My kids and I did a test run on several vegan “cheese sauce” recipes that I have collected here and there and voted on the recipes that were our favorites. I’ve been curious about cheese substitute recipes and have tried one or two in the past (I am still experimenting with one that uses beans).
What is in a cheese sauce?
Most of the recipes we came across contained four or more of these ingredients:
Most of the recipes we came across contained four or more of these ingredients:
Tomatoes
Pimentos
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Nutritional Yeast
Nuts of some sort
Lemon Juice
Red Bell Pepper
I want to find a recipe that appeals not only to me, but to my family. Out of the 5 recipes we tried, we narrowed it down to one. At the time, I didn’t happen to have any red bell peppers or cashews on hand, so none of the recipes we tested called for peppers or cashews.
Now keep in mind that when I ran this “test kitchen” I didn’t tell my kids that this was a substitute for cheese. I let them assume that these were merely different sauces/dips, and I wanted to see which ones they liked the best. If they were in the mind frame that these were supposed to taste exactly like cheese, they would have been greatly disappointed. With a bit of altering to our own preference, we were able to create a recipe that everyone was happy with. None of the recipes I tried ever tasted exactly like cheese. The recipe we ultimately chose had a good taste (similar to that of cheese, with a twist), texture, and thickness.
The sauce does turn a darker orange color once it has been thickened. It only takes a few minutes to warm and thicken and the sauce can scorch so be careful.
The sauce does turn a darker orange color once it has been thickened. It only takes a few minutes to warm and thicken and the sauce can scorch so be careful.
I opened the container of “Cheese Sauce” after it had been refrigerated for several hours and the aroma was not incredibly pleasing. However, after re-heating it, the cheese sauce was not as potent. If this happens to you - don’t fret. Just warm it back up and enjoy.
This is great as a stand alone sauce for dipping tortilla chips and raw veggies. It is also great as a condiment for tacos and burritos.
This is great as a stand alone sauce for dipping tortilla chips and raw veggies. It is also great as a condiment for tacos and burritos.
 |
| Sauce blended, but not yet cooked. |
1 cup rice milk (unsweetened), divided
2 Tbsp fresh or canned tomatoes
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 cup raw sunflower seeds
2-3 tsp lemon juice
Directions:
1. Blend sunflower seeds in blender/processor until well crushed. Add the tomatoes and ¼ cup rice milk and blend again until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well.
2. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium-heat until desired thickness, stirring/whisking frequently.
Makes about 2 cups
 |
| Cheese sauce after it is cooked. |
- Use cashews in place of sunflower seeds
- Use any milk of choice
- Add cayenne for heat
- Substitute 1 tsp vinegar for 2-3 tsp. lemon juice
- Pre-soak nuts or seeds to make it easier to blend smooth
