This vegan bechamel sauce tastes amazing! You'll never know it's made with simple whole food ingredients to get that traditional dairy flavor.
Add it to your list of homemade, dairy free alternatives like Alfredo Sauce, Authentic Tzatziki, and Sour Cream.
I grew up with my mom making bechamel 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!
How to Make Vegan Béchamel
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, it's easy to make a silky, creamy, béchamel with only whole food, plant based ingredients!
Ingredients
- Raw cashews
- Cooked potato
- Veggie broth
- Seasonings
Step by Step Instructions
- Blend everything in a high speed blender.
- Use in recipes!
What to Make and Serve with Béchamel Sauce
Use this vegan 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
Flavor Suggestions
The flavor in this 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 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
- Seal the finished sauce in an airtight container and place 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.
You can use 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
Finish off the best meals and treats with these easy to make plant based sauce recipes:
- Authentic Vegan Tzatziki
- White Cheese Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Caramel Sauce
- Chocolate Syrup
- Passion Fruit Syrup
The Best 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!