Vegan Bechamel Sauce

Looking for a vegan bechamel sauce that is rich, creamy, and delicious? This recipe is simple to make and is perfect for topping pasta or vegetables. Give it a try!

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Back in my Gastronomy Master, the Chef used to say that no cook should call himself a cook if he can not make a perfect sauce eye wide shot!

I also think that mastering a Bechamel sauce is a skill that everyone should master. You can use this vegan version of the mother sauce of Italian cuisine for dishes such as pasta, mac n cheese, vegan lasagna, baked ziti, vegetarian casseroles, and any other veggie bakes that call for creamy and saucy components, such as this Vegan Eggplant Involtini.

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• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 📖 Variations
• 🫙 Storing
• 📚 More vegan sauces
• 📋 Recipe
• 🌡️ Food safety
• 💬 Reviews and Comments

🧾 Ingredients

To make a traditional-style vegan béchamel Sauce, you need

• vegan butter (in place of dairy butter)
• chickpea flour (or all-purpose flour)
• non-dairy milk (such as unsweetened soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk)
• grated nutmeg
• fine sea salt

See quantities and complete instructions in the recipe card.

That simple!

Optionally you can add pepper, preferably white pepper, to get a creamy white sauce without black spots.

🔪 Instructions

I am making this vegan white sauce with extra virgin olive oil (you can also use vegan butter or margarine), chickpea flour, fresh almond milk, nutmeg, pepper, and salt.

To make this vegan bechamel recipe:

1. Melt the butter or add the olive oil to a saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add flour of choice, little by little, as you stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Start adding the milk. When it starts to brown, cook it for 1 minute more and add the unsweetened milk.
4. Stir constantly with a whisk until it gets creamy and a thick sauce forms. Add salt, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, and pepper. Continue stirring and use immediately.

Tip: you could also use an immersion blender directly into the saucepan. Add more milk to make a thinner creamy white sauce.

📖 Variations

You can optionally add Nutritional Yeast or vegan cheese to add some dairy flavor that the dairy milk and butter deliver.

You can sprinkle garlic powder to add more depth to the classic white sauce.

Feel free to use black pepper (as I did) when the sauce goes into another preparation, and you don't need a pure white sauce.

🥛 Dairy-free milk

You can use any other plant-based milk, always choosing a creamy one such as oat milk. You just need to replace the plant milk with the same quantity.

🌾 Flour

We like chickpea flour, but almond or coconut flour can also be used. All-purpose flour works well, but it would not gluten-free.

This vegan bechamel with almond milk which perfectly emulates the traditional bechamel is the base sauce that I use to make other dishes such as

• Vegan Vegetable Casserole
• Eggplant Involtini

🫙 Storing

Although this basic white sauce is better when used fresh, you can reserve leftovers. Freeze béchamel in an airtight container.

Reheat béchamel in a saucepan, adding more warm milk and whisking energetically. You may have to add more salt or nutritional yeast to adjust the flavor.

📚 More vegan sauces

Check out our Sauces and Preparations Section with Posts such as How to Prepare Tofu, our favorite creamy vegan sauce for everything, and How to Make a Vegan Parmesan in 5 minutes.

⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

📋 Recipe

🌡️ Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking points to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

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