Magic happens when whole foods come together to create this ultra sharp, ultra rich, ultra creamy vegan white cheese sauce, but without the actual dairy. Pure addiction in every bite!
Some say magic can’t happen twice. I tend to disagree. Case in point…cheese sauce. And not just any cheese sauce, but artisan style vegan sharp white cheese sauce. But without the actual cheese. Yup, I took my original Ultimate “Cheese” Sauce, and created it’s first cousin. It’s not only made from veggies, but it has no real dairy and no added fats or oils in it. Just pure whole food goodness!
When the 3 year old eats it, it must be good.
It really is that creamy. Your eyes do not deceive you. I ultimately knew I nailed this one when my 3 year old declared that he wanted this every night for dinner. Then proceeded to eat 3 bowls. Yes, 3.
This vegan white cheese sauce is creamy and sharp with that perfect bite, just like all the dairy filled cheesy sauces you eat at a restaurant….except that this vegan white cheese sauce is actually created with vegetables and all whole foods!
Making vegan white cheese sauce is actually quite easy!
The other great thing about this vegan white cheese sauce is that it is super easy, just like my other one! Same deal:
- Boil and roast.
- Blend.
- Stuff face.
Oh and if you don’t have a high speed blender, make sure to grind or soak those cashews to give yourself the chance of getting that ultimate creamy texture.
I am SO excited to hear what you think about this cheese sauce version! My original ultimate vegan cheese sauce is still to this day my most popular recipe. This unique twist to the original is so good, and has a delicious sharp bite. So make, share, and get your dairy loving friends to give this a try.
This recipe was originally published on 12/3/2015
Magic happens when whole foods come together to create this ultra sharp, ultra rich, ultra creamy vegan white cheese sauce, but without the actual dairy. Pure addiction in every bite!
- 2 cups starchy potato (about 3-4 potatoes, see note)
- 2 tablespoons yellow pepper (about 1/3 of a medium sized pepper)
- 3 tablespoons yellow carrots (about 4-5 yellow baby carrots or one medium sized)
- 5 tablespoons sweet or yellow onion (about 1/2 a small)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (see note)
- 1 teaspoon roasted garlic (about 2-4 cloves, depending on size)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons mustard seed powder (use less or more according to how sharp you like the flavor)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons chickpea miso
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (can use less or more depending on taste preference)
- Your favorite pasta if making Mac and Cheese
Roast the garlic by peeling and wrapping it in tin foil with a splash of veggie broth. Roast at 400 F (205 C), in a regular or toaster oven, while you cook the veggies.
Put potatoes (peel if you don't want specks of skin), yellow pepper, carrots, onion and cashews in a pot and cover with water. If you don't have a high speed blender and are grinding the cashews, then don't boil but grind them dry and place them in the blender.
Cook over high heat until water boils, about 15 minutes if uncovered. Turn heat to medium and boil another 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
When done, drain water (keeping some to thin out sauce if prefer a thinner sauce), separate veggies and put the cashews in the blender. I use a fork to fish out the veggies, then drain the cashews over a pasta strainer.
Measure out the needed amount of each veggie and place each in the blender. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Blend on high until you get a creamy gooey consistency. If you have a tamper tool use it to help mix the sauce as it blends. If you don’t have one, then you will need to stop and push down the ingredients every once in a while.
Taste and adjust ground mustard seed for a sharper flavor if desired.
If you want to thin it out, add some of the reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency. Use it while it's nice and hot!
- Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta reserving about 1 cup pasta water in case you want your mac and cheese a little thinner.
- Add the pasta back into the pot and add desired amount of cheese sauce. Mix well. Try and add a touch more salt if needed.
Then add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well in between additions, until you get the desired consistency for your Mac and Cheese. If your pasta is too starchy (as some gluten free pastas are) you can also use regular water or even non dairy milk to do this. Add salt if needed, it most likely will since the sauce is no longer as concentrated. Devour!
- Makes 3 1/2 cups sauce. Serving size for nutrition info is 1/2 cup.
- Nutrition info is for cheese sauce only.
- I used red potatoes but any starchy potato will work, just don’t use sweet. It also won't work to substitute with something that is not an actual potato (such as another root vegetable).
- If you are not using a high speed blender, you can grind the dry cashews into a fine powder using a coffee grinder (do not boil them for this method). You can also soak them overnight prior to boiling with the veggies.
- You can make this nut free by eliminating the nuts, however you will lose some of the thickness and creaminess. It will still be pretty good in taste, but just lacking some of those elements. You can also try subbing with another nut if you are allergic to cashews, I suggest walnuts or macadamias, however the flavor will be different. I did try it with multiple nuts and liked the taste of the cashews best.
- If you don’t have chickpea miso, you can try using a white miso although it will be a little more mild in flavor so you may need more, especially if you want it nice and sharp tasting.
- I did not add any liquid to this when I made it, but depending on what you use it for, you may want to thin it out with some water, water from the boiled veggies or pasta water if making mac and cheese.
- You can reheat this in the microwave or in a pot with a splash of nondairy milk (I use cashew) and mix well. Add splashes of milk and mix until you have the right consistency. It may need more salt depending on how much milk you add.
