These Scalloped Sweet Potatoes are made with layers of thinly sliced sweet potatoes coated in a creamy dairy-free sauce. This Sweet Potato Au Gratin is twist on the classic scalloped potatoes and makes the perfect holiday side dish! Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free with paleo and Whole30 options.
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Updated November 2021
Easy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Looking for a fun and delicious side dish for fall? These Scalloped Sweet Potatoes are loaded with flavor and the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table or any holiday gathering. They’re a fun twist of the classic scalloped potatoes made with thinly-sliced sweet potatoes with creamy dairy-free sauce!
You can pair them with your favorite protein and are also vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free with paleo and Whole30 options.
And the best part about this cozy comforting dish? They work great as a make ahead recipe. Just assemble the sweet potatoes ahead of time and then on the big Turkey day or on your Sunday meal prep and then just cook them up when you’re ready to serve them.
Ingredients you need
- Sweet potatoes: about 4-5 medium evenly-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly into ⅛ inch thick rounds (a mandolin works best)
- Avocado oil: or olive oil.
- Onion: you’ll need 1 small yellow onion or white onion, diced.
- Garlic: for depth of flavor.
- Coconut cream: used pure coconut cream or scoop the thicker-part of a can of chilled full-fat coconut milk.
- Almond milk: or sub with any unsweetened plant-based milk.
- Vegan butter: you can sub with grass fed butter or ghee if not dairy-free.
- Salt: to taste.
- Black pepper: to taste.
- Vegetable broth
- Tapioca flour: to thicken up the sauce. You can also sub with arrowroot flour.
- Fresh thyme: chopped, plus extra for garnishing
- Fresh rosemary: chopped, plus extra for garnishing
Optional Topping: (leave out for Whole30)
- Crushed grain-free cracker OR grain-free / gluten-free / regular breadcrumbs
- Vegan butter
- Shredded vegan cheese: optional. You can also sub with nutritional yeast or regular cheese if not dairy-free.
Garnish: extra fresh chopped herbs
How to make Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat oven and prepare the baking dish: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish / baking pan with avocado oil or coconut oil spray. Set aside.
- Make the creamy sauce: In a medium pot or saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and add the onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute until aromatic. Next, add the coconut cream, almond milk, butter, salt and pepper, and whisk until melted. In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, make a slurry by whisking together the vegetable broth and tapioca flour until there are no lumps. Pour the tapioca slurry into the pot and bring the mixture to a low boil, simmer for about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in the rosemary and thyme, then remove the pot from the heat.
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- Assemble: Spoon a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange one layer of the sweet potato slices on top of the sauce covering the bottom of the baking. Spoon ⅓ of the cream sauce on top of the layer of sweet potatoes and gently use a spatula to spread the sauce to cover the sweet potatoes. Repeat this layering process until all of the sweet potatoes and sauce are gone.
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- Bake: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked and fork tender.
- Make the topping: Meanwhile, stir together the breadcrumbs and melted butter. Once the potatoes are ready, remove the pan from the oven and top with breadcrumbs and cheese, if using. Return the pan back to the oven and bake for 10 minutes (or alternatively turn the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes – watching carefully to avoid burning), or until the topping is golden brown.
- Garnish and serve warm: Remove from the oven and top with additional chopped rosemary and thyme on top if desired. Serve warm.
Tips for success
- Cut the potatoes into even sizes: Be sure to cut the potatoes into even similar-sized slices, otherwise, they won’t cook evenly. A mandolin works best but you can use a sharp knife as well.
- Cover with foil: Before baking, cover the baking dish with aluminium foil. This ensures the potatoes cook evenly without burning.
Serving suggestions
This cozy potatoes aux-gratin would go so well with any protein or your favorite roasted vegetables.
Serve this creamy side dish with some Grilled Chicken, Salmon, Roasted Turkey, Crispy Tofu or Roasted Delicata Squash.
Can you make this ahead?
Yes. You can prepare and assemble this casserole up to two days ahead of time and then bake the day of.
How to Store
Store leftover scalloped sweet potatoes in a well-covered, airtight container in the fridge. They will stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
You can reheat portions in the microwave or in a baking dish in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes, or until warm.
Can you freeze this creamy casserole?
No, unfortunately this casserole would not freeze well since it contains coconut cream and vegan butter and may get soggy.
More healthy holiday side dishes:
Low Carb Sweet Potato Casserole
Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
These Scalloped Sweet Potatoes are made with layers of thinly sliced sweet potatoes coated in a creamy dairy-free sauce. This Sweet Potato Au Gratin is twist on the classic scalloped potatoes and makes the perfect holiday side dish! Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free with paleo and Whole30 options.
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes , about 4-5 medium evenly-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly into ⅛ inch thick rounds (a mandolin works best)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 small onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup vegan butter , grass fed butter or ghee if not dairy-free
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp tapioca flour , or arrowroot flour
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme chopped , plus extra for garnishing
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary chopped . plus extra for garnishing
- 1/3 cup crushed grain-free cracker OR grain-free / gluten-free / regular breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tablespoon melted vegan butter , or grass fed butter or ghee if not dairy-free
- 1/3 cup shredded vegan cheese (or regular) if not dairy-free, sub with nutritional yeast
- extra fresh chopped herbs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish / baking pan with avocado oil or coconut oil spray. Set aside.
- In a medium pot or saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and add the onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly softened, stirring frequently.
Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute until aromatic. Next, add the coconut cream, almond milk, butter, salt and pepper, and whisk until melted.
In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, make a slurry by whisking together the vegetable broth and tapioca flour until there are no lumps. Pour the tapioca slurry into the pot and bring the mixture to a low boil, simmer for about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in the rosemary and thyme, then remove the pot from the heat.
Spoon a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Arrange one layer of the sweet potato slices on top of the sauce covering the bottom of the baking, fanning them out so that they are slightly overlapped in a nice pattern. Spoon ⅓ of the cream sauce on top of the layer of sweet potatoes and gently use a spatula to spread the sauce to cover the sweet potatoes. Repeat this layering process until all of the sweet potatoes and sauce are gone.
Spoon ⅓ of the cream sauce on top of the layer of sweet potatoes and gently use a spatula to spread the sauce to cover the sweet potatoes. Repeat this layering process until all of the sweet potatoes and sauce are gone.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked and fork tender.
Meanwhile, stir together the breadcrumbs and melted butter. Once the potatoes are ready, remove the pan from the oven and top with breadcrumbs and cheese, if using. Return the pan back to the oven and bake for 10 minutes (or alternatively turn the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes - watching carefully to avoid burning), or until the topping is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and top with additional chopped rosemary and thyme on top if desired. Serve warm.
How to Store
Store leftover scalloped sweet potatoes in a well-covered, airtight container in the fridge. They will stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
How to reheat
You can reheat portions in the microwave or in a baking dish in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes, or until warm.
Photography by: Casey Colodny / The Mindful Hapa
Casey Colodny -
Ohhh my! these might be the best dairy-free potatoes ive ever had! that sauce was deliciously creamy and savory