Vegan Cheese Sauce
This healthy vegan cheese sauce is loaded with cheesy flavour and perfect for nachos, pretzels, mac and cheese and more! It’s made in just 15 minutes and is so creamy you won’t believe it’s dairy free! Believe it or not it’s made with a base of potatoes and carrots making is super filling and packed with fibre. This will fool any cheese lover and will leave you feeling light on your feet unlike heavy dairy based cheese!
What do I need to make vegan cheese sauce?
- Potato
- Carrot
- Nutritional Yeast
- Olive Oil
- Water or Plant Milk
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Turmeric
- Salt
What makes this vegan cheese sauce cheesy?
I remember the first time I made this sauce I couldn’t believe how cheesy it was! The secret is the nutritional yeast! If you haven’t had nutritional yeast before it provides a very cheesy flavor which is what gives us the flavor in our sauce! Although it doesn’t taste exactly like cheese, it’s pretty darn close!
What the heck is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast or “nooch” as many vegans refer to it, is similar to the yeast used to make beer. It has what some would describe as a cheesy, nutty, umami flavor. Nooch comes in yellow flake form and is used in recipes such as vegan mac and cheese, as a sub for parmesan cheese, or anywhere that you need a cheesy flavor. It is vegan and gluten free and is usually fortified with b12 and folic acid. A quarter cup contains just 60 calories and 8 grams of protein!
What can I use this vegan cheese sauce for?
I usually make this sauce as a dip alongside my vegan pretzel bites. They just don’t taste the same without the sauce! You can also use it as a pasta sauce and make a vegan macaroni and cheese, or load it onto some nachos. You can even mix this into your tofu scrambles for a cheesy twist or add it to sandwiches or burgers in place of vegan cheese!
Some tips from Steph
Swap the carrot and potatoes for roasted butternut squash to make a cozy autumn version of this cheese sauce!
Add smoked paprika for a smokey flavour!
Store your vegan cheese sauce in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge. It tastes just as delicious on the 7th day! Keep in mind the sauce will get a bit thicker once cooled, you can re-heat it by putting it in a small pot and adding small amounts of water, pasta water, or plant milk until you reach your desired consistency.
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Vegan Cheese Sacue
Ingredients
- 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 Carrot
- 1 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth
- Juice of ½ – 1 lemon to taste
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- ¾ tsp Salt
Instructions
- First boil some water in a pot.
- Slice your potatoes and carrot into small pieces, then add then to the boiling water and cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes.
- While the carrot and potatoes are cooking add the rest of the ingredients into a high speed blender.
- Once the carrot and potatoes are soft and fork tender, add them to the high speed blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend everything up until smooth.
- Adjust salt and seasoning to taste and enjoy!