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Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

July 21, 2020 by Connie Edwards McGaughy 3 Comments

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Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce 🌱 The creamiest, dreamiest, tastiest cheese sauce made with healthy plant-based ingredients like cashews, carrots, potatoes and fresh lemon. Gluten-free and oil-free. Very vegan & very good!

Becoming vegan does not mean you have to give up the foods you love, including cheese. By using the right plant-based ingredients to replace animal products, not only can you still enjoy your favorite dishes, you can make them better than ever, like this scrumptious cheese sauce!

bowl of easy vegan cheese sauce

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The Perfect Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

When my husband and I became vegan, the one food item we missed was cheese. There’s just something about the bright flavor and creamy texture that cheese adds to so many recipes like pasta, veggies, tacos, and of course – nachos.

Problem was, there just weren’t any great tasting vegan cheeses available in stores. There were a few products that were trying to be cheese, but to be honest, the taste and textures were more like plastic. We realized if we wanted to enjoy what we loved about cheese, we needed to figure out a way to make it ourselves.

easy vegan cheese sauce on nachos

We tried several different recipes, but couldn’t find anything quite right, so we enlisted our daughter’s creative cooking skills and uncanny knack at dialing in flavors and texture. Sure enough, she found just the right combination and balance of ingredients.

This delicious sauce has the tart bite of sharp cheddar cheese with the smoothest creamy texture. It enhances anything you pour it on: pasta, baked potatoes, meatballs, cauliflower, asparagus, fries, veggie burgers, nachos, tacos, and more. Whatever you like with cheese, this is your sauce!

How to Make Vegan Cheese Sauce

This recipe is so easy to make! With just a few basic ingredients, you can whip up the most luscious, tasty & healthy vegan cheese sauce..

Equipment you’ll need:

  • High speed blender or food processor
  • A colander or strainer
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Veggie peeler
  • Citrus juicer
  • Kitchen knife
  • Cutting board

Ingredients:

  • One cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk – we prefer rice milk, almond or cashew based milk
  • 1 potato
  • 2 carrots
  • 1-1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
baked potato with easy vegan cheese sauce and chopped chives
  • Measure ingredients
  • soaking cashews in boiling water
    Soak cashews
  • Cut potatoes & carrots
  • Boil until tender
  • Blend all ingredients on high speed until smooth and creamy
  • easy vegan cheese sauce in bowl
    Enjoy!

That’s all there is to it to make this easy peasy cheesy sauce!

What is Nutritional Yeast?

One of the key ingredients in this recipe is nutritional yeast, aka “nooch“. Nutritional yeast has a cheesy, nutty, savory, umami flavor that many people enjoy sprinkled on foods like potatoes, pasta, popcorn, pizza and veggies.

Nutritional yeast is the same type of yeast used for bread baking and brewing beer – with a few differences*.

  • Baker’s yeast: Baker’s yeast is purchased alive and used to leaven bread. The yeast is killed during cooking but adds an earthy, yeasty flavor to bread.
  • Brewer’s yeast: Brewer’s yeast can be purchased alive and is used to brew beer. The dead yeast cells leftover from the brewing process can be consumed as a nutritional supplement but have a very bitter taste.
  • Nutritional yeast: This yeast is grown specifically to be used as a food product. The yeast cells are killed during manufacturing and not alive in the final product. It is used in cooking and has a cheesy, nutty or savory flavor.

*Reprinted from healthline.com

Is Nutritional Yeast Good for You?

Yes it is! It’s super nutritious. According to this article, nutritional yeast is a great source of protein, B vitamins and trace minerals.

It is a complete protein: Nutritional yeast contains all nine essential amino acids that humans must get from food. One tablespoon contains 2 grams of protein, making it an easy way for vegans to add high-quality protein to meals.

It contains many B vitamins: One tablespoon of nutritional yeast contains 30–180% of the RDI for B vitamins. When fortified, it is especially rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.

It contains trace minerals: One tablespoon contains 2–30% of the RDI for trace minerals, such as zinc, selenium, manganese and molybdenum. Trace minerals are involved in gene regulation, metabolism, growth and immunity 

Why Is Nutritional Yeast Good for You? healthline.com 11/30/2017

See the complete recipe below.

Create a festive nachos bar with a basket of fresh tortilla chips, guacamole, jalapeños, salsas, black beans, our refreshing watermelon pico de gallo, and a generous serving of this amazing vegan queso cheese!

vegan macaroni and cheese in a bowl

This quick mac and cheese is irresistibly yummy with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, red pepper flakes & fresh basil.

easy vegan cheese sauce and vegan mac and cheese

🥕This easy vegan cheese sauce is perfect with these delish dishes!

