• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Make It Dairy Free
  • Mother’s Day
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Mother’s Day
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Mother’s Day
    • Recipes
    • About Us
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    10 Minute Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

    Published: Jan 7, 2021 · Modified: Sep 15, 2022 by Larisha Bernard · This post may contain affiliate links · 37 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    344 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This 10 minute easy vegan cheese sauce is a must try! Perfect for pouring, dipping and more! Not cashew based, so allergy friendly!

    the best vegan cheese sauce in a white bowl.

    We recommend heading to the kitchen (or the store if you don’t have all the ingredients) and making this 10 minute easy vegan cheese sauce recipe ASAP!

    This vegan cheese dip is so easy to make and doesn’t include all of the typical ingredients that you see in vegan cheese sauces like potatoes, carrots, and cashews.

    Yes, you read that right. This is a vegan cheese sauce without cashews!

    There’s absolutely none of that here. We wanted to create something that was not only allergy friendly but also that was truly delicious and something that everyone would love and remind them of a regular dairy sauce.

    This is a completely nut free homemade vegan cheese sauce recipe.

    We definitely think we’ve done it!

    Never miss another post! Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get them all delivered easily! Plus, 15 easy recipes delivered immediately!
    CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

    Vegan seasoned fries dipped into vegan cheese sauce.

    Vegan Cheese Sauce Ingredients:

    In order to make this vegan cheese dip recipe you need just 9 ingredients, not including salt and pepper.

    Full amounts of each ingredients is listed In the printable recipe card below.

    • butter beans – This is the base of our vegan cheese. It provides a creamy texture and you’ll be shocked that you can’t even taste them once everything is combined.
    • vegetable stock – this allows for the sauce to get to the right consistency while adding flavor that you wouldn’t get with just water
    • non-dairy milk – choose a neutral tasting unsweetened, unflavored variety for the best results. We love using creamier non-dairy milks like oat and soy.
    • nutritional yeast – this helps us get a cheesy flavor without adding any processed vegan cheese
    • vegan butter – adds richness and depth to this vegan beer cheese that you would expect from a cheese sauce
    • lemon juice – A little acid helps bring the flavors of this dish together
    • paprika – a little flavor, but also added to help with color
    • vegan parmesan and cheddar cheese – the combination of vegan cheeses really helps to add a great flavor to the cheese sauce that you don’t get if you only add one

    SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:

    • Butter beans – cannellini beans or great northern beans could be used as well, we just find butter beans to be creamier
    • Nutritional yeast – bagged vegan cheese could be used instead
    • vegetable stock -just water or more non-dairy milk will work
    • non-dairy milk – choose a neutral tasting unsweetened, unflavored variety for the best results. We love using creamier non-dairy milks like oat and soy.
    • vegan butter – we have been told by others that they have just omitted this and it turns out great
    • lemon juice – lime juice can also be substituted
    • vegan parmesan and cheddar cheese – you can switch it up, maybe gouda or mozzarella. We’ve made this with the epic smoked cheddar from Violife and it’s so good!
    A bowl of 10 minute easy vegan cheese sauce with fries on brown parchment paper.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make this easy vegan cheese sauce recipe Top 8 Allergen Free?

    Yes!  

    One of our main goals for this besides making just a delicious vegan cheese sauce was to make it allergy friendly as well. 

    There are a few ingredients that we need to look out for in how our recipe is written, but let’s get to it. 

    For the vegan butter, ensure that it is soy free.  We prefer earth balance soy free when it comes to this. It comes in a red tub. 

    Then, we have dairy free milk. We actually prefer oat milk for this because it’s creamier. Most dairy free oat milks are certified gluten free, so just double check your labels. 

    And then we have the vegan cheese we are adding. We are use Violife in this recipe, which does contain coconut oil, but no other allergens.  If you have a coconut allergen, you can use Follow Your Heart parmesan. 

