This vegan bechamel sauce is made with only 5 simple ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes! You'll be blown away at the creamy flavor.
It's amazing how simple whole food ingredients can come together to get a traditional dairy flavor. This is the perfect sub for anything that uses bechamel!

This post was originally published on December 27, 2021.
Add this to your list of homemade, dairy free alternatives like Alfredo Sauce, Authentic Tzatziki, and Sour Cream. Whether you are dairy free or simple trying to reduce how much dairy you eat, you won't miss a thing!
Ingredients
I grew up with my mom making the best bechamel sauce, AKA white sauce, for a variety of Greek dishes like moussaka and pastitsio. So when I created this dairy free alternative I had to make sure it tasted just like my moms!
Béchamel is typically made with butter, flour, and milk. This white sauce is often referred to as a "mother sauce", since it is used as a base for many flavors and recipes.
However this vegan bechamel sauce recipe uses only whole food, plant based ingredients to make the best silky, creamy texture!
- Raw cashews
- Cooked potato
- Veggie broth
- Seasonings
How to Make Vegan Béchamel
This easy white sauce recipe is basically one step!
- Blend everything in a high speed blender.
- Use your vegan bechamel in all the recipes!
What to Make and Serve with Béchamel Sauce
Use this dairy free white sauce to create fabulous plant based recipes like these:
- Lasagna
- Moussaka
- Pastitsio
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole
- Cauliflower Casserole
- Broccoli Casserole
- Serve with biscuits and a vegan egg for breakfast
- Drizzle over a Baked Potato or Roasted Carrots
- Use as a dip for Baked Eggplant Fries or Asparagus Fries
- Or enjoy as a vegan white sauce for pasta!
Flavor Suggestions
The flavor in this vegan white sauce recipe is mild and can be enhanced with a number of ingredients. Try mixing in any of the following to pair with your favorite foods:
- Vegan Parmesan
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Bay Leaf
- Parsley
- Onion
- Chives
- Tomato Purée
- Lemon
Preparation Tips
- If you do not have a high-speed blender you need to prepare the cashews.
- Soak them overnight, boil for 30 minutes, or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
- White pepper is used in this vegan bechamel recipe to keep the color of the sauce smooth without any spots. You may substitute for black pepper but you will be able to see it.
- This sauce is ready in no time, even faster if you prep the potato in advance.
- Cook the potato and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days before making the sauce.
Storage Tips
- Store vegan bechamel sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can also freeze the sauce for up to 3 months.
- Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
Common Questions
Béchamel is a creamy white sauce with a mild taste used in recipes like lasagna, moussaka, and pastitsio. It is also known as the "mother sauce", as you can easily transform it into more recipes.
Making bechamel vegan can be as simple as using olive oil in place of butter, and a dairy free milk. Or, simply blend broth, potatoes, cashews, and seasonings.
Yes you can! This recipe uses potatoes and cashews to create the creamy consistency without the flour.
More Vegan Sauce Recipes
Once you've mastered the staple of vegan bechamel, try out some more vegan sauces! Finish off the best meals and treats with these easy to make plant based sauce recipes:
5 Ingredient Vegan Bechamel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews , see note
- 1 cup cooked potato , about 1 medium
- ¾ cup veggie broth
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon white pepper , see note
- Dash nutmeg , optional depending on recipe making
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until nice and smooth.
- Use as needed.
Notes
- If you are not using a high-speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight, boil them for 30 minutes or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
- You can use regular black pepper in place of white pepper in both parts of this recipe, the white allows the béchamel to look smooth without any black spots in it.
- This makes about 1 ¾ cups. Serving size is ¼ cup.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Sarah
Too. Good. I used this to make a gravy-like sauce for biscuits and my traditional gravy loving husband devoured it!