Simple and fabulously cheesy vegan cheese sauce. Ideal for lasagnas, pastas, vegan mac and cheese or anywhere you would usually use a cheese sauce.
Making a vegan cheese sauce really couldn’t be easier.
You start off with a basic vegan white sauce – also called bechamel sauce and then with just a few added extras, it magically turns into cheese sauce!
How to make vegan cheese sauce
There are just 3 basic ingredients – oil, flour and plant-based milk (I used soy milk) to make your basic white sauce.
To that you add some salt, black pepper, dijon mustard, great for adding a cheesy flavor don’t even ask me why but really it works, and some nutritional yeast.
And that might be as far as you need to go to get your perfect cheese sauce flavor! If you want to intensify the flavors a bit more, you can add in some optional onion powder and garlic powder too.
How to serve vegan cheese sauce
This isn’t the kind of cheese sauce you’re going to use on a pizza.
Have you had a white sauce (bechamel) before? It’s exactly like that, just flavored to be cheesy!
It’s what you want when you want a cheesy version of a white sauce to use in your lasagna! It’s also great as a pasta sauce or served over vegetables.
It also makes a great sauce for a mac and cheese.
If you want a cheese sauce to drizzle on your pizza, then you’re looking for a cashew cheese sauce! Or you can even grate up some hard sliceable cashew cheese and melt it on your pizza!
You will love this vegan cheese sauce! It is:
- Ultra cheesy
- Thick and creamy
- Nut-Free
- Simple
- Versatile
Keep leftovers stored in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days.
More vegan sauces
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Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 cups
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Pin RecipeDescription
Creamy and super cheesy vegan cheese sauce recipe. Ideal for lasagnas, pastas, vegan mac and cheese or anywhere you would usually use a cheese sauce. Nut free.
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 4 cups (960ml) Soy Milk*
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 cup (30g) Nutritional Yeast
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Optional:
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Grated Vegan Cheese
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium high.
- When the oil begins to heat up, add the flour, stirring briskly all the time.
- Fry the flour in the oil for a bit, stirring vigorously, and then add in all the soy milk at once. Stir vigorously. Alternate with a hand whisk and a wooden spoon while it heats up to prevent any lumps from forming.
- Continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken.
- You will usually reach the right thickness a few minutes after the sauce has reached boiling point.
- When it has reached the desired thickness remove from the heat (bear in mind that it will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Stir in the mustard, nutritional yeast, salt and ground black pepper.
- Taste test and see how you like it. If you want to intensify the flavors, add in the onion powder and garlic powder and stir in. Depending on what you want to use the cheese sauce for, you may prefer it plain or you may want to intensify the flavors with the onion and garlic powders.
- Serve with pasta or use as a sauce in a vegan lasagna. Add some grated vegan cheese to the sauce as well if you like.
Notes
*You can use different non-dairy milks with slightly different flavor results.
*Adapted from my basic vegan white sauce recipe.
*This recipe has recently been updated with new photos added.
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 166
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 112mg
- Fat: 12.3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Carbohydrates: 6.9g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Protein: 5.4g
Keywords: vegan cheese sauce
I’m giving this recipe a 5 star even though I haven’t tried it! I have been searching and searching for a daily free/nut free/coconut free cheese for my 5 year old! She has been dying to try macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza and to have cheese with her crackers! Unfortunately she is allergic to a lot of food! But I’ll be making Mac and cheese for her tomorrow! Is it possible for you to point me in the direction of a sliceable or shredded cheese that is also free of dairy, nuts and coconut? Thanks again!!
★★★★★
Hi Marlena! I hope she loves mac and cheese made with this sauce! Also check out our vegan mac and cheese, we made it with coconut milk but it can definitely also be made with other non-dairy milk, soy is another one we tested and it works great. Apparently Miyoko’s were going to release some nut-free vegan cheeses, I’m not sure if they are available yet though, but that’s a brand to look into. 🙂
Absolutely amazing recipe I woke up with a craving for mac cheese.
The sauce was so simple to do. I didn’t used unsweetened koko milk as we have soya allergy in the family and I used sunflower oil instead.
Turned out so thick and creamy 😁
I usually use a df spread to make the roux but if I’m honest the oil worked a lot better.
Cant wait to try this as base sauce for other recipes.
I did add the garlic and onions and it did give it a lovely kick I didn’t add the mustard because I didn’t have any.
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed it Krysia! Thanks for sharing your adjustments and the wonderful review. 🙂
Can this be used to jazz up a vegan pot pie?
Yes! 🙂
I’ve tried a few vegan cheese sauce recipes that normally end up being bland, complicated or just goes gritty and dry. This is the best recipe I’ve found and will be sticking to using this for future in making mac and cheese! The only thing I changed was using cashew milk (it’s our choice of milk to stock) and it still worked out fine! Added in a tiny bit of paprika too. Was delicious.
★★★★★
Awesome! So happy to hear that Sarah! Thanks for the wonderful review! 🙂
As a new vegan in training this was the recipe I decided to go with and I loved it , I am a professional chef but, this new lifestyle has introduced new items that are interesting and I love your site it’s very informational … used this to make vegan enchiladas and was a huge hit.
Awesome Kristina! So happy to hear it was a success!
