Creamy gooey cheesy goodness without the actual cheese! You will be amazed at how this combination of veggies and spices create this out of this world creamy vegan cheese sauce!
A good cheese sauce is a must have staple in any diet, vegan or not. I mean, what’s better than sitting down with a bag of tortilla chips and some gooey creamy salty cheesy dip? When that dip is no other than a vegan cheese sauce made out of whole foods. That’s what. Don’t think it’s possible? Plants really are magic friends.
Finding the ultimate vegan cheese sauce
Two years. That’s how long I wasted my money trying vegan cheese sauces. Some were decent, some straight up didn’t even deserve the trash. My biggest complaint? Nutritional yeast. Sorry friends, but it just does not taste cheesy to me. Which is why no yeast was harmed in the making of this vegan cheese sauce.
So what did I harm? Veggies. My goal was to create a sauce that didn’t make you bloated, puffy or gross. Basically like every dairy filled processed cheese sauce out there made me feel. But I so wanted that flavor again, so I stuck to my guns and didn’t quit until I had a cheesy like deliciousness I couldn’t stop eating.
Wait, so you’re saying veggies make cheese?
Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. I came across my idea for this through a mistake I made when trying to puree some potatoes for the pizza crust for my Thai Chickpea and Veggies Pizza. I put the potatoes into my Vitamix at full speed instead of the food processor, because frankly I was just too lazy to get it out, and the result was a gooey, stretchy, sticky mess. Which of course reminds me of cheese and the rest is history!
So veggies became the base of this crazy idea of mine, and of course my key to creaminess, the heavenly…cashew. Now if you’re reading this and think, DANG I CAN’T HAVE NUTS! I’m so very sorry. But we can, and I needed to pull all the stops to get that ultimate vegan cheese flavor. I have had a few people make this without the cashews, and they still gave it a thumbs up.
I tried a variety of combinations for this, I did after all spend years of trial and error, and cashews were what hit the nail on the head for me. Feel free to try another nut (if you can’t have cashews, I’d try macadamias or walnuts. Maybe pine nuts.) You can try the sunflower seed idea that others use to create nut free cheese sauces, but in all honesty it wasn’t for me. But if you try something different, please make sure to let me know what worked and didn’t so others can learn as well!
The key to making this the most perfect vegan cheese sauce ever
When it comes to creating magic, there are few key things to remember:
- Follow the darn recipe. Please. Unless you are trying this nut free or subbing white miso for the chickpea variety, please please try this the way it is written. And if you don’t, and it turns out awful, for the love please don’t rate this as a bad recipe when you didn’t follow directions.
- You do not need a high speed blender, like a Vitamix, to make this. If you have a regular good blender you can still get creamy awesomeness by grinding the cashews with a coffee grinder. I have had to do this and it actually works! Grind them dry and simply add to the blender with everything else. You can also soak them overnight before boiling with the veggies, but this still may not give as creamy of a result as the grinding.
- When you measure the veggies, measure them packed in not just loosely scooped up.
- You can freeze this so you can have vegan cheese sauce at your fingertips any time! When you defrost, leave it on the counter all day so it can slowly come to room temp. Then slowly heat it in the microwave and stir well. Don’t be weirded out be the firm consistency, it will become saucy again! You can heat it up on the stove if you want, but you may need a drizzle of milk to help it thin out.
How do I use this epic vegan cheese sauce?
The question really should be, how do you NOT use it! SO many things you can do, so little time. Here are some of my top faves:
- Mac and cheese of course, SO good.
- Drizzle it over veggies, okay maybe it’s more of a drench than a drizzle.
- Nacho cheese dip, I add chopped nacho jalapeño slices.
- 7 Layer Taco Dip
- Roasted Poblano Mac and Cheese
- Mexican Nacho Burger
- Eat it with a spoon…Don’t judge, just try it.
This recipe was originally published on 7/8/2015
Creamy gooey cheesy goodness without the actual cheese! You will be amazed at how this combination of veggies and spices create this out of this world creamy vegan cheese sauce!
- 2 cups cooked potato (about 3-4 potatoes, see note)
- 2 tablespoons cooked red pepper (about 1/3 of a medium sized pepper)
- 3 tablespoons cooked orange carrot (about 4-5 baby carrots or one medium sized)
- 5 tablespoons cooked 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)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon chickpea miso (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 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), red 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.
