Vegan Cheese Sauce
Vegan Cheese Sauce. Okay guys, this nut free, soy free, gluten free vegan cheese sauce is sooo dang good. Creamy, cheesy, smooth, slightly tangy, completely versatile and ready from start to finish in under 20 minutes!
I was testing out vegan cheese recipes yesterday and made this cheese sauce for my (non-vegan) family… everybody gobbled it up within an hour of me making it! Nobody could get over that it was dairy free!
The base of this sauce?!? Sunflower seeds and potatoes. After I posted my Alfredo a couple weeks ago, several people asked me for a nut free alternative cheesey sauce. We are celebrating Christmas with my mom this weekend and she has a super bad nut allergy, so I took the opportunity to test out nut free vegan cheese sauces to share with you guys. Even if you don’t have nut allergies, as much as I love cashews (and particularly pine nuts) for bases of vegan cheese sauces they can burn a hole through your wallet if you use them everyday!
Sunflower seeds, on the other hand, are darn cheap! And blend into a super, creamy sauce after being soaked.
This is an All PURPOSE Vegan Cheese Sauce guys. I haven’t found a savoury dish I don’t like this sauce on yet. #
We tested it as a dip…
on macaroni…
baked potatoes and….
VEGAN LASAGNA!! Holy moly guys, this recipe is all kinds of magic when layered and baked in lasagna. The texture of this cheese when baked into lasagna completely changes – the baking process evaporates the water in the sauce, creating chunky and thick layers of vegan ricotta cheese… Yum! Stay tuned for the lasagna recipe later this week guys.
I can’t wait to try this Vegan Cheese Sauce on veggies for a fun, holiday side. If you try this Vegan Cheese Sauce at home, leave your feedback below, snap a shot, share it on Instagram and tag it #CearasKitchen so I don’t miss it!!
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce ready in under 20 minutes. Creamy, cheesy, smooth, slightly tangy, cheesy and makes a delicious pasta sauce or dip!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sunflower seeds (raw and unsalted)
- 1/2 heaping cup mashed potato (1 small to medium potato)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil,
- 3/4 veggie bouillon cube
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2–3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups water
- Pinch sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-soak your sunflower seeds for 5 hours in cool water. Or, soak your sunflower seeds for 5 minutes in boiling water while sautéing the onions and garlic. Note: If you do not have a high-speed blender like a vitamix, I would recommend soaking the seeds for 7-10 minutes in boiling water until soft.
- Poke hole in your potato and place it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes until soft. Mash with a fork and measure into 1/2 heaping cup.
- While the potato is cooking, over medium high heat, sauté garlic and onion in a medium size pan until the onions are translucent (3-4 minutes) Add a couple splashes of water so the onion and garlic do not stick to the pan.
- Drain and thoroughly rinse the sunflower seeds. Add the sunflower seeds to the pan with the sesame seed oil. Sauté for one to two minutes to slightly roast the seeds.
- Add the mashed potatoes, sunflower seeds, garlic, onion, bouillon, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast (2 tbsp) nutmeg, mustard power and one cup water to a high speed blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes until creamy (you might have to blend a bit longer if you do not have a high speed blender). Taste test and add salt and pepper to and extra nutritional yeast to taste. If you want a thinner sauce, add up to an extra 1/2 cup of water. I add 1 1/4 cup of water for sauces, macaroni and cheese and in lasagna. For a dip, I add an extra tbsp of water. Sauce will thicken as it sits.
- Serve vegan cheese sauce as a dip, on pasta, on pizza, baked potatoes, vegetables or eat with a spoon – enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