- You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container as it freezes great. Defrost slowly when ready to eat. You may think it didn't freeze well, but as you heat it up the consistency comes back!
Tips to prep ahead:
- Cook the veggies and roast the garlic. Store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use.
Baby/toddler food idea:
- This can be mixed into any baby food or be used for a toddler as a dip. You could also just blend the veggies on their own for baby.
- Cut the sharpness by reducing the mustard for younger kids.
Krista Burbach says
OMG! I just made this sauce for the first time and I cannot believe how much it tastes like a regular dairy cheese sauce!!!! We have been eating WFPB no oil for 18 months and I thought I would never have good Mac and cheese again…until today! Thank you so much!
veggiesdontbite says
Yay! I am so happy to hear Krista! Thanks so much for telling me!!
Micke says
I just made this for dinner tonight. It’s good! I used orange carrot and pepper, so it is a pale yellow color. Even with 1 spoon full, the mustard flavor was a bit too much– I will reduce that and add more miso next time. We like nutritional yeast as a spice in our house and I think adding it would certainly compliment the flavors. It was nice as a sauce/dip. I look forward to trying it on pasta. Definitely a keeper.
veggiesdontbite says
So happy you liked it! Definitely adjust the sharpness to your liking!
Ashley says
I am allergic to chickpeas and soy. Is there anything I can sub for the miso? Such as a non soy “soy sauce”?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Ashley, I looked and there is a miso out there that is soy free and not chickpea based (http://www.southrivermiso.com/store/p/3-Azuki-Bean-Miso.html) and there are probably more. However if you want to leave it out you can, it just won’t be the exact same. You will need to up the other tangy ingredients to get that sharpness though (vinegar and mustard seed). You can try the soy sauce idea but I haven’t tried it so not sure of the flavor it gives! Let me know!
Alicia says
Is it possible to make this in a food processor? I don’t have a blender.
Thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Alicia! So a food processor probably wont give you the creamy smoothness like a blender does. You can definitely try, and flavor will be good, but texture will not be the same.
Lucy says
This is amazing, made to use as Mac and cheese, was wonderful my cheese eating children had seconds. Tonight made again to go with cauliflower cheese looks amazing so far! Ps I used normal miso paste and orange carrots xxx
veggiesdontbite says
Oh I am so so happy to hear!!! Thank you so much for letting me know. Yes, the normal miso and orange carrots work just fine. Let me know if I can be of any help!
Joseph says
Made this yesterday and my wife is totally in love with it, thanks for sharing! The cheese taste awesome!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you liked it!! Thanks so much for letting me know! I am publishing a new cheeseball recipe, I think you guys would like it!
Emilie says
I’ve been wanting to try this for a while…finally found chickpea miso, but not yellow carrots! I went ahead anyway, knowing it would be more orange in color. I got a little nervous while blending it – I have an older blender – but as I was pushing down the veggies periodically, I finally got a glimpse of what it was turning into! The taste and smoothness is fantastic. Love it…can’t wait to put it on everything! 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Oh yay!!! So glad you loved it!! Yes, orange carrots work just fine. It’s merely esthetic to have the yellow. Thank you for trying it out!
Emilie says
Oh just one question, though I assume I did it right because it was so perfect. The seasonings go in when ready to blend everything, right? (this is how I did it.) It didn’t seem like they’d go into the boiling veggies.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Emilie! Yep, into the blender not when boiling. So glad you liked it!
Su says
Absolutely outstanding cheese sauce. I used walnuts instead of cashews. Just as is, reminds me of Welsh rarebit made from sharp cheddar. Would be wonderful poured over toasted pumpernickel bread. I put it over roasted veggies- broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, carrot, and peppers.
veggiesdontbite says
Wow!! Thank you so much for letting me know! That’s great to know that you loved it even with using walnuts. Thank you for your support and being reader!
Stephanie says
It is so thick and smooth. Love this cheese sauce. And the pics are beyond amazing.
Stephanie @ https://smiletutor.sg/
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much for the kind comment. I am so happy you love it as much as we do!!
Christine says
I too thought this rather bland. Sorted it with nooch and extra apple cider vinegar along with Dijon mustard (as well as the mustard powder). Oh and also used a whole onion and put 6 cloves of garlic in with the veges while boiling. Great recipe base though. Thank you so much.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Christine! Bland is not one I have heard for this particular sauce. If followed exactly as written it definitely has a sharp flavor (others have said almost too sharp which is why I have a range for the mustard). So if you did add extra stuff that would have contributed to the change in flavor. Also if you are a fan of the sauces using nutritional yeast, that may be part of it as well. I am not a fan of those so this recipe flavor was created to satisfy my taste, which may just be different than what you are looking for! Thanks for trying though!
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
This looks perfect! I tried making a white-ish cheese sauce with cannellini beans instead of potatoes, and it turned out fabulously! I definitely have been wanting to try making a potato-based cheese sauce. Looks amazing!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Cassie! We love this one when we want a more artisan flavored variety!
