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!
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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.
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!
Do you used the nutritional yeast with B12 or without? I’m not even sure if there’s a difference in taste, but I was just curious. This looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it (those Amy macaroni & cheeses (okay, cheeze…) get expensive!
I believe mine has b12 in it
“This is the Lexus of all the cheeze sauces I’ve made to date. It’s extremely smooth, buttery, and comforting!”–
Sounds perfect! I always love a good vegan cheeze sauce. And a good luxury automobile too :)
Recipes using less than 5 or 7 ingredients and vegan? That would be 95% of all the recipes on my blog. Well, some are vegetarian not vegan, but the ingredient list thing is a big deal for me b/c I am instantly turned off by recipes that have long lists.
Or have hard to source items.
Or use that do things like use ” a pinch of saffron” ..I mean I’m sure it’s lovely but I don’t want to buy a $20 jar of saffron to use one strand, one time, and then have $19 of it laying around.
My goal, and I wrote this in the guest post I did for you, is to cook for my family (and show readers) that you dont have to have complicated, long, labor-intensive recipes in order to make awesome tasting food.
Love that you’re doing this challenge!
You’ve definitely convinced me to try this. Yum!! I can’t wait to try this in baked mac & cheeze!
My biggest hurdle is having the ingredients handy in the pantry. Right now the pantry is over flowing with all the kids mac n cheese and star pasta, it has been a slow process to turn them over to eating what I eat. I just ordered Peas and Thankyou and hope this helps. I am also looking forward to when you put out your own cookbook. :)
I made this sauce about 5 minutes after I read the recipe. It’s the easiest, tastiest sauce and the closest thing to real cheese I’ve tasted since I stopped dairy. I am over the moon. Thank you so much!
Wow that’s amazing!!! Thank you so much for your feedback. It’s great to know that others enjoy it as much as I do (I never know!)
I am so glad you posted this because I JUST bought a bag of nutritional yeast yesterday with the intention of making some kind of ‘cheezy’ pasta tonight! I was nervous I was going to spend too much time sifting through recipes to find a tried and true easy one but this will do the trick I am sure! Your 15 minute avocado ‘cream’ sauce was a big hit at my place! :-D
My biggest challenge is a husband who doesn’t like fruit, or the texture of vegetables in his food, and a picky eating 13 year old. I don’t want to have to cook multiple dinners.
Pie dough! Bread dough…actually most dough that you either have to roll out or add yeast to.
As usual, these pictures are gorgeous. I’ve been trying to eat less pasta recently (because I’m pretty sedentary at work), but I have to try this. Maybe this Sunday for dinner if work cooperates :) I’m sure it will become a mainstay Sunday night dinner this fall. Just think of all the mix ins!
Oh I really want to eat some Mac n Cheez now. I do find it annoying when ingredient lists are too extensive, especially for cooking meals during the week. I also find it frustrating when I need to buy a random ingredient which I know I will not use again for ages and probably have to throw out. It feels such a waste!
I think just about all of us will be making this sauce today! I know I will. I will just be adding some heat to it, I like it hot!
I think time is my biggest issue however I make it a priority to eat right and plan ahead so I make it work out some how.
How about a gorcery store that carries EVERYTHING you need in one, now that would be amazing. :)
Hard to find ingredients is my biggest problem, especially since I live in South Asia! I just ordered a tub of n yeast online so hopefully I’ll be able to try this soon. Can’t wait to see tomorrow’s pizza recipe!
I’m excited that you’re doing this challenge! Right now, I live in a tiny apartment with few kitchen tools and a tiny food processor–simple techniques, minimal gadgets, and few ingredients sound wonderful.
The less ingredients usually means it’s going to be less expensive too! Now… If my cat hadnt found and ripped open my bag of nutritional yeast I’d be making this tonight. It’ll have to wait for the weekend :).
How about a 7 ingredient lasagna? I know you can do it!
Do u think this would be good with rice milk? I just cant get into the taste of almond milk.
i havent had rice milk much but I cant see why not!
You know one of my biggest hurdles with cooking? Cleaning up afterwards! I swear I can’t see an inch of my bench top after cooking some meals, so I like recipes that are one-bowl-wonders and the like :)
The sauce looks great by the way, I’ve made your other cheese sauce and thought that was great – now I’m pretty tempted to see how this compares!
Quick and dirty is mahhh middle name! In a non-dirty way of course. Wooo cheessy!
Do you store your nutritional yeast in the fridge or freezer? I have mine in a mason jar in the cabinet and I’m worried it’s gone bad. Help :/
Hi! Hmm I believe you’re supposed to freeze it! It still remains the same, but it definitely keeps it good for a long long time.
I just saw you in GLOW magazine!!! I was sooo excited….I saw your picture and said to mayself, “hey I know her”….. I read your blog everyday I feel like I know you!!! Most of my recipes come from your blog! Thanks for making my life as a vegan so much easier and more exciting!! YAY!
This recipe rocks I’ve been making this mock cheese sauce for years.
Try adding a clove crushed garlic to the “Earth balance” (I just use margarine or olive oil) and 1/4 of a teaspoon of mustard near the end. Sounds weird but it is delicious.