One of the things that has surprised me the most with vegan cuisine is how I’m able to create similar flavours and textures that I used to enjoy while eating animal products. The goal, for me, is not to aim for the vegan dish to taste exactly the same, but to try to bring out something about the non-vegan dish that I really enjoyed, like a rich sauce or a thick chocolaty pudding. This doesn’t apply to all foods however, I have no desire to create a dish that has the texture of meat because I just don’t crave that texture or taste anymore. It really just depends on the food!
[Butternut Squash Mac n Cheeze: Two Ways]
One of the things I’ve always loved about Mac ‘n Cheese is that it’s comforting and creamy. When I make a vegan version of Mac ‘n Cheese, I’m not trying to create a carbon copy, but a dish that gives me that same type of comforting feeling when I eat it.
Over the past couple years, I’ve found that I can create dishes that satisfy my cravings without having to sacrifice. I crave the new dishes that I make, instead of the dishes I used to eat. Now that I’m used to this lifestyle I rarely feel like I’m missing out. The only time I feel left out is when I am eating at a non-vegan friendly restaurant, otherwise I have so many choices the hardest part is trying to decide what I will eat!
One thing I don’t always enjoy about vegan cooking and baking is the often long ingredient list that is required to make some recipes. The recipes tend to involve more creativity, more spices & seasonings, and other ingredients to achieve that outcome that I’m looking for. It’s not necessarily a bad thing per say, but sometimes I just want a quick and dirty recipe that I know I can whip up within a minute’s notice.
This 5-ingredient cheeze sauce is one of those quick and dirty recipes that I know I will keep coming back to again and again! It’s hands down the easiest cheeze sauce I’ve made and it doesn’t require a food processor or other special kitchen tool. Just a stove top and a whisk…gotta love that!
Low-Fat Vegan Cheeze Sauce
Yield
2/3 cup
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This is the Lexus of all the cheeze sauces I’ve made to date. It’s extremely smooth, buttery, and comforting!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened, unflavoured almond milk (or more as needed to thin out)
- 6 tbsp nutritional yeast (Bob’s Red Mill makes one in natural food section of most grocery stores or bulk food stores)
- 1 tbsp Earth Balance or other non-dairy buttery spread
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour (or other flour)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- In a skillet or pot, melt the Earth Balance over medium heat.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and milk until all clumps are gone.
- Add milk & flour mixture and nutritional yeast to pot and whisk well. Reduce heat to low-medium.
- Add Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste and whisk frequently until the sauce thickens up, for about 5 minutes. If it’s still too thin you can add more flour to achieve the thickness you desire. To reheat: reheat in the microwave or on the stove-top (add a splash of milk if it’s too thick) and whisk well. Store in an air-tight container for up to 5-7 days.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Just 5 ingredients and just as delicious as the other sauces I’ve made!
I first made this sauce a couple weeks ago and we’ve been enjoying it a lot! I’ve poured it into pasta, on vegetables, sandwiches, etc. It’s so silky and delicious, you really have to try this. You could also get creative and add some herbs or spices to it to change it up quite easily.
Yesterday, I also made a fantastic lunch with it…
more on that recipe tomorrow!
The Quick & Dirty 7-Ingredient or Less Challenge
Speaking of short ingredient lists, I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to create more vegan recipes with as few ingredients as possible. Quick & Dirty recipes if you will!
My goal is to create more recipes with 7 ingredients or less that don’t require a lot of time or even special kitchen tools. It’s going to be tough, but I’m really excited for the challenge!
I’m curious, what’s your biggest cooking or baking hurdle? Long ingredient lists, hard to find ingredients, special kitchen tools, not enough time?
Leave me a comment below if you have any recipes in mind that you’d like ‘condensed’…no pun intended!
So excited to try this!
The only hurdle I find extremely challenging is living in such a small farm town. Not many people that live here keep an open mind to different diets, and things like Earth Balance just don’t sell in a regular grocery store. Sometimes finding ingredients that are vegan friendly is impossible!
This literally took me less than 10 mins to prepare and cook. And it tasted AMAZING! I think the addition of Dijon mustard is genius – I wouldn’t have thought of it, but I it took this to the next level!! AMAZING!! Best vegan cheese sauce I’ve ever tasted – hands down. Thanks so much Angela – you’re incredible!!
Thank you! I have recently been cutting out dairy and have been looking for a non dairy Mac n cheese option. Being an university student, the cost of all the different ingredients and time most vegan recipes require is quite daunting. This recipe was perfect! The mac n cheeze recipe was great, especially after adding some sautéed tomatoes! Yum!
