This vegan white cheese sauce has an amazing sharp flavor and perfect for those that love a lot of flavor. Plus, it's easy and healthy!
This recipe was originally published on 12/3/2015
This incredible cheesy sauce came as a variation to my original vegan cheese sauce when I wanted something a little fancier in flavor. And it turned out incredible! Sharp (which you can adjust) and creamy as the original.
This vegan white cheese sauce is creamy and sharp with that perfect bite, just like all the dairy filled cheesy sauces you eat at a restaurant....except that this vegan white cheese sauce is actually created with vegetables and all whole foods!
This cheese alternative goes great as an baked vegan mac and cheese, try it out and let me know what you think!
Ingredients
It is important to follow the recipe the way it is written for the best results. There are a few substitutions you can try that are outlined below. Here is what you will need:
- Potato
- Yellow pepper
- Yellow carrots
- Onion
- Raw cashews
- Roasted garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Mustard seed powder
- Chickpea miso
- Sea salt
How to Make Vegan White Cheese Sauce
Making your own plant based cheese sauce is actually super easy to do! Here are the simple steps:
- Boil and roast.
- Blend.
- Pour over noodles.
- Stuff face!
Serving suggestions
Don't just stop at mac and cheese! Use this creamy sauce in more ways like:
- Drizzle over a baked potato
- Use it for dunking fries, eggplant fries, or asparagus fries
- Pour over a vegan cheesesteak sandwich
- Load onto a lentil burger
- Give extra pizzaz to a vegan egg scramble
Substitution Suggestions
The recipe is best when made exactly as written, but there are a few substitutions you can try:
- If cashews aren't an option you can try other nuts like macadamias, walnuts, or pine nuts. Just note that the flavor will be different.
- To make a completely nut free sauce try using sunflower seeds or white beans instead. (I didn’t care for the sunflower seed version but others have.)
- You can also make this without the cashews completely but the texture will not be as thick and creamy.
- Red potatoes are best but any other starchy potato will do. Just avoid using sweet potatoes or other root veggies.
- Chickpea miso creates the right flavor, white miso can be used but the taste will be more mild.
Tips and Tricks
These suggestions should help you have the best success when making your own cheese sauce:
- If you don't have a high speed blender, make sure to grind or soak those cashews to give yourself the chance of getting that ultimate creamy texture.
- Adjust the consistency of the sauce by thinning it out with the veggie cooking water or even just plain water.
- Measure the vegetables packed in not just loosely scooped up.
- Prepare this sauce in advance by cooking the veggies and roasting the garlic. Keep it in the fridge in an airtight container until you are ready to use it.
- You can also freeze this sauce, just seal in a freezer safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you defrost, leave it on the counter all day so it can slowly come to room temp.
- Reheat this in the microwave or in a pot with a splash of nondairy milk (I use cashew) and stir well. Pour in splashes of milk and mix until you have the right consistency. You might need to add more salt depending on how much milk you add.
Common Questions
Vegan cheese sauce recipes use a variety of different ingredients and methods. After lots of testing this recipe was created with potatoes, veggies, cashews, and seasonings to create a thick and creamy sauce.
It's so easy to make your own homemade vegan cheeses, but there are some plant-based store bought cheeses available as well that taste great. See below for more homemade recipes, and check the refrigerated section of your grocery store to find the store bought kinds.
Often dairy free milk and nutritional yeast are used to create the cheese flavor, but I’ve had more sucess with veggies, chickpea miso, and vinegar.
This sharp sauce for one, and my classic one is great as well! Vegan Parmesan is also really easy to make and tastes so good!
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
Now that you know how easy it is to make your own plant based cheese you have to try out these other flavors:
I am SO excited to hear what you think about this cheese sauce version! My original vegan cheese sauce is still to this day my most popular recipe. This unique twist to the original is so good, and has a delicious sharp bite. So make, share, and get your dairy loving friends to give this a try.
Amazing Vegan White Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked potato (about 3-4 potatoes, see note)
- 2 tablespoons cooked yellow pepper (about ⅓ of a medium sized pepper)
- 3 tablespoons cooked yellow carrots (about 4-5 yellow baby carrots or one medium sized)
- 5 tablespoons cooked sweet or yellow onion (about ½ a small)
- ½ cup raw cashews (see note)
- 1 teaspoon roasted garlic (about 2-4 cloves, depending on size)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ - 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed powder (use less or more according to how sharp you like the flavor, start with ½ and work up)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons chickpea miso (see note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt (can use less or more depending on taste preference)
- Your favorite pasta if making Mac and Cheese
Instructions
- Roast the garlic by peeling and wrapping it in tin foil with a splash of veggie broth. Roast at 400 F (205 C), in a regular or toaster oven, while you cook the veggies.
