Easy vegan cheese sauce with minimal ingredients and ready in 3 minutes! A super simple and nut-free plant-based recipe which requires only a handful of ingredients. This vegan queso is perfect for pizza, nachos, Mac and Cheese, burgers, pasta bake, toast, and more savory recipes. The sauce doesn’t contain cashews!
Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Without Cashews!
This is probably the easiest homemade vegan cheese sauce ever! It might change your life, it changed mine, I am not kidding. Coconut milk, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast flakes, water, and salt – these are the ingredients which you will need to make this delicious sauce.
Since most people have water and salt at home, all you need to buy is coconut milk, tapioca flour, and nutritional yeast flakes. But maybe you already have these ingredients at home as well. So let’s start to make this easy recipe, it will be done in 3 minutes!
Only A Few Ingredients
I know there are tons of vegan cheese sauce recipes out there, but most of them contain cashews + many more ingredients and require longer preparation time. This cashew-free cheese sauce contains only a handful of ingredients and is ready in 3 minutes.
How To Make Vegan Cheese Sauce
You just need to put all the ingredients into a saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil and that’s it! You don’t even need a blender or food processor. No cooking of veggies, no soaking of cashews. It seriously couldn’t be easier than that.
Not Only For Vegans
This recipe is not only amazing for vegans. I served it also to vegetarians and meat eaters and everyone loved the taste AND texture of this vegan cheese sauce. The tapioca flour (which is also called tapioca starch) makes this recipe so special because it adds the amazing elasticity to the sauce. It makes the sauce stretchy and even reminds of real cheese. Nutritional yeast is an important ingredient for the taste because it adds a cheesy flavor. The spices are up to you, but I love to add some garlic and onion powder, and also a pinch of smoked paprika.
Perfect For Nachos, Pizza, Gratin And More
You can use this vegan sauce for any savory recipe which requires cheese. Whether it is pizza, nachos, gratin, pasta, or any other plant-based recipe. Sometimes when I am too lazy to make my Mac and Cheese recipe I will simply make this 3-minute cheese sauce and pour it over my cooked pasta and my dinner is served in just a few minutes. I have included some pictures of different dishes which I made using this cheese sauce recipe.
This easy vegan cheese sauce is:
- Plant-based
- Gluten free
- Oil-free
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free (no Cashews!)
- Paleo-friendly
- Easy to make in a few minutes
Make This Vegan Cheese Sauce Today
I made this cheeze sauce probably 100 times already because I use it in almost all of my savory recipes lol. I just love simple recipes which require only a few ingredients and this easy sauce recipe is one of them. So don’t wait any longer and make it NOW. I am sure you will love it as well.
Tapioca flour can be bought in every Asia shop or big supermarkets or simply ordered online. Same goes for nutritional yeast flakes. Check the Recipe Notes for a tapioca flour substitute.
Should you recreate this vegan nacho cheese sauce, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your recreations.
Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) coconut milk canned (*see notes )
- 3 tbsp (20 g) nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tbsp (15 g) tapioca flour OR arrowroot flour/starch (*see notes)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- Pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into a saucepan and stir with a whisk. Once everything is combined, turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly.
- Let simmer on low to medium heat for about one minute until the sauce is stretchy.
- Enjoy this vegan cheese sauce with nachos, on pizza, over pasta, and many other savory dishes! Please read the recipe notes below.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Thickness: If the cheese sauce turns out too thick, just add more coconut milk or any other plant-based milk (or water), up to 1 cup.
- Coconut milk: I use coconut milk that contains 17% fat. In case you don't like the taste of coconut milk, you can use a different plant-based milk instead, e.g. almond milk, cashew milk, etc. The higher the fat content of the milk, the better will be the taste of the vegan cheese sauce.
- Tapioca flour: Tapioca flour/starch can be bought in every Asia store or larger grocery stores or simply ordered online.