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 nice and hot!
- Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta reserving about 1 cup pasta water.
- Add the pasta back into the pot and add desired amount of cheese sauce.
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 or just boil them 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. See the comments for others that have tried using white miso.
- 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.
UPDATE 2/2019:
I had a reader make this with success using her instapot for the veggies. She threw all the ingredients into the instant pot with 2 cups of water (she put the garlic in raw). Set it to manual high pressure for 5 minutes, let it naturally release then blended in a high speed blender until smooth.
Payton says
Ooh I love a good vegan mac n cheese! I love how it’s made with veggies since I try not to eat vegan cheese too often, so this seems like a great substitute! I’ll have to try this recipe out some time. (:
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Payton! It’s one of my most popular recipes! Hope you enjoy it.
Regina says
I think you really did find the very best vegan cheese sauce!!! I used light yellow miso once and chicken bouillon once. Both worked, but the miso was much better. I cooked all the veggies in an instant pot for 10 minutes on high pressure, made this so easy. I didn’t have enough potato, so I split the recipe in half and made half as written and the other half subbing cauliflower for potato and that was excellent and very, very, very similar in taste. I used the cauliflower version for dinner when I didn’t want any starchy food and the potato version for lunches when I wanted something rich and filling!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you liked it! And that you found success with the cauliflower! Thank you so much!
Erica Morrow says
Amazing! I can’t wait to test it out on the kids 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Let me know what they think!
Amanda says
So I didn’t love this recipe but it wasn’t awful by any means! I could strongly taste the red bell pepper, so in the future, could I just leave it out and maybe add another baby carrot or two? I also followed some of the other reviewers and had to use white miso (and more of it). It still didn’t taste cheesy to me so … brace yourself …. I added nooch 🙈 It was amazing (for me and my tastes) after that! Oh and I’m also here to say the grinding of the cashews in a coffee grinder is friggin genius! Huge thank you from a busy, scatterbrained mom who’s trying to get her kids to eat better! Thank you!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Amanda! Haha! We definitely all have different tastes, if nutritional yeast is something you love, then go for it! It’s just not my thing and it doesn’t taste cheesy to me. But again, we all have different preferences which is what keeps life exciting. As for the red pepper, I’m curious if you weighed the ingredients or used the measurements? I put in exact weights to make sure the ratios worked for that perfect flavor. So it may just be the measurement you put in. I’d try putting a little less, I do think it contributes to the overall flavor. However if you are adding the nutritional yeast, then you may be good without it and adding more carrot. But you don’t want the carrot flavor to overpower either. Let me know what end up working out for you!
lupe lopez says
i really want to make this today but i don’t have chickpea miso or ground mustard seed.. is there any other thing i can use to substitute these two ingredients or can i make the cheese without this??
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Lupe! Both of those add great cheesy flavor to the sauce. You can definitely leave them out but it won’t be as good as the original. And you will need to up the salt since the miso is salty. You can use regular miso as well, and maybe a tiny bit of dijon mustard.
Megan says
This is by far the best vegan cheese sauce I’ve ever made! My review is long overdue, but I wanted to make sure to come say thank you! I try to eyeball the potato/red pepper/carrot/onion before they boil so I don’t waste anything, but I inevitably end up tossing some pieces. My only wish is that the recipe would call for pre-boiling measurements so I don’t have to deal with measuring the hot, soft, soggy vegetables. If anyone has any tips on that part, please share! Until then, I’ll suck it up and keep making this because it’s just so delicious. Try it on broccoli or baked potatoes! 💜
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Megan!! Thank you so much for the great review! I am thrilled you like it. It’s really hard to list preboiling measurements because you can’t really get the exact amount with hard veggies. When they are boiled and soft, you can shape them into the measuring tool or weigh them. I tried to give approximates in the recipe for the raw veggies. One thing I do, is I save the extras and freeze them. Eventually I have enough for another batch and nothing is wasted!
Alex says
Thanks!! We’re newly vegan and I hate the vegan cheeses. I have a toddler so Mac and cheese is a staple. I will have to add less salt next time but otherwise it was great! I tried it all in the instant pot and then straight into my vitamix! Soooo easy!! I could only find mild yellow miso though. It comes in such a large tub to only use 1tsp. Can I just freeze the whole container and scoop out a serving each time I make it?
