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Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin

Herby Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin with a dairy-free option! Enjoy this classic side dish at any of your feasts or gatherings!

Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin - a lightened up version of the classic dish #glutenfree

If there’s one dish that has the capability of sling shotting me back to my childhood, it’s potatoes au gratin.

A former picky eater, the only dinner items I would reliably eat were lasagna, potatoes, rice pilaf (from the box), and barbecue chicken. Aside from those hot topics, all bets were off when it came to what I’d agree to consume.

You could 200% rule out anything green, fresh, and un-slathered in cheese.

One of my favorite dishes my parents made when I was growing up was scalloped potatoes. Or potatoes au gratin…or au gratin potatoes.

No matter the title you give it, everyone in the family enjoyed the hearty side dish to the extent that we never had leftovers. Cheese + potatoes = food of dreams.

Ingredients for Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin:

While I still love all things cheesy potato, I try to keep my dairy intake at a bare minimum. Rather than loading up on the heavy cream, I opted for coconut milk in this recipe. Does it sound crazy? Trust me on this one, it works!

I used Andre Prost coconut milk to prepare this dish and loved the way it turned out.

The coconut milk is so thick and creamy, making the dish all sorts of comforting and flavorful. In the world of coconut milk, not all cans are created equally! Some are creamier than others and some can be grainy or watery.

Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin - a lightened up version of the classic dish #glutenfree

In addition to coconut milk, I use aged gruyere cheese and fresh rosemary and thyme in this casserole dish o’ bliss.

Flash fact: did you know aged cheeses have a much lower lactose content than un-aged cheeses? For those of you who are sensitive to dairy, this is an important little detail for your digestive happiness!

I adapted this recipe from Andre Prost’s Coconut Milk Au Gratin Potatoes. Because I’m all about garlic and herb flavors, I added more, but left much of the recipe unchanged. Instead of gruyere, you can also use parmesan or gouda.

To make this recipe vegan, replace the butter with vegan spread and use vegan cheese. I will say, this recipe requires quite a bit of prep, but you can expedite the process by using a mandolin slicer to slice the potatoes. Regardless, it is worth the time investment.

Bringing back my childhood favorite to share with the family, I made this dish for Thanksgiving. my whole family raved about it PLUS it made so much, we ended up with leftovers.

This dish can serve upwards of 12 people. The herby, cheesy creamy flavors slow-baked into the potatoes makes for a filling flavor-packed addition to your holiday feast, or comfort food any time of year!

Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin - a lightened up version of the classic dish #glutenfree

How to Make Dairy-Free Potatoes Au Gratin:

Are you looking for a completely dairy-free version of potatoes au gratin? Easy! Simply replace the butter with avocado oil, or your favorite vegan “butter” spread, and replace the cheese with your favorite non-dairy vegan cheese. 

More Healthy Side Dish Recipes:

Because: carbs

Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin - a lightened up version of the classic dish #glutenfree

Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin

Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin is a delicious scalloped potatoes recipe that is light in dairy and big on flavor!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
12 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 14-oz cans full-fat canned coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt, or 2 teaspoons regular table salt
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 lbs gold or russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons butter, or vegan butter spread
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour, or regular AP flour
  • 3 cups grated Gruyere cheese, or non-dairy cheese of choice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 9 x13 inch baking dish.
  • In a medium saucepan bring Coconut Milk, salt, garlic, rosemary, thyme and pepper to taste, to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside. Note: mixture will taste salty alone but not when combined with potatoes.
  • Wash potatoes well, slice thinly and cover with cold water. Set aside.
  • Melt butter or (or vegan spread) in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture turns a golden brown color.
  • Slowly whisk in the herbed coconut milk, a bit at a time. Stirring, bring to a boil and remove from heat.
  • Drain potatoes and layer 1/3 on bottom of baking dish, overlapping each slice about half way. Pour 1/3 coconut sauce over potatoes and sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, only reserving last cup of cheese for later.
  • Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 15-20 additional minutes. If potatoes are soft and a darker color is desired, broil potatoes until cheese is nicely browned.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 - Calories: 367kcal - Carbohydrates: 34g - Protein: 14g - Fat: 21g - Fiber: 3g - Sugar: 2g
Course: Side Dishes & Snacks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheddar cheese, coconut milk, holiday, potatoes au gratin, side dish recipe, vegetarian
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 367kcal
Author: Julia
This post is sponsored by Andre Prost. Per usual, all thoughts, feelings, and opinions are my own.

Herbed Coconut Milk Potatoes Au Gratin - a lightened up version of classic potatoes au gratin

Recipe Rating




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Forrest Allison

Tuesday 23rd of February 2021

This is a great recipe and the idea of using coconut cream with potatoes I think is really good. In my case it absolutely didn't need any extra butter at all, I had to pour a bunch of that off. Just way too greasy. My cheese had a lot of grease in it I guess. Phew. Without butter it would have been fine.

Julia

Wednesday 24th of February 2021

That's great to know! Do you recall what type of cheese you used? This may help other folks when deciding on cheese selection ;)

Krishni Metivier

Thursday 31st of January 2019

I cook a lot for pleasure. Always searching for the most tasty and delicious recipes. This was IT!! I went full vegan for this recipe (as I am a vegan). I did not add any cheese (although I subbed nutritional yeast in) and I used coconut cream and coconut oil. Absolutely amazing and delicious!! This deserves to be at my next dinner party!! Thank you!

Shelley

Sunday 5th of August 2018

To make this dish gluten free what flour do you recommend?

Cynthia

Friday 30th of September 2022

@Ingrid Fraser, I would use rice flour or tapioca to get the same smooth texture as wheat flour. I bake with only heritage wheat these days which has a completely different gluten structure and all of us can eat is without any symptoms of gluten intolerance. So Einkorn All purpose would give you a very digestible alternative to modern genetically altered wheat.

Ingrid Fraser

Wednesday 19th of August 2020

I'm going to make this for the first time and use coconut flour. Seems like it should be right.

Camilla

Saturday 19th of November 2016

This was delicious! Made it and my hubby and I loved it. I actually used a combination of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes as I had plenty of see potatoes that needed using. I didn't have fresh herbs on hand so used dry ones and I also chopped some Spring onions (shallots in Aus) and sprinkled them on top. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe Julia

Yvette Wannous

Tuesday 26th of July 2016

I made this today looking for a more healthier alternative to the usual scalloped potatoes. It was absolutely beautiful. The only thing i added was a mixed spice to the coconut cream as i add these spices to all my cooking. But honestly a wonderful recipe thank you!!

Julia

Tuesday 26th of July 2016

Thanks so much for the feedback, Yvette! I absolutely love these potatoes - they're now a staple at all my family gatherings and holidays! I appreciate you taking the time to leave your kind note!

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