Hi Angela, I have made this recipe the last 3 nights in a row – served on baked potato, then pasta, then fries :-) It is so delicious. I can’t thank you enough for providing what has been the first vegan cheese sauce I have found that really does taste like cheese! I’ve only been vegan since January 2015 and I was getting kinda desperate!
This. Is. Amazing. The ‘stretchy’ quality is fascinating; I didn’t think it possible in vegan cooking. That your recipe falls well within your seven ingredient challenge by only containing five, I, very respectfully, recommend one more for its substantial impact-the tiniest pinch of nutmeg. It screams ‘creamy’, seeming to take your cheeze sauce a touch deeper into dairy dreams of past. Lmk if you feel the same!
What would be the best substitute for the vegan butter in this recipe? I live in Japan and we don’t have much vegan butter to go around. ^_^
LOVED this recipe! No strange ingredients, I had everything on hand it came together super quickly and worked well with a gluten free flour mix. It was also a hit with my spouse and toddler! Will definitely make again and again!
My daughter just found out she has many food allergies, and it’s been rough. She’s missing cheese! She can’t do almonds, rice or soy either. Have you tried this with a different kind of milk, like coconut or flax?
you were asking what our biggest hurdle is… mine is no wheat! and thoughts
Hello!
I’m just trying you quick cheeze sauce for the first time and I thought I’d just let you know about my cheat!
I popped all the ingredients in my bullet, whizzed them up and then heated the sauce in a pan. It seems to have turned out well and ready to be poured over my greens when they are steamed.
I’ve been a veggie for over 30yrs and now I seem to be edging gradually towards a vegan diet, so this sauce will be a boon!
Your recipes are just fab.
Thank you.
Hilly (England)
I just made this sauce with some whole wheat macaroni noodles and it is soooo good! It was the first time I’d tried to make a vegan cheese-like sauce, and I’m really impressed. The only thing I did differently was that I used real butter (I didn’t have any vegan butter), and I added a little turmeric. Absolutely perfect flavor and so super-easy! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Just made this and my cheese loving daughter ate it up with no complaints – delicious!! You are a genius.
My plan:
Bake some potatoes. Scoop out the flesh and put it in a bowl. Make your five ingredient cheese sauce (I’m also going to try it with your cashew cheese recipe another time too). Chop onions and add them to the bowl with most of the cheese sauce. Stuff potato jackets. Bake again. Sprinkle with remaining sauce, smoked paprika, and some green onions
You had me at Quick and Dirty ;) This sounds so good and easy! Thank you for sharing.
I literally just made this for my hubby’s lunch, and it was so quick and easy to make, The ingredients were really simple I had them all in hand, and the consistency of the sauce was so perfect. It sure isn’t Mac and Cheese, but like you said, it’s just as good and comforting! Thank you for your recipe!
Found this tonight, made it tonight. LOVE it! Simple, tasty, so awesome!
WOW! I just made this and have to confess – I ate it all in one sitting! haha! I followed the directions/ingredients to a “T”, and then when the mixture was nice and thick, I added a few extra splashes of lemon juice and Frank’s Hot Sauce for an extra little kick. It was really fabulous! Thank you SO much for this recipe! It’s super-fast, super-easy, and super-yummo!
PS – your cookbook is awesome!
This sauce was so so easy to make and really delish! it took a couple minutes to pull it together– while i waited for my water to boil and pasta to cook! Loaded up my bowl with a pile of fresh baby spinach, topped with hot pasta, and smothered with some of this sauce!! Hit the spot, and my cheezy comfort food craving!! I’ll definitely be making this again! Thank you!
Oh my wow. This really is the Lexus of cheeze sauces!! Best I’ve tried. And it doesn’t leave you feeling all heavy and icky afterwards. This recipe is a keeper!!
This is, hands down, my favorite sauce on noodles. I could eat it every day. And might!!!
Glad the recipe’s a hit, Danielle! :)
This is totally yummy! the family all liked it! I didn’t have enough nutritional yeast, so I added some basil, oregano, a tiny bit of parsley and extra garlic and onion powder to make it more flavorful. thanks for this recipe!
Hi Alisha – so happy to hear the recipe was a hit!
Wondering if I can substitute grape seed oil for the butter?
I made this tonight and have to say it was not good at all. I’m trying to please a five year old that can’t have dairy. I used KAL brand nutritional yeast based on research about it being the best tasting. I don’t know if this sauce is supposed to taste like cheddar or not. It was creamy but I didn’t taste any cheese resemblance, my 5yr old took one bite and spit it out. I was so hoping this would save the mac & cheese delema! Have any suggestions?
Thank you so very much for this. I avoid nuts, and many other vegan cheese mixes use nut milks. I’ve tried rice milk and it was just too sweet. I made this recipe last night and have already finished off the batch, using it as a tortilla chip dip.