- Put potatoes (peel if you don't want specks of skin), yellow pepper, carrots, onion and cashews in a pot and cover with water. If you don't have a high speed blender and are grinding the cashews, then don't boil but grind them dry and place them in the blender.
- Cook over high heat until water boils, about 15 minutes if uncovered. Turn heat to medium and boil another 20 minutes, until potatoes are 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.
- Measure out the needed amount of each veggie and place each in the blender. Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend on high until you get a creamy gooey consistency. If you have a tamper tool use it to help mix the sauce as it blends. If you don’t have one, then you will need to stop and push down the ingredients every once in a while.
- Taste and adjust ground mustard seed for a sharper flavor if desired.
- If you want to thin it out, add some of the reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency. Use it while it's nice and hot!
To use this sauce for a sharp flavored white Mac and Cheese:
- Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta reserving about 1 cup pasta water in case you want your mac and cheese a little thinner.
- Add the pasta back into the pot and add desired amount of cheese sauce. Mix well. Try and add a touch more salt if needed.
- Then add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well in between additions, until you get the desired consistency for your Mac and Cheese. If your pasta is too starchy (as some gluten free pastas are) you can also use regular water or even non dairy milk to do this. Add salt if needed, it most likely will since the sauce is no longer as concentrated. Devour!
Notes
- Makes 3 ½ cups sauce. Serving size for nutrition info is ½ cup.
- Nutrition info is for cheese sauce only.
- I used red potatoes but any starchy potato will work, just don’t use sweet. It also won't work to substitute with something that is not an actual potato (such as another root vegetable).
- If you are not using a high speed blender, you can grind the dry cashews into a fine powder using a coffee grinder (do not boil them for this method). You can also soak them overnight prior to boiling with the veggies.
- You can make this nut free by eliminating the nuts, however you will lose some of the thickness and creaminess. It will still be pretty good in taste, but just lacking some of those elements. You can also try subbing with another nut if you are allergic to cashews, I suggest walnuts or macadamias, however the flavor will be different. I did try it with multiple nuts and liked the taste of the cashews best.
- If you don’t have chickpea miso, you can try using a white miso although it will be a little more mild in flavor so you may need more, especially if you want it nice and sharp tasting.
- I did not add any liquid to this when I made it, but depending on what you use it for, you may want to thin it out with some water, water from the boiled veggies or pasta water if making mac and cheese.
- You can reheat this in the microwave or in a pot with a splash of nondairy milk (I use cashew) and mix well. Add splashes of milk and mix until you have the right consistency. It may need more salt depending on how much milk you add.
- You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container as it freezes great. Defrost slowly when ready to eat. You may think it didn't freeze well, but as you heat it up the consistency comes back!
- Cook the veggies and roast the garlic. Store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use.
- This can be mixed into any baby food or be used for a toddler as a dip. You could also just blend the veggies on their own for baby.
- Cut the sharpness by reducing the mustard for younger kids.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Stephanie
It is so thick and smooth. Love this cheese sauce. And the pics are beyond amazing.
Stephanie @ https://smiletutor.sg/
veggiesdontbite
Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much for the kind comment. I am so happy you love it as much as we do!!
Christine
I too thought this rather bland. Sorted it with nooch and extra apple cider vinegar along with Dijon mustard (as well as the mustard powder). Oh and also used a whole onion and put 6 cloves of garlic in with the veges while boiling. Great recipe base though. Thank you so much.
veggiesdontbite
Hi Christine! Bland is not one I have heard for this particular sauce. If followed exactly as written it definitely has a sharp flavor (others have said almost too sharp which is why I have a range for the mustard). So if you did add extra stuff that would have contributed to the change in flavor. Also if you are a fan of the sauces using nutritional yeast, that may be part of it as well. I am not a fan of those so this recipe flavor was created to satisfy my taste, which may just be different than what you are looking for! Thanks for trying though!
Cassie Thuvan Tran
This looks perfect! I tried making a white-ish cheese sauce with cannellini beans instead of potatoes, and it turned out fabulously! I definitely have been wanting to try making a potato-based cheese sauce. Looks amazing!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much Cassie! We love this one when we want a more artisan flavored variety!
Edward Smith
Hi Sophia,
I note that the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of roasted garlic. The recipe states that this is about 4 cloves. I thought 4 cloves would be about a 1 tablespoon. Just thought I would check before I make this... thanks for all your great recipes...
veggiesdontbite
Hi Edward! I updated the recipe to say between 2-4 cloves depending on size. However do note that roasted garlic is soft and almost turns into a paste, versus fresh garlic when chopped is not. So I used 4 small/average sized cloves to get my 1 teaspoon. I would roast 3-4 and then measure out the teaspoon you need. You can always spread the leftover roasted garlic on toast! YUM!