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you like it Alex!!! Yes, the Instapot is a great way to cook it all! I have been doing that lately too! As for the miso, it lasts FOREVER. It’s a fermented food so doesn’t really go bad. I keep mine in the fridge. Here is a quote straight from a miso site: Miso is a “preservative food,” that can be kept for a long period of time due to its salt content. If kept in your refrigerator, miso itself does not go bad. In terms of the quality of the taste, miso should remain relatively consistent for up to one year.
Marilyn says
OmyGOD !!! I finally made your cheese sauce…late to the party, I know. This is THE BEST CHEESE SAUCE EVER !!!! I HATE nutritional yeast…have tried leaving it out and adding I bit of mustard and miso as someone suggested. Umm..nope! I was hopeful about yours because of all the great comments, but still doubtful. I have NO MORE DOUBTS !!! You have made my plant-based journey happy again! Thank you so much for this and all your delicious recipes…just recently found you…..will not lose you..that’s for sure!!! xxx
veggiesdontbite says
This made my night! Thank you so much for the great review. I am so so happy you like it!! And not late at all, I’m always here for new readers and am so happy to have you!
Shera says
I wrote a comment, but now don’t see it, so will write again. I made the cheese sauce exactly per recipe to make poblano Mac and cheese. The sauce has a nice flavor, but did not become gooey, so it is not like cheese sauce. I know I did something wrong, because you and many others have had success. Just trying to figure out what I did wrong. The potatoes were Yukon gold; maybe that type is not starchy enough? Please help!! I so desperately want to try this delicious cheese sauce everyone is raving about!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Shera! So sorry but I need to approve comments from new people before they post, just the way it’s set up to avoid spammers. Since it tasted good, tt sounds like perhaps it was too liquidy and not thick enough. How did you cook the veggies? If you boiled them and did not drain them enough it would definitely cause the sauce to not be thick and gooey. It could also be the potato not being starchy enough but I think others have found success with the yukon gold. I would love to help you figure out the issue! Feel free to email me sophia@veggiesdontbite.com and we can talk it out!!
Kris says
Cashew allergu. Do you think almonds would work?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Kris! I wouldn’t use almonds as they have a different flavor. If you are allergic to cashews, many people in the comments have added things like white beans, upping the potato and even adding some cauliflower. It will definitely not taste the same or be as creamy but read through the comments because many have still loved the sauce.
Sydney says
Sunflower seeds are a great alternative to cashews
veggiesdontbite says
They can be but I find the flavor really comes through and is hard to mask so just keep that in mind when you are using them. If you’re used to the sunflower flavor then you’ll be ok, but I’m not so I could taste it.
Nadine says
Can you please post metric measurements?The current measurements aren’t precise
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Nadine, my recipe card plugin automatically calculates the metric equivalents on my recipes. I have a disclaimer on this. Some of the recipes on my blog I have double checked the conversions and some I have not. It takes a lot of time to create, photograph and post these recipes and I simply don’t have the time to double check all of them. I can say that the ones I have checked, most of the conversions were correct. I quickly spot checked it by googling the conversions and they seem right but again, I am not an expert in metric. If I remember, next time I make this I will try and measure!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Nadine! I made more cheese sauce and weighed out the measurements and now all of my cheese sauces have been updated with the correct grams for the vegetables and cashews!
Rosie says
How on earth do you get accurate measurement with 2 cups potatoes? Do you chop small and press into a cup ? You mention that correct measurement is vital for this recipe. I prefer to cook using by weight. So I would like your feedback.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Rosie! I give the measurement of the potatoes themselves as well. But the potato is cooked, so I mash it into the measuring cup.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Rosie! I made more cheese sauce and weighed out the measurements and now all of my cheese sauces have been updated with the correct grams for the vegetables and cashews!
Mary says
I just made this tonight and OMG I can’t stop eating it!! I’m newly vegan and trying to transition the rest of the family( I have 5 kids). So I’m trying to find things they will enjoy and obviously Mac and cheese is a staple in their diet ha. This recipe will def be made on a weekly basis! Thank you so much.
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy to hear you love it Mary! Thanks so much for telling me!