    We also have a vegan parmesan on our site that you can make with sunflower seeds; however, it doesn’t melt well which is why we recommend using one of the store bought brands. 

    For the shreds, you can view our shredded dairy free cheese that is safe for your allergies.

    Can I prep this easy vegan cheese sauce ahead of time?

    Yes!

    You can make the cheese sauce ahead and leave in the fridge up to 7 days in advance.

    Can I use this as a vegan cheese dip?

    Absolutely! This makes a great a dip for vegetables or anything else like fries, or onion rings. Scroll down to get even more ideas!

    Is vegan cheese healthy?

    Depending on your health goals, different foods are good for different reasons. This dish is based off beans and nutritional yeast in itself is very healthy.

    We do use some processed packaged cheese and a vegan butter substitute that could be seen as not as healthy. You could try the sauce without these to see if you like it.

    If health is a concern for you, then we encourage you to speak to a nutritionist.

    Can I make this if I don’t have a high powdered blender?

    Yes! If you don’t have a high powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, then we recommend that you put all the ingredients except the cheese shreds into a normal blender or food processor and blend until creamy.

    Afterwards, move the sauce to a sauce pot on the stove over medium heat and add the vegan cheese shreds. Stir until your vegan cheese has melted and you have a smooth, uniform vegan cheese sauce.

    A table with vegan garlic parmesan fries and a bowl of easy vegan cheese spread.

    What are the best brands to make a vegan cheese sauce?

    When you make something like a vegan cheese sauce recipe you likely want to know exactly how we made it in order to get the best test.

    We have not found a major difference in what brand of butter beans you use, so no worries there.

    As far as dairy free milk, we typically go with Target’s Good & Gather Oat or Almond milk depending on what we have on hand. However you can use whatever your favorite is. We do recommend unflavored, unsweetened dairy free milk.

    We usually use the Now Food’s brand of nutritional yeast.

    As far as vegan butter, this again is one that we think you use your favorite, but we have used country crock plant based sticks and Earth Balance with a lot of sucess.

    For vegan parmesan – we use the Violife wedge as our go to but if you can’t find any you can also make your own vegan parmesan cheese

    Lastly, for vegan cheese, you can use a block or shreds. We have particularly really loved the Violife Epic Cheddar block and shred it ourselves inside, however we had had success with other brands like Violife and Dairy cutting board blend.

    What can I sub for butter beans?

    Some people can find butter beans and others can’t. Depending on where you live, maybe it’s not easy for you either.

    Butter beans provide a creamy and smooth consistency so that’s why we recommend those; however, other white beans can also be used like cannellini or great northern.

    We do not recommend using chickpeas in this dish.

    A slice of the best vegan mac and cheese with a crunchy breadcrumb topping.

    What are ways I can use this easy vegan cheese sauce recipe?

    There are endless possibilities, but here are some of our favorite ways to use this dish:

    • Vegan Mac and Cheese
    • Fries or Tater Tots
    • Chips
    • Carrots or other Vegetables as a dip
    • Vegan Onion Rings
    • As a Vegan Pizza Sauce
    • As a dip for Vegan Sausage Balls
    • Mix into Vegan Mashed Potatoes
    • Use as a dip for these Herb Crusted Tofu Fingers or for these copycat Vegan Chick-fil-A Chicken strips

    Pin this 10 minute easy vegan cheese sauce for later!

    A small bowl with 10 minute easy vegan cheese sauce.
    Print Recipe
    4.97 from 29 votes

    10 Minute Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce

    This 10 minute easy vegan cheese sauce is a must try! Perfect for pouring, dipping and more! Not cashew based, so allergy friendly!
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 169kcal
    Author: Larisha Bernard

    Ingredients

    • 1 15oz can butter beans, drained
    • ½ cup vegetable stock
    • 1 cup dairy free milk (we like oat for this)
    • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
    • ¼ cup vegan butter
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tsp salt
    • ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese (we use Violife for this recipe)
    • 1 cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to a high powdered blender.
    • Blend this until very well combined and warmed (about 4-5 minutes).
    • Use as desired. See post for recommendations if needed.