Sharon
What brand chickpea miso do you use? Thanks
veggiesdontbite
Hi Sharon! I just looked and it's the miso master organic brand. Orange container!
Andrea
Overall I really liked this recipe! It is a great consistency and overall good taste and creaminess. I think I may have used the wrong product for the mustard. I used Coleman's dried mustard. The aftertaste of this cheese sauce is distinctively mustard-y (I really like mustard and this was for a philly cheeze "steak" recipe so the flavor is fine.) Should I have used a different mustard product? I did put a little less than two teaspoons because I wasn't 100% sure I had the right ingredient. I did add a bit more miso, salt, and vinegar after the first taste. I want to make this again and would definitely use this for mac and cheeze but I have to figure out the mustard thing first. Thanks for a great recipe though!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Andrea!! So I changed recipe card plugins and unfortunately in the transfer some things did not carry over correctly. I am fixing them one by one but hadn't got to this one yet. I updated it! I put a range for the mustard powder, as I find some is stronger than others. I think what you have is right but it may be a stronger variety. I would just decrease it! Thank you so much for getting in touch!
Karsen Delgado
This is the best cheddar like cheese sauce I’ve tried! I was pleasantly surprised. My son ran to the pantry and got some chips to dip it in- and it was a success! I’ve done mac n cheese with it and am planning on a fondue night with bread and steamed veggies!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much! I'm thrilled you love it and are able to use it in so many ways! We are having a fondue night next weekend and I will be using it as well! Thanks for being here.
JD
This makes a great sharp cheesy flavor. Its even good without the miso, just not as sharp and cheesy as it is with it. But it’s still quite creamy.
Janelle
Would russet potatoes work too? That's all I have. This looks delicious!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Janelle! Yep. They should work just fine!
Livie
Absolutely love this recipe! However, I wonder whether you might be able to add measurements in grams, especially for the vegetables. It would help me a lot :).
veggiesdontbite
Hi Livie! Thanks so much! Unfortunately I only post the measurements that I use because taking the time to convert all of my recipes takes extra time away from my 3 little boys who are my first priority. I post my recipes for all to have on my site and that already takes so much time. Sorry, wish I could do more but it isn't something I know how to do without going to an online converter and I just don't have the extra time right now. But I know there are online resource that you could plug all the measurements in to get grams!
Hannah
This looks delicious! I am excited to try it. What does "Yields 4" mean? 4 servings? 4 cups? Thank you!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Hannah! Thank you!! So sorry, my recipe card cuts things off sometimes. I just fixed it! It's about 4 cups sauce. Let me know how it turns out!
Chloe
Help! I am new to the plant based game. What is chickpea miso and where can I find it? I found a chickpea miso broth base on amazon that is a powder. Is this what I should use? I stumbled across your blog thanks to Pinterest and this looks delish!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Chloe! So glad to have you!! No. That isn't the right stuff. Whole Foods (or a place like it) or an Asian market will carry miso paste. If you can't find chickpea use regular mellow white miso. You may need more but try and add if it tastes like it needs more. Let me know if you need anything else!
Kelley
I know I'm late to the game, but I just made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! My hubby and I are vegan and I've been trying to encourage him that eating a whole foods diet can be delicious - he loved this dish! Can't wait to make it again 🙂
veggiesdontbite
You are never late to the game! It's always the right time to enter the cheese sauce obsession. LOL! Thank you so much for making it and sharing your feedback. It makes my day to hear these comments!
Julie
Yum! This looks amazing. I'm off to the supermarket this morning to buy ingredients. Thanks for the 'freezing' tip, I've always been a bit dubious about freezing recipes that list potato. ?
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Julie!! Yes, the freezing works! The first time I took it out and let it defrost, I thought that it would be trash. But low and behold as you slowly heat it up it melts back to gooey sauce! Just give it a good mix over heat!
Sherrie
I did a half recipe to try, and used an orange carrot. I also just threw the cashews in with the veggies to boil. It turned out the exact pale orange color of nacho cheese sauce, which I think would be another excellent use for it - tried it on chips and yes it is! Very tasty, WAY better than the nooch "cheese" sauces I've tried, though I actually found it quite mild. What a genius thought to use the gluey-ness of pureed hot potato to give a natural melty cheese texture!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Sherrie! First, I love your idea of just boiling the cashews with the veggies!! Totally adding that to the notes. I'm so happy that you loved it! Yep, if you use the orange carrot it's a pretty pale orange color. Have you tried my Original Cheese Sauce? It's great too! If you want it sharper, you must have a great palate for sharp cheese, then feel free to up the mustard and miso! Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your ideas!!