Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce: A Deliciously Dairy-Free Delight
Looking for a rich, creamy cheese sauce that’s completely dairy-free? This vegan cheese sauce is a game-changer! Made with cashews and nutritional yeast, it’s the perfect plant-based alternative to traditional cheese sauces. Not only is it smooth and creamy, but it’s also packed with nutrients to fuel your body. Cashews add a healthy dose of healthy fats, while nutritional yeast brings a cheesy, savory flavor along with a boost of B vitamins—perfect for adding flavor and nutrition to your meals.
This sauce is incredibly versatile, whether you’re using it over your favorite pasta, drizzling it on steamed vegetables, or over rice. It’s a great way to add a creamy, cheesy element to your dishes without any dairy. Plus, it’s quick and easy to make, so you can enjoy a creamy indulgence without the guilt!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
✔ Packed with Nutrients – Made with cashews and nutritional yeast, this vegan cheese sauce is not only delicious but also a powerhouse of nutrition! Cashews are a great source of healthy fats, protein, and magnesium, while nutritional yeast is rich in B vitamins, including B12, which is essential for energy and metabolism.
✔ Dairy-Free & Plant-Based – Whether you’re avoiding dairy or following a plant-based lifestyle, this creamy cheese sauce is the perfect solution. It gives you that rich, cheesy flavor without any dairy, so you can indulge without the guilt.
✔ Rich in Healthy Fats – Cashews provide healthy fats that are great for heart health and help keep you feeling satisfied longer, making this sauce a perfect addition to any meal.
✔ Versatile & Flavorful – This sauce is incredibly versatile and can be poured over pasta, steamed veggies, grain bowls, and more. It adds a creamy, savory richness to virtually any dish, making it an easy way to boost flavor and texture.
✔ Quick & Easy to Make – With just a few ingredients and a blender, you can have this creamy cheese sauce ready in minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prepping.
Once you try it, you’ll fall in love with the smooth, cheesy texture and bold flavors, and it’ll quickly become a staple in your plant-based kitchen. Whether you’re new to vegan cooking or a seasoned pro, this sauce is sure to become a favorite!
Ingredients
- Cashews: Raw and unsalted.
- Lemon Juice: You can use fresh lemons or bottled lemon juice.
- Nutritional Yeast: This superfood gives it the “cheesy” flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh or minced is fine.
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Water
How to Make Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Soak the Cashews – First, grab your cashews and soak them in hot water. If you’re in a bit of a rush, I like to boil water on the stove, then carefully pour it over the cashews to soak for about 10 minutes. If you’re more of a planner (unlike me!), you can always soak them overnight.
- Prepare the Ingredients – While the cashews are soaking, go ahead and toss all your other ingredients—lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, salt, and water—into your high-powered blender.
- Blend It Up – Once the cashews have softened, drain them and add them to the blender. Then, blend everything on high until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. You want it nice and velvety, so give it a good few seconds of blending.
- Serve and Enjoy – That’s it! You’ve got a rich, delicious cheese sauce ready to pour over pasta, veggies, rice—whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!
This easy, no-fuss recipe is perfect for adding a creamy, cheesy kick to all your favorite dishes.
Storage instructions
The sauce actually tastes better the longer it sits. Just shake the bottle or container it’s stored in if it starts to separate. It can be stored safely in the fridge for a week.
This sauce pairs perfectly with our Spaghetti Squash recipe
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Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews (soaked for at least 10 minutes in boiling water)
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled is fine)
- ½ cup (heaping) nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat about 2-3 cups of hot water until bubbling. Pour in 1 cup of cashews. Wait at least 10 minutes to soak. You could also let cashews soak overnight.
- Add water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic and salt into high powered blender.
- Drain cashews and add into blender with all other ingredients.
- Blend on high until combined.
- Store in air tight container in fridge for up to a week.
