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This creamy Vegan Potatoes Dauphinoise is rich, cheesy, and irresistibly comforting. With no parboiling required, it’s an easy recipe perfect for cosy dinners or special occasions.
Looking for a dish that’s creamy, cheesy, and comfort on a plate? This Vegan Potatoes Dauphinoise combines the indulgence of a classic cheesy potatoes au gratin with the simplicity of a dauphinoise.
Made with tender layers of thinly sliced potatoes coated in a rich garlic-infused cream sauce and topped with bubbling vegan cheese, its the perfect indulgence – and it’s completely dairy free!
Unlike a traditional au gratin recipe, there’s no need to parboil the potatoes. This version keeps things simple with one bowl, one dish and minimal washing up. The oven does all the hard work, giving you melt-in-the-mouth potatoes with a golden, cheesy topping.
It’s perfect for Sunday roasts, festive gatherings, or cosy midweek dinners when only comfort food will do. One taste, and you’ll be making it on repeat.
Quick Links:
- The full recipe
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients needed
- Step by step instructions with photos
- How to serve and store
- Success tips
- FAQs
- Other delicious recipes like this one
If you like the look of this Potatoes Dauphinoise vegan recipe, you’ll love our Potato Gratin Lasagne which layers rich, tomatoey vegan mince with creamy, thyme-infused potato gratin. YUM!
Looking for more sides to go with your all-the-trimmings vegan roast dinner? Try our Vegan Chestnut Stuffing, made with flavoursome mushrooms and juicy cranberries.
What is Potatoes Dauphinoise?
Potatoes Dauphinoise, also known as Gratin Dauphinois, is a classic French dish from the Dauphiné region in southeastern France. The dish is known for its rich, creamy texture and layers of thinly sliced tender potatoes baked slowly in cream or milk.
Traditionally Dauphinoise uses raw potato slices and is flavoured with garlic and seasoning but does not usually include cheese. Potatoes au Gratin, on the other hand, often includes cheese and uses par boiled potatoes.
Our potatoes dauphinoise vegan version is a hybrid of the two! We felt that baking the potatoes from raw, rather than parboiling, produced the best results texturally. In terms of flavour, the addition of vegan cheese made this an addictively delicious dish; a “gratin dauphinoise” if you will!
Why you’ll love this Vegan Potatoes Dauphinoise
Hassle-Free. No parboiling or extra pots required – just one bowl, one dish and the oven does the work.
Creamy, Cheesy, and Full of Flavour. Rich, garlicky, and topped with golden, bubbling vegan cheese, this comforting dish is the perfect blend of dauphinoise and vegan potato gratin.
Great for Any Occasion. This dairy free dauphinoise potatoes recipe is ideal as a cosy dinner or a crowd-pleasing side for roasts or dinner parties.
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How to make these this Vegan Potatoes Dauphinoise
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan dauphinoise potatoes:
Dairy-free cream. Pick a full fat vegan cream to minimise the risk of it splitting, such as the Flora Plant Double Cream which is 30% fat. Don’t opt for coconut milk or coconut cream because the coconut flavour will affect the flavour of the finished dish.
Fresh garlic.
Seasoning. Salt and ground black pepper.
Potatoes. Pick a starchy variety such as Maris Piper, King Edward or Russet, as they absorb the cream well. Avoid waxy potatoes such as Charlotte or Jersey Royal.
Dairy free cheese. You could potentially use a generous sprinkling of nutritional yeast instead if you prefer.
Dairy free butter.
Substitutions and Variations
Cream varieties. Soy cream, oat cream, fava bean cream and lentil protein cream (like Flora Plant) should all work well. We don’t recommend using coconut milk or cream in this dish unless you specifically want a coconut flavour.
Swap the butter for oil. If you don’t have vegan butter to hand, you can grease the dish with a little olive oil on a piece of kitchen towel.
Fancy sweet potatoes? For a twist on the classic, you could use sweet potatoes. They’ll add a natural sweetness and vibrancy to the finished dish. Sweet potatoes cook faster than regular potatoes so reduce the baking time – try 35 minutes under foil and 10 minutes without the foil before testing to see if the potatoes are tender.
Garlic powder instead? If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder instead. Substitute the 2 cloves of fresh garlic for 1/2 – 3/4 tsp of garlic powder (try 1/2 tsp, taste the cream mixture and add more if desired).
Tasty additions. If you fancy adding even more flavour in this vegan dauphinoise recipe, you could add ground nutmeg (around 1/8-1/4 tsp) or chopped fresh thyme leaves to the cream.
Equipment
You’ll need a mandoline slicer, large bowl and 25cm x 15cm (10” x 6”) deep baking dish for this vegan au gratin potatoes recipe.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Make sure to head to the recipe card below for the full recipe for dauphinoise potatoes vegan style!
STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional / 375°F / gas mark 5)
STEP 2. Grease a medium sized baking dish (25cm x 15cm / 10” x 6”).
STEP 3. Add the cream, garlic and seasoning to a bowl and stir together.
STEP 4. Slice the peeled potatoes with a mandoline slicer (2.5mm / 0.1” thick) and add them to the bowl.
STEP 5. Use your hands to separate the slices of potato and mix everything together.
STEP 6. Layer 1/2 of the potato and cream mixture into the oven proof dish, followed by 1/2 of the grated cheese.
