This dairy free lasagne recipe has all the cosy and comforting flavours of the family favourite recipe you know and love, just without the dairy. With layers of rich beef sauce, tender pasta, and a creamy, ‘cheesy’ béchamel, this is the recipe I’ve perfected over the last 10 years of being dairy free. Serve it up to friends and family and watch them go back for seconds!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ this is a great recipe, i have made it several times and it’s always a success. – erin
Lasagne for me is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It’s also one of the first foods that I thought I’d never really get to enjoy again when I went dairy free over 10 years ago. But over the years, I’ve worked on perfecting this dairy free lasagne recipe to the point where I will happily serve it up to family and friends knowing that they’ll not only love it but no one will miss the dairy.
From my experience, when making family favourite recipes dairy free, it’s important to understand why we love the original recipe so those things can be replicated. With lasagne, it’s the rich, meaty tomato sauce, the tender layers of pasta and the creaminess from the béchamel. That’s exactly what this recipe is, just with a few dairy free ingredients.
I love this recipe because while it does take a little time to prepare, it’s so hearty and satisfying you know it’s going to be devoured. And if you do have leftovers, they reheat perfectly.
👉 If you’re looking for a meat free option, then try my vegan lentil lasagne which is the perfect vegetarian version that is still rich, cosy and comforting.
🧐 Is it lasagne or lasagna? In Australia and the UK we say lasagne, while in the US it’s lasagna. It’s the same dish (and even the same pronunciation), just different spelling!
Key Ingredients
There are two components to this dairy free lasagne that are going to make the layers. The ground beef tomato sauce, and the creamy béchamel sauce.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Beef mince – also known as ground beef. I like to use a lean beef mince for the best flavour but you can use any you like.
- Lasagne sheets – I like using the dried ones as I can keep them in my pantry. They don’t need any prep, just layer them in the dish and they will cook perfectly as the lasagne bakes.
- Italian herbs – dried herbs add so much flavour to the tomato sauce. You can use an Italian herb blend or any combination of dried oregano, parsley/or and thyme.
- Tomato paste – adding depth and richness to the tomato sauce.
- Beef stock/broth – you could also use chicken stock.
- Dairy free butter and plain flour (all purpose flour) – cooks together to form a roux which is the base of our creamy bechamel layer.
- Oat milk – I prefer to use oat milk in the béchamel as I find it doesn’t have a strong flavour and therefore keeps the flavour of this dish closer to the original. Make sure to use an unsweetened variety, however oat milk is still naturally sweeter than regular milk so make sure to add a good amount of salt to balance.
- Nutritional yeast – the secret ingredient that should be in all dairy free kitchens! This adds a ‘cheesy’ flavour to the béchamel sauce that means we don’t need to add additional dairy free cheese into our layers.
- Dairy free cheese – for topping the lasagne and getting that nice crust. You can use your favourite brand, preferably a mozzarella that melts, but any will work.
👉 Gluten Free Option: Swap the lasagne sheets for gluten free lasagne sheets and use gluten free plain flour for the béchamel. I also recommend checking your stock ingredients as well to be safe.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This may feel like a complicated recipe as there are three steps to making this dairy free lasagne; the beef tomato sauce, the béchamel, and the assembly and baking. Follow the steps and you’ll see it’s actually quite simple!
Making the meat sauce
Step 1: Start by heating the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add the beef mince and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and dried herbs. Cook for 2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly.
Step 3: Add the diced tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
Make the Dairy Free Béchamel Sauce
Step 4: In a medium saucepan, melt the dairy free butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a paste.
Step 5: Slowly add a little oat milk at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until the sauce is smooth and thick but still pourable. You may not need the full 2 cups.
Step 6: Stir in the nutritional yeast, salt, and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a splash of more oat milk. Cover with a lid until ready to use to prevent a skin from forming.
Assemble the Lasagne
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the base of a 20 x 27 cm (10.5 x 7.5 inch) rectangular baking dish.
Step 8: Drizzle over about ⅔ cup of béchamel sauce, then add a layer of lasagne sheets. Trim the sheets to fit if needed.
Step 9: Repeat layering with meat sauce, béchamel, and lasagne sheets 2 more times, finishing with a final layer of lasagne sheets topped with the remaining béchamel sauce (no meat sauce on the top layer). Sprinkle with dairy free cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling.
Step 10: Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil and serve.
Serving Suggestion: Serve as is, or pair with a side of easy garlic bread or olive and herb focaccia if you’re feeling more elaborate, and a simple green salad.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
I love this dairy free lasagne recipe as it’s perfect for leftovers, meal prep, or to make ahead of time to keep dinner simple.
- Fridge: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Allow lasagne to cool completely, then wrap portions tightly in foil or place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes, or microwave single portions until hot all the way through. For frozen either allow to thaw in the fridge overnight, or reheat directly from frozen in the oven covered with foil for 45–50 minutes.
Make-Ahead Option: Assemble the lasagne up to the point of baking, then cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, bake straight from the fridge at 180°C (350°F) for 35-40 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! You can assemble the lasagne up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the fridge, then bake when ready. Just add an extra 5–10 minutes to the cooking time since it will be starting cold.
Yes! Once baked, let the lasagne cool completely before slicing into portions. Wrap well or store in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven covered with foil, or microwave single servings until hot all the way through.
Most lasagne sheets don’t require prep. If using dried sheets, just make sure they are labelled as oven-ready meaning they will cook as the lasagne bakes. Fresh lasagne sheets will also work in this recipe so just use what you prefer.
I personally think that oat milk gives the creamiest result without adding any extra taste, but soy milk also works well. You can use almond milk although you may need a little less than the recipe suggests as it’s a little thinner.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More comforting pastas:
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Salmon Pasta
Dairy Free Lasagne
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 700 grams beef mince/ground beef (1 ½ pounds ground beef)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- 1 x 400 gram diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups beef or chicken stock
For the dairy free béchamel sauce:
- 4 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 3 tablespoons plain flour/all purpose flour
- 1 ½ – 2 cups oat milk
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
To assemble:
- 9-12 lasagne sheets dried or fresh
- ½ cup dairy free cheese shredded
- Fresh parsley or basil chopped, for serving
Instructions
Make the Meat Sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the beef mince and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and dried herbs. Cook for 2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly.
- Add the diced tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.
Make the Dairy Free Béchamel Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, melt the dairy free butter over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour to form a paste (roux).
- Slowly add a little oat milk at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until the sauce is smooth and thick but still pourable. You may not need the full 2 cups.
- Stir in the nutritional yeast, salt, and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a splash more milk. Cover with a lid until ready to use to prevent a skin from forming.
Assemble the Lasagne
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the base of a 20 x 27 cm (10.5 x 7.5 inch) rectangular baking dish.
- Drizzle over about ⅔ cup of béchamel sauce, then add a layer of lasagne sheets. Trim the sheets to fit if needed.
- Repeat layering with meat sauce, béchamel, and lasagne sheets 2 more times, finishing with a final layer of lasagne sheets topped with the remaining béchamel sauce (no meat sauce on the top layer).
- Sprinkle with dairy free cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Erin Martine says
This is a great recipe, I have made it several times and it’s always a success.
Sally says
Thanks Erin! So glad you enjoy this recipe 🙂