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
Mandi
I was wondering if it would still taste good if I used soymilk instead of coconut milk as I am allergic go coconut??
Ela
I would recommend soy CREAM instead since soy milk is watered down a lot and canned coconut milk is much higher in fat.
Michelle
Hi,
3 tbsp is really 20 grams?
Thanks
Ela
Yes 🙂
Claire Zerafa
Dear ela thanks for your delicious recipes. Could you kindly an alternative for the topica flour as this product is not shipped to my country
Ela
Hello Claire! Arrowroot flour is the only alternative that will also make the sauce stretchy and elastic.
Best wishes, Ela
Emm
Wow. I don’t normally leave comments on recipes, but I feel like I need to for this one. I was expecting the sauce to be decent, but it is so frickin good. It really reminds me of hollandaise sauce. Almost identical to it. So I’ve decided I’m whipping up some cloud bread and making this again tomorrow morning for some eggs Benedict. Yum! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Ela
So glad you liked my recipe, Emm! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
Meli
This was fantastic! I just discovered you today, and made your tortillas (which are life changing, by the way). Then I made this cheese sauce, for tacos, and it was phenomenal! The whole family loved it. I added in turmeric powder for color and it didn’t affect the flavor at all.
Thank you!!! I love how easy and simple these two recipes were. You’ve got a gift, and a new fan!
Ela
Yay, thank you so much for your amazing feedback, Meli. Makes me so happy that you loved both recipes. 🙂
Annelina
Wow Liebe Ela, das Rezept klingt wunderbar. Gab es bei mir auch schon lange nicht mehr und wird es wohl bald wieder geben :).
Daanke
Ela
Freut mich sehr zu hören, liebe Anni 🙂
Alice
Can you substitute corn starch for the arrowroot or tapioca flour? I look forward to trying this!
Ela
Hi Alice, it will just be a thick sauce but not cheesy/stretchy if you use cornstarch. 🙂
Karla
I’m making your vegan enchiladas and decided to do the prep work ahead of time. I’m actually cooking the lentils and veggies in the crock pot, since they’re going to end up together anyway – hoping it works well! Anyhoo, I’m a big fan of nutritional yeast and I make a similar sauce for mac and cheese… but this one is much better with the coconut milk! I used my own gluten-free flour blend, used a dash of chipotle chili powder instead of paprika, and a drizzle of olive oil. I also use 1/4c nooch, instead of 3T. Thanks, definitely a keeper!
Ela
Thanks for your great feedback, Karla! Unfortunately, your comment landed in my spam folder and I saw it only now! Very happy you liked my recipe. 🙂
Nabilla
Can i use cassava flour instead?
Ela
I am pretty sure that it won’t work.
Dana
Every time I make this it gets gummy. Tonight I added an extra 1/4 c coconut milk and it was a little better…any idea why it’s always like glue? Tastes great but really sticky. Also, I never get that orange color…I do love the way it tastes!
Ela
Hi Dana, did you measure the tapioca starch in grams? Maybe you just added too much? It never turned out like glue when I made it. But yes, when it’s too thick, then definitely add more liquid. As regards the color, this depends on the brand of nutritional yeast flakes. My brand (which I linked in the recipe) has a yellowish color but I have seen brands which are less yellowish. 🙂
Ria
I tried making the cheese sauce although my nutritional intake al yeast has a yellowish color it ddint come out looking like that , it had like dark yellow/grayish color …any suggestions on the color?
Ela
Hi Ria, not sure about the brand you used. Maybe you can try the brand which I used (linked in the recipe). Or was it the same brand? To me the color isn’t important at all, it’s the taste that matters. 🙂
Jasmin // VeeatCookBake
Ela this is awesome. I love making my own vegan cheezes.
Ela
Thank you, Jasmin! 🙂
TERRY
Thank You. We have no Asian stores and no ability to order something like that. Next time I know i’m headed back to the US for a visit, I will get some ordered Thank You!
Terry
I too cannot find tapioca flour or arrowroot powder/flour/starch. I do find cassava flour. Would that work? Same amount? Would regular cornstarch work?
