I'm not gonna lie to you. I had a serious cheese addiction and never thought I could give up dairy let alone be making a dairy-free cheese sauce from scratch.
I guess you never know what you are capable of until you try, right?
And as someone who literally had a poster of cheese in their bedroom as a kid, I can honestly tell you that this sauce will change your life.
Seriously, if you can no longer consume dairy or choose not to because you are vegan or for any other reason, this sauce tastes incredibly similar to a real cheese sauce...you know, the kind you might lather all over your nachos at the ballpark. 😉
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Why you'll love this vegan cheese recipe
- easy vegan cheese sauce recipe with no coconut milk or any plant-based milk at all
- nut-free cheese sauce is a great option for those who have a nut allergy and is an optimal replacement for cashew cheese sauce
- simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores
- you'll want to use this easy peasy vegan sauce on everything from a baked potato to your favorite steamed veggies
Ingredients you'll need
- Carrots
- Potatoes - I find Yukon Gold to work best.
- Nutritional Yeast Flakes - provides a cheesy flavor
- Lemon Juice
- Water
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
See measurements in the recipe card below.
How to make nut-free vegan cheese sauce
Add the chopped potatoes and carrots to a 2-quart pot.
Cover with water, and bring to a boil and cook for approximately 15 minutes.
Tip: The carrots and potatoes should be cooked until very soft so that if you stick a fork in a piece, it starts to fall apart.
Add nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, olive oil, lemon juice and water to a high-powered blender.
Drain the potatoes and carrots in a mesh strainer and add to the blender.
Secure the lid and blend on high.
Stop to scrape down the sides as needed, and keep blending in the high-speed blender until the ingredients are well-incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Storing and reheating
Cheese sauce can be stored in an airtight sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat leftovers in a microwave safe dish in 15-second intervals, stirring in between.
You can also reheat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until heated throughout.
Ideas for serving
This creamy cheese sauce is perfect to serve over veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower.
Or use it as a dip for tortilla chips, French fries or these air fryer frozen sweet potato fries.
It's also great on our pinto bean tacos and sweet potato black bean burgers.
Whether you pour it on or dip into it, the options are endless!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but doing so will result in a sweeter taste. And, the measurements will be a little different. Instead of 1 ¾ cups chopped Yukon Gold potatoes, use 1 ½ cups chopped sweet potatoes. You will also have to add more water. Start with ¾ cup water and add more as needed in 1-tablespoon increments.
Yes, but you will be able to taste the cauliflower in it and the final product will be a little more sharp. If using cauliflower, replace the potatoes with the same amount of chopped cauliflower (1 ¾ cups). Boil the cauliflower along with the carrots just as the directions note for the potatoes. Instead of ½ cup water, start with ¾ cup and add 1-2 more tablespoons after blending, if needed, to thin out.
More dairy-free "cheese" sauce recipes
For a nacho version of this great recipe, check out our Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce next.
Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup peeled and chopped Yukon Gold or other gold potatoes (cubes or chunks about 1" thick)
- 1 cup peeled and diced carrots
- 6 tablespoon filtered water (plus more if needed)
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Add the potatoes and carrots to a 2-quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until *very soft (approximately 15 minutes once boiling).
- Add ½ cup water, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to a high-powered blender.
- Drain the potatoes and carrots in a mesh strainer (5 ½" or 7 ⅞" size) and add to the blender.
- Secure the lid and blend on high, scraping down the sides as needed, until the ingredients are well-incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick for your liking after you've used ½ cup water, you can add 1-2 tablespoons more water and blend again.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
Nutrition
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Lizzy
your Funny... can't wait to try this; I'm doing the potato cleanse.. and this will be when I start having a hard time w that. Thank you for posting (and making me laugh)
Sherri Hall
Thanks Lizzy! Glad you enjoy my humor; it drives my kids bonkers lol 😉 Good luck with your cleanse and hope you enjoy the "cheese." 🙂
Angie
what if you can't have yeast (brewers or baking ) so I am guessing I can't have nutritional yeast either. Do you need this? I am new to this who restricted diet thing.
Sherri Hall
Hi Angie! I would definitely check with your health care professional about the nutritional yeast as I know it is different from those other two but I wouldn't want you to eat something you shouldn't. I have not tested this recipe without the nutritional yeast as it is largely responsible for the "cheesy" flavor in this sauce. However, I did find two other recipes using carrot and potato that don't call for it so perhaps one of those would work better for you. Here they are: https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/ultimate-cheese-sauce/ and https://eathealthyeathappy.com/life-changing-vegan-cheese-sauce-clean-glutenfree/. Hope that helps and best of luck to you! 🙂
Christie
This cheese sauce looks like the BOMB!!!! It looks so creamy and honestly totally fooled my eyes!!!! Just amazing! This would be such a versatile sauce.
