Vegan Béchamel Sauce

Vegan béchamel is a dairy-free take on the classic, creamy white sauce. Instead of the usual method of using butter and flour, this sauce is made with non-dairy milk, cashews, garlic, and a few select cheesy ingredients. It's rich, savory, easy to make, and perfect for white lasagna, moussaka, or simply tossing with pasta and vegetables for a quick meal!

The main recipe for vegan béchamel below is gluten-free, grain-free, and easily made oil-free, if needed. For a nut-free sauce made the more traditional way with flour and non-dairy milk, see the recipe notes!

What is béchamel?

Béchamel is a creamy sauce made with butter, flour and milk. It is considered one of the "mother sauces" in French cuisine and can be used as a base for other sauces such as Mornay.

To create a dairy-free, vegan béchamel sauce, it's easy to swap the dairy ingredients for their non-dairy counterparts, vegan butter and plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk.

But another option is to use cashews to replace both the butter and flour, creating a grain-free, gluten-free, AND dairy-free béchamel sauce!

Since cashews contain more starch than other nuts, they thicken the sauce and become wonderfully creamy when heated, like in this Vegan Marry Me Chicken.

This recipe is essentially two recipes in one! The main one is for cashew béchamel sauce, but we've also included instructions in the recipe notes for a more "classic" vegan béchamel made with vegan butter, flour, and milk.

Ingredients

• plant milk - I used plain, unsweetened soy milk because it's nice and creamy and has a neutral flavor. Watch out for refrigerated milks that claim to be unflavored but actually aren't! The shelf-stable boxes of unsweetened soy milk are the safest bet.
• garlic - important for the overall flavor of the savory, cheesy sauce
• oil or broth - to saute the garlic
• lemon juice - adds just a touch of tangy, cheesy flavor
• miso - look for either white or chickpea miso. If you're new to using miso, I hope I can convince you to give it a try. It's fantastic for vegan cheeses and savory sauces. You'll usually find it in the refrigerated section near the tofu.
• nutritional yeast - adds a cheesy, umami flavor. I like this non-fortified one by Sari.
• raw cashews - these add richness and replace the need for flour or starch since cashews thicken and get nice and creamy when heated. For other options see Substitutions below.

Find ingredient amounts and full instructions in the recipe card below.

How to Make Cashew Vegan Béchamel

Saute garlic over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer it to a blender.

Add the remaining sauce ingredients and blend until completely smooth.

If you're using the sauce as part of another recipe, such as vegan white lasagna (pictured below), you're all set! There's no need to heat the sauce.

Otherwise, pour the sauce into a medium saucepan and slowly cook over medium-low heat until thickened and creamy. This should take around 6 to 7 minutes. Now it's ready to eat and can be tossed with pasta or drizzled on steamed or roasted veggies.

Ways to Use Vegan Bechamel

Bechamel is perfect for white lasagna and white pizza. You can also incorporate it into gratin, pasta bakes, tofu quiche, frittatas, and vegan breakfast casserole.

Use it as a base for vegan mac and cheese or simply toss it with cooked pasta for a quick meal.

Vegan bechamel is also delicious drizzled on baked potatoes, potato wedges, and french fries.

Substitutions

• oil-free - instead of oil, use a splash of water or vegetable broth to sauté the garlic.
• cashews - for a nut-free sauce you have a couple of options. Replace the cashews with raw sunflower seeds and add 2 teaspoons of arrowroot or corn starch. Or follow the more classic flour-and-butter version in the recipe notes.

Equipment Needed

• blender - since we're blending whole cashews, a high-speed blender like a Vitamix works best. Otherwise, it's a good idea to soak the cashews first. You can do this overnight or in hot water for 1 to 2 hours. Drain before blending.

FAQs

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Recipe

Vegan Béchamel Sauce Two Ways

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Vegan béchamel is a dairy-free take on the classic white sauce. Instead of the usual method of using butter and flour, this sauce is made with non-dairy milk and cashews, for a creamy, gluten-free, multi-purpose sauce. Use it for lasagna, gratin, moussaka, or simply tossed with pasta and vegetables for a quick meal! See the Notes for a nut-free, more classically prepared vegan bechamel.

Yield: makes about 2 cups

5 from 3 votes

Servings: 5 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

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Equipment

• high-speed blender
• microplane
• large saute pan

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 4 to 5 large cloves garlic, minced - About 2 rounded Tbsp
• 1 tablespoon oil, optional - Or ¼ cup vegetable broth
• 2 cups plain, unsweetened, non-dairy milk - Such as almond, soy or cashew
• ¾ cup raw cashews - Soak overnight or in hot water 1 to 2 hours if not using a high-speed blender
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 Tablespoon white miso - or chickpea miso
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• dash of freshly grated nutmeg, optional
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat a large saute pan over low heat, and add the oil. Once hot, saute the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Transfer the garlic to a blender. Add the milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
• If you're planning to use the sauce in another recipe where it will be cooked, such as lasagna, there's no need to heat the sauce now. Simply add the lemon juice to the blender, pulse to combine, and use the sauce in the desired recipe. Otherwise, pour the sauce into a large, heavy-bottom saute or saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning. Remove from heat. Toss with your favorite pasta and vegetables, and serve hot.

Notes

For the nut-free, "classic" vegan béchamel, you'll need:

• 4 Tbsp vegan butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ¾ cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk, room temp
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• black pepper, to taste
• dash of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat a large saute pan over medium-low heat and add the butter. As soon as the butter is melted whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stirring constantly, cook at a low simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. If a skin forms on top, simply whisk the sauce to smooth it out.

Store vegan bechamel in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Or bring to room temperature to use in a recipe.

Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 8gFat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 355mg

Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.

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