The Ultimate 20-Minute Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe

I think every vegan's goal in life is to find the perfect vegan cheese. One that lives up to the creamy, savory, and rich standards of regular dairy cheese. Little did I know it could be made in my own kitchen in less than 20 minutes and with vegetables! No need for items such as raw cashews, canned coconut milk, or tofu to create this masterpiece; the only "specialty" ingredient you need here is nutritional yeast. This magic hippie dust is not only full of umami flavor, which helps to create the cheesy aspect of the sauce, it also contains a rare, non-animal based source of vitamin B12. Sounds a little bit crazy, I know. But, I promise that once you buy this stuff it'll be a staple in your kitchen for life. Click here if you're interested in finding out where to buy nutritional yeast near you. If you're drooling as much as I am right now, check out The Ultimate Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe, it won't disappoint. 

The Ultimate Vegan Cheese Sauce

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:15 mins
• Total Time:20 mins
• Servings:3
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup peeled and diced russet potato
• 1 cup diced carrots or 1 cup baby carrots
• 1/2 cup salted cooking water
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• optional 1 tsp minced jalapeno

• Step 1

  Wash and peel your russet potato and dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Dice your carrot into 1/2 inch pieces. If you're using baby carrots, leave them whole.

  

• Step 2

  Place the diced potatoes and carrots into a pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are soft enough to mash.
  
  #spoon tip: test to see if the carrots and potatoes are done by poking them with a fork. If they slide off the fork when poked, they're finished boiling!

  

• Step 3

  Drain the potatoes and carrots and reserve 1 cup of the salted cooking liquid. Pour the potatoes, carrots, and 1/2 cup of the salted cooking liquid into a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Note: if the sauce is too thick, add more of the salted cooking liquid until you reach your desired consistency.

  

There you have it. This is what vegan cheese sauce dreams are made of. No frills, just some potatoes, carrots, seasoning, and nutritional yeast. I really don't think it can get any more simple than that. My favorite way to enjoy the sauce is on pasta for the creamiest mac and cheese experience. You can also pour it over nachos, use as a dip for vegetables, or as a savory addition to pizza. If you're feeling experimental, pour the vegan cheese sauce over this jackfruit "pulled pork" recipe. Just name it, this cheese sauce will probably taste good on anything. If I've convinced you, now all that's left to do is impress all your vegan and non-vegan friends with this ultimate vegan cheese sauce recipe!