This vegan bechamel sauce (white sauce) is only three ingredients and super easy to make. Take your creamy, dairy free recipes to the next level. Great to use in mac and cheese, lasagna, or au gratin potatoes. No cashews.
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❤️ Why you'll love this easy recipe
- It only requires three simple ingredients.
- Only takes 10 minutes to make.
- Extremely versatile and can be used to add creamy decadence to any dish.
- Easy to customize with your favorite herbs and seasonings.
- Dairy free, nut free and vegan.
- Smooth and velvety.
🧂 Ingredients and substitutions
- Dairy-free butter - I found that dairy free butter gives this a richer flavor. Use whatever vegan butter you have on hand. Earth balance, Miyokos or country crock vegan butters work well. If you don't have it on hand, use extra virgin olive oil.
- White flour - All purpose flour is the thickening agent in this recipe.
- Dairy-free milk - I found that unsweetened, plain oat milk works best. Extra creamy oat milk works great. I don't care for soy milk or almond milk, because it leaves a weird after taste. You can also use a nut milk like cashew milk or coconut milk. Make sure whatever plant milk you use is unsweetened.
- Additional seasonings - You can take this sauce to the next level by adding a pinch of nutmeg and garlic powder. Salt is also a necessity. Nutmeg is used in traditional French bechamel sauces. Black pepper or white pepper also taste great in this.
Make sure to scroll to the recipe card for full list of ingredients.
👩🍳 Helpful tips
Melt the butter on low, medium low heat while stirring. Don't let the pan get too hot.
If you'd like to add a slightly nutty flavor, melt the vegan butter until it turns slightly brown.
Don't brown the roux (the roux is when you add flour to the melted butter) Keep the heat low and steady. Only cook these two for about two minutes. We want this to be a white roux.
If you'd like more thickness, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour.
Stir constantly to avoid any lumps from forming.
To reheat, you may need to add a splash of water or oat milk, since this will thicken up in the fridge.
🥄 Directions
Make sure to scroll to the recipe card for full step-by-step instructions.
Step one: On medium-low or medium heat, melt your vegan butter to a small pot and stir. For a nutty, richer flavor, allow the butter to brown slightly.
Step two: Add the all-purpose flour and stir, ensuring the roux doesn't brown. Cook for about two minutes on low heat.
Step three: Raise heat, whisk in ⅓ of dairy-free milk to avoid lumps. Gradually add the rest. Season to taste.
Step four: Stir until you reach the desired thickness (5-8 mins). Keep in mind that this will thicken more as it cools.
🥦 How to use vegan white sauce
You can use this any time you want to thicken up a recipe. This classic white sauce goes great in au gratin potatoes, Vegan Lasagna, Vegan Pasta Dishes or you can make your own Homemade Vegan Pasta.
Turn it into a cheese sauce and pour it over steamed vegetables like this Air Fried Asparagus, or use it as a creamy base to Vegan Mac and Cheese.
🧀 To make cheese sauce
Adding cheese to a bechamel sauce is called a Mornay sauce. This is a great base for mac and cheese or pasta dish. After you make the white sauce, keep it on low and add in ¼-1/2 cup of dairy free vegan cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese melts. Then stir in your favorite pasta.
♨️ History of béchamel sauce
Béchamel sauce, also called white sauce, or 'glue sauce' is a great staple recipe to know. This creamy sauce works really well to thicken up any pasta or vegetable recipes.
Although it's widely known in French cuisine as one of the mother sauces, creamy white sauce has its roots in Tuscany, Italy, during the renaissance era. It's often called besciamella (or balsamella or bechimella).
❄️ Storing and making ahead
Fridge - To make sure this doesn't leave a film on top, pour a little bit of cold dairy free milk over the sauce to cool it down. Then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Freezer - You can easily freeze this sauce if you make a large batch of it. Lasts for 3 months in a freezer friendly container.
Making ahead - This is great to make ahead and store in the fridge. Use it any time you need to thicken up a recipe.
❓ Recipe FAQs
I didn't bother warming up the milk or bringing it to room temperature. It worked just fine out of the fridge and didn't form any lumps.
Unfortunately no, this recipe is not gluten free. I haven't experimented with using any gluten free flours, so I can't give you any tips with that. But, I did find that a cashew cream sauce works in the same way as a vegan béchamel sauce and is gluten free.
Béchamel and white sauce are often used interchangeably, both being basic white sauces made from a roux of butter and flour combined with milk. In traditional French cuisine, "béchamel" specifically refers to a white sauce made with milk, while "white sauce" may include variations using different liquids like broth.
No. While a classic roux serves as a thickening agent made by combining fat (typically butter) and flour, béchamel sauce is a French white sauce that incorporates this roux with milk for a smooth, creamy base. The roux is crucial for the texture and thickness of béchamel.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (or olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1¼ cups unsweetened, plain oat milk (or your favorite unsweetened dairy free milk)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Instructions
- On low, or medium low heat add your vegan butter and stir. If you want to add a nutty, richer flavor to this, let the butter brown just a little bit.2 tablespoons vegan butter
- Add the all purpose flour and stir. Don't let the roux brown. Only cook this for about two minutes. Keep the heat low.2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- Turn the heat up a little bit. Add ⅓ of your dairy free milk and whisk the whole time. Don't let it form any lumps. Add the rest of your milk and stir the whole time. Keep stirring until it thickens up. Should take 5-8 minutes. Keep in mind, the sauce thickens more as it cools.1¼ cups unsweetened, plain oat milk
- Add salt and any other seasonings you like.¼ teaspoon salt, pinch nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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