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Vegan White Sauce (Bechamel)

Vegan white sauce in a red bowl with a wooden spoon.

So your basic vegan white sauce has a lot of uses. It’s the basic recipe that with a few additions can turn into a vegan cheese sauce.

Also called a bechamel sauce, this is the white sauce you can use in lasagnas and other dishes that require a white sauce.

It’s usually made with butter, flour and dairy milk. Sometimes oil, flour and dairy milk.

Since this is the vegan version, of course the dairy milk is replaced with plant based milk. Too easy really!

In this case I used soy milk but any plant based milk of your choice will do the trick.

Step by step process photo collage of making a vegan white sauce.

I tried a version using vegan butter and the butter flavor was pretty strong.

I wasn’t a huge fan but I liked it more than Jaye who thought it was disgusting. He was all like: ‘aarrgggg butter sauce, IΒ just ate a heap of butter in a sauce!’

Well, needless to say, he didn’t! It was just a little butter in a lot of sauce, but whatevs.

So the next time I made it with olive oil and I thought it tasted heaps better, and Jaye agreed.

In fact this one was so delicious that we’ve made it a few times since.

And I used it in a lasagna dish that came out beautifully.

I really think you are going to fall in love with this vegan white sauce! It is:

  • Creamy
  • Smooth
  • Versatile
  • 3-Ingredients
  • Simple

This creamy dreamy white sauce is like a blank canvas that you can add any flavorings to that you choose, like garlic or herbs or whatever you desire!

Vegan white sauce in a red bowl with a wooden spoon.

The basic recipe is just 3 ingredients, and after that it’s up to you how you flavor it.

We’ve just gone with some sea salt and black pepper, but fresh herbs would be great, dried herbs, garlic spice, chilli, mustard, whatever you’re in the mood for.

So let us know what you think of this recipe by leaving a comment and rating it too please as that is SO super helpful.

And for some other great sauces, check out these great ideas:

  1. Cheesy Garlic Vegan Alfredo Sauce
  2. Classic Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce
  3. Tahini Mushroom Sauce

And while you’re here, sign up to our email list, you’ll get an awesome (free) recipe ebook, and you’ll stay updated with all our latest recipes too!

Vegan white sauce in a red bowl with a wooden spoon.

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Vegan White Sauce

Vegan White Sauce (Bechamel)


★★★★★

4.9 from 14 reviews

  • Author: Loving It Vegan
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: ~2 cups
  • Category: Sauce, Savory, Vegan Basics
  • Cuisine: Vegan
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Description

3-ingredient vegan white sauce recipe. Also called bechamel sauce, this simple sauce is creamy, wholesome and delicious and can be used whenever you need a white sauce.


Ingredients

Basic Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Cups Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Spices to taste:

  • Black Pepper
  • Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. Add the oil to a pot on the stove and heat it at medium to high heat.
  2. As the oil heats, sift the flour and add to the pan stirring vigorously.
  3. Fry the flour in the oil for a bit, stirring vigorously, don’t allow it to burn, turn down your heat if it starts to stick at any point.
  4. Add the soy milk or other non-dairy milk and continue to stir and allow the sauce to gradually thicken.
  5. You will usually get to the right thickness after it has reached boiling point and boiled for a few minutes.
  6. When you’ve reached the desired thickness (keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools), remove from the heat and add any spices you choose, such as some salt and black pepper or garlic spice or whatever you choose.

Notes

*If you double this recipe, then just a note that the way to double it is that the flour must always be one less than the oil. So doubling this recipe would mean you use 6 Tbsp of olive oil and 5 Tbsp of flour.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 Cup (~1/4 of the recipe)
  • Calories: 153
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 98mg
  • Fat: 12g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 6.3g
  • Fiber: 0.6g
  • Protein: 3.9g

Keywords: vegan white sauce, vegan bechamel sauce

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3-ingredient vegan white sauce recipe. Also called bechamel sauce, this simple sauce is creamy, wholesome and delicious and can be used whenever you need a white sauce. | lovingitvegan.com
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About the Author

Hi I'm Alison! I'm a passionate vegan foodie, recipe creator and author of Simple Vegan Dinner Recipes, a digital program created so that you always know the answer to: 'What's For Dinner?' I believe in delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. DJ55 says

    November 14, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    I would to add a comment about cooking with rice milk. I used it in a creamy broccoli soup recipe and the day I made the soup it was great, nice and creamy. But the next day when I reheated the soup it was no longer creamy, it was very runny. I am curious as to whether this happens when using soy milk.

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      November 14, 2017 at 2:31 pm

      Soy milk is a lot thicker than rice milk, which could be a factor in this. I used this sauce (made with soy milk) in a lasagna that was then reheated the next day and the sauce stayed very thick, in fact I would say it got thicker. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Kwaneija says

    December 20, 2017 at 5:26 pm

    if I double the recipe will I add two cups of almond milk ( I prefer almond milk )

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      December 20, 2017 at 5:38 pm

      If you double the recipe you’ll use 6 Tbsp of olive oil, 5 Tbsp of flour and 4 cups of almond milk. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Adele Williams says

    January 21, 2018 at 2:21 am

    I was looking for a simple vegan alternative for cheese sauce and after reading endless recipes based on potatoes and carrots, I came across yours. Beautifully simple, felt like making a traditional bechamel sauce, and tasted great!

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      January 21, 2018 at 7:32 am

      So happy to hear Adele! Thanks for posting! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Adele Williams says

    January 21, 2018 at 2:22 am

    Try it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Tirtza says

    February 6, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    I’d like to make this now as I have an open soy milk in the fridge but my vegan family member won’t be home this week. Any idea if this recipe can be frozen? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      February 7, 2018 at 7:09 am

      Yes you can freeze it. Allow it to cool completely before placing into a freezer safe container. When you’re ready to use it thaw it in the fridge or on a countertop and then reheat in a saucepan.

