broth – Use store-bought vegetable broth or make your own vegetable broth.
- Almond milk – Make sure it’s unsweetened. You can use any dairy-free milk you’d like. Other good options are oat, soy, and coconut milk.
- Nutritional yeast – If you don’t have nutritional yeast in the pantry, I recommend stocking up! This is the cheesy, umami flavor in these vegan scalloped potatoes, and you can use it in so many other recipes, from vegan mac and cheese to vegan parmesan crusted potatoes.
- Vegan shredded cheddar cheese – Choose a variety that melts well.
- Parsley – Optional, but it adds a nice green garnish.
Slicing Potatoes for Scalloped Potatoes
The easiest way to slice potatoes is to use a mandolin slicer. Unless you’re super comfortable with your knife skills, in which case, you can thinly slice the potatoes by hand. The goal is to make sure that the slices are uniform, so the potatoes bake evenly in the casserole. After slicing the potatoes, cover them with a damp paper towel or a clean, damp dishcloth so they don’t dry out.
How to Make Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Sauté the onions and garlic. Start by melting butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onions and season with pepper and salt. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes, or until translucent and softened. Lastly, stir in the garlic.
- Prepare a roux. Sprinkle the flour over the onions. Stir to coat, and let that cook off for 1 minute. Then, reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the milk.
- Finish the sauce. Whisk in the nutritional yeast followed by the broth. Let the sauce continue to cook for another 2 minutes, or until smooth, creamy, and thick. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
- Assemble the casserole. Now, arrange half of the potatoes in a greased baking dish. Spread half of the cream sauce over the potatoes, making sure they’re all covered. Top with half of the vegan cheese, if using. Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, sauce, and cheese.
- Bake. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in a 400ºF oven for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are tender and the edges are slightly crispy. Cool slightly, then garnish with parsley and serve.
Tips for Perfect Scalloped Potatoes Every Time
- Double the recipe. If you’re making this dish for a crowd, you can double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Slicing the potatoes. The key to scalloped potatoes is making sure the potatoes are all uniform in size; this matters more than how thick or thin they are. If your potatoes are all different sizes, they’ll finish cooking at different times, which means some will be hard and taste raw, while others will be falling apart.
- Amping up the crispiness. If you have a weakness for browned cheese and a crisp topping, you can switch the oven to broil for a few minutes at the end of baking. Don’t leave your scalloped potatoes unattended under the broiler, though, as they can go from browned to burnt quickly.
What to Serve With Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
These scalloped potatoes are a classic Thanksgiving side. Serve creamy vegan scalloped potatoes with holiday dishes like vegan roast turkey, savory vegan meatloaf, or this easy vegan Wellington. Round out your meal with sides like vegan stuffing and maple Brussels sprouts. And don’t miss a slice of vegan apple pie for dessert!
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Store leftover scalloped potatoes tightly covered in the baking dish or transfer them to an airtight storage container. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
- Make ahead. Potato dishes do not freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. If you’d like to prepare this dish ahead of time, assemble the unbaked casserole the day before and refrigerate it until it’s time to bake.
- Reheat. Reheat these vegan scalloped potatoes in the oven at 350ºF or microwave until warmed through.
More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan scalloped potatoes recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, washed and peeled
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ medium yellow onion, sliced, then slices cut in half (or just dice the onions)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup almond milk, or any vegan milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C. Butter an 8×8 container and set aside. If you’re doubling this recipe, use a 9×13 pan.
- Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice all of your potatoes into thin round slices. Set aside and cover with a damp paper towel or kitchen cloth.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the onions, black pepper and sea salt. Saute for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stirring together until the flour is fully incorporated and smooth, cooking for about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium low and while whisking/stirring frequently, pour in the milk. Do the same for nutritional yeast, and then the veggie broth, stirring to ensure nothing clumps. Stir until you see the nutritional yeast fully dissolved/ incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Let the sauce cook for another 2 minutes until everything is smooth and incorporated. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- In your 8×8 container, arrange half of your potatoes onto the pan. Pour over half of the sauce, and using a spatula, spoon or fork, just move around the pieces a bit to ensure that all of the potatoes are covered in the sauce. Top with ½ cup of vegan cheese (optional).
- Add on the rest of the potatoes on top, then top with the remaining cheese sauce, and the remaining vegan shredded cheddar cheese. Feel free to add more cheese!
- Cover the top of the scalloped potatoes with foil. Bake the dish for 45 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes, with the foil cover removed. Feel free to also broil the cheese for a few minutes until bubbly.
- Let the mix cool slightly, then slice into your scalloped potatoes. I make 9 slices. Garnish with parsley. Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This looks outstanding! Do you have a specific recommendation for vegan cheese brands that work well in this? I’m still working to figure out my favorite brand for saucy things like this. Thanks!
Hi Becca! Thanks so much! We used Miyokos shredded cheddar cheese. I hope this helps.
I made this recipe exactly as it is and it was delicious!! Will absolutely be making this again.
So happy to hear this Tyra!! Thank you so much!!
thank you for this recipe.potato lovers will just relish them.
Thanks so much of reading Anju! We’re happy that you’re happy.
Please suggest what brand of shredded vegan cheese you use that melts well. I tried many brands, and they stay in shreds when baked and melted. Please tell us what brand melts well and where you purchase it. Much appreciation for your help with this. I love your recipes. Keep up your fantastic job you do!!
Hi Fifi. We use Daiya Cheese for melt you should be able to get it at whole foods/ most supermarkets.I hope this helps.
I plan to make this for dinner. The Scalloped Potatoes look so good!
Thanks so much Mary. We hope that you enjoyed it.
This is honestly the best scalloped potatoes I ever had and virtually no difference to non-vegan scalloped potatoes. Highly recommend it.
Awesome Mike! We’re so happy that you enjoyed it.
Could you use Yukon Gold potatoes instead of Russet Potatoes?
Hi DeShield, yes you can but Russet will give you the best texture!
This recipe is an absolute hit every time I make it, with vegans and non-vegans alike. It has become my signature holiday/pot luck dish for the year I’ve been making it (since right after the recipe dropped). Nothing Jessica makes is bad, but this recipe is incredible!!
A recommendation: for vegan cheese I’ve found nothing goes as well as the Chao creamy original shredded cheese. It melts like a dream.
Thanks so much for this review AJ. We love that recommendation for vegan cheese.
This was the first recipe I tried, and I have been coming back for more ever since. Any time I need a recipe for ANYTHING this is where I come to look for it. This recipe was easy to follow, the ingredients was easy to find, and it turned out amazing! I highly recommend everyone to try the Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Jessica, you did it again. Every time I look up a recipe online, there you are and I know I don’t have to go any farther. I’ve made many of your recipes at this point and they are ALL superb. Thank you again and again!