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Christie! I literally find myself using it on everything. Make a batch once a week and keep digging in! 😉
Megy
Can I use cauliflower instead potatos? (I'm keeping my carbs low and I'm getting them from other sources)
Sherri Hall
Hi Megy! I haven't tried it with cauliflower, but I think it will work. I'm not sure if the water will need to be adjusted as I believe it might come out a little thinner than with the potatoes. However, I am going to give it a try soon and see what happens. If you try it in the meantime, let me know your results. Hope you have a good one! 🙂
Sherri Hall
Hi Megy! I was finally able to try this out. I used the same amount of chopped cauliflower as potatoes (1 3/4 cup) and kept everything else the same. The sauce was actually a lot thicker than I anticipated, so I ended up using 3/4 cup water instead of 1/2 cup. You could probably even add another 1-2 tablespoons more to make it thinner depending on your preference. The final product had a different taste as you can definitely taste the cauliflower in it which actually made it more sharp. It was still delicious, though, and I ended up using it on chickpea tacos. Hope this helps and hope you are able to give it a try! 🙂
Anne L murdock Murdock
Excellent and easy
Gluten free and vegan
Win win
Thank u
Sherri Hall
Thank you so much Anne! So happy you enjoyed it! Hope you have an awesome weekend! 🙂
Marsha Lynn
Could you use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes? This sounds very good.
Sherri Hall
Thanks Marsha! When I woke up this morning and saw your question, I was intrigued. I hadn't tried it with sweet potatoes, so I figured, why not give it a go? I decided to test it out using the same measurement as the white potatoes. It was much thicker than the original (and that one is pretty thick to begin with), so I ended up using 1 cup of water instead of 1/2 cup. It has more of a sweeter taste rather than a tangy cheddar-like one, but there is a hint of that flavor still. If I were to try it again, I would probably cut back on the amount of sweet potatoes, maybe 1 1/2 cups instead of 1 3/4 cups and see if it works with less water. I do like the sweet flavor though, and think I'm going to mix it in with some GF pasta tonight for mac and cheese. Please let me know if you do end up giving it a try and what you think. Thanks so much for reaching out! Hope you have a wonderful week! 🙂
Michelle
My husband just made this tonight for nachos and we couldn't believe how much it tasted like stadium sauce! My six year old has major food challenges and can't have coconut milk, so finding this recipe was such a blessing. Thank you so much, this opens up a lot of options for us.
Sherri Hall
Hi Michelle! I am so happy to hear that this recipe worked for you and your family and that you all enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing; I really appreciate it! Wishing you the best! 🙂
Kimberly Rosen
So, I added a couple of roasted red peppers and the result was amazing. It gives it a much more sharp cheddar taste! Excellent recipe!
Sherri Hall
Oh, that sounds fabulous, Kimberly! I will have to try it! Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it! Have an awesome day! 🙂
Eva MacDuff
I added a little sriracha and chili powder, and threw it over vegan nachos. Not as healthy as going over broccoli but equally delicious!
Sherri Hall
That's awesome, Eva! I'm actually working on a nacho version and hope to have it up soon! 🙂
Bhawana
amazing, loving this vegan cheese sauce. bookmarking to try this. so creamy, and yummy texture.
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Bhawana! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Rosa
It's so hard to come across a vegan cheese sauce that is also nut free. This version sounds fantastic, I'll be sure to try it on my next nachos night!
Sherri Hall
Thanks Rosa! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
rebecca
I've never made vegan cheese sauce.... but I may need to now! this looks easy & delicious!
Sherri Hall
Thanks Rebecca! Hope you give it a try! 🙂
Kelly Anthony
I like that this recipe comes from a once obsessed cheese lover much like myself. We know it's bound to be delicious because you know what it's supposed to taste like. Thanks for sharing!
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Kelly! 🙂
Andrea Metlika
This sauce sounds delicious and love how versatile it is.
Sherri Hall
Thank you Andrea! So perfect for so many things! 🙂
Healthy world cuisine
Can’t wait to try this recipe. So rich and delicious! Beautiful photos. Take care
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Bobbi! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