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    Home » Vegan Cheese

    Classic Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce

    Published: Apr 4, 2017 Updated: Nov 11, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Cashew Cheese Sauce

    Super cheesy vegan cashew cheese sauce. This smooth and creamy sauce is wonderfully satisfying and simply delicious drizzled over almost anything!

    Cashew cheese sauce drizzled over baked potatoes and broccoli on a white plate.

    I suddenly realized that we didn’t have a fabulous cashew cheese sauce – that you can use to drizzle over things – on the blog yet. So I had to remedy that situation quickly.

    Because this is really a staple recipe. Something to drizzle on anything and everything. Pizzas, pastas, potatoes, salads, you name it, if it’s a savory dish, it would likely benefit from a drizzle of this cashew cheese sauce.

    For those who don’t eat nuts, we have a vegan cheese sauce that is entirely nut free, and when it comes to cashew recipes, we have a sun dried tomato cashew cheese and a cashew dressing that you will also love.

    But when it comes to a cashew cheese sauce that is just dying to be drizzled on a homemade vegan pizza, well, this is the stuff.

    Cashew cheese sauce drizzled over baked potatoes, broccoli and avocado on a white plate.

    How To Make Cashew Cheese Sauce

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    Whipping up a batch of cashew cheese sauce is super easy, you just need a nice sturdy blender to do it.

    We don’t even pre-soak the cashew nuts, it’s just too easy!

    But if your blender is a less sturdy machine, then soak the nuts first. Put them in a bowl and pour over some boiling hot water from the kettle. Let them soak for 15 minutes, and then drain and rinse.

    If, however, you have something like a Vitamix then you can also just go for it. No soaking required!

    Just add raw cashews, nutritional yeast, crushed garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, ground black pepper and some water to your blender jug.

    Ingredients for cashew cheese sauce in a blender jug ready to blend.

    Blend until smooth, and that’s it. 

    Freshly blended cashew cheese sauce in a blender jug.

    Storing Tips

    Make up a batch and then keep it in a sealed container in the fridge where it will last up to 5 days.

    It is also freezer friendly if you do want to freeze it. Thaw it in the fridge and then stir it up very well before using.

    Cashew cheese sauce drizzled over baked potatoes, broccoli and avocado on a white plate.

    More Vegan Cheese Recipes

    1. Sliceable Cashew Cheese
    2. Vegan Cheddar Cheese
    3. Vegan Cream Cheese
    4. Vegan Nacho Cheese
    5. Vegan Mozzarella
    6. Vegan Ricotta

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Cashew cheese sauce drizzled over baked potatoes and broccoli.

    Classic Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce

    Super cheesy vegan cashew cheese sauce. This smooth and creamy sauce is wonderfully satisfying and simply delicious drizzled over almost anything!
    4.84 from 74 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Sauce, Savory, Side
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 217kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Raw Cashews (150g)
    • 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
    • 1 Clove Garlic crushed
    • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
    • ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    • 5 Tablespoons Water
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    Instructions

    • Add the cashew nuts, nutritional yeast, crushed garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper and water to the blender jug. Blend until very smooth and creamy.
    • For a thicker cheese, use less water. For a thinner salad dressing consistency, use a little more water.
    • Serve drizzled over baked potatoes, vegetables, pizzas or pastas.

    Video

    Notes

    1. If you have a strong blender then there is no need to soak the cashews first. If you know that your blender will struggle though then you can soak them in hot water for 15 minutes before blending. Place the cashews into a bowl, pour over boiling hot water from the kettle and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse and then continue with the recipe. 
    2. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.6g | Protein: 7.8g | Fat: 16.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Sodium: 45mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 2.3g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. April Korell says

      March 29, 2025 at 11:06 am

      If you replaced the water with soy milk, would it curdle because of the lemon? If so, would that be ok or not?

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        April 09, 2025 at 2:24 pm

        It should be fine April!

        Reply
    2. kc says

      January 25, 2025 at 10:52 pm

      This was really great! I used it as a sauce for macaroni but to be honest , I could have drunk the whole thing straight from the blender. I used oatmilk instead of water but otherwise kept the recipe the same

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        January 29, 2025 at 9:55 am

        Awesome! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
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    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

    4.84 from 74 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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