  • Vegan Easy Cheesy Broccoli Pot Pie
  • Cuban Crushed Potatoes
  • Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese
  • Vegan Lemon Roasted Potatoes
  • Best Vegan Homemade Soft Pretzels

very vegan 🌱 very good

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider rating it using stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the comments below. It helps other readers and allows more people to find it online. I love hearing from you! Let’s keep in touch!

easy vegan cheese sauce

Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Soak Cashews Overnight: 8 hours
Servings: 12
Calories: 71kcal
Author: Connie 🥕
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • High speed blender or food processor
  • mixing bowl
  • large strainer or colander
  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Citrus juicer
  • kitchen knife
  • Cutting board

Ingredients

Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

  • 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight – see notes below
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk we use rice milk, almond or cashew based milk
  • 1 large potato cut into large pieces and boiled until tender
  • 2 whole carrots cut into large pieces and boiled until tender
  • 1-1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast this our favorite brand
  • 1/4 cup lemon juiced – approx one whole lemon
  • 2 tsp salt fine
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Soak cashews covered in room temperature water overnight or cover in boiling water and allow to soak for 2 hours. Drain in strainer and rinse with fresh water.
  • Peel potatoes and carrots and cut into large pieces. Place in 4 qt or larger stovetop pot, cover with water (about 2" over veggies) and cover with lid. Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and drain in colander or strainer.
  • Place cashews, potatoes, carrots, and remaining ingredients into blender or food processor. Run at high speed until thoroughly pureed and creamy.
  • Sauce can be used heated or cold, depending on how you like it. To heat, pour amount needed into a stove top pan over low heat, stirring frequently until desired temperature.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

🥕This sauce can be served hot or cold. It’s a great dip for veggies, chips, vegan buffalo cauliflower, veggie nuggets, meatballs. It’s perfect for mac & cheese. Serve it on top of baked potatoes with fresh chives and vegan bacon bits or on sweet potato fries with a dash of chile lime salt. For nachos, add diced jalapeño or red pepper flakes to make a spicy queso dip. 
🥕I suggest heating the cheese sauce in a saucepan on a stovetop, however you can also heat the sauce in a microwave in short increments of 10-15 seconds until desired temperature is reached. Don’t over heat in microwave, as the sauce may caramelize and possibly burn.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? I love to see your photos!Mention @thecarrotunderground or tag #thecarrotunderground!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider rating it using stars in the comments below. It helps other readers and allows more people to find it online. I love hearing from you! Let’s keep in touch!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Condiments, Entree, gluten-free, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Outdoor Entertaining, Plant Based, Potluck, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegan Appetizers and Starters, Vegan Dressings and Spreads, Vegan Dressings, Spreads & Sauces, Vegan July 4th Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegan Sauces, WFPB, WFPB oil-free, Whole Food Plant Based Tagged With: carrot underground, easy & delicious vegan, easy & delicious vegan recipes, easy and delicious vegan recipes, easy vegan mac and cheese, gluten free, inspired vegan living, is nutritional yeast good for you, no oil oil free dairy free, nooch, nutritional yeast, plant based, plant based gluten free, the carrot underground, vegan cheese sauce, vegan cheese sauce cashew, vegan cheese sauce cauliflower, vegan cheese sauce for mac and cheese, vegan cheese sauce potato carrot, vegan cheese sauce with nooch, vegan cheese sauce with nutritional yeast, vegan cheese whole foods, vegan cheese with nutritional yeats, vegan connie, vegan nacho cheese sauce, very vegan very good, what is nutritional yeast, whole foods plant based, whole foods plant based oil free

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Connie Edwards McGaughy

    December 2, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    5 stars
    This simply delicious and nutritious plant-based cheese sauce has become a staple in our kitchen. It’s quick & easy to prepare & even easier to devour! Try it on veggies, potatoes, pasta, nachos – it’s so good!

    Reply
  2. Marti

    January 24, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    5 stars
    Both taste and texture are excellent! Make sure to follow the measurements carefully,,. when I changed them a bit the result didn’t turn out as perfect as the original.

    Reply
    • Connie Edwards McGaughy

      January 24, 2021 at 4:16 pm

      Marti – I’m so happy you enjoy the cheese sauce recipe. It took us awhile to dial in the ingredients & proportions to achieve just the right balance in flavor & texture, so thanks for the reminder about careful measuring. Some recipes just aren’t as flexible as others. Thanks for sharing your comments!💚🥕

      Reply

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I created The Carrot Underground as your place to find easy & delicious recipes and inspiration for enjoying the goodness of vegan living. Learn more about my story here.

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