Easy Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
These gluten free scalloped potatoes are a creamy and delicious dairy-free version of the classic side dish! They are loaded with creamy golden potatoes, a tasty vegan cheese sauce, and tons of flavor! An easy, make-ahead dish that you can prep before the holidays or freeze for a later date.
What Makes This Recipe Work
In my opinion, potatoes are the best side dish at Thanksgiving (or any meal, really). Mashed, baked, whipped, sliced, and smothered with cheese- you really can’t go wrong! I absolutely love scalloped potatoes, so I knew I needed to make a healthier version for the blog. Introducing, gluten free scalloped potatoes!
Typically, these potatoes are smothered with a sauce made from flour, milk, and cheese. Instead, I made simple swaps to make them gluten free and created an easy vegan cheese sauce from coconut milk, vegetable broth, cashews, nutritional yeast, onion, garlic, and lemon. I cannot even believe how much these taste like the real deal.
I will be making this side dish again and again, no matter what time of year it is!
Recipe Highlights
- Simple ingredients
- Easy, make-ahead side dish
- Prepped in under 20 minutes and the oven does all the hard work
- Freezer-friendly
- Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, & Whole30
- Perfect for Holidays!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these gluten free scalloped potatoes with vegan cheese sauce, and I bet you already have most of them in your pantry!
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Gold potatoes are super creamy, which is why I like to use them for this recipe. You can leave the skin on or peel them if you prefer. If you only have russet potatoes, they will work too.
Vegan Butter: I use the Miyokos brand. If you’re not vegan you can use Ghee (dairy-free) or regular butter if you prefer.
Vegetable Broth: You can substitute chicken broth if you want these to be dairy free but not vegan.
Coconut Milk: Use a can of unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk. Don’t use refrigerated coconut milk as it is too thin.
Raw, Unsalted Cashews: If you have a Sprouts near you, you can get these in the bulk section!
Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed juice from a lemon. Refrigerator lemon juice will work in a pinch.
Nutritional Yeast: If you don’t have nutritional yeast in your pantry yet, run and get some! This is a complete protein that you sprinkle on dishes to add amazing flavor without needing any dairy free cheeses. It’s perfect for the vegan cheese sauce recipe as it adds a cheesy flavor without any dairy!
Recipe Step by Step
- Cut your potatoes into 1/8-inch thick rounds. You can leave the skin on or peel them first, whichever you prefer. Add them to a large bowl.
- Add all of the “cheese” sauce ingredients (cashews, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp onion powder) into a high-powered blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until the vegan cheese sauce is very creamy and no cashew chunks remain. Set the sauce aside.
- Heat the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the coconut milk, chicken broth, vegan cheese sauce, and additional 1 tsp sea salt.
- Whisk well over medium heat for a few minutes until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken.
- Layer 1/3 of the potato slices on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Pour 1/3 of the sauce over top of the potatoes and use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Repeat this two more times until you have used up all of the potatoes and the sauce.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake the potatoes for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the casserole is bubbly and browned on top and the potatoes are tender.
- Serve with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Variations: Try adding some cooked ham, chicken, or turkey to make it a meal! You could also add in some peas or mushrooms (just sauté them with the ghee and garlic first for 5-7 mins before adding other ingredients) to get some additional veggies in.
Storage: Store leftover gluten free scalloped potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Mandolin: You can use a mandolin if you have one, or just use a knife. Personally, I prefer to use a knife. Either way, you need to slice the potatoes until they are 1/8 inch thick or less.
No Blender: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, I recommend soaking the cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can assemble the potatoes and vegan cheese sauce 1-2 days before. Cover the baking dish and store it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature for an hour before baking!
Unfortunately, the vegan cheese sauce is made by blending the cashews into a creamy sauce. I haven’t tried any alternative methods. If you do try a nut-free version, let me know in the comments!
Yes! This vegan cheese sauce is a great recipe for tons of dishes that call for a creamy, cheesy sauce. Try it with pasta for easy vegan mac and cheese!
Try These Gluten-Free Side Dishes…
Easy Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes | Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 lbs yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tbsp ghee, or vegan butter
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth, sub veggie broth for vegan
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish – optional
"cheese" sauce
- ½ cup raw, unsalted cashews
- Âľ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9×12-inch baking dish.
- Cut your potatoes into 1/8 inch thick rounds. I didn't peel them first, but you can if you want to. You can cut the potatoes using a mandolin, or a knife. Add them to a large bowl.
