This vegan cheese sauce comes together in just 5 minutes with no cooking involved! This is the best dairy-free cheese sauce to use on everything, including veggies, baked potatoes, nachos, pasta, and more! Oil-free, gluten-free, and made without coconut or soy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This sauce is a game changer and couldn't be easier. I've tried many other recipes that were okay but not great. I wouldn't hesitate to give this to a non-vegan. I'm so happy to have one spectacular cheese sauce now, instead of having to rifle through all the other recipes trying to remember if they were passable. Not only is it delicious, but all the ingredients should be found in any vegan kitchen. Thanks Lori!" - Kim
When it comes to vegan cheese alternatives, there are so many choices available at grocery stores, now more than ever.
While most store-bought vegan cheese options are typically made with coconut oil and are often highly processed, it's easy to make your own vegan cheeses at home without any of these ingredients! This dairy-free Boursin-style cashew cheese is a perfect example.
The vegan cheese sauce recipe I'm sharing today is made with a base of cashews and other simple ingredients you can easily find at the grocery store.
If you're looking for more vegan cheese recipes, be sure to check out my cashew queso, vegan cream cheese, pimento cheese, and liquid mozzarella next!
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Why You'll Love This Vegan Cheese Sauce
- It's just as tasty as traditional cheese sauce without using any animal products.
- Prep is easy! No potatoes, carrots or other veggies to cook.
- All you need are 5 minutes, a few basic ingredients, and a high-powered blender to make this cheesy sauce!
Ingredients
This easy recipe uses the following simple ingredients. Note that measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- raw cashews - The naturally occurring starch in cashews helps thicken this cheese sauce and gives it a velvety smooth consistency.
- nutritional yeast - Gives the sauce its cheesy taste. Even if you think you don't like cheeses made with nutritional yeast, I encourage you to give this a try. Also, I highly recommend this non-fortified nutritional yeast by Sari. The flavor is much better than the ones fortified with B12 and folate. If you'd like to use a fortified version, I recommend Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast.
- roasted red peppers - One of my secret (or not so secret) tricks to create cheesy, tangy flavor. Be sure to use roasted red peppers in a jar similar to the product in the link. The ingredients should be red peppers, water, salt, and citric acid. Tip: Avoid ones that contain sugar because the sweetness interferes with the cheesy flavor.
- rolled oats - Oats help make the sauce extra creamy since we're not using potato or tapioca starch.
- miso - Miso, or fermented soybean paste, gives the cheese sauce a subtle, cheesy, fermented quality. I really like chickpea miso for vegan cheese recipes, but white miso also works.
- hot sauce - This is totally optional and you'll probably want to omit it for most uses. Include hot sauce only if you want more of a vegan nacho cheese sauce.
- lemon juice and rice vinegar - Both add acidity to the sauce and help to balance the flavors.
- garlic powder and onion powder - These add important savory flavors.
How to Make Vegan Cheese Sauce
Add the cashews followed by the remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender, and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until completely smooth.
After blending, taste and adjust the salt/acid balance to your liking.
The sauce will get warm during blending. It can be used right away, or refrigerated until ready to use. The cheese sauce will thicken as it cools.
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Variations and Tips
It's easy to tweak the ingredients to suits your needs. For example:
- Adjust the amount of cashews to make the sauce thicker and more mild, or tangier with a thinner consistency.
- Tweak the amount of salt and miso to get the saltiness just right for your palate.
- Use more or less lemon juice and rice vinegar for the desired level of tanginess.
- Bump up the amount of roasted red pepper and hot sauce (if using) for an awesome vegan nacho cheese!
- Add smoked paprika or liquid smoke for a slightly smoky flavor.
How to Serve It
This vegan cheese sauce is so versatile, there are so many different ways you can use it. Here are some ideas:
- potatoes - Pour this velvety sauce on top of a baked potato or roasted sweet potatoes. You can also dip fries and potato wedges in it. And don't forget cheesy mashed potatoes!
- pasta - Mix into your favorite pasta for a quick and easy vegan mac and cheese, or turn it into a pasta bake with some veggies and a breadcrumb topping.
- tofu/tempeh - Fold this sauce into your next tofu scramble for an epic vegan brunch, or simply drizzle it on baked tofu and tempeh.
- vegetables - From steamed broccoli and air fryer cauliflower to sautés and roasted veggies, this cheese sauce never met a vegetable it didn't like!
- tortilla chips - It's really the perfect vegan nacho cheese! Use it as a simple dip or drizzle the cheese on loaded nachos.
Storing and Freezing
Store leftover cashew cheese sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to one month. Thaw and briefly heat the sauce on the stovetop to restore its original creamy consistency.
FAQs
No, if you don't have a high-speed blender, feel free to use a standard blender. However, you will want to soak the cashews before making the cheese sauce. Either soak them overnight or soak in hot water for 1 to 2 hours. Drain the cashews before adding them to the blender.
