This simple vegan potatoes au gratin recipe is the ultimate comfort food during the cold seasons. It is creamy, only features a few ingredients, and it won’t get boring to eat. This dish is perfect for holiday dinners. My family and I have had potatoes au gratin on Christmas Eve for years. It works perfectly as a vegan recipe. But it doesn’t even need to be for a festive occasion: This recipe works perfectly for a hearty Sunday winter dinner or date night. Thinly sliced potatoes in a plant-based cream sauce marry into a creamy, flavourful casserole dish. And let’s not forget about everybody’s favorite: The crust on top! If you have a mandoline slicer to cut the potatoes, this recipe is simple and quick. So, get ready to discover a new favorite plant-based holiday recipe!
Ingredients for making Vegan Potatoes au Gratin
- Potatoes
- Vegan cream substitute (I used soy cream)
- Vegan butter substitute
- Nutmeg
- Salt & pepper
- Optional: A clove of garlic, nutritional yeast, or thyme
This recipe is as simple as it gets. It only needs five pantry-friendly ingredients. The star of the dish is the potato. I recommend using delicious hard-boiling potatoes. They will keep a nice texture when baking them. Yukon gold or Russet potatoes are fantastic choices for vegan gratin au potatoes. Regarding vegan cream, I opted for a full-fat soy cream for lots of flavor. For the vegan butter substitute, I used a version with a nice, mild flavor without that distinct margarine taste to it. I’d recommend going with any brand you’d otherwise like for cooking. Regarding spices, salt, pepper, and nutmeg are all this dish needs. You can use a clove of garlic to rub down the casserole form for some extra flavor.
While traditional gratin au potato features cheese, this recipe tastes perfectly without it. Optionally, you can add nutritional yeast for some extra cheesy notes or some thyme, but this recipe works perfectly as simple as it is. 🙂
How to make Vegan Potatoes au Gratin
Making this dish is super easy. It only involves a little bit of preparation work. Using a mandoline makes the process of making this dish a whole lot easier! Firstly, let’s peel our potatoes. Next, slice the potatoes into thin, uniform slices. Having the slices even and thin is crucial for this dish to ensure the potatoes are becoming soft when baking. Next, take your casserole. Rub it down with a sliced clove of garlic and give it a good greasing with the vegan butter substitute. You can already preheat your oven to 180° C (355° F).
Layering the Potatoes and Cream:
Now, you can start with alternating one layer of potatoes before putting on a layer of vegan cream. The potatoes also can overlap a bit. Repeat this process until the casserole dish is filled to the top. Season with some salt. Optionally, you can sprinkle in some nutritional yeast for an extra cheesy kick. To give this dish a nice crust, we will add some flakes of the vegan butter substitute. Scrape off some vegan butter substitute using a fork or knife and sprinkle it over the final layer of potatoes. Season with nutmeg, salt & pepper.
Baking the Vegan Potatoes au Gratin:
Finally, there is nothing left except baking this little masterpiece. Put the casserole in the oven at 180° C (355° F) on the fan setting. You will see the vegan butter flakes melt and the cream start to boil. Bake the gratin for about 55 minutes until the potatoes on top have browned nicely. Take it out of the oven. You can allow the dish to set for about 15 minutes before digging in.
I love pairing this potato grating with some protein and veg. Last time, I served it with some simple braised red cabbage and this vegan lentil stew, to which I added some more winter spices and chestnuts. It was a perfect dinner!
FAQ:
Making the gratin is super easy. Firstly, we will thinly slice the potatoes and layer them alternating with a vegan cream before baking them.
Starchy potatoes like Yukon gold or Russet potatoes are great choices.
That comes down to personal preference. I like it more when the potatoes are peeled. The dish looks more uniform that way. Leaving them unpeeled can have a rustic charm to it, too. If the potatoes have a thick skin, I’d recommend peeling them.
This gratin works perfectly for meal prep. The starch from the potatoes thickens the sauce nicely. Keep it covered and chilled in the fridge. Just warm it up before serving, and enjoy it for days!
Let me know what you think in the comments below, and enjoy!
Some Recipe Suggestions:
Print Simple Vegan Potatoes au Gratin
This vegan potatoes au gratin is the perfect simple comfort food during the cold months. It is creamy, delicious and has a fantastic crust. It’s a perfect recipe for a festive occasion or a casual chill dinner.
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
1kg potatoes
500ml soy cream
4 tbsp vegan butter substitute
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 clove garlic
Salt & pepper to season
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180° C (355° F).
Peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes using a mandoline slicer into thin, uniform slices. Rub the casserole down with a sliced clove of garlic. Grease the casserole with vegan butter substitute but reserve most of it to sprinkle over the gratin before baking.
Alternate one layer of potatoes and one layer of vegan cream until the casserole is filled. The potatoes can overlap a bit. Season with salt in between.
Scrape off flakes of vegan butter substitute using a fork or knife and sprinkle it over the final layer of potatoes.
Top with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Bake the gratin at 180° C (355° F) on the fan setting for about 55 minutes until the potatoes on top have browned nicely.
You can allow the dish to set for about 15 minutes before digging in.
Notes
Starchy potatoes like Yukon gold or Russet potatoes work well for this recipe.
You can also sprinkle in some nutritional yeast between each layer for an extra cheesy flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Gratin, main, side
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegan