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    Home » Recipes » Sauces & Dressings

    Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce (no dairy)

    Published: Jul 20, 2016 · Modified: Jun 15, 2022 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    No-cheese sauce. Vegan cheese sauce. Cheesy sauce. Non-dairy cheese sauce. I'm not sure what to call this except delicious. There is no cheese in it, plus it is easy to make, versatile, vegan and gluten-free. Just make some!

    Vegan cheese sauce in a jar with a white spoon on on a table.

    If you are dairy sensitive or choose not to consume dairy (whether vegan or not), I hope this sauce helps you miss dairy cheese sauce less. It really is tasty. It has a cheesy taste but without cheese. But how you ask? With nutritional yeast.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Start by Soaking Cashews
    • How to Enjoy
    • Recipe FAQ's
    • More Sauce Recipes
    • ⭐️Did you Make This?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Recipe Ingredients

    See the recipe card for details and measurements.

    • Cashews: buy raw and unsalted, check the label.
    • Coconut milk: use canned, whole coconut milk for the rich and creamy texture and taste
    • Nutritional yeast flakes
    • Dijon mustard: give it a golden color similar to a real cheese sauce and a little flavor boost.
    • Turmeric: adds that golden color, buy the powdered spice form.

    Chef's Tip: Nutritional yeast is an inactive or deactivated yeast similar to yeast used in bread baking and brewing, so if you have yeast concerns, not to worry. For more information on what is nutritional yeast, read this post.

    Golden nutritional yeast spilled on a counter with a tablespoon.

    Start by Soaking Cashews

    Start this recipe by soaking your nuts. Cover cashews with clean filtered water with a little sea salt and soak until they are soft. I soak mine for 8 hours. This makes them easier to blend into a creamy sauce.

    It also makes nuts more digestible and makes nutrients more bioavailable as they contain something called enzyme inhibitors that inhibit digestion. Soaking with salt helps to minimize phytates (phytic acid) and tannins (polyphenols).

    After soaking, rinse cashews well, drain and puree with the nutritional yeast, sea salt, granulated garlic, canned coconut milk, a little Dijon mustard and turmeric. It's that easy.

    Golden vegan cheese sauce in a food processor bowl.

    How to Enjoy

    • Drizzle it over steamed or grilled vegetables
    • Use it to top chicken or fish
    • Anywhere else you might use a cheese sauce
    • It's makes a good dip for raw veggies too
    • Use it for a cheesy dip for nachos
    Vegan cheese sauce over bright green steamed broccoli in a bowl.

    I first created this recipe for Dr. Mark Hyman's New York Times bestselling book, Eat Fat Get Thin. That is when I began to seriously experiment with and appreciate nutritional yeast and not cooking with dairy. It's a great read about not fearing healthy fat.

    Recipe FAQ's

    What is vegan cheese sauce made of?

    Cashews, nutritional yeast, turmeric, Dijon mustard, garlic, coconut milk (canned) and white pepper.

    Why soak nuts?

    To make them softer for pureeing/blending, to make them more digestible. Here is an article to explain more in depth.

    More Sauce Recipes

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      Preserved Lemon Sauce
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      Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce Recipe
    • Citrus mango sauce
      Creamy Citrus Mango Sauce
    • roasted tomato marinara
      Oven Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce

    ⭐️Did you Make This?

    If you make this recipe, please comment and let me know, and if you loved it, please give it a 5 star rating! They really help other readers.

    📖 Recipe

    vegan cheese sauce | AFoodCentricLife.com

    Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce

    Sally Cameron
    No-cheese sauce. Vegan cheese sauce. Cheesy sauce. Non-dairy cheese sauce. I’m not sure what to call this except delicious. There is no cheese in it, plus it is easy to make, versatile, vegan and gluten-free. Just make some! The salt in soaking helps deactivate the enzyme inhibitors.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Soaking Time 8 hours hrs
    Total Time 8 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 Yield 1 ¼ cups
    Calories 82 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup raw, unsalted cashews
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt divided use
    • ¾ cup canned coconut milk
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 large garlic clove finely chopped or ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • ¼ teaspoon white pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Place cashews in a small bowl or or jar and cover with water by several inches. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Allow nuts to soak for 6-8 hours to soften. After soaking, rinse and drain nuts.
    • To make the sauce, place soaked nuts, ¼ teaspoon of the sea salt that is left, and the rest of the ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor or a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. If it gets too thick, add a little water to thin to your desired consistency.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 67mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Vegan Cheese Powder (Dairy-free)
    Summer Gazpacho (gluten-free) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer says

      July 07, 2020 at 6:04 am

      How important is the salt in this? I'm on a very low sodium diet and have to minimize salt everywhere I can. Is the salt in this only for taste, or is it important to the process?

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        July 07, 2020 at 9:57 am

        Hi Jennifer, You can make it without. Might not have as much flavor for some people, but if you are used to low sodium it should be good for you. Give it a try. Note too that 1 teaspoon of the salt is only used for soaking and is not consumed. Rinse the cashews well after soaking. See the nutritional label I added. This has 67 grams of sodium per 2 tablespoons. In looking at sodium on labels, read Dijon labels carefully and choose one lower in sodium. That will help reduce too.

        Reply
      • Linda says

        September 02, 2023 at 4:33 am

        This recipe was absolutely delightful. Thank you. This will definitely be a staple in my fridge.

        Reply
        • Sally Cameron says

          September 05, 2023 at 11:12 am

          Thanks for commenting Linda, love to hear that!

          Reply
    2. Sarah says

      January 27, 2017 at 5:06 pm

      My daughter can't have tree nuts, is there anything I could sub for the cashews? This recipe sounds great and she can eat everything else the recipe calls for.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        January 28, 2017 at 11:35 am

        Hi Sarah, that is a tough one as hits recipe is really based around nuts. Unfortunately I think you are going to have to do something else for your daughter. Sorry I don't have a good substitute for you. Quick thought but I am not sure how it would work. You would have to experiment and adapt it. Instead of the cashews, thicken with tahini (sesame seed butter) if she is ok with sesame seeds.

        Reply
        • Andrea Tinonga says

          December 13, 2017 at 9:14 am

          I just use a full fat coconut milk! It'll thicken upon reduction, you don't need the cashews! Hope this helps.....
          Additionally, you can add a pinch of nutmeg and mustard seed to deepen the"cheesy flavor" the nutmeg creates a deep, earthy flavor while the mustard seed adds the sharp twanginess!

          Reply
    3. Stephanie Weaver, MPH, CWHC says

      July 21, 2016 at 5:16 pm

      I adore these kind of sauces! Anything with soaked cashews and nutritional yeast is a hit in my book. I have a similar thicker sauce on my blog that's a white pizza sauce. Nom. And I am STILL cooking from Eat Fat, Get Thin. What great recipes.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        July 22, 2016 at 9:17 am

        Hi Steph. Love to hear that! I am with you, anything with cashews and nutrition yeast, how can you go wrong? Will check out your recipe.

        Reply
    4. Denise says

      July 21, 2016 at 6:16 am

      This is an amazing recipe. Thank you so much. I am gonna love it!

      Reply

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