How to Make Vegan Bechamel Sauce | FoodByMaria Recipes

Dips, Sauces & Spreads

How to Make Vegan Bechamel Sauce

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Prep

5 minutes

Cook

20 minutes

Yield

1 large serving

A classic bechamel sauce can add a cheesy flavour to any recipe. It's super versatile and a classic sauce. I'm going to teach you how to make bechamel vegan!

Bechamel sauce is a white sauce that is so yummy and creamy. Famously used in French cuisine but expanded to basically using it on anything from in mac n’ cheese, to vegetables, bechamel is made with milk and flour. It’s super easy to make, however, how do you make bechamel vegan? Well, I got you with this dairy-free recipe coming your way!

Pot with vegan bachamel sauce being stirred with a spoon.

Why you’ll love this vegan bechamel sauce: 

Well I mean, I think everyone loves bechamel sauce, but if you needed some more convincing than here are just a few reasons: 

  • It’s very easy and quick to whip up
  • It is incredibly versatile and can be used in many different ways (more on that below) 
  • Elevates your recipes
  • It’s classy – people will think you’re a real chef or something 😉  

Seriously though, I said it once, I’ll say it a million more times, this vegan bechamel sauce can be used on almost anything. Keep it in your back pocket as a go-to recipe, because I promise you’ll want to. You can use it in casserole dishes, pastas, lasagnas, sauces for vegetables, pies, veggie bakes, and the list goes on. The opportunities are endless with a good, classic sauce like this. 

How to make this vegan bechamel sauce: 

Vegan béchamel sauce

  1. Melt your butter on low heat in a medium-sized pot. 
  2. Once melted, add your flour, stir till a ball or more lumpy consistency appears. Vegan béchamel sauce
  3. Add your nutritional yeast and stir more. 
  4. Now, slowly add your milk and whisk aggressively while cooking on medium-high heat (the whole process should take around 20 minutes). Vegan béchamel sauce
  5. Stir till you’ve added all your milk and a more silky smooth sauce comes together. 
  6. Add the nutmeg and stir even more! Vegan béchamel sauce
  7. At the last minute season to taste, remove from heat and set aside.

Vegan béchamel sauce

Nutmeg is your bechamel’s best friend 

Yep, you heard me right. Nutmeg is a key ingredient in making this bechamel vegan. I, of course, used my friends at Mountain Rose Herbs nutmeg because I trust that I’m going to get a high-quality spice whenever I use their products.

Mountain Rose Herbs is a grower, processor, distributor, and retailer of organic (and amazing) herbs, spices, teas, and even essential oils. All their products are sustainably grown and harvested ingredients. I trust that when I shop my spices from them that I’m getting spices made with care, versus mass-produced stuff without any flavour. 

For this recipe, the use of nutmeg is critical for the flavour you’re going to want to achieve. I used the whole nutmeg in this recipe, so you’ll need a grater to grate it down for the sauce. I suggest their spice grater for this. 

Nutmeg is popular in baking recipes, but believe me when I say that it’s the perfect ingredient in this dairy-free sauce. 

Mountain Rose Herbs Whole Nutmeg pouring out of the bag onto the counter.

Tips for making the best bechamel vegan

A few key pointers to make sure that you mix up the best possible vegan bechamel are:

  • To make sure you use good quality ingredients, seriously though, that nutmeg 😉 
  • Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to help prevent sticking
  • Whisk and whisk until your arms fall off – this will help you achieve that perfect silky smooth consistency 

How do you make bechamel sauce vegan? This photo illustrates just how much it looks like the real thing. In a pot, on a counter.

Vegan Bechamel Sauce sitting in a pot with a spoon on a counter.

Other recipes you’ll love:

If you’re looking for some vegan recipes to pair this sauce with, I got you, here’s some I suggest:

If you’re looking for another way to use this bechamel sauce, I have another post you’ll love that includes a brand new recipe and works perfectly with this sauce. It’s a Greek Pasta Dish. Nom nom nom! It celebrates my roots because I grew up eating it. Now I’ve made a yummy vegan version you’ll love. 

vegan bechamel sauce

How to Make Bechamel Vegan

4.71 from 34 votes
A classic bechamel sauce can add a cheesy flavour to any recipe. It's super versatile and a classic sauce. I'm going to teach you how to make bechamel vegan!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dips & Spreads
Cuisine Vegan
Servings 1 large serving

Ingredients
  

For the Bechamel:

Instructions
 

  • For the bechamel, melt your butter on low heat in a medium-sized pot.  Once melted, add your flour, stir till a ball or more lumpy consistency appears.  Add your nutritional yeast and stir more.  Now, slowly add your milk and whisk aggressively while cooking on medium-high heat (the whole proces should take around 20 minutes).  Stir till you've added all your milk and a more silky smooth sauce comes together.  Add the nutmeg and stir even more!  At the last minute season to taste, remove from heat and set aside.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

To make sure you use good quality ingredients, seriously though, that nutmeg 😉
Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to help prevent sticking
Whisk and whisk until your arms fall off - this will help you achieve that perfect silky smooth consistency
I highly suggest doubling this serving size, the sauce is just that good!
Review This Recipe Let us know how it was!

 

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Mountain Rose Herbs. 

Jess

5 stars
Absolutely delicious! I tried it before I put the nutmeg in (as I was a bit skeptical) and it was so bland and yeasty. So I added the nutmeg and it blew my mind how it elevated the flavour! Thank you

Maria Koutsogiannis

Thanks, Jess!

Jules

5 stars
Can I use another flour? Coconut or almond flour etc.

Maria Koutsogiannis

Yes you can! Use 2/3 the amount of flour as both almond and coconut flour absorb more liquid and thicken faster. Blend this really well so it does not become grainy! 🙂

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