Best Vegan Cheese Sauce
When I first switched over to a healthy plant-based lifestyle back in 2013, one thing that I really missed was CHEESE. Cheese for pizza, tacos, baked potatoes, lasagna, and so much more. That’s why I came up with this amazing best vegan cheese sauce recipe ever!
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One of the best things about it is that it can be made with either cashews or white beans for those avoiding nuts. Better yet, do a combination of both to reduce the fat but maintain the creamy, rich texture.
We have more vegan cheese sauce recipes on this website, including my cashew vegan mozzarella, this easy vegan cashew queso, and an amazing dairy-free cheese ball that is perfect for entertaining guests.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Cashew or white bean option: Make this creamy vegan cheese sauce with raw cashews for extra richness or white beans for a lower-fat, nut-free option. Both versions blend up beautifully smooth and creamy.
- Rich, creamy, and cheesy: Potatoes and carrots create a naturally thick and velvety base, while nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and seasonings give the sauce plenty of savory, cheesy flavor—without any dairy.
- Made with simple, wholesome ingredients: There are no complicated ingredients here! This easy plant-based cheese sauce is made with everyday foods like potatoes, carrots, onion, nutritional yeast, and spices.
- So many ways to use it: Pour it over vegan nachos, drizzle it on baked potatoes or steamed broccoli, stir it into pasta, or use it in veggie lasagna, casseroles, burritos, and grain bowls. It’s one of those sauces you’ll find yourself reaching for again and again.
- Easy to make: Everything gets cooked until tender and blended until creamy, making this an easy vegan cheese sauce for weeknight meals, meal prep, and quick snacks.
Three versions to choose from
- 1st Version: Originally, I made it with 1/2 cup raw cashews.
- 2nd Version: Now, I sometimes sub out white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more. For those avoiding nuts completely, this is a terrific nut-free cheese sauce.
- 3rd Version: Nowadays, I mostly make it with a combination of the two–1/4 cup cashews + 1/4 cup white beans. It has a warm, creamy texture with less fat. This easy vegan cheese sauce has so many options!
Ingredients you will need
You only need a handful of simple plant-based ingredients to make this creamy vegan cheese sauce with potatoes and carrots. Cashews make it extra rich and creamy, or you can use white beans for a lower-fat, nut-free version.
🥔 Potatoes – Russet potatoes are my favorite because they blend up beautifully smooth and help create the thick, creamy texture of this dairy-free cheese sauce. Other potato varieties will work too.
🥕 Carrots – Carrots give the sauce its beautiful golden-orange color while adding natural sweetness, vitamins, and antioxidants.
🧅 Onion – Adds savory flavor to the potato and carrot base and gives the finished sauce more depth.
🥜 Raw cashews or white beans – Cashews make the sauce especially rich and creamy. For a nut-free and lower-fat vegan cheese sauce, white beans are a terrific substitute.
🌱 Nutritional yeast flakes – This is the ingredient that gives the sauce its signature savory, nutty, cheesy flavor without dairy.
🍋 Lemon juice – A little acidity brightens the sauce and balances the rich, savory flavors.
🥣 Vegetable broth – Use the flavorful broth from cooking the potatoes, carrots, and onion. It helps everything blend into a silky-smooth sauce.
🧂 Seasonings – Garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt round out the flavor and add just a tiny hint of heat.
What is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast is what makes this vegan cheese sauce taste like cheese. It has a nutty, cheesy flavor and is yellow in color. Unlike baker’s and brewer’s yeasts, it is a deactivated yeast used for seasoning.
It’s an inactive form of the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Though it is the same strain of yeast bakers use to leaven bread, nutritional yeast has been pasteurized to dry out the yeast. This process helps to extract its nutritional benefits.
Nutritional yeast is exclusively for seasoning and cannot be used for leavening in baking. Even so, it can normally be found in the baking section of many grocery stores. I usually purchase my nutritional yeast online.
Tips & Suggestions
- Soaking cashews or not. I have a Vitamix blender, so I don’t take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful, and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn’t jet-engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes will help this recipe come out more creamy.
- Potatoes to use. You really can use almost any variety of potato. I love to use russets, red potatoes, or even sweet potatoes. Just make sure they are cooked until soft.
- Save that broth. One of the steps of this recipe is to boil the potatoes, onions, and carrots on the stove. Remember to save some of that broth for adding to the blender.
- Tweaking to your taste preferences. Most likely, this cheese sauce will come out amazing as soon as you dip that spoon into the blender (after it has stopped, of course) to give it a taste. However, if it needs a little tweaking, first try adding a little more salt or nutritional yeast, as those two ingredients can make a big difference, in my opinion.
How to make vegan cheese sauce
STEP #1: I have a Vitamix blender, so don’t take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful, and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn’t jet-engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes before adding to this recipe will help this recipe come out creamier.
STEP #2: Dice up the potatoes, carrots, and onions.
I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.
