Pumpkin Dauphinoise
This one is genuinely special. We make Pumpkin Dauphinoise every autumn without fail and it never gets old. It's got all the richness and comfort of a classic dauphinoise but with beautiful layers of seasonal pumpkin running through it, soaking up that garlicky, herby plant-based cream until everything is just meltingly tender. The potatoes go silky, the pumpkin gets sweet and soft, and the whole thing smells absolutely incredible coming out of the oven. If you're looking for a showstopper side or a centrepiece dish that'll genuinely impress people, make this tonight.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Large casserole dish with lid
- Small saucepan
- Mandoline or sharp knife for thinly slicing potatoes
- Microplane for garlic
- Colander
- Large bowl filled with ice water
Ingredients
- 3 mixed pumpkins
- 6 Maris Piper potatoes
- 3 large white onions
- 2 tbsp sugar
- knob plant-based butter
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 100g plant-based cheese
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 270ml plant-based cream
- 350ml plant-based milk
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- white pepper
Method
Prepare the ingredients
- Peel the garlic cloves
- Peel and slice onions
- Peel and thinly slice the potatoes
- Add potatoes to ice water and set aside
- Slice the selection of pumpkins
Make the Dauphinoise cream
- Pour plant-based cream and milk to a small saucepan
- Add the fresh herbs, garlic and white pepper
- Bring to a gentle simmer
Make the dish
- Add onions to a casserole pan with sugar
- Cook down with knob of butter and fresh thyme
- Once caramelised remove onions from pan
- Layer potatoes, pumpkin, onion plant-based cheese, salt, pepper and repeat
- Pour over dauphinoise cream
- Top with more plant-based cheese
- Put on the lid and cook for 45 mins
- Then cook for 15 mins with lids removed for gratanation
Tips & Variations
- Mix up your pumpkin: We love using a mix of different squash and pumpkin varieties here. Crown prince, butternut and kabocha all work brilliantly and each brings something slightly different in terms of sweetness and texture.
- Get your slices thin: A mandoline is your best friend for this one. Evenly thin slices mean everything cooks at the same rate and you get those gorgeous defined layers. If you're using a knife just take your time and try to keep them consistent.
- Make it ahead: This is one of those dishes that's actually even better the next day. You can bake it, let it cool, then slice and reheat it in the oven. It holds its shape beautifully and the flavours deepen overnight, trust us on this one.
Why This Works
The trick is infusing the cream before it ever touches the dish. Gently simmering the plant-based cream and milk with garlic, fresh herbs and white pepper means every single layer of potato and pumpkin is already packed with flavour before it even goes in the oven. We also love soaking the sliced potatoes in ice water first as it draws out the starch and helps them cook more evenly, so you get that perfect tender texture all the way through rather than mushy on the outside and undercooked in the middle.