Creamy Vegan Scalloped Potato Casserole

Perfectly creamy and cheesy, these vegan scalloped potatoes take just 20 minutes to prepare. Serve it as an appetizer or side dish with your favorite plant-based protein for a delicious weeknight dinner.

Kirsten Nunez, MS

By Kirsten Nunez, MS

13 Ratings

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Vegan Potato Casserole

This vegan scalloped potato casserole is equal parts comforting and delicious. It features layers of creamy sauce and parboiled potatoes, along with a satisfying topping of crunchy breadcrumbs.

The sauce is especially tasty, as it’s dairy-free yet wonderfully velvety. In fact, it’s so good that you might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful! It’s also nut-free and contains no cashews.

Once baked to perfection, this homemade potato casserole can be enjoyed as a side dish or appetizer. Serve it with your favorite plant-based protein, like tempeh or Tofu Bacon. It also works well in a holiday spread when paired with dishes like Vegan Green Bean Casserole or Vegan Meatloaf.

Key Ingredients

Vegan Potato Casserole Ingredients
Photo: Kirsten Nunez
  • Baby potatoes. You can use sliced or diced baby potatoes.
  • Plant milk. Any plain, unsweetened plant milk will do. We used oat milk.
  • Nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast gives the sauce in this casserole a classic cheesy taste.
  • Breadcrumbs. This casserole is garnished with breadcrumbs for a delicious crunch. Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs, if necessary.

How to Make Vegan Potato Casserole

You’ll need just 20 minutes to prepare this recipe. What’s more, it’s a simple and versatile dish, so you can adjust the spices and ingredients based on your preferences. Here’s how to make homemade vegan potato casserole:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 square baking dish (or a deep pie dish) with oil or butter.

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and whisk until golden brown and creamy. This is called a roux.

Vegan Roux
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

2. Add the plant milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Stir well to combine, then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until thick. Add the vegan cheese shreds and stir until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.

creamy sauce in a skillet
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

3. While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potato slices or cubes, then parboil for about 8 minutes. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but still somewhat firm.

Parboiling scalloped potatoes
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

4. Drain the potatoes.

Draining scalloped potatoes in a colander
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

5. To the greased dish, add a layer of potatoes.

Arranging scalloped potatoes in a casserole dish
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

6. Spoon a layer of sauce over the potatoes.

creamy sauce poured over scalloped potatoes in a casserole dish
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

7. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes and cheese sauce. You should enough to repeat this sequence 3 or 4 times.

layers cheese sauce and scalloped potatoes in a casserole dish
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

8. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, hemp seeds, salt, pepper, thyme, and melted butter.

breadcrumbs and butter with herbs in a glass dish
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

9. Sprinkle the butter-breadcrumb mixture on top of the casserole.

breadcrumb topping on potato and cheese mix in a casserole dish
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

10. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the breadcrumb topping turns golden brown. Top with chopped scallions, vegan cheese shreds, and/or crumbled vegan bacon.

Baked Vegan scalloped potatoes
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

Recipe Tips, Variations, and Substitutions

  • Slice the potatoes evenly. To promote even cooking, make sure the potato slices are about the same thickness.
  • Dice the potatoes into cubes. Alternatively, you can dice the potatoes instead of slicing them.
  • Use a deep pie dish. If you don’t have a 9×9 square dish, you can use a deep pie dish.
  • Place the dish on a cookie sheet. If your baking dish is shallow, put it on a metal cookie sheet before placing it in the oven. The sauce will bubble, so the sheet will catch any drippings.
  • Use vegan mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Either cheese works for this recipe. We used vegan cheddar cheese shreds from Daiya.
  • Skip the vegan cheese shreds. If you don’t have vegan cheese shreds, you can omit them.
  • Add crushed red pepper flakes. For an extra kick, add red pepper flakes to the sauce. You can also add a splash of hot sauce or sriracha.
Vegan Scalloped Potato Casserole

Can I store leftovers?

Store leftover Vegan Potato Casserole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3 to 4 days.

Can I freeze Vegan Scalloped Potatoes?

Yes, you can freeze this potato casserole. Store it in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to eat the casserole, thaw in the refrigerator, then warm in the oven until heated through. If needed, add a splash or vegetable broth or plant milk to rehydrate the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Vegan Potato Casserole

Creamy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Perfectly creamy and cheesy, this vegan scalloped potato casserole recipe takes just 20 minutes to prepare. Serve it as an appetizer or side dish with your favorite plant-based protein for a delicious weeknight dinner.
Click stars below to rate, or leave a full review in the comments
13 Ratings
Print Rate it Now Pin Recipe
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: dairy-free potato casserole, potato casserole, vegan potato casserole, vegan scalloped potatoes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 278kcal
Author: Kirsten Nunez, MS

Ingredients

Sauce

Vegan Potato Casserole

  • 1.5 pounds baby potatoes sliced or diced
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter unsalted plant butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs gluten-free, if needed
  • 3 tablespoons hemp seeds or more breadcrumbs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
  • Chopped scallions for topping, optional
  • Vegan cheese shreds for topping, optional
  • Crumbed vegan bacon for topping, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 square baking dish (or a deep pie dish) with oil or butter.
  • In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and whisk until golden brown and creamy. This is called a roux.
  • Add the plant milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Stir well to combine, then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until thick. Add the vegan cheese shreds and stir until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potato slices, then parboil for about 8 minutes. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but still somewhat firm.
  • Drain the potatoes.
  • To the greased dish, add a layer of potatoes.
  • Spoon a layer of sauce over the potatoes.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, hemp seeds, salt, pepper, thyme, and melted butter.
  • Sprinkle the butter-breadcrumb mixture on top of the casserole.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the breadcrumb topping turns golden brown. Top with chopped scallions, vegan cheese shreds, and/or crumbled vegan bacon.

Notes

  • You can also dice the baby potatoes.
  • To promote even cooking, make sure the potato slices are about the same thickness.
  • Use vegan mozzarella or cheddar shreds, depending on your preference.
  • Alternatively, you can omit the vegan cheese shreds.
  • For an extra kick, add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
  • Top your casserole with chopped scallions, vegan cheese shreds, and/or crumbled vegan bacon.
  • This recipe serves 6 to 8 people, depending on the serving size.

Recommended Tools & Products

Large pot
Medium Skillet
Square casserole dish

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 570IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @CleanGreenSimple or tag #CleanGreenSimple!
Kirsten Nunez

About the Author

Kirsten Nunez is a journalist who focuses on healthy food and cooking. Her vegan and plant-based recipes have appeared on VegNews, eHow, Shape, and more. When she’s not creating and photographing vegan recipes for Clean Green Simple, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen and sharing plant-based meals with friends and family. More articles by Kirsten.

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