STEP 7. Add the remaining 1/2 of the potato and cream mixture to the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
STEP 8. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake, uncovered for a further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is golden brown.
STEP 9. Allow the dish to stand for 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving for the perfect side dish.
How to Serve
Serve warm. Allow the potatoes dauphinoise to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes after baking, before slicing and serving warm alongside your main course.
What flavours pair well with this vegan potatoes dauphinoise? Potatoes dauphinoise pairs well with the flavours you find in a classic roast; herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage, leeks, parsnips and winter greens.
What goes with potato dauphinoise? Try serving this potato dauphinoise alongside other side dishes with a vegan roast dinner or with vegan sausages and greens, instead of the usual mashed potato.
How to Store
In the fridge. This vegan potatoes dauphinoise is best served freshly cooked, however you can store leftovers to enjoy later. Once cooled, cut the dauphinoise into individual portions and either place into an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly in eco cling film. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat each portion in the microwave until hot through.
Can you freeze potatoes dauphinoise? Yes, but we don’t recommend it. Freezing the cooked dauphinoise can cause the sauce to separate and can affect the texture of the potatoes on defrosting and reheating.
Success Tips
Slice the potatoes thinly. You’ll ideally use a mandoline slicer for this. The potatoes need to be cut to 2.5-3mm (0.1”) thick so that they cook through properly and create that melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Use your hands to mix. When mixing the potato slices with the cream, it’s best to use your hands so that you can gently separate any potato slices that are stuck together. This ensures the slices are evenly coated in the creamy.
Don’t skip the foil. It’s important to cover the baking dish in foil for the first stage of baking as this traps steam, helping the potatoes to cook through and soften. Removing the foil at the end of cooking then allows the cheese to turn golden.
Choose the right baking dish. Aim for a dish that is approximately 25cm x 15cm (10” x 6”) for best results. Using a dish that is too large will result in thin layers, and a dish that is too small will mean thick layers that may not cook through in the time.
Let it rest before serving. This is an important step that will make the dauphinoise much easier to dish up. Allow the dish to stand for 10 minutes on the countertop after baking. This helps the creamy sauce to thicken, making it easier to slice into uniform slices and serve with the layers of potato visible.
FAQs
Why did my dauphinoise potatoes split?
Dauphinoise potatoes can split for a few reasons. Usually, it is caused if the oven temperature is too high or if the cream is boiled before baking.
In our vegan potatoes dauphinoise recipe, we try to avoid splitting by not heating the cream prior to baking and using a slow and low cooking method – keep your oven low at 170°C fan (190°C conventional / 375°F / gas mark 5) for the duration of baking.
Other tips for preventing your Potatoes Dauphinoise from curdling or splitting include using a full fat dairy free cream (i.e. one with a high fat content), coating the potatoes evenly in the cream and letting the dauphinoise rest for 10 minutes before serving.
If your dauphinoise does split – don’t worry too much, it’ll likely still taste great!
Can you overcook dauphinoise potatoes?
Yes, dauphinoise potatoes can be overcooked which can cause the texture to become mushy rather than have those distinct layers. To avoid this, cook just until a knife slides easily through the layers in the middle. If you feel some resistance, cook a little longer, but if the potatoes feel tender, the dish should be ready.
Why can’t you freeze dauphinoise potatoes?
Freezing dauphinoise potatoes once cooked can affect the texture of the potatoes and cause the cream sauce to split.
Freezing dauphinoise potatoes before cooking (i.e. with raw potato slices) can cause the potatoes to become mushy and watery.
It is for these reasons that we recommend serving this dish freshly cooked, and storing leftovers in the fridge rather than freezing them.
More Comforting Vegan Recipes
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The Written Recipe:
Easy Vegan Potatoes Dauphinoise (Potatoes au Gratin)
Ingredients
- 500 ml dairy free cream (not coconut cream)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 kg potatoes (pick a starchy variety such as Maris Piper or King Edward)
- 175 g dairy free cheese (grated)
- dairy free butter for greasing
Instructions
- PREPARE. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional / 375°F / gas mark 5) and grease a medium sized baking dish by rubbing the sides and base with vegan butter.Note: You should use a baking dish that is approximately 25cm x 15cm x 6cm (10” x 6” x 2.5”) for optimal results.dairy free butter for greasing
- Add the dairy free cream, garlic, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Stir to combine.500 ml dairy free cream, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- SLICE POTATOES. Peel the potatoes and then slice them thinly (around 2.5-3mm / 0.1”), using a mandoline slicer.1 kg potatoes
- MIX TOGETHER. Add in the sliced potatoes to the bowl with the cream and stir gently, using your hands, to evenly coat the potatoes.
- LAYER. Layer 1/2 the sliced potatoes and cream mixture into the dish, followed by 1/2 the grated cheese (87g).175 g dairy free cheese
- Layer the remaining 1/2 the sliced potatoes and cream mixture.
- BAKE. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 grated cheese (87g).
- Bake, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes until the top is golden. Test with a knife in the centre to make sure the potatoes feel tender and cooked through.
- REST. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Tara
Hi, I’m Tara! I’m taking you on a trip around the world in vegan cuisine and bringing the world’s most delicious dishes to your kitchen.
