This smooth and velvety vegan cheese sauce recipe is deliciously cheesy, ultra creamy, and super low in fat and calories.
You’re going to want to put this luxurious vegan cheese sauce over everything.
And the best part is that it is allergy-friendly – no dairy, no tofu, no gluten, and NO cashews!
This was one of those weeknight throw-a-bunch-of-ingredients-together-and-see-what-happens recipes.
I hadn’t prepared anything for dinner and arrived home feeling super hungry after being out all day. Pasta is one of my go-to meals on those types of days, and this quick vegan white sauce was the result of looking through my kitchen cabinets to see what could go with the pasta.
The entire meal was done in barely more time than it takes to boil water!
My favorite comfort food is comfort food that takes longer to eat than to make ♥
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Ways To Use Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Poured over steamed broccoli
- Stirred into rice or quinoa
- On top of baked potatoes or tator tots
- As a dip for these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Over pasta or spaghetti squash (here’s How To Cook Spaghetti Squash)
Or you could serve yourself a giant bowl of this creamy and ultra velvety vegan cheese sauce and eat it with a spoon.
Am I the only one who does this with cheese sauce???
You know how much I love giving options in my recipes.
This vegan cheese sauce is no exception, and you have a few options here.
I developed variations both with and without nutritional yeast, because I know the ingredient isn’t always easy to find and that not everyone is a fan.
If you’ve never heard of nutritional yeast, it’s something used quite often in vegan cooking because of its addictively cheesy taste.
To be clear, nutritional yeast does not taste exactly like cheese; it just has that same umami flavor.
(Umami—or savory—is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.)
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If you try this recipe, I’d love to see!
Also make this creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce or my favorite Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce.
Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked white beans, such as cannelini
- 1/2 cup milk of choice, preferably unsweetened
- 5 tbsp nutritional yeast OR 1/3 cup vegan shredded cheese
- salt – I like 1/2 tsp
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- If using nutritional yeast, add optional 1/2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- optional 2 tsp buttery spread or olive oil – I really like the rich depth of flavor this adds, especially if not using the cheese version
- optional pinch turmeric, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, etc.
Instructions
- Drain and rinse beans if they are canned. Blend together all ingredients except cheese, either in a blender or with a hand blender. Transfer to a pot, and add the cheese, if using. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until desired serving temperature is reached and optional cheese is melted. If serving with pasta, stir in cooked pasta at this time. Add more milk of choice if a thinner sauce is desired.Instant Pot Version: Instead of transferring to a pot on the stove, put the blended mixture in your instant pot and heat on manual for 5 minutes. Thanks to reader Emma who created this version and left a comment to let us know it can be made in an instant pot!View Nutrition Facts
Notes
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Hi Kaitie! I discovered your website yesterday and have been addicted to looking at the recipes and copying them to try! Thanks so much! I am a bit of a sweet-aholic, and being able to make healthy sweets will be a big deal for me! (Though I have copied a number of the savory recipes also!) Blessings!, and Thanks again for sharing your recipes!
🙁 Katie, my apologies for spelling your name wrong! Too used to spelling it that way I guess, as I have a cousin who spells it Kaitie!
I haven’t tried it yet! Will definitely try it tomorrow, looked easy and I have everything in my house.
It was pretty good! We are definitely adding it to our recipe rotation. The texture was a little thick from the beans. I don’t think I blended it enough. Maybe I could even add a little more milk. I processed it in the food processor. I used soy milk and Daiya. I definitely want to try it again with nutritional yeast. If I use Daiya again, I think I want to add more cheese though. I tripled the recipe to feed my hubby and I, and our three kids. That was enough for a pound of pasta. Thank you for sharing! Making it again. 🙂
Can I use chickpeas as the beans I have alot of them i cooked up and need to use
I have. It’s a little less creamy and gives a slight bean taste, but still good!
Is there a variation you have that doesn’t include legumes (beans) or garlic (or onion) by chance?
https://lett-trim.today/2018/08/13/vegan-mac-and-cheese-recipe/%3C/a%3E 🙂
A comment about milk. The diary producers and their lobbyists are trying very hard to own the words “milk”, “cheese” and butter. These can be dairy derived or vegan (non-dairy). For decades “cocobutter” has been used in tanning products without an uproar. The vegan category has grown 600 % over the last few years and is seriously threatening the “dairy industry”. People are switching to healthier nd more sustainable plant-based alternatives. So far very few attempts have been made at correcting this problem. People like Miyoko Schinner of Miyoko’s Kitchen who makes the most amazing vegan cheese and award winning butter are trying to fight this at the government level. “Butter” can be vegan or dairy. So the next time you see the words “milk”, “cheese”, and “butter” please VEGANIZE your recipe with vegan equivalents. Thank you!
I made this as written with the nutritional yeast and vegan buttery spread and it was delicious. I will definitely be making again. I loved that it was so easy and healthy.
Sorry but I do not like this sauce at all, the beans leave a bitty texture! Flavours are nice though, but not for me sorry
Can I used pinto beans?
I used the Nutritional Yeast version and added a bit of dry mustard powder along with the turmeric. Yummy! Going on Baked potatoes with Broccoli for lunch!