Gratin dauphinois

Name: Gratin dauphinois
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Ingredients: 1 kg potato, waxy or all-purpose, peeled and sliced 3 mm thick; 300 ml heavy cream; 250 ml milk; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; ⅛ tsp nutmeg; 15 g butter

Vegetarian

Thinly sliced potatoes baked slowly in garlic-scented cream and milk until tender, with a golden, bubbling top. The classic version from the Dauphiné uses no cheese.

Gratin dauphinois is a French side dish from France, ready in about 1 hour 50 minutes and made with potato and heavy cream. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 h 20 min
Rest: 10 min
Total: 1 h 50 min
Serves: 6
Level: Easy
Calories: 345

Ingredients

6 servings

1 kg Potato (opens in a new tab), waxy or all-purpose, peeled and sliced 3 mm thick
300 ml Heavy cream (opens in a new tab)Contains milk
250 ml Milk (opens in a new tab)Contains milk
2 cloves (8 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), crushed
1 tsp (6 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (0.5 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab)
⅛ tsp (0.5 g) Nutmeg (opens in a new tab)
15 g Butter (opens in a new tab)For the dish.Contains milk

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 160 °C and rub a baking dish (opens in a new tab) with the butter (opens in a new tab).
- 2 min
- 160°C
- Baking dish (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Put the sliced potatoes (opens in a new tab) (unrinsed) in a pan with the cream, milk (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and nutmeg (opens in a new tab). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring carefully, until the liquid starts to thicken.
- 12 min
- medium-low heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Tip into the dish, level the top and bake until the potatoes (opens in a new tab) are completely tender and the top is golden.
- 70 min
- 160°C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
4
Step 4
Rest for 10 minutes before serving so the cream sets.
- 10 min

About this dish

Origin: Dauphiné, France · Well documentedAlso popular in United KingdomMore food from France
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Casseroles & bakes
Cooking method: Oven-baked
Taste: creamy, rich, garlicky, mild
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
Cook more with: Potato · Heavy cream · Milk · Garlic · Nutmeg · Butter
Techniques: Baking · Simmering

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom heavy cream, milk, butter

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

345 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 265 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 7%
Carbohydrate 38%
Fat 55%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	345 kcal	130 kcal
Protein	6.3 g	2.4 g
Carbohydrate	33.2 g	12.5 g
Net carbohydrate	29.6 g	11.2 g
Sugars	5 g	1.9 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	3.6 g	1.3 g
Fat	21.6 g	8.2 g
Saturated fat	13.7 g	5.2 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	66 mg	25 mg
Sodium	447 mg	169 mg
Salt equivalent	1.1 g	0.4 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 820 mg
Calcium: 105 mg
Iron: 1.5 mg
Magnesium: 47 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 242 µg
Vitamin C: 34 mg
Vitamin D: 1.4 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.3 µg
Folate (DFE): 29 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Don't rinse the sliced potatoes — their starch thickens the cream.
A mandoline gives evenly thin slices.

Common mistakes

A hot oven, which curdles the cream before the potatoes are cooked.

Serve with

Serve with roast lamb, steak or a green salad.

Storage

Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

Reheat covered at 170 °C for 20–25 minutes.

Variations

Gratin savoyard (France): Made with stock instead of cream and layered with cheese.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Potato, waxy or all-purpose, peeled and sliced 3 mm thick1000 g
Heavy cream300 ml · 300 g
Milk250 ml · 258 g
Butter15 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

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