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My vegan cheese sauce for pasta is so rich and creamy you won't believe it's made with a healthy vegetable base and no dairy! It's made in a blender and is perfect for mac and cheese, baked casseroles, and anything else that requires a cheesy vegan sauce. And thanks to my secret ingredient, you'll get a super cheesy taste without any nutritional yeast in the sauce!
This is absolutely the best vegetable cheese sauce recipe. It's pure magic how you can take vegetables and create this incredibly creamy healthy cheese sauce, without using milk, cheese, or any dairy at all!
I know you probably doubt me, but I promise this sauce tastes just like the real deal. I have used this strategy to make a variety of different vegan cheese sauces with success!
It's great tossed with pasta, vegetables, or as a dipping sauce too. Bonus - this easy recipe is also freezer friendly, perfect for make ahead dinners!
I love to cozy up with a comforting bowl of pasta; and I don't know about you, but there is something irresistible about a velvety smooth, thick, luxurious cheese sauce. And my vegan version is bowl-licking-good!
It's possible to keep the cheese sauce vegan without compromising flavor or texture by using the perfect blend of healthy whole food ingredients. This makes it lighter than a traditional cheese sauce made with dairy.
The cheesy taste is created by using a mix of vegetables, spices, and miso. You will notice this vegan cheese sauce has no nutritional yeast. I am not a nutritional yeast fan, and I don't really think it tastes cheesy, but if you like it feel free to add some in! There also isn't any cornstarch in this recipe: my sauce is thickened with the cooked potatoes and cashews.
Because this is so easy to make in the blender, and freezes beautifully, I love to make an extra big batch and save the extras. This plant-based cheese sauce can be quickly defrosted and reheated for a simple and healthy family meal on those busy days.
I love coating all kinds of pasta shapes in this cheesy vegan sauce, but I also love serving it as a dip or as a topping too!
🥘 Ingredients
The gooey base of this cheesy vegan sauce comes from potatoes. When you blend cooked potatoes at high speed, it creates a stretchy texture.
I figured this out one day when I was making a vegan and gluten free pizza crust, and used a blender instead of a food processor!
In the ingredients list below I've also included some ingredient swaps you can experiment with. But keep in mind, I tried a variety of combinations for this dairy free cheese sauce, I did after all spend years of trial and error, and the ingredients listed are the best for creating the correct flavor and texture!
Here is what you need to make this recipe:
Potato: I prefer to use red potatoes, but any other starchy potato will do, russet potatoes are another good choice. Avoid sweet potatoes or other root veggies as they will not create the gooey consistency.
Red Pepper & Carrots: The sweetness of the red bell pepper helps to develop the flavor of the sauce. Orange or yellow peppers could be used, but the flavor will change.Orange carrots also add to the depth of flavor and subtle sweetness.
Sweet Or Yellow Onion: I would avoid using stronger tasting onions such as white or red, as their flavor can be overwhelming.
Raw Cashews: If you can't have cashews you can try other nuts such as macadamias, walnuts, or pine nuts. Just note that the flavor will be affected. For a completely nut free sauce try white beans or sunflower seeds. You can also leave out the cashews without replacing, but the texture will not be as thick and creamy.
Garlic: Roasting the garlic before blending it into the cheese sauce gives it an extra rich and sweet flavor.
Lemon Juice: I like to use freshly squeezed lemon juice to add some acidity to the sauce. Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can be substituted but the overall flavor will change a little.
Chickpea Miso: I like using this kind, it has the right flavor. White miso can be used but the taste will be more mild. Some people have even completely left it out and still liked the flavor!
Seasonings: A mix of ground mustard seed, paprika, and sea salt finish off the sauce. You can adjust the amount of salt to your liking.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Cheese Sauce
Thank goodness this vegan cheese sauce for pasta is so easy to make, because it's in my family's regular rotation! Here are the steps you need to follow:
Roast the garlic by peeling and wrapping it in tin foil with a splash of veggie broth. Roast at 400 degrees F (205 C), in a regular or toaster oven, while you cook the veggies.
