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You are here Home » Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole

41 Comments · November 19, 2018

Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole

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This vegan creamy potato casserole is a veggie-centric twist on classic scalloped potatoes. Thinly sliced potato rounds are layered with a rich and creamy cauliflower-cashew sauce and baked to perfection. Each serving is packed with veggies, but you'd never know it based on taste. Read: This is a great way to get your veggie-hesitant relatives and little ones to consume more veg!

Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole

I always seem to cut it down to the wire with Thanksgiving recipes. Especially this year, because WHAT?! How is it already Thanksgiving week??

Thankfully, this is an easy last-minute add to a balanced holiday spread, and it's versatile enough to easily extend into the Christmas season without garnering any confused looks.

This simple vegan potato casserole requires a short least of ingredients (just eight + salt and pepper) and 20-ish minutes of active kitchen time. The rest is hands-off bake time in the oven.

And it's incredibly satisfying, too.

Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole

To make it, you'll start by thinly slicing about three pounds of russet or Yukon potatoes. I used russet during recipe trials, but I have a feeling Yukon might be even tastier.

Once you've thinly sliced the potatoes, begin to layer them in a casserole dish or pan like so...

Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole

Then, prepare the creamy cauliflower-cashew sauce by blending boiled or steamed cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen), raw cashews, nutritional yeast flakes, apple cider vinegar, olive oil (optional), garlic, and salt until super smooth and creamy.

Once the sauce is ready, pour about two-thirds of it over the first layer of potatoes. Then, top with the remaining potatoes and remaining sauce. Sprinkle the surface with freshly ground black pepper and chopped rosemary.

Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the edges are rich golden brown in color.

Let the casserole cool a bit, and then slice and serve. That's it. Nothing fussy or complicated about this plant-powered holiday side!

Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole

 

Vegan Creamy Potato Casserole
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4.58 from 7 votes

This vegan creamy potato casserole is a veggie-centric twist on classic scalloped potatoes. Thinly sliced potato rounds are layered with a rich and creamy cauliflower-cashew sauce and baked to perfection. Each serving is packed with veggies, but you'd never know it based on taste. Read: This is a great way to get your veggie-hesitant relatives and little ones to consume more veg!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, plant-based, Vegan
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12
Author Ashley

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds russet potatoes (about 12 small to medium potatoes), peeled
  • 4 cups fresh or frozen cauliflower florets, steamed or boiled until fork-tender
  • 1 ½ cups filtered water
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for two hours if not using a high-speed blender)*
  • ¼ to ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes**
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil***
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1–2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
  • Thinly slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch-thick rounds using a knife or mandolin (be very careful if using a mandolin).
  • To a high-speed blender, add the cauliflower, water, cashews, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and sea salt, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  • Arrange about two-thirds of the potatoes in the pan, creating two shingle-like layers. Pour about two-thirds of the cauliflower cream sauce over top and use a spatula to gently spread it over the potatoes. Top with the remaining potatoes (about one layer) and pour the remaining cream sauce over top and use a spatula to gently spread it over the potatoes. Season the top with black pepper and sprinkle with the rosemary.
  • Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Let cool slightly, and then slice and serve.

Notes

*No nuts? No problem. To make this recipe nut-free, substitute shelled hemp seeds (aka hemp hearts) for the cashews. 
**Start with ¼ cup nutritional yeast. Then, taste and add more—up to ½ cup—if desired. 
***The oil can be omitted if you prefer to keep the recipe oil-free.

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Comments

  1. Nicola says

    November 19, 2018 at 5:55 pm

    Is there a substitute for the cashews? We have a severe cashew allergy in my house!!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 20, 2018 at 10:34 am

      Yes, going to add a note now (receiving lots of questions on this), but you can use shelled hemp seeds (aka hemp hearts) in place of the cashews. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Celeste Jackson says

    November 19, 2018 at 8:20 pm

    5 stars
    I’m glad I got to try this...so delicious! I’ll be swapping out my traditional recipe for this one. 😉

    Reply
  3. Ron says

    November 20, 2018 at 6:17 am

    If one has a severe nut allergy what could be used in place of the cashews????