Txgril says
This cheese sauce is AMAZING!! So, so good! I may or may not eat it with a spoon… 😉 and I’m not vegan. My family also loves it, which I love, since I’m trying to move them towards a more plant based diet. I use the Instant Pot method and it could not be easier. Thank you so much for posting this!! (Also not a fan of nutritional yeast.)
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you liked it!! I have another cheese sauce based off of this one coming in the next few months too!!
Luvs2Cook says
I tried this “exactly” as written – this didn’t taste ANYTHING like cheese. All I could taste were potatoes and mustard, and I measured all ingredients exactly.
I tried doctoring it up to no avail. It couldn’t be saved. Just tasted like mustardy potatoes. Half of the mustard would’ve been more suitable to my tastebuds, but it couldn’t be fixed no matter what. I couldn’t even bring myself to use it in another way. The taste was unbearable.
Had very high hopes for this. On to another recipe I guess. Don’t like to use a lot of nutritional yeast, so I’ll keep searching (yes, even adding that didn’t make it any cheesier).
Glad others had success. I just couldn’t get over the overwhelming potato taste that dominated the flavor.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi there, sorry it didn’t work out for you. I am guessing that there was some miscalculation on the potato or other ingredients however because I wouldn’t say the potato taste is overwhelming. I have made this hundreds of times, as have others, and the only time the potato taste came through was when I accidentally put too much in (it happens even to me sometimes). What kind of potato did you use? Also, the mustard is definitely not overwhelming. My sharp white cheese sauce has more mustard for that sharp flavor so I can see that there, but here it is only 1/2 a teaspoon so perhaps it was the brand or again, something with another ingredient that wasn’t measured correctly. Either way, not recipe is for everyone and I hope you find one you like.
Shanta says
Everyone loved it! Huge win for our family since sometimes I have to make two different dinners!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy you loved it Shanta!! And yes girl, no more making two different dinners!
Brittany says
Where did you get the chickpea miso?
veggiesdontbite says
I get mine at Whole Foods. But you can use another kind of miso too! If you look through the comments a lot of people have used others!
Jaime says
This is my first time EVER commenting on any blog, and I’ve been reading blogs and scouring the internet for recipes and other info for years. I just had to comment because this sauce is DELICIOUS and I am so grateful for you sharing it. My favorite thing about this recipe is my non vegan, queso loving, skeptical husband LOVES it. He told me if he hadn’t seen what was in the blender prior to blending, he wouldn’t believe it was healthy. So thank you, thank you, thank you, for helping me to provide yummy food for my husband (and me!) that is also healthy. I plan to make “Mac ‘n cheese” with this sauce and my husband will also be eating it on top of broccoli in his lunches this week. I’ll look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you again! 😊
~ Jaime from California
veggiesdontbite says
Oh my gosh Jaime! Thank you so much for such an amazing review! I am thrilled you guys like it as much as we do!! I hope to be able to wow you with more recipes in the future!
McKinlay says
This is AMAZING. I literally made this two days in a row because I was SO stoked about it. I used it over brown rice pasta for mac and cheese and YAY YAY YAY. Finally a delicious whole food cheese that does NOT use nutritional yeast!!! This is a gem. It totally feels like you are eating decedent homemade mac and cheese…because you ARE. But it has all sorts of benefits because of the veggies! I also only had smoked paprika and used that and it was literally delish. THANK YOU.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi McKinlay! I am so so happy you love this cheese sauce as much as we do! I love the idea of adding smoked paprika too. I bet it was amazing!! Thank you so much for being here and your amazing review.
Bea says
Wow this is fantastic…really has a lovely savoury flavour and I love the texturex. The only problem is, it will all be gone before it gets to the macaroni..
veggiesdontbite says
Haha!! Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you loved it!
Jeannette says
This is the first nacho cheez sauce I found that was perfect! I only had yellow miso and used one teaspoon because I think chickpea is a little stronger. Anyway, I used it for our quesadilla and taco salad lunch today. Im so happy i found this recipe, and so glad its good, because I cannot stand nooch! Tomorrow I’ll use some of the leftovers for pasta and see if that quenches the mac and cheese desires!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you SO much Jeannette! I am so happy you liked it! I so appreciate you leaving a comment and rating!