Boil your veggies. Boil the potato, red pepper, carrots, and onion until they're tender.
When done, drain water (keeping some to thin out sauce if prefer a thinner sauce), separate veggies and put the cashews in the blender. I use a fork to fish out the veggies, then drain the cashews over a pasta strainer.
Load all ingredients into a blender. Add the boiled veggies, cashews, lemon juice, miso, and seasonings into a high powered blender.
Blend. Turn the power up to high in order to create a smooth, thick, and gooey consistency.
Heat and serve. I like to process the vegetable sauce in the blender until it is warm, but you can also warm it up on the stove in a saucepan.
📖 Variations
You can adapt this recipe to make different flavors of vegan cheese sauces. Any time you mix in an addition, start with a little and blend in more a little at a time until you get the flavor you want.
If you want chunks of the add-ins, pulse them in instead of blending, or stir in with a spoon. Here are some of my favorite mix-ins for this recipe:
- Salsa
- Jalapeños - fresh or pickled
- Taco seasoning
- Chili seasoning
- Chives
- Roasted red peppers
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Broccoli (cooked and chopped)
- Caramelized onions
- Vegan sausage
- Mushroom bacon
- I prefer this vegan cheese sauce without nutritional yeast, but if you're a fan, add some in to taste and this recipe should still work well.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this vegan cheese sauce on pasta for an incredible main dish, and it goes great with any pasta shape. But, there are are so many other things you can do, here are some of my top faves:
Use As A Topping: Try it drizzled over roasted vegetables, over a healthy baked potato, on oven baked fries or fried potatoes and onions, even with vegan scrambled eggs.
Serve As A Dip: Pair with chips, crackers, veggie sticks, or apple slices. It also tastes great over these loaded veggie nachos or as a topping for tacos.
As A Sauce Alternative: Don't stop at mac and cheese, try this as a base for pizza or in casseroles to replace dairy.
🧊 Storage Directions
Vegan cheese sauce without nutritional yeast can be saved for later, make sure to let it cool down first.
Refrigerator: Seal in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Pour into a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: If the sauce is simply refrigerated I like to quickly reheat it in the microwave, or in a saucepan on the stove. If it is frozen I generally defrost it in the refrigerator overnight, or on the counter all day so it can slowly come to room temperature. But you can also microwave it, stirring occasionally. Sometimes the consistency gets thicker after being stored, I just add in some non-dairy milk to thin it back out, and sometimes I'll re-blend it as well.
Meal Prep: Prep this vegan cheese sauce recipe in advance by cooking the veggies and roast the garlic. Store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use.
❓Recipe FAQs
How long do you cook the vegetables?
The potato, pepper, carrots, onion, and cashews should be boiled for about 35 minutes total. You want a fork to easily slide into the potato to know when it is done cooking. Avoid overcooking as the veggies will absorb too much water, making the sauce too thin.
How can you adjust the thickness?
In order to make the vegan cashew cheese sauce thinner, add 1-2 tablespoons of liquid at a time. You can use the vegetable cooking liquid or a dairy free milk to keep the recipe vegan. For a thicker sauce, blend in more potato or more cashews.
What brings the cheese flavor in this sauce?
While many vegan cheese sauces use dairy free milk and nutritional yeast to capture the cheese flavor, I've had better luck with veggies and chickpea miso like in this recipe.
Can you make vegan cheese sauce without nuts?
This recipe uses cashews to get that thick and creamy texture. It can be made nut-free by substituting an equal amount of white beans or sunflower seeds, but the flavor and consistency will be different.
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Vegan Cheese Sauce Without Nutritional Yeast
This vegan cheese sauce is so creamy and amazing you won't believe it's made with a healthy vegetable base and no nutritional yeast! A huge hit even with dairy eaters.
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