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.
Geeta says
Hello,
I haven’t yet made the sauce but the recipe sounds delicious!
Unfortunately I have an intolerance to Cashews and was wondering if there are any alternative(s) I can use?
Many thanks.
Hi Geeta, we’d say in this recipe it’s tough to sub the cashews as they are uniquely neutral in flavor and creamy. But another reader reported success using sunflower seeds + silken tofu. Another possibility might be macadamia nuts. Hope that helps!
Theodora Medouris says
LOVE this recipe, thank you! I did end up adding some nutmeg spice and lemon juice to my version.
Sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing, Theodora! xo
Lisa says
Can this be made without adding the nutritional yeast? Would it still come out okay? Thanks.
Hi Lisa, yes! The flavor will be a little different but the texture will be fine.
Wen says
According to the reader comments for your vegan moussaka recipe, the bechamel sauce was a huge hit. That made me think that the sauce could also be used for another Greek dish (in a vegan version, of course): pastitcio — baked pasta. Would be less labor-intensive than (though perhaps not as spectacular as) the moussaka.
Great idea, Wen! Thanks for sharing!
Paula M says
I’m still learning as I go and was surprised at how delicious this sauce is- totally addictive. Plus it’s very easy to make. I went heavier on the nutmeg and the sauce just got better. Used cashew milk and the taste is perfection.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Paula! Thank you for sharing! xo
CJ says
Delicious with a bit more salt, apple cider vinegar, and some lemon juice (all things I would add to a dairy bechamel) Thank you for the simple recipe. This is going into a butternut squash florentine lasagna!
Great! Thank you for sharing, CJ!
Eric L says
A little embarrassing, but . . .my first time roasting garlic LOL
Not only was the garlic great, but the entire recipe absolutely *made* the Pastitsio.
I did use sunflower seeds instead of cashews, and replaced some of them with tofu . . .it was terrific.
Thank you!
That sounds delicious, Eric! We’re so glad the sauce worked well. Thank you for sharing!
RJ says
This is literally the best recipe. Whatever you use this in will the center piece of the meal. I use to make cauliflower ‘cheese’
Yummm! Thanks for sharing, RJ!
Ericka B says
I made this sauce to put in a vegan lasagna. Wow! The roasted garlic béchamel helped make this the best lasagna I have made. Since going vegan I’ve been trying to replicate the lasagna of my childhood—this was perfect! Will be making this sauce again and can’t wait to try it in other dishes! Thanks!
We’re so glad to hear it, Ericka! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Emily says
Do you think it would work in place of the almond milk-based sauce in your scalloped potato recipe? I know it might be less “cheesy” but the flavors of the bechamel seem like they’d be great with potatoes. Thanks!
Ooo yes! We think that would be delicious! Let us know how it goes!
Maria says
I made this bechamel sauce since it was gluten free and it is, in my humble opinion, better than any authentic bechamel sauce I’ve ever had!
I’ve baked garlic in this manner before but never thought it would give this sauce such nice depth of flavor. I did add a small sprinkling of grated nutmeg which also went very well.
Thank you so much for sharing this.
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Maria!
Leilah Martin says
First time I’m trying out a vegan bechemel sauce and wow, okay, never doing it any other way again! LOVE 🤩 eating it directly out of the blender as I type this !
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Leilah! xoxo
Kinnear says
I have made this sauce so many times that I felt compelled to finally leave a review. I use it for lasagna, pizza, and spaghetti – and my children happily eat it with a spoon. It is SO creamy and decadent while also being incredibly simple to make. I usually add a clove or 2 or raw garlic and increase the nutritional yeast. Thank you Dana for this recipe and so many more – MB is my go-to for so, so many recipes.
Amaaaazing! Thank you so much for sharing, Kinnear! xo
Annemarie says
Made the moussaka today, which was good. But this sauce was beyond words. So delicious! Thank you very much. Will make again!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Amy says
This is the BEST vegan bechamel ever. So simple and delicious. I put it on everything! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review, Amy! So glad you enjoy it! xo
Annette says
Great recipe! I used this as a filling in galettes de sarasin with asparagus and sautéed onions and spinach. I made it in advance and froze it. The texture was still just right when it thawed.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Annette!
Tari says
This sauce is so delicious.
I’m so eager to get ar it, I sacrifice my finger tips as I squeeze still-hot roasted garlic into the blender. Whirr it up and serve it over sauteed zucchini noodles. Yum.
Thanks, Dana. I’ve been a fan for years. Many of my staple recipes are from you.
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Tari! LOVE the zucchini noodles idea. xo
Stacy says
Have you tried freezing this?
Stacy says
Oops! I just saw up above freezer friendly :) Cannot wait to try it!
We haven’t, but I’m sure it would work! Let us know if you try.
Carrie Flynn says
Made this sauce twice now and it’s so delicious! First time, we put it on top of a red sauced pasta and baked it. Love the contrast of red and white and it was amazing! Very rich and satisfying, actually more so than a regular bechamel. Second time we had it with a fettuccine with grilled chicken and we thinned it a bit with broth to toss with the pasta and it was delicious! This will definitely satisfy your craving for a rich white sauce for sure! I added more nutritional yeast and more roasted garlic to taste. This will be a staple in our fridge! Thank you Dana for your incredible recipes!!!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Carrie!
Lisa Porcelli says
Easy to make and OMG taste amazing, I want to add it to everything.
xoxo! Thanks Lisa!
Angelica Aceves says
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this ever since we went to a restaurant and tried kelp noodles with Bechamel sauce. Only have one question? Is the garlic what makes this recipe be what it is or can I leave it out and still get a good taste? I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Angelica, the garlic does add a lot of depth, but it should still be tasty without it. It probably just won’t have that “WOW” factor! We’d love to hear how it tastes with the kelp noodles =)
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!!
Maria says
I used coconut aminos since I didn’t have nutritional yeast and it was great.
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!
Elle says
Hi, I am about to make this and just wondering—can I use cashew milk instead of the cashews?
Hi Elle, if it’s homemade cashew milk, maybe! But it would create a much thinner sauce and different result. The ratio of cashews:water in this recipe is much higher than in cashew milk.