Paul says
You know he said that it doesn’t have a taste advantage, right? You put a few things in completely opposite of what was written in the original post.. I’m all for defending your recipe and giving the reason you make it the way you do. However, if you are going to reply at least actually pay attention to what was written in the comment
veggiesdontbite says
So, I’m not quite sure what you are referring to but yes. This is exactly what I said. I thanked him for saying it tasted JUST like the vegan cheeses out there without veggies because to me that is a complement. That I can create a veggie filled whole food based cheese that doesn’t taste like it has veggies. Not every recipe is for everyone, I do not like those with nutritional yeast at all, and some people do. To each their own. I have many many people that rave about this recipe so clearly it’s a hit for them.
Joan says
Your response to David was spot on. He’s the one who missed the point. You wanted a recipe that didn’t use nutritional yeast (which, by the way, I still really enjoy and appreciate).
We loved this recipe however! Anytime we can find a recipe using more veggies we’re thrilled! Thank you for sharing your hard won successful recipe!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Joan! We all have different tastes which is what makes creating recipes for my audience so great. I love other bloggers recipes as well and it’s not a one and only thing. I take no offense when someone doesn’t like something, there are many others who do. I am definitely more whole food focused and appreciate those that are as well! Thank you for all your support!
David Fisher says
Full marks on color and texture, but does not have a taste advantage over far simpler and less costly recipes using cashews, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi David, I’m happy you like the texture of the cheese sauce. I will have to disagree on the advantages however. This recipe doesn’t use as many cashews as others, and it is filled with healthy vegetables. My goal for this cheese sauce (as I talk about in the post itself) is I wanted something whole foods based and healthy that could taste amazing as well. So while I’m glad you think it tastes like the others out there that have no veggies, I do believe this one is a better choice based on all the healthy goodness it has inside. Also cost wise, veggies are cheaper than cashews and since this relies on the veggies for a bulk of the recipe, I’d be surprised if it is more expensive to make considering most cheese sauces out there are mostly cashews. I’d like to point out too, as I said in my post, I am actually not a nutritional yeast fan when it comes to cheese sauces. I do not think it tastes cheesy at all. So for me, this was a big no. I wanted to create a cheesy flavor without it. So overall, it comes down to what you want. I think the people that love this recipe, love that it has a health benefit along with amazing flavor. Thanks again for giving it a try!
Angel says
I don’t normally leave comments or feedback, but I just had to! This is definitely the best cheese sauce for Mac and cheese! I’ve tried multiple recipes and they all tasted good or okay but not cheesy. This is spot on! Especially when all together with pasta and for me- a lot of ground pepper, it tastes just like the real thing. I couldn’t find chickpea miso or even regular miso paste at local store, I did find miso broth concentrate and it came out great! Thank you for this recipe! I plan on sharing it with everyone!
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy to hear you liked it Angel! Thank you so much for your support!
Cheryl W says
This sauce is excellent! It isn’t difficult to put together and the consistency and taste are just right.
I only had brown rice miso but it didn’t effect color . Definitely a keeper! Thank you for your work developing these recipes.
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you liked it!! And thank you for the great review!
Lindsay Shreeve says
Best cheese sauce I’ve ever made!!! I have 6 kids so I doubled the recipe and threw all the ingredients into the instant pot with 2 cups of water (I put the garlic in raw). Set it to manual high pressure for 5 minutes, let it naturally release them blended in a high speed blender till smooth. So thick and creamy and delicious. I ate multiple spoonfuls straight out of the blender and my toddler licked it clean after that. Can’t stop thinking about it, it was that good!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you SO SO much Lindsay! I love that you let me know how it worked in the instapot! I will add this to my notes! I am so happy you love this as much as we do!
Kevin G says
WOW! Best cheesy recipe ever! I’ve tried several others, but this is by far the best! Good work on perfecting the recipe! It seemed complicated and I wasn’t sure about getting the amounts correct, but it was just delicious! I did deviate a little – I didn’t have regular paprika, so I used smoked paprika and I thought it added a nice mild smokey flavor that was very enjoyable. I also could not find chickpea miso, so I used some Light Sweet Miso. Still the best cheesy sauce. Thank you. and my mac & cheese loving kids thank you too!
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you liked it Kevin! And thrilled your kids did too! Thank you so much for being here!