This recipe came to be while perfecting our vegan moussaka. The need for a thick layer of creamy, rich bechamel led to much experimentation. We tried classic rouxs, soaked cashews, and even mashed potatoes as a base.
But the clear winner emerged when we blended soaked cashews with the magic of roasted garlic — one whole head! The combination of roasted garlic with creamy cashews marries perfectly with nutritional yeast and salt for a seriously dreamy bechamel sauce. Plus, just 5 simple ingredients required. Let us show you how it’s done.
What is Bechamel?
Bechamel is a creamy white sauce that’s traditionally made with butter, flour, and milk, and it’s often used as a base to make other sauces. Its origin is debated, but it seems to have been invented in either Italy or France between the 16th and 17th centuries.
Our plant-based version is not traditional, but is equally creamy, delicious, and versatile!
How to Make Vegan Bechamel Sauce
Cashews are the creamy, dairy-free base for this recipe. A whole head of garlic (yes, you read that right!) is roasted until it’s perfectly caramelized. Roasting garlic allows it to contribute a lot of flavor without being too intense since roasting mellows the flavor and even adds a bit of sweetness. And adding nutritional yeast and sea salt contributes a nice salty-cheesy element.
The mixture is blended until it’s silky smooth for a rich, creamy, flavor-packed sauce!
We hope you LOVE this vegan bechamel sauce! It’s:
Cheesy
Garlicky
Rich
Savory
Comforting
& Quick & easy!
It’s perfect for topping moussaka, using as a base for vegan cheese sauces (such as mac ‘n’ cheese), and more!
More Vegan “Cheese” Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients
ROASTED GARLIC
- 1 head garlic, average size
- 1 tsp olive oil
BECHAMEL
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Slice off the very top of the head of garlic and set on a piece of foil. Drizzle the top with oil and wrap to conceal. Then roast directly on a center oven rack for ~50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the cloves are tender, fragrant, and light golden brown.
- Soak cashews in very hot water (uncovered) for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain your soaked cashews and add to a small blender along with roasted garlic (cool slightly then squeeze up from the bottom toward the top to remove cloves), olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, and water. Blend on high until creamy and smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste or nutritional yeast for cheesiness. The roasted garlic should add a nice caramelized, garlicky sweetness to the sauce, but if you prefer a more garlicky punch, you could throw in 1-2 raw garlic cloves and blend. Set aside.
- Best when fresh. Ideal for adding to dishes like moussaka, as a mac ‘n’ cheese base, in vegetable bakes, and more. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. When reheating, add more water or plain dairy-free milk as needed to thin.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Lisa Porcelli says
Easy to make and OMG taste amazing, I want to add it to everything.
xoxo! Thanks Lisa!
Sandra says
Ummm… what is this sorcery?! I made this bechamel for your mousaka recipe (still in the oven!) following your recipe to a T, and I literally found myself licking out the leftovers from my Vitamix. This is amazing and revolutionary. Better than any traditional bechamel, and with a healthy twist! Amazing. Thank you so much for this!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sandra! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
June says
It looks great. Do you think you can leave out the olive oil in the blender portion? I’m wondering if that would work.
It adds a bit more richness/creaminess, but we think it should be fine without it.
CAROLINA says
Delicious!! As always, thanks for your sharing
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the lovely review, Carolina!
b says
I have heard that one should not eat raw cashews. Does soaking eliminate this problem?
Hi! Raw cashews from the store have been steamed, so they’re safe to eat.
Steph Peterson says
I know this is a long shot… but is there any suggestions for a tree nut allergy? Your recipes with soaked cashews always look so good, but I can never try them:(
Thanks for all your great vegan recipes!
What about 3 parts soaked sunflower seeds, 1 part hemp seeds?
Simona says
Is there maybe a substitute for nutritional yeast?
You can try and omit it!
Steph Peterson says
Oh that’s a good thought! I’m not super familiar with working with hemp seeds, but I’ll give it a shot, thank you!!
Tiana says
This sounds delicious!! Thank you.
connie says
Could you please tell me what would be suggested to replace the
garlic? Both myself and my husband are garlic intolerant but I would
love to try this sauce and I know it needs some flavor.
Hmm, that’s tough. What about roasted leeks or shallot instead?
Nicole says
Garlic infused olive oil is a great substitute! The carbohydrates in garlic that cause discomfort are leached out in the oil infusion process. So you get all the flavour but none of the side-effects! If you can’t find any in store than I’m sure theres a way to infuse it at home. And a little bit of oil goes a long way in terms of flavour
Kat - the other 1 says
Thanks, but it’s not discomfort, it’s an allergy. Garlic infused oil is still garlic. I don’t have to eat it to start reacting, smelling it or touching any will both cause bad reactions.
Shallots are so closely related to garlic I’m hesitant to try them.
Maybe I can try the leek you suggested. Now I just need something more affordable than cashews, lol.
Wenderella says
I would be eating more vegan recipes like this if there were a substitute for cashews. I’m allergic to cashews. Nothing else, just cashews. Sometimes I substitute sunflower seeds for pine nuts in pesto, but they wouldn’t sub well for cashews in recipes like this bechamel. I’d be interested in alternatives.
Hi Wenderella! I’d say in this recipe it’s tough to sub the cashews as they are uniquely neutral in flavor and creamy. But a mix of soaked raw cashews and hemp seeds may work! Let us know if you try.
Samantha Dailly says
You should try blanched macadamias; that might work if you have an allergy to cashews. I’ve found that macadamias can mimic the creaminess of cashews.
Wenderella says
This is a fabulous suggestion. I don’t know why I never thought od Macadamia before now. Genius. Thank you 😊👍
Kat - the other 1 says
This makes me so sad.
I’m severely allergic to garlic.
I’ve been trying to make a nice tasting gluten and dairy free version of this for years. The search continues.
Bummer – you could try subbing sautéed leek or shallot?
Wenderella says
Hmm, ‘soaked raw cashews’ is cashews. I’m allergic to cashews in any form.
Melissa says
Is adding the oil absolutely necessary? I am trying to go without added oil and wondering if the fat in the nuts is enough?
Nope you can leave it out.
Kungaa says
I love your site; I have a vegetarian/vegan moussaka vegan recipe I have had for years- if the vegan crumbles were high in sodium I would use Quorn ones- low sodium. BUT to make it vegan the bechamel sauce was horrible! Now I wii update my recipe when you post
Great!
VICKY says
YES! Have been waiting for this!!!! Can’t wait to try!
So great! Let us know how it goes, Vicky.
VICKY PERALTA says
I made it to go on top of your easy vegan lasagna and it was really good! (besides the fact I put too much salt, but thats on me lol) lots of cashews in our meal! :D
Oh and maybe if I had a better blender it would come out smoother!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Vicky! And yes, a good blender will help with a smoother texture.
Alessandra says
May I ask why you don’t use flour, as for usual bechamel?
Hi Alessandra, we tested a flour version, but found this one was easiest and most tasty!