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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Vegan Cheese Recipes

    Vegan Cheese Sauce

    Published: Mar 13, 2019 by Sherri Hall Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    pouring cheese sauce onto a plate of broccoli with text overlay
    This rich and creamy nut-free vegan cheese sauce is perfect on all your favorite veggies, tacos, nachos and more! You can also use it as a dip for French fries and tortilla chips! Soy-free and gluten-free too.
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    JUMP TO RECIPE
    cheese sauce being poured onto plate of broccoli

    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. 😉

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this vegan cheese recipe
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to make nut-free vegan cheese sauce
    • Storing and reheating
    • Ideas for serving
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More dairy-free "cheese" sauce recipes
    • Vegan Cheese Sauce
    holding a tortilla chip with cheese sauce dripping off of it over the bowl of the rest of it

    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.

    small bowl of broccoli with cup of cheese sauce next to it

    How to make nut-free vegan cheese sauce

    Add the chopped potatoes and carrots to a 2-quart pot.

    Chopped carrots and potatoes in a 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.

    overhead of some of the ingredients in 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.

    cheese sauce in blender after blending
    Ingredients for vegan cheese sauce in a blender

    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.

    cheese sauce in white serving bowl with tortilla chips around it

    Ideas for serving

    This creamy cheese sauce is perfect to serve over veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower.

    vegan cheese sauce being poured onto broccoli on a white plate

    Or use it as a dip for tortilla chips, French fries or these air fryer frozen sweet potato fries.

    stream of cheese sauce being poured onto a plate of broccoli

    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

    Can I use sweet potatoes instead of Yukon gold potatoes?

    Yes, but doing so will result in a sweeter taste. And, the measurements will be a little different. Instead of 1 ΒΎ cups chopped Yukon Gold potatoes, use 1 Β½ cups chopped sweet potatoes. You will also have to add more water. Start with ΒΎ 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 ΒΎ cups). Boil the cauliflower along with the carrots just as the directions note for the potatoes. Instead of Β½ cup water, start with ΒΎ cup and add 1-2 more tablespoons after blending, if needed, to thin out.

    dipping a tortilla chip into the cheese sauce in a white serving bowl

    More dairy-free "cheese" sauce recipes

    For a nacho version of this great recipe, check out our Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce next.

    cheese sauce being poured onto plate of broccoli
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 12 votes

    Vegan Cheese Sauce

    This rich and creamy nut-free vegan cheese sauce is perfect on all your favorite veggies, tacos, nachos and more! You can also use it as a dip for French fries and tortilla chips! Soy-free and gluten-free too.
    Course Condiment, Dip, Snack
    Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
    Keyword gluten free, nut free, soy-free, vegan, vegan cheese
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 8 (makes approximately 2 cups)
    Calories 112kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    • 1 Β½ 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)
    • Β½ cup nutritional yeast
    • ΒΌ cup olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 2 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
    • ΒΌ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ΒΌ 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 Β½ 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 Β½" or 7 β…ž" 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 Β½ 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

    Vegetable Peeler
    High-Powered Blender
    Mesh Strainer

    Notes

    *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.
    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.
    The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 2g

    ©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.

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    1. Lizzy

      August 09, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      5 stars
      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)

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        August 09, 2021 at 8:08 pm

        Thanks Lizzy! Glad you enjoy my humor; it drives my kids bonkers lol πŸ˜‰ Good luck with your cleanse and hope you enjoy the "cheese." πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Angie

      November 10, 2020 at 12:49 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        November 10, 2020 at 2:50 pm

        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! πŸ™‚

        Reply
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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

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