- Add all of the "cheese" sauce ingredients (cashews, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp onion powder) into a high powered blender.*
- Blend on high for 30 seconds or until the sauce is very creamy and no cashew chunks remain. Set the sauce aside.
- Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the coconut milk, chicken broth, "cheese" sauce, and additional 1 tsp sea salt. Whisk well over medium heat for a few minutes until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken.
- Layer 1/3 of the potato slices on the bottom of the casserole dish. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over top of the potatoes and use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Repeat this two more times until you have used up all of the potatoes and the sauce.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake the potatoes for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the casserole is bubbly and browned on top.
- Serve with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on October 14, 2020 and republished on November 1st, 2022 with updated copy and photos.
29 Comments on “Easy Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes”
This recipe is a knockout! My husband couldn’t even tell it was dairy free. Tasted absolutely indulgent. Ate the leftovers for days. Try this! Sooo worth the effort!Â
Thanks Megan! So glad enjoyed them!
Thanks!!
I tried this recipe step by step for dinner last night.  It seemed slightly to thin for the finished cheese sauce so I added a small amount of arrowroot slurry to thicken it more.  We loved it and my husband couldn’t even tell there was no real cheese used making this.  Thanks for a great recipe!
Glad it worked out!! the sauce definitely thickens up in the oven as it bakes 🙂
I am allergic to almonds, cashews and hazelnuts. Are there any other dairy free options to make the cheese sauce in your W30 scalloped potatoes?
Hi Terri! You can omit the cashews and do coconut milk instead!
Oh my goodness! Honestly I was expecting a heavy fake cheese taste – NOT AT ALL! All of my kids loved it. They don’t like mashed potatoes so I wanted to try something different besides the same old roasted potatoes  and now this is going to be on repeat. I prepped  it several hours ahead of time and followed her directions for cooking later  and it turned out perfectly. Thank you!Â
Yay! So glad to hear it!
Hello,
Quick question before I make this. Should I use reduced-sodium chicken broth since we are adding additional salt? Or does the recipe intend to have salted broth in addition to the extra teaspoon of sea salt?
Thanks!
I usually use chicken broth that has salt so this is in addition to that!
Great, thank you for the clarification and quick reply! Your recipes are amazing!
Thanks Jill – I appreciate you!
Hi-
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! Well earned 5 stars. One question now though–I was wondering about halving the recipe in an 8×8 dish since I have a small family of 3. My concern would be halving the “cheese” sauce since there wouldn’t be much for my Vitamix to work with. Is it ok to add in the coconut milk and broth at this step so there is more volume in my blender? And then pour it into the skillet to thicken with the ghee, etc?
Thanks!
Hi! Yes I think that should work!! So glad you loved the recipe!
This one is spot-on1 My husband would have never guessed these were dairy free. Thanks for keeping our W30 delicious and fun!
So glad to hear it! Thanks Stephanie!
Absolutely delicious!Â
Thanks Courtney!
Another excellent recipe Mary. We made this for our Easter dinner and it turned out perfect. The sauce is delightful! I always know that if I need a recipe that will always turn out I turn to Marys Whole Life!Â
One of the best au gratin recipes I’ve ever had!  Comfort food while on Whole30 is amazing. Thank you so much! Â
You nailed it with this one! This recipe is bomb đź’Ł Reminds me of how my mom used to make it.
Hi! Â It looks amazing! Â Any substitutions for cashews?Â
Thank you!
Hi Vic- Unfortunately I haven’t tested it without the cashews! I know Jean from whatgreatgrandmaate.com has a great nut free version!
I would give this recipe 10 stars if I could! The absolute best! I haven’t  made potatoes au gratin in forever because I just end up hating them.Â
I came across Mary’s recipe on Pinterest and the just looked too good to pass up so I HAD to try! I am so glad I did! They were absolutely delicious!! I will most definitely be making them again!!Â
Thank you Katie!!
Incredible! A huge hit at our Thanksgiving dinner!! These will definitely be on our dinner menu rotation.Â
Mary is the absolute best at what she does. This again, is one of my favorite of her creations. It tastes just like the real stuff, but better!! I can not stop eating it…
Absolutely delicious! I fed this to my family last night and they loved it. They had no idea it was dairy free! This will be a great dish to swap at holiday dinners!