STEP #3: In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onions in a pot and allow them to cook until the veggies are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
STEP #4: When veggies are tender, drain the water and place them in a blender. NOTE: Reserve 1 cup of the broth and add to the blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
STEP #5: Now, it’s ready to use in nacho vegan cheese dip, dairy-free mac-n-cheese, topping for steamed broccoli, or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. This recipe makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
InstantPot instructions
Yes! You can also use your InstantPot to make this cheese sauce! Simply add the potatoes, carrots, onion, and one cup of water to your Instant Pot. Set to MANUAL for 10 minutes. Once finished, use a spoon, dishcloth, or potholder to turn the VENT knob for a quick release to allow the pressure to come down. Then add all other ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Easy-Peasy!
Freezing leftovers
I often freeze this recipe when I have lots left over, which admittedly isn’t that often. Most of the time, I freeze it in a wide-mouth mason jar, which makes defrosting it later in the microwave much easier. Simply remove the lid and place it in the microwave to defrost.
Once the cheese sauce is no longer frozen, I place it in my blender and take it for a spin for just a minute, which brings it back to its original creaminess. It’s as good as freshly made then.
Which vegan cheese is best?
All of mine! LOL! Seriously though, I have a lot of different dairy-free cheeses to choose from. That a peek at these delicious ones.
Ways to use this sauce
- Mac & Cheese- This vegan oil-free cheese sauce is amazing on vegan mac and cheese. It’s the perfect comfort food and can even be made gluten-free by using brown rice pasta.
- Vegan Cheese Dip- Just add my blender salsa to this cheese sauce, and you’ve got delicious Nacho Cheese Dip to serve with tacos and nachos. It’s amazingly delicious!
- Baked Potatoes- Drizzle it over a baked potato.
- Steamed Veggies- Pour it over steamed broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or other veggies.
- Drizzle it over pizza, lasagna, or tacos.
- Grits- Add it to grits to make cheezy dairy-free grits for breakfast.
- Topping- Use it to top my Vegan Chili Cheese Fries or Veggie Nacho Supreme
Nutritional information
1/4 cup serving (WITH BEANS):
- 5 calories
- 28 carbs
- 0.14 grams fat
- 1.9 grams of protein
1/4 cup serving (WITH CASHEWS):
- 41 calories
- 4.6 carbs
- 1.8 grams of fat
- 2 grams of protein
*Original publish date February 02, 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Substitute white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more and make it compatible for those with nut allergies.
To thicken vegan cheese sauce, you can add more cooked vegetables like potatoes or carrots, or use a thickening agent like cornstarch or tapioca starch. Simmering the sauce longer also helps it thicken naturally.
Store it in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days in an airtight container. I love to use quart mason jars.
YES! Freezing is also an option. Simply defrost and place in a blender for a freshen-up spin and it will be back to its original creamy texture.
I am so glad that you asked! I have a number of great recipes that use this cheese sauce. The options are really endless!
Cheesy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Loaded Potato Skin Bites
Vegan Chili Cheese Fries
Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup
Easy Vegan Pizza
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Best Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup potatoes peeled & diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (or 1/2 c white beans)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and allow to cook until the veggies are tender--approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain and place them in a blender. NOTE: Reserve 1 cup of the broth and add it to the blender. Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
- I have a Vitamix blender, so I don't take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful, and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn't jet-engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30-minutes before adding them to this recipe will help this recipe come out creamier.
- If you prefer, white beans such as northern or navy beans can be used in place of the cashews for those avoiding nuts. Or even use a combination of 1/4 cup cashews and 1/4 cup white beans to lower the fat content while keeping the rich, creamy texture and flavor.
- Now, it's ready to use in nacho cheese dip, mac-and-cheese, a topping for steamed broccoli, or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. Many of those recipes are linked above.
- This makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
-
- Soaking cashews or not. I have a Vitamix blender and so don't take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn't jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes will help this recipe come out more creamy.
-
- Potatoes to use. You really can use almost any variety of potato. I love to use russets, red potatoes, or even sweet potatoes. Just make sure they are cooked until soft.
-
- Save that broth. One of the steps of this recipe is to boil the potatoes, onions, and carrots on the stove. Remember to save some of that broth for adding to the blender.
-
- Tweaking to your taste preference. Most likely this cheese sauce will come out amazing as soon as you dip that spoon into the blender (after it has stopped, of course) to give it a taste. However, if it needs a little tweaking, first try adding a little more salt or nutritional yeast, as those two ingredients can make a big difference, in my opinion.
- Nut-free option. Substitute white beans--like navy beans or cannellini--to lower the fat content even more and make it compatible for those with nut allergies.
- Storage and freezing. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about 7-10 days in an airtight container. I love to use quart mason jars. Freezing is also an option. Simply defrost and place in a blender for a freshen-up spin and it will be back to its original creamy texture.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I’m the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I’m passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to help others care well for their health and the bodies God has given us. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Is it possible to substitute the nutritional yeast with miso or something?