FYI – recipe can be made gluten free (apologies if someone else addressed this, there are lots of comments): I replaced the flour with potato flour. Just add half of what you would use if you were using wheat flour. I’m guessing you can use any alternative flour, but I thought potato would make it more savory. I haven’t made it a second time, though, so I have no comparison. Thanks again!
Hi Karen, thank you so much for sharing those substitutions! It’s great to know they worked out well for you. :)
just tried this…. it’s pretty damn amazing. I love how simple it is to make, as I absolutely despise spending so long just trying to make any vegan cheese sauce. I also added about a teaspoon and a half of lemon juice! I would definitely try adding it, it adds so much to the recipe
New to Veganism. New to having to cook for self. This was a great recipe! Loved the consistency, color, the taste was not at all offensive actually quite good. I was not expecting a cheese taste but yet a yummy pasta dish so I was not at all disappointed, but pleasantly enthused. To be honest I had tried Nutritional Yeast in the past and was not a fan. I was hesitant about that as the main ingredient in the cheese sauce.
It was amazing all together. Will be making it again. It was especially nice because it is something soft enough to eat after wisdom teeth removal and filling enough to feel satiated.
Thank You! Keep it up!
Just made my first vegan mac n’ cheese with this recipe. So delicious. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
tried this out and I love it! Added some liquid smoke and some agave and it turned out amazing! will make this again :)
I just got done making this. I had to customize it a little bit since I didn’t have all of the ingredients. I Used coconut oil instead of earth balance, Almond flour, and I didn’t put in the Dijon mustard. It was absolutely amazing! I kind of wanted to eat this as a soup it was so good!
Glad you enjoyed it, Nicole, even with the ad libbing! :)
This was amazing!
Are you sure this only makes 2/3 cup? Glancing at the ingredient quantities I would assume it made at least a cup… does the flour thickening things up reduce the volume? I’m putting this into my recipe software for scaling purposes and wanted to double-check about the quantity. Thanks!
Hi Diane, I’m sorry it’s been ages since I made this sauce so I’m not positive. I would say anywhere from 2/3 to 3/4 cup. I’ll be sure to update the yield the next time I make it, if necessary.
I struggle with unusual ingredients, sometimes these are ingredients (like specific squashes) that just aren’t available in the UK
I just made this and it’s AMAZING ?. Thankyou for the recipe!! I used soya milk too and it worked just as well ??. ITS ACTUALLY SO GOOD!
Thank YOU for the warm words! I’m so happy you liked the sauce.
this sauce is amazing!! i added a few tbsp of medium salsa to it and then used as a topping for nachos! soon yummy :) love this recipe
Great idea, Sophie!
That’s what I did too! I have another recipe I usually use for sauce that is more involved, but my blender is packed and I needed something simple. This was really good!
Hi! I’ve tried this recipe before and loved it! Best vegan cheese sauce I’ve made so far. I used bakers’ yeast because I didn’t realise nutritional yeast was different and better… Oops. It’s also not so widely available where I live.
Anyway, now I have my nutritional yeast and I would like to multiply this recipe by 4, but 24 tablespoons of nutritional yeast sounds like a lot! Is there a ratio one should keep in mind when multiplying recipes using nutritional yeast?
Thanks for any advice
Hey Bron, Glad you still loved it despite the mix up! haha. Rather than adding 24 tablespoons, I think you’d probably be better off to simply add it to taste…start with a half cup and add slowly from there (as nutritional yeast can be quite strong!). Good luck :)
Fuck!
This is amazing <3
Oh my gooooodnesss! Just made this recipe substituting the garlic & onion powder for fresh garlic & onion, then caramelise it in the pan. Ohh I’m never that enthusiastic about a recipe but you just made me want to eat mac and cheese which I’ve never had before haha just this cheese sauce is SO good! I’m using it now over some steamed brocolli & cauliflower. Never really made a dairy cheese sauce but I’ll sure be making this one regularly. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
I’m so happy you’re loving the recipe, Rose! Thanks for taking the time to let me know–it’s always so great to hear! :)
Wow, six years later I stumble upon nutritional yeast in Germany and I was so happy to rediscover this recipe. It has never failed me. Thanks again!
