A silky smooth, lusciously creamy, Vegan Cheese Sauce that is nut-free, gluten-free, low in fat, high in protein and can be whipped up in your blender in minutes! It's one of my favourite super quick dinners. Toss it through freshly cooked pasta and serve alongside some veggies or a salad. Dinner done fast!
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"Hands down the best vegan cheese sauce I’ve tried yet!!!"
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This super easy Vegan Cheese Sauce is a game-changer. It's seriously good and like my Cauliflower Alfredo, it's nut-free, gluten-free, and really low in fat.
There aren't many nut-free vegan cheese sauce recipes around. Cashews tend to be used on repeat for creamy sauces in the vegan world, like in my cashew cheese sauce recipe, and although they make a really tasty, glossy, yummy sauce that I love, hey, sometimes there are times when you could use a recipe without them.
Maybe you have guests with allergies, maybe you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a bag of nuts (cashews aren't exactly cheap!), or maybe you are trying to eat a low-fat diet. Whatever the reason you want a nut-free vegan cheese sauce, I've got you covered, because this tofu cheese sauce recipe is just perfect.
It's a super simple Vegan Cheese Sauce, made in seconds, and it's luscious, smooth and creamy and can be used in any recipe where you want a thick, creamy, cheesy sauce. And did I mention it's got no nuts, no gluten, and no fat in it? I did but I feel the need to repeat myself.
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes:
- Silken tofu - The tofu used must be silken (any firmness of silken tofu), or soft tofu. Don't use medium, firm or extra firm tofu as you won't get the intended texture or flavor. This sauce is super, super velvety and smooth. Much more so than a nut-based sauce and it tastes lighter. That's all because of the silken tofu.
- Nutritional yeast - This is what gives the sauce its cheesy flavor.
- Dairy-free milk - This must be unsweetened and unflavored. Be sure to check the ingredients list before you use it. Many dairy-free milks have added sugar or vanilla and you don't want these in a cheese sauce recipe.
- White wine vinegar - A little acidity and sharpness is necessary and white wine vinegar does that job while also enhancing the cheesy flavor. It is the best choice however you can use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar if you don't have any.
- Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika - This combination adds lots of flavor and enhances the cheesiness of the nutritional yeast.
Nutritional Yeast
Please be sure to use good-tasting nutritional yeast when making this recipe. All nutritional yeasts are not created equally. Some brands taste a lot better than others.
Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast is one I don't recommend as you won't get the intended cheesy flavour. I love most of their products but their nooch is not great. Same with Braggs. They are both ok used in small amounts but in a recipe where you use a lot like this it will make a big difference to the overall result. I like the brands Hoosier Farms (in the USA), or Everland (if you are in Canada).
How To Make Vegan Cheese Sauce
This simple, Vegan Cheese Sauce couldn't be easier to make:
- Put the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and blend.
- Pour into a pan and warm through gently on the stovetop or use in any recipe calling for cheese sauce.
It's the easiest vegan sauce ever, and because all of the ingredients are super soft, you don't need a fancy pants high powered blender to make it silky smooth. Any blender or food processor should be able to take care of it.
Serving Suggestions
The possibilities are endless. Stir through pasta for a quick and simple dinner, use it as a dip, drizzle it on nachos, add to casseroles and pasta dishes, or serve with vegetables.
Recipe
Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce (no nuts!)
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 grams) silken or soft tofu
- ½ cup (35 grams) nutritional yeast , make sure it's a good tasting one
- 1½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika , or chipotle powder
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , adjust as necessary if using table salt
- ½ cup (120 mls) dairy-free milk , it must be unsweetened & unflavored
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Warm the sauce through gently in a pan on the stove top before serving, or use in your favorite recipes.
NOTES
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Simon says
Loved it!
Valerie says
This looks really great! I prefer silken tofu over nuts, too. Although, a high speed blender isn’t needed, if you have one you can actually heat the sauce while blending it! Pretty cool & saves on dishes. I love my Vitamix for so many reasons.
Meena says
Hi! I would like to know which model vitamix do you use. I would like to buy one but an confused as to which one since there are so many models! Thank you in advance.
Marge Teilhaber says
I'll make this tomorrow for a dip for roasted potatoes and cauli. Why heat it? Okay, the first time the Vitamix will warm it, but to warm it each time I reach for the jar, nah. Cold will be just fine, no? I'll use it on raw veggies, too.
Casey says
Hands down the best vegan cheese sauce I’ve ever made! I subbed the vinegar for lemon juice and used stone ground mustard just cause that’s what I had, and it turned out AMAZING! And I love that this is WAY lower in fat than any other vegan cheese sauce I’ve ever tried.
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you so much Casey. I'm really pleased you enjoyed it so much!
Jackie Marie says
Can you put this sauce under the grill like you would a macoroni to get a crust on it .
Has anyone tried?
?
Jo says
Tastes great - really cheesy. I substituted white wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar and attempted to bake some of the sauce with pre-cooked cauliflower in the oven for a cauliflower cheese dish. Sadly, it curdled, but would definitely make this again and use without baking. I wonder why it didn't bake very well? I didn't heat it up before baking. Any advice appreciated.
