A good Vegan Bechamel sauce - also known as a White Sauce is one of those recipes that every cook should have in their repertoire! This easy creamy white sauce can easily be made vegan by making it with oat milk or other non-dairy milk and is essential in any kitchen. It is the perfect base sauce for drizzling over a pasta bake, adding loads of cheese to make Mac & Cheese or for creating lasagna or moussaka.
The great thing about knowing the basic method to making a vegan béchamel sauce (also called a roux or white sauce), is you can then create so many other fantastic dishes with it. I have provided step-by-step instructions for the bechamel, as well as some easy flavour variations to have in your back pocket so you can use it everywhere!
Bechamel sauce is known as one of the French Mother Sauces, as it's an essential base of so many dishes, and not only in French cuisine! From pasta bakes to vegan mac and cheese or for making my favourite Vegan Mushroom & Kale Lasagne, or using in an good old Vegan Cauliflower Cheese.
This version is made without cashew nuts so is great for when you need a thrifty meal or to feed anyone with a nut allergy.
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🥣 Ingredients
You only need simple ingredients for this vegan version of a traditional béchamel sauce.
I've outlined below what you will need for a vegan basic white sauce, but head a bit further down the post for some other handy variations that you might want for other recipes.
- Flour - Simple white all purpose flour forms the base of this roux.
- Oil or Vegan Butter- You can choose to use extra virgin olive oil (my favorite) or your favourite lightly flavoured oil, or use non dairy butter.
- Oat Milk/Unsweetened Soy Milk- I like to use oat milk in my bechamel sauce, however unsweetened soy milk, almond milk , cashew milk , coconut milk or other non-sweetened dairy-free milk will also work well.
- Nutritional Yeast - for a cheesy flavour. I like to use nooch whereever you would traditionally use a grated hard cheese such as parmesan.
- Dijon Mustard- great for adding a little bit of tang and flavour.
- A sprinkle of flakey sea salt to season. You can also add a little white pepper.
Head to the recipe card for quantities and step by step instructions.
👩🍳How-To
Follow along for the perfect creamy delicious vegan bechamel sauce.
- Over low heat, gently heat the oil or melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour to the melted vegan butter or warm oil and toast it gently. You want the flour to gently color up to a golden brown This ensures that the sauce doesn't taste of flour.
2. Stirring constantly, whisk in the plant milk bit by bit until you get a thick paste. Don't stop whisking because you don't want clumps in the sauce!
3. Keep whisking on medium-low heat until your white sauce is thickened.
4. Add in any flavourings such as miso or nutritional yeast and whisk in. Add more plant milk if the sauce gets too thick.
6. The sauce should be thick and creamy but pourable when finished.
Top Tip
For a smooth and lump-free sauce, make sure to keep whisking while you slowly add in the oat milk or other plant-based milk. No one likes lumpy white sauce!
🌶Variations and Substitutions
Here are some other ways you change up the flavors so you can use this easy basic white sauce in other vegan recipes.
- For classic white sauce- Simmer the plant milk with a bay leaf and a pinch of nutmeg before adding it into the sauce.
- Vegan Cheese sauce- miso, dijon mustard and nutritional yeast. You can add extra grated vegan cheese (delicious for vegan lasagna or veggie bakes)
- Spicy cheesy sauce- miso, nutritional yeast and a few drops of your favourite hot sauce. This is great for using in place of melted cheese on nachos.
- Gluten-Free sauce: Choose rice flour or corn starch (corn flour to my Aussies and UK friends) and make sure the non-dairy milk you use is gluten free.
- Depending on the recipe you are making, add garlic powder, blend in herbs, or add some cracked black pepper. This easy recipe can be used as the basis for so many great vegan options!
🥫Storage
The bechamel sauce will store for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, put back in a pot and add some more plant milk. Stir until it is heated through and thick and creamy again.
❓FAQ and Trouble Shooting
You need to gently toast the flour in the oil or butter to remove the floury taste. Be sure to get it to gently brown before adding the plant milk.
To avoid lumpy sauce, be sure to keep whisking while you gently add in the plant milk. Having the milk room temperature will help keep the sauce lump free too.
This sauce can be made ahead of time, however, it will need to be reheated, then whisked to avoid lumps.
You can freeze the sauce. I often make pasta or lasagne with this sauce and freeze it in portions. If you want a lovely fresh runny bechamel however, it is best to make it fresh as needed.
This recipe yields between 1 to 1 ½ cups of white sauce, depending on how runny you like it.
Yes, I always use oat milk to make my bechamel sauce. You can also use unsweetened soy or other plant milk.
This is a vegan bechamel sauce without cashew nuts or other nuts.
🥧Serving Ideas
A basic bechamel or white sauce has so many fabulous applications! Just flavour it up as you need. Here are some of the ways I like to use it:
- Smokey Vegan Mushroom & Kale Lasagne
- Greek Inspired Vegan Moussaka
- Chickenless Pot Pies
- Or use with some lentil bolognese and add to giant pasta shells and bake like in the pictures!
- This creamy vegan sauce is also great used on savory crepes, in pasta dishes, or to top enchiladas in place of dairy-cheese.
- Roast vegetables then top with a cheesy version for a delicious cozy veggie bake.
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
Basic Recipe
- 2 tablespoon plain flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
- 236 ml (1 cups) plant milk
- Salt & Pepper to taste (To keep the sauce a pretty white, use white pepper)
Classic white sauce option
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Cheese Sauce option
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Gently heat the oil or butter in a saucepan
- Add the flour and toast in the butter until it gently bubbles and becomes slightly browned.
- Bit by bit add in the plant milk and whisk. Keep whisking and adding the plant milk until you have a thickened white sauce.
- Season to taste.
For classic white sauce
- Gently pre-heat the plant milk with a bay leaf. Whisk in as per the usual steps.
- Sprinkle nutmeg in to taste.
For Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Once the bechamel sauce is thickening whisk in miso, mustard and nutritional yeast.
- Taste and add more seasonings as you like.
Notes
- For classic bechamel /white sauce- Simmer the plant milk with a bay leaf and a grating of nutmeg before adding it into the sauce.
- Cheese sauce- miso, dijon mustard and nutritional yeast.
- Spicy cheesy sauce- miso, nutritional yeast and a few drops of your favourite hot sauce.
The bechamel sauce will store for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, put back in a pot and add some more plant milk. Stir until it is heated through and thick and creamy again.
Kate says
Such a great master recipe! Thank you for this. So useful for a wide variety of recipes.
Tayler Ross says
I will definitely be making this bechamel sauce the next time my vegan friends are over for dinner. It looks amazing!
Mindee Taylor says
Such as easy sauce! So glad I found a vegan version!
Tara says
Such a wonderful addition to so many recipes! I love all the tips and troubleshooting notes you have included to help make it perfect.
Michelle says
Thank you for your recipe! Do you have suggestions for the type of plants milk that work best for this sauce?
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I prefer oat milk or unsweetened soya milk, however you can choose any unsweetened plant milk according to what your preferences are.
Natalie says
Nice. I never knew you can make vegan bechamel. I'll save this for my lasagna recipe.