This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs. Please read my full disclosure here.
This rich and creamy, sharp cheddar-style Vegan Cheese Sauce is gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free and soy-free. Pour this dairy-free cheese sauce on all your favorite veggies, tacos, nachos or even French fries. You can also use it as a dip for your favorite chips!
First, I’d like to share a little ditty I call The Day I Gave Up Cheese.
♪ Not so long long ago
I can still remember how
That che-ese used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my cheese
It would make me feel at ease
And then I would be happy for a while
But Veganuary made me consider
Giving up dairy cheese forever
I knew that as I wept
I’d just take it step by step
I tried and tried and tried and tried
To let it go with all my might
Something brought me to my knees
The day I gave up cheese
So…
Bye, bye cheddar cheese-laden fries
Now my cheese is made from carrots and potatoes, oh my!
And those good ole cows are letting out a big sigh
Singin’, “this is a cheese you gotta try…
This is a cheese you gotta try.” ♫
Prize winning song parody?
Maybe.
A winning vegan cheese sauce recipe?
Heck yeah!
And, while I won’t be enjoying “cheddar cheese-laden” fries anytime soon, I will be enjoying vegan cheese-laden fries instead.
So, let's get to some cheese making, shall we?
Ingredients you'll need
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds - I opted to use pumpkin seeds instead of cashews since they worked so well in my Vegan Parmesan Cheese and allowed this sauce to be nut-free, so those with nut allergies can enjoy it. Personally, I think they make the sauce a little more tangy, along the lines of a sharp cheddar.
- Carrots
- Potatoes - I find yellow or gold to work best, but have also used Russets before successfully.
- Nutritional Yeast
- Lemon Juice
- Water
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Turmeric
How to make this vegan cheese sauce - step by step
Step 1 - Soften the pumpkin seeds
Cover the pumpkin seeds with boiling water and set them aside for 20 minutes.
I like to use an electric kettle to boil water because it does the job much faster than on the stovetop.
Step 2 - Prepare the potatoes and carrots
While the pumpkin seeds are soaking, peel and cut the potatoes and carrots into very small chunks.
Add the potatoes and carrots to a 2-quart pot.
Cover with water, and bring to a boil and cook until tender (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Step 3 - Blend the ingredients
Add nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, lemon juice and water to a high-powered blender.
Drain pumpkin seeds along with 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 until the ingredients are well-incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy (approximately 2 minutes).
Please note that this recipe makes a pretty thick sauce.
Therefore, if you like your cheese sauce a little thinner, you can add 1-2 tablespoons more water.
What can this "cheese" be used for?
This creamy cheese sauce is perfect to serve over veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower or as a dip for tortilla chips or French fries.
It's also great on our pinto bean tacos, vegan nachos, sweet potato black bean burgers and chili stuffed sweet potatoes.
Whether you pour it on or dip into it, the options are endless!
And if you like mac and cheese, I've also got a plant-based mac and cheese using a modified version of this sauce.
Can I use sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds?
Yes, but the overall flavor of the cheese sauce will be a little more mild.
Can I use sweet potatoes instead of yellow or gold potatoes?
Yes, but doing so will result in a sweeter taste.
And, the measurements will be a little different. Instead of 1 3/4 cups chopped Yukon Gold potatoes, use 1 1/2 cups chopped sweet potatoes.
You will also have to add more water. Start with 3/4 cup water and add more as needed in 1-tablespoon increments.
Can I use cauliflower instead of potatoes?
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 3/4 cups). Boil the cauliflower along with the carrots just as the directions note for the potatoes.
Instead of 1/2 cup water, start with 3/4 cup and add 1-2 more tablespoons after blending if needed to thin out.
Storing and reheating
Cheese sauce can be stored in an airtight 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.
For a nacho version of this recipe, check out our Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce next.
If you're not nut-free, you might also enjoy our Cashew Cheese Sauce.
Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 3/4 cup peeled and chopped yellow or gold potatoes (chopped into small pieces of similar size)
- 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots (chopped into small pieces of similar size)
- 1/2 cup filtered water (plus more if needed)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
Instructions
- Cover pumpkin seeds with boiling water and set aside for 20 minutes
- Add the potatoes and carrots to a 2-quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft (approximately 10-15 minutes once boiling).
- Add 1/2 cup water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and turmeric to a high-powered blender.
- Drain pumpkin seeds along with the potatoes and carrots in a mesh strainer (5 1/2" or 7 7/8" 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 (approximately 2 minutes). Please note this recipe makes a thick sauce. If the sauce is too thick for your liking after you've used 1/2 cup water, you can add 1-2 tablespoons more water and blend again.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
Nutrition
©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.
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 easy and so delicious. Love the idea of using pepitas. So rich and delicious! Beautiful photos. Take care
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Bobbi! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