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 20, 2018 at 10:34 am

      Hi, Ron! You can use shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts) in place of the cashews. Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. denise caldwell says

    November 20, 2018 at 7:02 am

    My husband told to go vegan by heart doctor st Cleveland clinic. Unfortunately, he's allowed no nuts or oil of any kind...n one, due to clogged arteries. Are there ANY good recipes with no olive oil or nuts used?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 20, 2018 at 10:33 am

      Hi, Denise! Wonderful to hear doctors recommending a plant-based diet. Is he allowed seeds? For the cashews in this recipe, you can substitute shelled hemp seeds, and per the recipe note, you can omit the olive oil altogether. If seeds aren't allowed, I have a feeling the recipe would work just fine if you swapped out the cashews and added in another cup of cauliflower (so 5 cups total). I haven't tried this substitution myself, but it should work okay!

      Reply
  5. Steph Peterson says

    November 20, 2018 at 8:48 am

    This recipe looks awesome! But I have a tree but allergy, is there any substitutions for the cashews? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 20, 2018 at 10:31 am

      Hi, Steph! You can substitute shelled hemp seeds (aka hemp hearts) for the cashews. They'll impart a touch more earthiness to the flavor but overall should be very, very similar. Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. kat stickradt says

    November 20, 2018 at 3:10 pm

    We love potatoes and this look wonderful! I'm thinking about nestling in some broccoli in the layers and serving with sliced brown tomatoes. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nan says

      February 14, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      Hi Kat! I want to add broccoli too. Did you try this recipe by adding steamed broccoli? Thanks!!

      Reply
  7. Heidi Jaime says

    January 09, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    5 stars
    This was sOOOOOOO delicious! Bonus: MY SON loved it!!! No complaints from him. :)

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      January 10, 2019 at 10:57 am

      Happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe, Heidi! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts and rating. :)

      Reply
  8. Amy says

    January 13, 2019 at 6:23 pm

    2 stars
    Mine tasted like fish :( Weird. Why would that have been? I am hopeful reheating the leftovers will give different results.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      January 14, 2019 at 4:45 pm

      Hi, Amy! Oh dear, this should taste nothing like fish at all. Is there any chance your nutritional yeast might have gone off? Or perhaps your cauliflower? The only reason I could possibly imagine this dish tasting fishy is if one of your ingredients was old or rotten. I'm so sorry you had a bad experience with it!

      Reply
    • Teresa says

      October 04, 2019 at 8:10 pm

      Had the same taste in ours. An off, fishy taste and all of my ingredients were super fresh. But I’ve had this before, a weird combination of flavors that give off that taste. And I didn’t mention the fishy taste even though it was there, but my boyfriend mentioned it.

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        October 07, 2019 at 9:06 am

        Hi, Teresa! Ugh, I'm so sorry you had this experience, too. I'll admit, I'm completely stumped by this. One thought: What type of casserole dish did you bake it in? The reason I ask is that some uncoated metallic-based dishes can react with the lemon juice in the recipe and cause an off taste. If not that, do you like nutritional yeast in general? I know some people don't care for it and since it is a prominent flavoring in this recipe, that could be the culprit, too. Either way, I'm so sorry that you had a bad experience with this recipe. It's always my aim to please and delight with my recipes and a fishy flavor is a total no-go!

        Reply
  9. Mary S says

    February 07, 2019 at 2:44 pm

    What are
    Yeast flakes.........
    where do I find them in the grocery?
    With yeast....baking?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      February 07, 2019 at 3:56 pm

      Hi, Mary! Nutritional Yeast flakes are an inactive form of yeast that have a cheese-like flavor. Depending on the store, you can find them in the bulk section (e.g., Whole Foods) or the baking or health foods sections.

      Reply
  10. Jan says

    February 07, 2019 at 4:47 pm

    Is there a sub f ou r cauliflower, that is not another vegetable???