Ela
Hi Terry, regular cornstarch won’t work, it will make the sauce just thick, but not stretchy at all. I never tried cassava flour, so I can’t tell you if it will work. I would really recommend to order tapioca flour or check the Asian stores in your town.
Karen Havling
Oh, how I wish I had read this before attempting to make this! I had googled tapioca flour substitutes, and cornstarch came up as one. The finished product is clumpy and thick, and the oil is separating out of it. Not sure if I can salvage it for some use, but will definitely try again with the proper ingredients!
Ela
Hey Karen! Some people actually wrote that they had decent results with cornstarch, however, I didn’t. That’s why I pointed out (multiple times) in the blog post how important it is to use tapioca flour OR arrowroot flour but not any other flours or starches. Hope you will give it another try with the right ingredients. 🙂
Lynne Hawkins
Hi ???? Just double checked the back of my bag of tapioca flour and it states that the flour is derived from cassava roots so I’m guessing cassava flour will have the same effect. ????
Prabbie
This looks great! I would like to try it but was wondering whether the sauce has a coconut flavour or aftertaste? Thanks for sharing.
Ela
I don’t taste the coconut in the final cheese, however, if you don’t like coconut you could also use cashew milk or almond milk (preferably homemade full-fat). Hope this helps
Emily
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try. Is this the same sauce you used for your Bianca pizza, minus the smoked paprika?
Ela
It’s the same recipe minus the nutritional yeast flakes (which color the sauce yellow-ish). I think it really depends on the brand of nutritional yeast flakes. Mine have a yellow-ish color.
Emily
Wonderful, thank you!!
Jesse
I’m making Vegan mac-n-cheese for dinner tomorrow and I will be using this recipe! So simple to make and looks delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Ela
Awesome, Jesse! I hope you liked my recipe ????
Amy
This looks amazing!! Do you think it would be good without the nutritional yeast? I can’t have it. Gives me migraines and rashes .
Ela
Hi Amy, I don’t think it would be tasty without the nutritional yeast because that is what tastes a bit cheesy. Maybe it’s better if you look online for a recipe with cashew nuts instead. 🙂
Nuffy
They say using Sauerkraut Juice is good to use for flavour…I just bought some to try….
Ela
Yes, I tried that once and loved it! Thanks for the reminder, Nuffy! 🙂
Liisbet
Wie lange kann man die Sauce denn aufheben? Also z.B. luftdicht verschlossen im KĂĽhlschrank.
Ela
Hi Liisbet, du kannst die Sauce ca. 3-4 Tage lang im Kühlschrank aufbewahren 🙂
Selma
Hallo liebe Ela,
All deine Rezepte sind super und so wunderschön angerichtet. Du bist eine Inspiration. Aber diese „Cheese Sauce „ OMG, das ist richtig gut! Ich habe noch 2 TL. Hefeflocken dazu gefügt. Sehr, sehr lecker! Vielen Dank für das tolle und einfache Rezept.
Glg. Selma
Ela
Das freut mich sehr, liebe Selma. Vielen Dank für dein wundervolles Feedback 🙂
Darren
What is the serving size for the calories you posted?
Ela
The Nutrition Facts are for one serving and the recipe makes 3 servings (like mentioned in the recipe). I will include the serving size in grams 🙂
Sam
Hi Ela! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m so excited to try it! Do I just use regular, full-fat, canned coconut milk? You can’t taste the coconut in the final cheese product??
Ela
Hi Sam, yes regular, full-fat, canned coconut milk. I don’t taste the coconut in the final cheese, however, if you don’t like coconut you could also use cashew milk or almond milk (preferably homemade full-fat). Hope this helps 🙂
Sam
Holy moly this is awesome!! I followed the recipe to a T, and it turned out perfectly. Couldn’t taste the coconut at all. I put it over steamed broccoli, chickpeas and brown rice. Delicious and super easy! You knocked it out of the park with this recipe. 🙂
Ela
Yay, this is awesome, Sam. I am really glad you liked my vegan cheese sauce! Thanks for letting me know 🙂