- Tapioca substitute: Two readers (thanks, Brooklyn and Nichola) commented that arrowroot flour (also known as arrowroot powder or arrowroot starch) is a great substitute for tapioca flour/starch.
- Cornstarch: You could use cornstarch instead of tapioca flour, but the result won’t be as good (stretchy) as with tapioca flour. It will still taste ok!
- How to store: You can store the sauce in the fridge for up to 2 days, but it will change the texture. Reheat with a splash of dairy-free milk. It tastes best freshly made.
- FAQ: "My cheese sauce didn't turn out yellow. What did I do wrong...?" Answer: Some nutritional yeast brands enrich their products with lots of B-vitamins. The nutritional yeast flakes which I ordered from Amazon contain B-vitamins and are therefore yellow. When I use 3 tbsp, the cheese sauce turns out pretty yellow, but when I use less (e.g. just 1 tbsp) the color is just light yellowish." You can also add a pinch of turmeric powder.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Will almond milk work?
It might work, but the sauce won’t be as good, rather watery.
Love the simple recipe Ela, Works great for mac and ‘cheese’
A bit concerned to see that in your photos you appear to be using a nonstick pan, with a wire whisk. I have yet to find nonstick cookware that is not toxic to some degree.and subject to erosion from utensils..
Thanks for your comment, Adami! 🙂
Hi again Ela,
I just spent some more in depth time looking at your fabulous array of recipes. Wow! I must say you are quite the culinary alchemist! You have become my go-to vegan inspiration and I love your blog!
I am going to try the hard cheese and the vegan sausages next!
Thank you for what you do…
Aloha!
Adami
You are so welcome, Adami! Glad you like my recipes. 🙂
Can you use vegan cheese in place of nutritional yeast
I never tried it, but I think it should work! 🙂
I’ve been on a plant based diet for 3 months now and this is by far my favorite recipe so far. I love(d) dairy cheese and really miss it, but this cheese recipe is easy to prepare and I already have the ingredients. Best part is its delicious and customizeable. You could add some chili to make it spicy or different herbs to taste. This “base recipe” is really a must have for anyone looking for a plant based alternative to cheese. I love it:-)
Thanks for your great feedback, Gino, I am glad you love it. 🙂
This looks amazing, would this work well in a mac and cheese recipe?
Yes, it does, Jonathan. 🙂
Yum! I make thia cheeze sauce all the time now. I’m sensitive t9 garlic and onion, so I just leave those out and it’s still really g9od over pasta or veggies.
Yay, so happy you like it, Cheryl. 🙂
Thank you for this great recipe. Do you think I could skip the saucepan step and pour it directly on the pizza, as it is going to be heated in the oven anyway?
It would be too thin and runny, therefore, you will have to cook it, so that it thickens. 🙂
Can I substitute Tapioca starch for Tapioca Flour?
Yes, it’s actually the same. 🙂
Hi Ela!
I’m wondering if this cheese sauce would firm up in the refrigerator to be sliced up and used on toasts etc? i’ve seen recipes that use agar in addition to your ingredients, and am unsure if that would cause the cheese to firm?
Thanks!
Hi Cheryl, no, it won’t firm up. You definitely would need to use agar powder. Or, you can make my firm vegan cheese recipe. 🙂
Great recipe. good consistency very cheesy. we had it with fries and onions. this is definitely a keeper.
Happy you liked it, Roh! 🙂
Ela, I accidentally bought cans of coconut cream, would that work? Thank you so much for all of your beautiful recipes.
Hi Lisa! Yes, you can mix it with water (50% each), otherwise, it will be too thick. 🙂
Thank you so much! You’re amazing!
You are very welcome! 🙂
I can not find 17% coconut milk anywhere. the best I could do was Goya at 9 g which came out to be 11% fat on the nutrition label. Can you tell us what brand exactly you use?