Hi Stephanie- That’s a good question. I personally think the nutritional yeast is pretty important in this recipe, but it would be worth a try with miso. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try.
This is the best sauce! My sister isn’t vegan (or cheese free) and she loved it.
Hi Nicole- YAY! This is SO awesome to hear!
I have always loved your cheese sauce recipe. I make it with white beans and sweet potato. I made a delicious entree tonight with brown rice, dry sautéed mushrooms and the cheese sauce. Ate it with a large salad. It was so good! I always turn to your site for some deliciousness. Thanks!
Hi Sandra- Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback. Your dinner sounds absolutely fabulous!
I had almost given up on vegan cheese sauce until I made this yesterday. I was going to try one more time/one more recipe and even ordered the Sari nutritional yeast you recommend. So glad I tried one more time and bought the different yeast. It even smelled better than the others. Had a broccoli cheese potato today. Yum! Thank you.
Hi Donna- YAY! I’m so glad this cheese was the ONE for you! Just awesome, and thank you for letting me know!
I just threw this recipe together to serve as a sauce over some veggies steamed in the pressure cooker.
I used a little more than a “pinch” of cayenne. The sauce is phenomenal!
Hi David- So glad that you like it. I’m betting you’ll find all kinds of new uses for it. 😉
So many people have commented that they’ve made this and loved it, that I’m afraid to ask my little question. But here goes … How do I measure 1 cup of potato or carrot? There’s no time to get an answer before tonight’s dinner, so I’m going to try my best. But for the future, it would be great to know how to follow this recipe exactly. Thanks!
Hi Candy- To measure potatoes and carrots for the recipe, just dice them up and place them in a measuring cup. Because they are chunky (instead of liquid), I would allow for a little more over the one-cup line. Hope this helps.
This sauce is so yummy. The first time I made it, I stayed true to the recipe but since I don’t like raw onions, they seemed to overpower the flavors the next day. This time, I subbed 1/2 tsp onion powder for the raw onions and it was better for me. Next time, I am going to try cooking the onions with the carrots and potatoes. Thank you for posting this recipe. It is a great base.
Hi Terri- First off, I like your name, lol. I like that you were able to sub out the onion powder for the onions to suit your tastes. That was great thinking! Thanks for letting me know how much you like the cheese sauce. 🙂
This is SO good. I added a little crushed red pepper as well for more zip, and my husband said it could be served as regular nacho cheese! Made a little vegan taco meat and have stupendous nachos! Only used 1/2 cup broth… Otherwise would have been too thin. I will be pinning and sharing this. Thank you!
Hi Bonni- I am so glad that you both liked the cheese sauce. It will thicken up a little more after refrigerating and, if you find that you need to thin it a bit at that time, just add a little veggie broth or water. It’ll warm up great and even freezes well. Thanks so much for such great feedback!
Love this sauce! My hubby likes it best when I add in jalapenos and salsa. Going to try it with some air-fried potatoes and some vegan chili. HEALTHY chili-cheese french fries! Doesn’t get better than that.
I have to leave a positive comment because I have been so disappointed in other “cheese sauces.” This has the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and hot… it is simply delicious. You are right… it’s hard to quit eating it out of the jar :-). It’s not cheese, but it sure is a fantastic sauce!
Hi Carole- I really appreciate your giving such great feedback. There are so many cheese sauces out there, but this one is my family’s favorite, and I’m thrilled that you love it too. Thank you for letting me know!
Excited to try this but I don’t see in the instructions when you actually add the nutritional yeast and other spices. Thanks!
Hi Kate- The recipe card with ingredients, instructions, and print button is at the bottom of the page. Just click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page or scroll to the bottom. Hope you enjoy it!
I make this all the time–absolutely the best vegan cheese sauce! I add about a teaspoon of dijon mustard and about a half teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to give it a little extra zip.
Susan- That’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad that you like it enough to make it all the time. We have it in our refrigerator or freezer all the time too. 🙂
what can I do to make it thicker? I am wanting a cheese stuffing for jalapeno poppers
Just add less veggie broth to adjust to the thickness you like. Refrigerating also thickens it up some as well.
Wonder if Cornstarch would thicken it up, or adding cooked Agar Agar?
Hi Jasimine- I haven’t tried thickening it up for slicing, only freezing it to shred. If you give it a try I would love to hear about how it does.
This is very easy to make and is an awesome substitute for cheese. The only thing I would change is the amount is broth because the sauce was a little thin. Next time, I’ll start with 3/4 C and add more broth as needed. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Hi Ilene- So glad you liked the cheese sauce! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
The first time I made this cheese sauce it turned out orangey like your picture but I just made it now and it is white. I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong. Have you ever had that happen to you? I double checked all my ingredients. What makes it the orangey colour other than the carrots? The only thing I did different was I made it with half cashews and half white beans. Hmmmm???
Carol- That’s very interesting, and the only things that could cause an orangy color change would be the carrots and/or the nutritional yeast.
The amount of cayenne pepper and paprika will make all the difference in color too.