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    Home » Vegan Cheese Recipes

    Vegan Cheese Sauce

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

    pouring cheese sauce onto a plate of broccoli with text overlay

    This rich and creamy vegan cheese sauce is nut-free, oil-free, soy-free and gluten-free. Pour this "cheddar-style" sauce on all your favorite veggies, tacos, nachos and more! You can also use it as a dip for French fries and tortilla chips!

    Jump to Recipe
    vegan cheese sauce being poured onto broccoli on a white plate

    First, I’d like to share a little ditty I call The Day I Gave Up Cheese (sung to the tune of "American Pie" by Don McLean).

    ♪ 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.” ♫

    holding a tortilla chip with cheese sauce dripping off of it over the bowl of the rest of it

    Prize winning song parody?

    Maybe.

    A winning vegan cheese sauce recipe?

    Heck yeah!

    So instead of enjoying “cheddar cheese-laden” fries, how about enjoying some vegan cheese-laden fries instead?

    So, let's get to some cheese making, shall we?

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to make nut-free vegan cheese sauce - step by step
    • Storing and reheating
    • Ideas for serving
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More dairy-free "cheese" sauce recipes
    • Recipe
    small bowl of broccoli with cup of cheese sauce next to it

    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 Yukon Gold to work best.
    • Nutritional Yeast
    • Lemon Juice
    • Water
    • Salt
    • Garlic Powder
    • Onion Powder
    • Turmeric

    How to make nut-free vegan cheese sauce - step by step

    Step 1 - Soften the pumpkin seeds

    Cover the pumpkin seeds with boiling water and set them aside for 20-30 minutes.

    Pouring boiling water on pumpkin seeds

    I like to use an electric kettle to boil water because it does the job much faster than on the stovetop.

    boiling water in an electric kettle

    Step 2 - Cook the potatoes and carrots

    While the pumpkin seeds are soaking, 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 15-20 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.

    Step 3 - Blend the ingredients

    Add nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, lemon juice and water to a high-powered blender.

    overhead of some of the ingredients in blender

    Drain pumpkin seeds along with the potatoes and carrots in a mesh strainer and add to the blender.

    potatoes, carrots and pumpkin seeds added to blender

    Secure the lid and blend on high.

    ingredients blending in blender

    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).

    cheese sauce in blender after blending

    Please note that this recipe makes a pretty thick sauce.

    Therefore, if you like your cheese sauce a little thinner, you can add 1-3 tablespoons more water.

    If you're not avoiding oil, you can also add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to smooth out the sauce.

    Ingredients for vegan cheese sauce in a blender

    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.

    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 or 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!

    And if you like mac and cheese, I've also got a plant-based mac and cheese using a modified version of this sauce.

    overhead of a serving of mac and cheese in a bowl with a fork next to it

    Frequently asked questions

    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 Yukon gold potatoes?

    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.

    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 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.

    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 recipe, check out our Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce next.

    If you're not avoiding or allergic to nuts, you might also enjoy our Cashew Cheese Sauce.

    Recipe

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

    Vegan Cheese Sauce

    This rich and creamy vegan cheese sauce is nut-free, oil-free, soy-free and gluten-free. Pour this "cheddar-style" sauce on all your favorite veggies, tacos, nachos and more! You can also use it as a dip for French fries and tortilla chips!
    Course Condiment, Dip, Snack
    Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
    Keyword gluten free, nut free, oil 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 69kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
    • 1 ¾ cup peeled and chopped Yukon Gold or other gold potatoes (cubes or chunks about ¾" to 1" thick)
    • 1 cup peeled and diced carrots (medium dice, about ½" thick)
    • ½ cup filtered water (plus more if needed)
    • ½ cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 ½-2 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt (depending on taste preference)
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ tsp onion powder
    • ⅛ tsp turmeric

    Instructions

    • Cover the pumpkin seeds with boiling water and set aside for 20-30 minutes
    • While the pumpkin seeds are soaking, add the potatoes and carrots to a 2-quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until *very soft (approximately 15-20 minutes once boiling).
    • Add ½ cup water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and turmeric to a high-powered blender. 
    • Drain the pumpkin seeds along with 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 (approximately 2 minutes). Please note this recipe makes a thick sauce. If the sauce is too thick for your liking after you've used ½ cup water, you can add 1-3 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

    Electric Kettle
    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: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 2g
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    ©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.

    « Vegan Parmesan Cheese
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    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 😉 Good luck with your cleanse and hope you enjoy the "cheese." 🙂

        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! 🙂

        Reply
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    Sherri

    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

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

    Learn more about me

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