Ruth says
I've made this queso many times. It's my favorite cheese sauce because it's a nice boost of protein and no fat. I also like that there's no lemony flavor like in some sauces. I have made it as written and it's amazing. But my favorite way to make it is add a TBS of miso and about 1/2 cup of roasted red pepper with the liquid drained.
Y says
This is the first time I tried a vegan cheese recipe. I am FODMAP sensitive so I had to skip the garlic and onion. I added in a bit freshly grounded pepper and a pinch of turmeric for color. I don't have white wine vinegar and used yuzu juice for sub. Despite all these, it still turned out tasty and very satisfying. The umami of nutritional yeasts of course plays the main tone, but my biggest impression is how the dijon mustard really shines through the recipe. Glad that I found this!
Martinne says
Looks fabulous! Have you tried freezing it?
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't. Tofu's texture changes when it freezes so I think this might get a little grainy if you do. That's why I've never tried. It keeps for a good 5 days in the fridge though.
Liberty says
This looks amazing! Can I sub the vinegar for lemon juice? And do you think it would it work with wholegrain instead of dijon?
A Virtual Vegan says
Maybe use a little less lemon juice as you don't want any lemon flavour coming through. Add it to taste at the end once everything is blended up. It just needs a bit of acid to balance the flavours.
As for mustard, wholegrain will work but only if you have a good enough blender to blend up the grains as they'd look a bit funny otherwise. Hope that helps!
Heather says
This is delicious made as is, except I'm a saltaholic so I added extra salt! I see as I'm commenting that it calls for silken tofu and I used firm, it is still creamy and smooth.
Clare says
This sauce is delicious and incredibly easy to make. I discovered the sauce improves in flavor if allowed to rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours or so. As Melanie states, the choice of nutritional yeast is important as flavor varies from brand to brand. Also, the ingredients called for should be not be substituted or varied; they’re critical to the balance. I have made this sauce twice and have loved it both times.
Raelin Hansen says
Hi, I am on a strict low FODMAP diet - SEVERE consequences from eating garlic or onion! Is there anything I can substitute for the garlic and onion?
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Sorry but there isn't really anything you can use as a substitute for garlic and onion powder. You'd just have to omit them but bear in mind that the sauce isn't going to taste as good then.
Lea says
Maybe give Hing (asafoetida) a shot? It's used in indian cooking to mimic those flavours. A little goes a long way.
Heayo says
The nutritional yeast recommended in Korea is too expensive to buy. Can you recommend another product?
A Virtual Vegan says
There really isn't anything else like nutritional yeast. Milder miso can add a bit of a cheesy flavour but not in the same way. I'd recommend you look for a cheese sauce recipe that doesn't rely on nutritional yeast for its flavour. Sorry!
Rylin Mariel says
I think this commenter was asking if you could recommend a different brand, not a different food product altogether.
A Virtual Vegan says
If that's the case then no I can't. I'm not familiar with brands or groceries available in Korea.
Barbara Morgan says
Should you press the tofu first?
A Virtual Vegan says
If it needs pressing it will always say in the recipe. In this recipe you don't need to as its silken tofu and is just blended up in the sauce.
Vito says
Super simple, a go-to for an easy meal component, dip or spread in a burrito. I like to add in a little extra smoked paprika sometimes and a touch more vinegar for a nice 'tang'.
Amy says
The brand of nutritional yeast flakes doesn't show up when I click on the link. Any other ideas of where to buy that brand? Thank you.
A Virtual Vegan says
I actually emailed them this morning because I noticed Amazon didn't have it in stock anymore. They are getting some to them ASAP. You can buy direct from their website in the meantime. I believe they ship worldwide. Here's their website https://hoosierhillfarm.com/
Amy says
Thank you so much! I can't wait to try this! And I'm glad to know that this brand is "cheesier" than others as sometimes think I'm doing something wrong with some recipes as I can't taste the "cheesiness". :)
Megan Borders says
Hello,
Your sauce sounds amazing. I am trying to find a vegan, nut free, gluten free cheese sauce to make for my daughter. An additional allergy she was recently diagnosed with is Soy. In your instructions you state that soy milk has the best results and that no substitutions should occur for best results. Can I use bolthouse pea milk? It is the only milk she can drink. She really wants to eat Mac and cheese and I’d love to make it for her. Thank you for your thoughts. All the best, Megan B.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Megan. This sauce is tofu based so even if you used the pea milk it would still have soy in it.
I do have this Mac and Cheese recipe though: https://avirtualvegan.com/baked-vegan-mac-and-cheese/ .
It is NOT gluten-free in it's entirety but the cheese sauce itself is and it's super delicious. You could make the sauce part and mix it with gluten-free macaroni. The pea milk will be fine to use as long as it is unsweetened.
Also check out the website Allergylicious. I think most of the recipes there would be suitable for your daughter. https://allergylicious.com/
Hope that helps!