    Video

    Notes

    *See post for substitutions and recommendations if you don’t have a high powdered blender. 
    *See post for notes about Top 8 Allergy Free variation. This can be Top 8 Allergen Free.
    **Nutritional facts are just estimates. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. 
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4tablespoon | Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 452IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

    Let’s see your creations!
    Share to Instagram and tag us @makeitdairyfree so we can see and share it!

    Original recipe posted on 1/7/2021 and updated on 1/15/2022.

    More Recipes

    • bowl of vegan black eyed peas stew on a table with sliced bread, dill and tomatoes.
      Vegan Black Eyed Peas Stew
    • vegan easy cold soba noodle salad on a long oval plate.
      Soba Noodle Salad
    • vegan red miso soup in a navy blue bowl.
      Vegan Red Miso Soup
    • two vegan banana turmeric smoothies in clear classes on a wooden board.
      Vegan Banana Turmeric Smoothie

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen Bartels

      January 24, 2023 at 9:58 am

      hi
      I made 10 minute vegan cheese sauce. Great very good. Should cut the reciepe in half just me eating it. Can you freeze it.

      Reply
      • Larisha Bernard

        January 27, 2023 at 8:40 pm

        Yes you can!

        Reply
    2. Melissa

      September 19, 2022 at 6:57 pm

      5 stars
      Hi guys, I’ve been vegan for 11 years and I scour the internet for the best recipes and YouTubers. I don’t know why it took so long for you to come across my feed, but I’m so happy that you did about a month ago. This is my first time making one of your recipes, and i have made more than my share of vegan cheese sauce recipes. This is one of the very best I’ve ever had at home or in any restaurant. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes, and I just love watching all of your taste test videos, you guys are great, thank you!

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        October 09, 2022 at 9:47 pm

        OMg wow, thank you so much Melissa. We appreciate your feedback

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Make It Dairy Free! Here you’ll find delicious dairy free recipes that are kid-approved along with resources you need for helping live a dairy free life! Learn more about the award-winning team behind the site.

    Mother's Day Recipes

    • a skillet of vegan tofu paprikash with fresh parsley.
      Vegan Tofu Paprikash
    • vegan kale crunch salad in a wooden bowl.
      Vegan Kale Crunch Salad
    • vegan chorizo stuffed sweet potatoes on a white plate.
      Vegan Chorizo Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
    • vegan frittata in a black cast iron skillet with sliced red cabbage on top.
      Vegan Frittata
    • A tray filled with cooked Vegan Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls.
      Vegan Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls
    • vegan sheet pan breakfast quesadilla cut into 8 rectangles with a gold spoon
      Vegan Sheet Pan Breakfast Quesadillas
    window.fd('form', { formId: '5fea32adfe24546e6cfdbf3a', containerEl: '#fd-form-5fea32adfe24546e6cfdbf3a' });

    Trending Posts

    • A baking tray of Vegan honey garlic oven fried tofu with roasted broccoli.
      Vegan Honey Garlic Oven Fried Tofu
    • Vegan cinnamon roll sheet pan pancakes with powdered sugar sprinkled across.
      Vegan Cinnamon Roll Sheet Pan Pancakes
    • A dutch oven filled with homemade vegan chicken noodle soup.
      Homemade Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
    • A plate of fluffy vegan pancakes stacked with syrup drizzling.
      Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
    • A ceramic bowl of Vegan crispy roasted cauliflower and creamy garlic parmesan pasta.
      Vegan Crispy Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta
    • A couple posing funnily in front of an assortment of vegan mayo bottles.
      Vegan Mayo Review & Taste Test

    All links on our site may be affiliate links and should be treated as such. Make It Dairy Free is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Privacy Policy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Make It Dairy Free

    344 shares