I often use the “Famosa” brand (I don’t live in the US). But Goya should be fine. 🙂
This recipe was delish! Never thought I would like a vegan cheese sauce! Loved it aa a tortilla chip dip and over broccoli and cauliflower. And so simple!
Hi Janet, I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
I just tried this recipe. I will never buy boxed vegan macaroni and cheese mixes again. This is just as as good and a lot cheaper. I like how it uses ingredients I almost always have on hand and that it did does not involve a blender..
So happy you love it Steve! 🙂
Easiest, BEST vegan homemade cheesesauce! I had it with chips, but I cannot wait to try it as mac n cheese or make it into a quesadilla. Thank you times a million, & much love!
You are so welcome, Amy! So happy you love my recipe. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I have 2 questions…1. Does it taste like coconut? 2. Can I use white flour instead of the tapioca?
Hi Michelle, no it doesn’t, as I use coconut milk with just 17% fat. And no you can’t use white flour. 🙂
This is awesome. Best vegan cheese recipe I’ve tried. I’ve become severely lactose intolerant in the past year and have really been mourning the loss of Mac and cheese… this recipe really helps. Good on its own, or with some truffle salt for added umami, or with a little stone ground mustard for added acidity. Thank you so much!!!!!
Hi Sophia, I am super happy you love it! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
This is really easy thank you. I didn’t have any onion powder, I just used smoked garlic and garlic, quite strong, however tasty and easy to do. I’ve used the sauce in a vegan lasagna. . I will do next time with onion powder. This is an excellent easy sauce.
So happy you liked it, Laura! 🙂
I made this for a friend who was allergic to milk but i did something wrong and it turned into a cheese you could grate still tasted good!
That’s interesting, Rhea. Did you use agar powder?
I was impatient, & added dried herbs and breadcrumbs and got a semi-soft cheeze from this, but it still works out when I heat it up with boiling almond milk, this cheeze is going into my Broccoli-Caulifower bake, a popular dish in Ireland when I visited my relatives there.
Sounds great! Happy you like it, John. 🙂
This cheese sauce is perfection! So easy, delicious and versatile. For a lower fat version, I used the Alpro coconut milk from the 1 litre carton. The result was so good I made it three times in one week! We had it on pizza and also in filled tortillas. Thank you so much!
Yay, that’s awesome, Jennifer. I am so glad you like it. 🙂
Consistency was good. However, if you have any taste buds left don’t do this! I followed the recipe and it was WAY TO STONG on onion and garlic. I’m going to say make the base and then add seasoning to taste.
Hi Michelle, I am sorry you didn’t like the seasoning of this recipe. Every taste differs, for me and for many other people it’s just perfect. 🙂
This is my favorite cheese sauce! So simple and so good! Why was I boiling cashews?!
Hehe, so glad to hear that, Jen! 🙂
I made half being cautious, shame on me because we wanted more! This was soo delicious. I served it on ***vegan! burgers to my carnivore husband who wanted to try something new. So easy. I’m unfamiliar with the stretchy texture tapioca starch affords but this recipe tasted sooo good. Next time I’d add a pinch of msg
So happy you like the recipe, Bridget. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I haven’t tried it yet, but I am wondering if it freezes well?
Hi Kris, I haven’t tried freezing it yet because the recipe makes quite a small batch. However, I think it wouldn’t freeze very well. 🙂
I was out of carrots last night to make PlantifulKiki cheese sauce. I came across your page looking for a cheese sauce with no carrots. Holy Moly! Your cheese sauce was amazing!!
I had leftover 3 cups of brown rice and poured your cheese sauce over the brown rice and mixed. It was phenomenal! My family and I loved it so much we will make again. I did add 1/4 cup jalapeño vinegar brine and a 3/4 cup of soy milk to pour the cheese. Your original recipe I can’t wait to have on tortillas, baked fries/Tortilla chips. Thank you !
You are so welcome, Angie! I am glad you loved it. Thanks for your kind feedback. 🙂