Ok, this looks amazing! Have you tried it with oat milk? I’m really not a fan of unsweetened almond or soya milk, so thougth oat milk could work as a base. Thanks :)
Ty for creating this without oil…I am going to try it tomorrow. I also don’t care for long ingredient lists as it becomes too time consuming. I have 2 granddaughters to play with….soon in a couple of years to teach to cook. You are a life saver
Thanks. Before turning vegan my middle daughter and I enjoyed always our pizzas together. Maybe with this foundation I can come up with an accommodating cheesy flavored sauce to lightly line across the top. I’m thinking of trying several ideas using readily available ingredients to see what I can come up with. A couple thoughts I have is similac powder for the creamy milkiness, a dash of lemon or vinegar for sharpness and possibly corn starch as a thickening agent. GFS also carries an imitation buttery-cheesy “popcorn flavoring” in their spice section I want to experiment with. It’s a 100% dairy free, highly concentrated flavoring that actually smells a whole lot like the little cheese packets in a box of mac n cheese.
This sauce was definitely easy to make. The mustard was a bit overpowering though, I would cut the amount in half in order to allow the cheese taste to come through.
Hey Alexandra, Thank you so much for your feedback! I haven’t made this one in ages, and will have to try it again soon.
Oh thank goodness I found this again! My husband and I made it in 2016 for part of our first Valentine’s Day fondue dinner. It’s been a tradition since then to have fondue on that day! He printed It off and we couldn’t find it, and no bookmarks to be found, either. We didn’t have cheese sauce last year for this reason (only chocolate)! My Google-Fu was failing me and I only found one super complex recipe after another (mix this, blend that, soak overnight), blah blah! No way, those were not the recipes I remembered. I made it directly in the fondue pot. So easy! I wonder if the post was updated, would Google find it easier? Maybe mention this is so easy to make as fondue? Thank you so very much for this wonderful, delicious, easy recipe! I admire you as a food blogger and can only one day hope to become half as amazing!
Hey Christine, Aww that’s so awesome you both still make this recipe after all these years! So sweet. I love your idea for giving this recipe an update too…it’s long overdue, haha. I’d love to know how you think this one compares with my all-purpose cheese sauce: http://ohsheglows.com/2017/11/08/all-purpose-vegan-cheese-sauce/
(I know you said you weren’t interested in soaking and blending but if you ever try it out let me know!) =)
Could I use plain hemp milk instead of almond milk for this recipe?
Hey Laura, Hemp can have a much stronger flavour, so it depends whether you like it and mind that its flavour comes through in the cheese sauce. Totally your call! I’d love to hear how it goes :)
Thanks! Intent to try the “ simple” cheese sauce recipe: trying to ease into vegan life-style.
Would love to try the pizza recipe as shown here…where can I find it?
Hey Mary, You might be interested in my newest cheese sauce too (it’s my fave!): http://ohsheglows.com/2017/11/08/all-purpose-vegan-cheese-sauce/
I’m sorry I don’t have the pizza recipe and don’t think I ever posted it. Sorry about that!
This was so simple and delicious. I served it over gnocchi and broccoli for a quick meal. I omitted the dijon just for taste preference and It turned out wonderfully. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I keep making this over and over. Everyone I make it for is in love with it. I love that it’s so easy, and I don’t have to soak/blend cashews or any nonesense like that.
That’s wonderful you make it so much! It sure is an easy one to whip up.
this has been my go to cheese sauce ever since i first made it in 2013 when i first became vegan, my boyfriend and I both have this recipe memorized because we use it so much <3 thank you!!
Aww that’s awesome to hear Nalani! Thanks for sharing :)
I suppose it should be obvious from glancing at the recipe, but you must REALLY like the taste of nutritional yeast to like the taste of this. I thought maybe cooking and mixing it with the milk, Earth Balance, and spices would dial down the flavor a bit, but it did not.
I like nutritional yeast mixed in to certain recipes, like tofu scramble, but this was too strong for me. The texture was very nice though. I might make it again but use mushroom powder instead to make more like a gravy and put it on top of mock meats, potatoes, etc.
Hey Kate, You are right, it does have a pretty strong nooch flavour! I would suggest my All purpose cheese sauce: http://ohsheglows.com/2017/11/08/all-purpose-vegan-cheese-sauce/ It’s my fave of all time. :)
Loved the recipe.
I made it with minor modifications:
1 tsp honey mustard
No spread (instead, one tbsp raw oil plus 1/2 tbsp arrow root; however, if I use teff flour, no arrow root)
Thanks again
This was really fantastic! Loved how easily it came together. We had it with brown rice, broccoli and salmon — we’re pescetarians and I’ve recently needed to become gluten, dairy and soy free.
I doubled everything to make a bigger batch :) and I used gluten-free flour.
I also added a few dollops of veganaise which cut some of the bitterness I was tasting (maybe from the yeast?), a small splash of lemon juice and a few dashes of coconut aminos (similar to soy sauce).
Seriously sooo delicious, definitely adding this to the repertoire :) Thanks for posting!
Hi Maggie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the sauce so much! Thanks for your review :)