      Reply
  6. Anastasia says

    February 24, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    Can I make this with Almond Milk? Which type can I use,unsweetend or sweetend (original)?

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      February 24, 2018 at 2:42 pm

      Yes, you can. And either/or is fine. I usually make it with regular plant milk as it’s what I most often have on hand, but either one would be fine.

      Reply
      • Anastasia says

        February 24, 2018 at 3:19 pm

        Thank you so much dear Alison

        Reply
  7. Lindsey S says

    March 27, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    I have no idea what went wrong but this was just a big gloopy mess for me. The minute I added flour, the oil and flour just stuck together in balls and it got worse from there.

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      March 27, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      I’m not sure either, if you sifted the flour, if the oil wasn’t too hot, if you stirred it very fast and vigorously once the flour was added, and if you used a whisk once the rest of the non-dairy milk was added (a whisk can fix a lot of stuff!), then I don’t know. As you can tell from what I mentioned though, there are a few places it could possibly run into an issue. It can just be a case of practice makes perfect, though I know it sucks when it doesn’t work out.

      Reply
      • Lindsey S says

        April 25, 2018 at 6:49 pm

        Thank you so much for your reply Alison. I tried again and it worked perfectly! I have a lasagne in the oven right now. I think the first time, I added the flour too quickly and didn’t sift it. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe.

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          April 27, 2018 at 8:43 am

          Awesome! So glad to hear it worked out this time! πŸ™‚

  8. Marcela says

    April 16, 2018 at 5:46 am

    Thank you for sharing this recipe!
    Unfortunately I’ve tried but it hasn’t worked for me ;(
    The olive oil was so strong (I added salt, parsley and pepper)
    I’ve tried 3 times lol but none of them was good

    Reply
  9. Mariam says

    October 17, 2018 at 1:13 am

    I just made this and it turned out perfectly !! I doubled the recipe and used β€œMelt” vegan butter instead of oil , added in salt & garlic and it’s absolutely divine – THANK YOU !! Will be using this again that’s for sure!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      October 17, 2018 at 9:20 am

      Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing and the great review! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Shey says

    November 14, 2018 at 5:45 pm

    Can I use almond flour?

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      November 14, 2018 at 8:11 pm

      I don’t think so, if you want to make it gluten-free use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend.

      Reply
      • Tenesha says

        November 16, 2018 at 1:41 pm

        Hello!! Love this recipe, I have made it many times. I use Cassava Flour and Avocado Oil and it turns out great every time!

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          November 16, 2018 at 1:56 pm

          Awesome! Thanks for sharing. πŸ™‚

  11. Rae says

    November 28, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    Lovely, smooth bechamel! Made this for lasagna the other day and it came out perfect. And so simple.
    Thank you!

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      November 29, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for posting! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. pat says

    December 15, 2018 at 1:10 pm

    a little nutmeg is amazing with this!

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      December 15, 2018 at 1:15 pm

      Oooh good to know! Thanks Pat! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. Dianne Lahr says

    January 23, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    Hi. Thanks for this recipe. I was wondering if I could add the ingredients to a blender and blend them. Then, gently heat and stir until the mixture becomes a sauce. This is how I have made the traditional white sauce in the past. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      January 24, 2019 at 9:51 am

      Hi Dianne, you probably can! Especially if you have done it that way in the past, the vegan ingredients shouldn’t make any difference to whether it works that way or not. Let us know how it goes. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  14. Dianne says

    January 24, 2019 at 8:01 pm

    Thanks for your quick reply. I made this recipe with the blender and then simmered it to thicken. The method worked well because it thickened very nicely. The olive oil is quite strong, so I may work on that next time. I used this recipe to make tomato soup, and then used the tomato soup for my sloppy joe recipe.
    Thanks so much.

    Reply
  15. Bryony Redwood says

    February 7, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    Fantastic simple recipe! My first try at vegan lasagne and the whole family loved it – in fact my super fussy 5 year old had seconds!! I doubled all ingredients and used 2/3 oat milk 1/3 soya milk. Thanks SO much for posting.

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      February 8, 2019 at 10:27 am

      Fantastic, so pleased it worked out great! Thanks for sharing. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  16. Catherine Gilbert says

    February 12, 2019 at 2:25 pm

    I do not usually cook vegan recipes, but I was looking for a way to lighten the calories in a Cordon Bleu casserole recipe I have which includes butter and cream cheese. I followed the directions carefully, using an almond milk/cashew milk product. This way, I replaced both the butter and the cream cheese in my recipe. I added Dijon mustard to the sauce before layering it in my dish with chicken, ham, and reduced fat Swiss cheese. It’s genius! Excellent taste replacement for dairy based bechamel with a lot less calories.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      February 13, 2019 at 10:47 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, thanks so much for sharing! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  17. Michelle says

    February 13, 2019 at 12:22 am

    Very easy and very good! I love that you can add any ingredients you like, to change it up! Made this for a vegan chicken noodle casserole and my son loved it! I love it when I can fool him into eating healthy! Thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      February 13, 2019 at 10:39 am

      That’s awesome! Yes, this is really the blank canvas and you can create any flavors you like. Thanks so much for sharing and the great review! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  18. Jessica Healy says

    February 13, 2019 at 3:50 am

    This recipe changed the game for me! It’s a great, vegan sauce that can be tweaked to use for a lot of different dishes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      February 13, 2019 at 10:45 am

      Awesome, thanks so much for the great review Jessica! πŸ™‚

      Reply
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