Dairy-free Scalloped Potatoes  

These easy Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes make a perfect vegan side dish for any holiday dinner gathering! Quick to prepare, then just throw it in the oven!

Ah, the noble spud. Is there anything it can’t do? They even make great cakes and donuts. However, for those of you looking to take a more traditional approach to potatoes – like, say: eating them as a side –  I’ve got a great new recipe for a good old classic to share with you. This scalloped potatoes recipe packs all the flavor of the classic potato side dish we all know and love, and it does it while being quite a bit better for you.

Scalloped Potatoes without dairy?

Kind of feels like dishonoring a cherished memory…but hey, let’s get over it! I like the old-fashioned ooey-gooey cheesy version too. But let’s be honest here; it was a mountain of carbs, covered in fat – plus dairy, which in oud adult days just isn’t as fun as it used to be.

This doesn’t mean we can’t try to be true to the original. I’ve tried quite a few variations on this and the solution came from an unexpected source: miso paste. Or, maybe not so unexpected. Japan uses very little dairy in its cuisine but they certainly aren’t lacking in depth of flavor. The use of miso paste in this scalloped potatoes recipe does an excellent job of providing the umami-bomb that was sorely lacking when we removed all the cheese. It’s not “the original”, but it’s a solid remix.

“Béchamel”, isn’t that French for “Complicated”?

Not at all. Melt your butter; throw other stuff in a pot; add milk slowly and stir lots until it boils for a bit. There’s probably a star chef somewhere rolling in his grave at these words, but there’s really no need to be intimidated by one of the vaunted “5 French Mother Sauces” – I make my hollandaise in a coffee cup, so don’t believe the hype. Good does not have to be complicated or require special equipment. Go slow, read your instructions, stir lots.

How to make Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes:

Step 1 – Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add fresh onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon back pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add lemon zest, nutmeg, onion powder, miso paste, and Dijon mustard. Cook for another few seconds.

Step 2 & 3 – Add in 1 cup of the milk and stir vigorously to try and break up any lumps.

Step 4 & 5 – Add in another half cup and stir again. Add in the rest of the milk and stir, then bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 mins then take off heat. Carefully taste and adjust salt and flavor. This Bechamel sauce will not be very thick but will continue to thicken as it cools

Preheat oven to 350F/176c

Step 6 – Peel and slice the potatoes into ⅛ inch thick slices. You can do this while cooking the cream sauce, so the potatoes don’t brown. (If slicing beforehand, store potato slices in a bowl of cold water until ready to assemble in the casserole. Just drain them, lightly pat with a paper towel and move to the next step.) Grease a baking dish or cast iron pan and arrange the slices in an overlapping fashion. You can also place a layer of non-overlapping potatoes, then place over this layer and repeat until finished. You want less than 3 layers for even cooking and crispy topping.

Step 7 – Pour all of the sauce over the potatoes. It will look like a lot, it’s normal.

Step 8 – Bake for 1 hour. Check in the center with a toothpick, there should not be any resistance. Continue to bake longer if needed. Broil for a minute to brown the top if needed. Garnish with the remaining black pepper and some fresh herbs such as parsley or chives. You can also sprinkle some red pepper flakes and Maldon sea salt. Serve and enjoy!

Tips:

• There’s no par-cooking of the potatoes here before they go in the oven, so having nice thin slices helps ensure they bake properly. A mandolin is especially helpful to have for this.
• Garnishing with a bit of nutritional yeast is a nice way to add even more umami flavor to this dish.
• Different non-dairy milks will have different effects on the outcome. Soy is the most neutral; cashew will turn out a bit sweet; while coconut milk invariably makes things a bit tropical, hence the light coconut milk listed in the recipe – for once we’re not looking to get as much coconut cream as possible out of the can.

5 from 3 votes

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Dairy-free Scalloped Potatoes

These easy Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes make a perfect vegan side dish for any holiday dinner gathering! Quick to prepare, then just throw it in the oven!

Course side

Cuisine American, French

Keyword dairy-free scalloped potatoes, vegan scalloped potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tbsp dairy-free butter Earth Balance Works great - you can also use olive oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 4 tbsp flour all-purpose
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper divided
• zest of ¼ or ½ a lemon depends on size of lemon and your preference of flavor
• ¼ tsp nutmeg grated
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp miso paste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard or ½ tsp ground mustard
• 3 cups unsweetened soy milk or unsweetened cashew milk or light coconut milk, (almond milk makes it a bit sweet ) at room temp,
• 20 oz starchy potatoes like Yukon Gold - 600 grams -- about 4 medium.

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add fresh onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and 1/4 teaspoon back pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add lemon zest, nutmeg, onion powder, miso paste, and Dijon mustard. Cook for another few seconds.

2. Add in 1 cup of the milk and stir vigorously to try and break up any lumps. Add in another half cup and stir again. Add in the rest of the milk and stir, then bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 mins then take off heat. Carefully taste and adjust salt and flavor. This Bechamel sauce will not be very thick but will continue to thicken as it cools.

3. Preheat oven to 350F/176c

4. Peel and slice the potatoes into ⅛ inch thick slices. You can do this while cooking the cream sauce, so the potatoes don't brown. (If slicing beforehand, store potato slices in a bowl of cold water until ready to assemble in the casserole. Just drain them, lightly pat with a paper towel and move to the next step.)
5. Grease a baking dish or cast iron pan and arrange the slices in an overlapping fashion. You can also place a layer of non-overlapping potatoes, then place over this layer and repeat until finished. You want less than 3 layers for even cooking and crispy topping.
6. Pour all of the sauce over the potatoes. It will look like a lot, it’s normal.
7. Bake for 1 hour. Check in the center with a toothpick, there should not be any resistance. Continue to bake longer if needed. Broil for a minute to brown the top if needed.
8. Garnish with the remaining black pepper and some fresh herbs such as parsley or chives. You can also sprinkle some red pepper flakes and Maldon sea salt. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• There's no par-cooking of the potatoes here before they go in the oven, so having nice thin slices helps ensure they bake properly. A mandolin is especially helpful to have for this.
• Garnishing with a bit of nutritional yeast is a nice way to add even more umami flavor to this dish.
• Different non-dairy milks will have different effects on the outcome. Soy is the most neutral; cashew will turn out a bit sweet; while coconut milk invariably makes things a bit tropical, hence the light coconut milk listed in the recipe - for once we're not looking to get as much coconut cream as possible out of the can.

Nutrition Facts

Dairy-free Scalloped Potatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 259 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 605mg26%

Potassium 874mg25%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 377IU8%

Vitamin C 31mg38%

Calcium 257mg26%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.