Edward Smith says
Hi Sophia,
I note that the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of roasted garlic. The recipe states that this is about 4 cloves. I thought 4 cloves would be about a 1 tablespoon. Just thought I would check before I make this… thanks for all your great recipes…
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Edward! I updated the recipe to say between 2-4 cloves depending on size. However do note that roasted garlic is soft and almost turns into a paste, versus fresh garlic when chopped is not. So I used 4 small/average sized cloves to get my 1 teaspoon. I would roast 3-4 and then measure out the teaspoon you need. You can always spread the leftover roasted garlic on toast! YUM!
Sharon says
What brand chickpea miso do you use? Thanks
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Sharon! I just looked and it’s the miso master organic brand. Orange container!
Andrea says
Overall I really liked this recipe! It is a great consistency and overall good taste and creaminess. I think I may have used the wrong product for the mustard. I used Coleman’s dried mustard. The aftertaste of this cheese sauce is distinctively mustard-y (I really like mustard and this was for a philly cheeze “steak” recipe so the flavor is fine.) Should I have used a different mustard product? I did put a little less than two teaspoons because I wasn’t 100% sure I had the right ingredient. I did add a bit more miso, salt, and vinegar after the first taste. I want to make this again and would definitely use this for mac and cheeze but I have to figure out the mustard thing first. Thanks for a great recipe though!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Andrea!! So I changed recipe card plugins and unfortunately in the transfer some things did not carry over correctly. I am fixing them one by one but hadn’t got to this one yet. I updated it! I put a range for the mustard powder, as I find some is stronger than others. I think what you have is right but it may be a stronger variety. I would just decrease it! Thank you so much for getting in touch!
Karsen Delgado says
This is the best cheddar like cheese sauce I’ve tried! I was pleasantly surprised. My son ran to the pantry and got some chips to dip it in- and it was a success! I’ve done mac n cheese with it and am planning on a fondue night with bread and steamed veggies!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you love it and are able to use it in so many ways! We are having a fondue night next weekend and I will be using it as well! Thanks for being here.
JD says
This makes a great sharp cheesy flavor. Its even good without the miso, just not as sharp and cheesy as it is with it. But it’s still quite creamy.
Janelle says
Would russet potatoes work too? That’s all I have. This looks delicious!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Janelle! Yep. They should work just fine!
Livie says
Absolutely love this recipe! However, I wonder whether you might be able to add measurements in grams, especially for the vegetables. It would help me a lot :).
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Livie! Thanks so much! Unfortunately I only post the measurements that I use because taking the time to convert all of my recipes takes extra time away from my 3 little boys who are my first priority. I post my recipes for all to have on my site and that already takes so much time. Sorry, wish I could do more but it isn’t something I know how to do without going to an online converter and I just don’t have the extra time right now. But I know there are online resource that you could plug all the measurements in to get grams!
Hannah says
This looks delicious! I am excited to try it. What does “Yields 4” mean? 4 servings? 4 cups? Thank you!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Hannah! Thank you!! So sorry, my recipe card cuts things off sometimes. I just fixed it! It’s about 4 cups sauce. Let me know how it turns out!
Chloe says
Help! I am new to the plant based game. What is chickpea miso and where can I find it? I found a chickpea miso broth base on amazon that is a powder. Is this what I should use? I stumbled across your blog thanks to Pinterest and this looks delish!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Chloe! So glad to have you!! No. That isn’t the right stuff. Whole Foods (or a place like it) or an Asian market will carry miso paste. If you can’t find chickpea use regular mellow white miso. You may need more but try and add if it tastes like it needs more. Let me know if you need anything else!
Kelley says
I know I’m late to the game, but I just made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! My hubby and I are vegan and I’ve been trying to encourage him that eating a whole foods diet can be delicious – he loved this dish! Can’t wait to make it again 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
You are never late to the game! It’s always the right time to enter the cheese sauce obsession. LOL! Thank you so much for making it and sharing your feedback. It makes my day to hear these comments!
Julie says
Yum! This looks amazing. I’m off to the supermarket this morning to buy ingredients. Thanks for the ‘freezing’ tip, I’ve always been a bit dubious about freezing recipes that list potato. ?
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Julie!! Yes, the freezing works! The first time I took it out and let it defrost, I thought that it would be trash. But low and behold as you slowly heat it up it melts back to gooey sauce! Just give it a good mix over heat!
Sherrie says
I did a half recipe to try, and used an orange carrot. I also just threw the cashews in with the veggies to boil. It turned out the exact pale orange color of nacho cheese sauce, which I think would be another excellent use for it – tried it on chips and yes it is! Very tasty, WAY better than the nooch “cheese” sauces I’ve tried, though I actually found it quite mild. What a genius thought to use the gluey-ness of pureed hot potato to give a natural melty cheese texture!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Sherrie! First, I love your idea of just boiling the cashews with the veggies!! Totally adding that to the notes. I’m so happy that you loved it! Yep, if you use the orange carrot it’s a pretty pale orange color. Have you tried my Original Cheese Sauce? It’s great too! If you want it sharper, you must have a great palate for sharp cheese, then feel free to up the mustard and miso! Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your ideas!!