You can try replacing the cashews with a different nut or seed, but note that the consistency, flavor, and color may be affected. Cashews not only add richness to this recipe, their natural starch content also makes the sauce creamy (in addition to the oats). If you need a nut-free cheese sauce, this Oil-Free Vegan Queso can be made with soaked, raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews. And this Vegan Mac and Cheese uses a nut-free cheese sauce that was inspired by this recipe.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
Recipe Video
Tap to play the video and see how quick and easy it is to make.
I hope you enjoy the flavor and versatility of this Vegan Cheese Sauce! As always, if you try the recipe I would love to hear from you.
Leave a comment and a star rating below to let everyone know how it turned out, and if you share a photo on instagram be sure to tag me with @myquietkitchen so I'll see it!
Recipe
Vegan Cheese Sauce (No-Cook)
Equipment
- high-speed blender - optional
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cup raw cashews - Decrease to ¾ cup for a tangier, slightly less rich sauce; see Notes
- ¼ cup rolled oats - Certified gluten-free, if needed
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 ounces roasted red pepper from a jar (about 1 small pepper) - Make sure it does not contain sugar; sweetness interferes with the cheesy flavor.
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chickpea or white miso (I'm a fan of Miso Masters brand) - Chickpea miso is soy-free, if needed. If you don't have miso, increase salt to taste.
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- If using a standard blender, about 1 hour before you plan to make cheese sauce, place cashews in a bowl, cover with boiling water, soak for an hour, then drain and proceed.Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until completely smooth.
- After blending, taste and adjust salt/acid balance, as desired. Even the slightest tweaks in salt, lemon, rice vinegar, cashews, or water can "fix" the flavor if it's too tangy or salty for your preference.
- The sauce will get warm during blending. It can be used right away, or refrigerated until ready to use. The cheese sauce will thicken as it cools.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Susan says
This cheese sauce is so good. I’ve also made the pimiento cheese recipe with great results. I’m not supposed to eat dairy due to the phosphorus and high cholesterol content. I’ve tried some of the commercial vegan cheeses but this is so much better!
Lori Rasmussen says
I'm so glad you like both recipes, Susan. Thanks for sharing!
Susan Murphy says
Could I substitute white bean for the cashews?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Susan,
You *can* but the consistency and flavor will be very different. For inspiration you might want to check out my white bean peanut sauce and dip.
Nancy says
Hi Lori,
Do you have any suggestions for a substitution for the rolled oats ?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Nancy - Sure, the oats just make it easy to avoid an extra step. Instead you could add a small amount of cooked potato, or 1 Tbsp of a starch like tapioca or arrowroot. With the starch, the sauce will then need to be simmered briefly to activate it.
Kathy says
This was the best and easiest vegan cheese sauce I've ever made! I whipped it up in 10 minutes in the Vitamix. Thank you!
Pam says
I've been making this for a bit now, ever since you posted it. It is by far our favorite vegan cheese sauce, and we use it on many things and it really is the best!
Thought I would share one of my favorite ways to use it. I make a quick and easy cheesy enchilada bake: in a casserole pan, layer corn tortillas and your cheese sauce with Hatch green chiles (I use 505 Southwestern), rehydrated soy curls, and thawed frozen spinach. Bake and eat!
All thanks to you and your delicious cheese sauce!
Thanks, Lori!
Kathy says
What a great idea for enchiladas! Thanks for sharing!
gloria says
Fabulous! I just polished off the best grilled cheese sandwich I've had since I gave up dairy. On rye bread, it's unbelievably delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Lori.
I've tried lots of other recipes, but none can even come close to this one. You're a genius!
Jenna says
My cheese-loving husband and I loved this sauce! We poured it over baked potatoes with roasted mushrooms and broccoli on them. I think this recipe is very clever, and I’m sure it took a lot of work to get it this good. Although the jarred peppers I used did not have sugar or other sweetener in it, we thought the sauce still has some sweetness to it. It isn’t a bad thing but we thought substituting white vinegar or similar vinegar might take the sweetness down a notch. This one is a keeper!
Jenna says
PS. I meant to write the substituting a different vinegar in lieu of the seasoned vinegar might eliminate some sweetness.
cb says
Those is the absolute best.
Thank you!
Sheri Anne says
Hello Lori!!Recipe #3 of yours I have made and once again it is a winner!!!! I only used 3/4 cup of cashews as I still need to lose weight. I have made sooooo many cheese sauces and I have not liked any of them enough to make again. This one is going on a recipe card!! YUM! Thank you Lori!! I feel like I just got the best Christmas present finding your website and all of these recipes being sooo delicious!!! xoxox
Patricia says
I made this as a dip and the first taste brought back childhood cheese memories - it's really clever. Thanks
MMOm09 says
Yes!!! Finally!!! I’m his one actually does taste like Mac and cheese sauce! 🙌