I’ve been longing for mac & cheeze for the past two years since going totally vegan but no vegan recipe appealed to me. Yours is delicious and checks off the soy-free and vegan-cheeze-free boxes for me. Clever approach with the bechamel base. Thank you.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Debra! Thanks for the awesome review. 🙂
I have a pretty big family and I was wondering how you’d recommend I double this recipe? Like double or even triple up on every ingredient or simply cook it twice? Nevertheless, Thanks for sharing!
I’m assuming this sauce is made for about 8-9 oz cooked pasta. I could be wrong?
Yes, that’s right!
You can definitely make as big a batch of this as you like! If you want a double batch then double the ingredients and cook it the same way. But the bigger the batch the longer it takes to reach a boil and then thicken.
Can you use this sauce for cheese quesadillas?
Sure! 🙂
Amazing! Easy and delicious, my go-to vegan cheese sauce from now on 🙂 Thanks!
★★★★★
Wonderful! Thanks so much Jessica. 🙂
I made this using homemade oat milk because people often complain oat milk gets too slimy/thick when you heat it so I figured that would actually be a benefit to this recipe. Turned out great!
Oh! That’s really interesting/helpful info, thanks Shawn! 🙂
I cannot have wheat or regular flour. I am wondering if you can make this with almond flour or coconut flour, both of which I am allowed.
Thanks!
Hi Barbara, I don’t think those options would work. If the issue is gluten, then I have made this with a gluten-free all purpose flour and it worked perfectly. Alternatively you can try it with cornstarch if that’s something you can have. You would use half the amount of cornstarch as you would flour. I have not tested this with cornstarch but think it would work. All the best!
Thanks, Alison. I don’t have a gluten issue. Just cannot have wheat and most other grains. (Gundry’s Plant Paradox protocol)
I have my vegan daughter and grandchildren coming for a week and want to put some stuff in the freezer ready. Anyone know if I can freeze this? Thanks
Hi Kat! Yes, it freezes well! 🙂
Thanks – I will give this a go :O)
To me, this is just ok. It didn’t get very thick and could have used more flavor.
Hi! I’ve used this recipe as a rough base maaaany times now! I use it for a veggie/pasta bake! I have leek, broccoli, potato, carrots and wholewheat pasta all part boiled, then put into a Pyrex dish and I make the cheese sauce! I never have yellow mustard so always use Dijon, and whatever oil I have on hand at the time, but never changes the flavour! I also use almond milk as it’s thinner than soya, and I find the outcome for my purpose much better! I also add in smoked paprika, garlic powder, a little onion powder, salt and black pepper, and then a teaspoon or two or a free from cheese sauce powder mix, just to add extra cheesiness and then I always add dried parsley and it tastes beautiful! I then pour it over my veg and pasta, and then grab a bag of “bacon rasher” potato crisps(Tesco ones are vegan) and I smash then with a rolling pin and use this to top my bake and it gives a lovely crispy smokey layer! I always used this recipe as my base and it’s worked out perfectly every time and my whole omni family even love this vegan dish so having my family over for dinner with my partner and I is much less stressful knowing they will enjoy this vegan meal and be impressed with this take on cheese sauce! They didn’t even know it was vegan the first time I made it!! Thank you??
Hi Taylor! So glad you like the recipe and thanks for sharing all your additions/adjustments, sounds awesome! 🙂
Used this on some red lentil pasta and it was super yummy! I’ve been really picky and haven’t been able to find a vegan cheese sauce that I actually liked until this so I’m super excited!! I made it exactly as describe but added garlic and herb seasoning, paprika, and some onion powder to create a more savory flavor and then, after it was through cooking, I actually blended it up in my nutribullet to make it extra creamy and smooth. It was perfect! Thanks!!
So pleased you like the recipe Chelsea, thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
This came out great! I used almond milk since I did not have soy, gluten free flour, and added a bit of garlic powder 🙂 went well with lentil noodles .. thanks for sharing!
Wonderful! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Just made this to top a vegan lasagna. I can’t believe it was so easy and so tasty! I made too much so have a small jarful cooling that I will spread on crackers or toast.
Thanks for the recipe – it will used again and again.
★★★★★
Wonderful! Yes, it’s perfect for lasagna. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great review. 🙂
Hi , thanks so much for the recipe. I made this sauce exactly as you recommended and used over steamed cauliflower, did sprinkle some chilli flakes on top , then grilled.. delicious ?
My 14yr old daughter has decided to go vegan, we are all enjoying the challenge.. actually easier than I thought.. so many great recipes. Thanks again
★★★★★
Oh this is perfect for a cauliflower cheese sauce! So glad it came out well and also so happy you’re enjoying the new challenge, it is definitely fun and there are so many new delicious things to try. All the best and thanks for the fabulous review. 🙂
Hello! I just got done making this for myself and partner. He loved it (even tho he is not vegan). I used unsweetened almond milk and dijon mustard because we didn’t have any yellow mustard. I steamed some broccoli and added it to the sauce and poured it over baked potatoes. Very good! I did notice that the sauce seemed to thin when it was still on the burner boiling for a few minutes but it thickens quite a bit once off the burner.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it Holly! Thanks for awesome review!
Hi and thank you very much.
One question: Can I make nutritional yeast at home?
Hi! I don’t think so, but I have never looked into that, but really… no idea, sorry! 🙂