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      February 07, 2019 at 10:07 pm

      Hi, Jan! Unfortunately, I can't recommend a substitute for the cauliflower that isn't a vegetable. If I test one out in the future and it works, I'll be sure to update the recipe notes.

      Reply
  11. Tanya says

    April 07, 2019 at 10:28 am

    I couldn’t get the sauce a creamy consistency. It was grainy. I blended and blended in my large Ninja. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      April 07, 2019 at 10:35 am

      Hi, Tanya! Did you soak the cashews before blending? I know from reader comments on other recipes that the Ninja can be hit-or-miss when it comes from blending cashews.

      Reply
  12. lori says

    April 23, 2019 at 9:03 am

    Hi...Can you make this a day ahead or even early in the day to cook that evening?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      April 23, 2019 at 10:15 am

      Hi, Lori! Yes, you can assemble this ahead of time to bake later in the day (or even the next day). Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Wlnz says

    June 02, 2019 at 10:18 am

    Is casserole covered when baking?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      June 03, 2019 at 6:36 am

      Nope! Uncovered the entire time. Enjoy!

      Reply
  14. Chrissie says

    June 09, 2019 at 12:02 pm

    5 stars
    This is delicious, the whole family loved it

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      June 10, 2019 at 8:42 am

      So happy to hear this, Chrissie! Thanks for taking time out of your weekend to come back and share your thoughts and rating. Means a lot to me and is helpful for others hoping to make the recipe, too!

      Reply
  15. Mary says

    June 26, 2019 at 11:26 am

    Haven't tired Yet. I say that because I am surely making this one! question.. what do you think about my adding a little sprinkle of vegan rice paper bacon crumbles between the layers along with a little follow your heart parmesan? (will watch the salt after those additions.)

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      June 26, 2019 at 11:56 am

      I think those would be delicious additions, Mary! And yes, smart idea to adjust the salt to accommodate for those. Would love to hear how this turns out for you!

      Reply
  16. Carrie says

    September 15, 2019 at 10:03 am

    Can you freeze any excess?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      September 15, 2019 at 1:24 pm

      Hi, Carrie! Yes, absolutely. Leftovers should keep for up to one month in the freezer.

      Reply
  17. Dola says

    November 03, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    This might be the first recipe that I’ll follow to a T without any alterations and still taste amazing! Deng! This is an absolute hit, my non vegan friends loooooved it and even asked for a recipe. I am rummaging through your other recipes to see what to try next! Great great job

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 03, 2019 at 4:35 pm

      So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Dola! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts—means so much. Happy cooking! :)

      Reply
  18. Emily says

    February 03, 2020 at 11:56 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I had dried rosemary instead of fresh so I put it in the blender with the sauce to hydrate. Super creamy, savory, and so so good! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      February 04, 2020 at 10:55 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, Emily! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts, rating, and adjustments. :)

      Reply
  19. Jean Keaster says

    February 22, 2021 at 8:16 am

    5 stars
    Was delicious. My whole family enjoyed it. Next time, I may cut back on the amount of salt tho. We tend to salt lightly in general and I think with the other flavors in this dish, it would still taste great with a bit less salt. Thank you. Going to try some of your other recipes now!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      February 25, 2021 at 10:03 am

      So happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe, Jean! And great to know about the salt as well. Thanks for taking time out of your day to share your feedback—much appreciated. :)

      Reply
  20. Emmelina Mojica says

    March 02, 2021 at 10:17 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Thank you! I really wanted my 7-year-old to love it too, but she didn't :( Maybe on the 2nd or 3rd try she will, because I am definitely making again! Any chance you could provide the nutritional information?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      March 05, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      Happy to her you enjoyed it, Emmelina! Hoping your 7-y-o will come around as well. I don't calculate nutrition information for my recipes, but I believe you can just copy/paste the blog page link into MyFitnessPal and it will automatically calculate it for you. Hope this helps!

      Reply

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