Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce

Name: Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 8 min
Ingredients: 2 cups rolled oats; ½ cup nutritional yeast; 12 ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers (including the water in the jar too); 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (or smoked paprika); juice of 1 lemon; 2 1/2 cups water (3 cups if you need it thinner); 1 cup favorite salsa (optional)

Looking for a delicious and creamy nut-free vegan cheese sauce? This easy, allergy-friendly, traditional cheese alternative is perfect for pasta, nachos, veggies, and more! Made with simple, affordable ingredients, it’s a smooth, dairy-free alternative that everyone will love.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Pin Recipe

side view of a mason jar full of nut free vegan cheese sauce.

You can transform oats, yes, regular oats, into a creamy, cheesy, Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce.

This is our healthy vegan cheese sauce of choice when making easy vegan nachos, but you can also use it on steamed broccoli, potatoes, burrito bowls, and anything that assembles on your plate.

If cheese keeps you from becoming entirely plant-based, this sauce will help you overcome that problem. I credit the first time I saw using oats to make cheese sauce years ago to Jill McKeever.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
How To Make Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce
Top Tips
Serving Suggestions for Vegan Cheese Sauce
Recipe FAQS
More Related Recipes
Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce
Comments

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Rich, cheesy taste without nuts or dairy.
Safe for those with nut allergies.
Made with simple, affordable ingredients.
Perfect for pasta, nachos, veggies, and more.
A hit with both kids and adults alike.

Ingredients

This is all you need to make this delicious cheese sauce. See the recipe post for quantities.

Nutritional yeast (AKA Nooch) - Nutritional yeast is a popular ingredient in vegan cheese recipes because of its cheesy and nutty flavor. It is also a great source of vitamin B12, which is important for everyone. For more information on how to use nutritional yeast, go to Nutritional Yeast 10 Easy Recipes.
Cornstarch - potato starch will work fine, too.

top view of a plate of vegan nachos with a hand grabbing a chip.

How To Make Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce

Here's what you'll be doing. If you don't have a high-speed blender, blend the ingredients in a regular blender and then heat the sauce in a pot on the stove. See the recipe card for more details.

top view of the ingredients in the blender.

Step 1: Toss everything into a high-speed blender until the ingredients heat up - about 4-5 minutes.

top view of the blender full of cheese while a hand scoops some up with a spoon.

Step 2: If necessary, add more water, but remember it will thicken upon sitting out.

Top Tips

This sauce must be heated well so as not to taste gritty from the starch.
For thicker cheese, use less water or a little more starch (a little goes a long way). For a thinner salad dressing consistency, use more water.
For storage, place in an air-tight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
This sauce does thicken as it sits and cools down. You may need to add more water or plant-based milk to loosen it up to the consistency you want after storage.

Serving Suggestions for Vegan Cheese Sauce

This is my favorite go-to cheese sauce for nachos. Take a look at Easy Vegan Nachos or Vegan Jackfruit Nachos for a delicious, quick family dinner tonight.
Top baked potatoes with this vegan cheese sauce for a tasty and filling meal.
Use vegan cheese sauce as a filling for quesadillas like Vegan Jackfruit Quesadillas and a topping for tacos, vegetables, and other toppings.
Use Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce as a condiment for sandwiches and burgers or make a grilled cheese.
Serve vegan cheese sauce for vegetables, crackers, or chips.

top view of a chip dipping into a bowl of the cheese sauce.

Recipe FAQS

Is vegan cheese sauce healthy?

This vegan cheese sauce is a healthy alternative to traditional cheese sauces because it is made from plant-based ingredients that are high in nutrients and low in saturated fat. It's also lower in calories than the cashew-based cheese sauces.

Can I use this sauce as a dip?

Yes, this vegan cheese sauce can be used as a dip for vegetables or chips. You can add more water to the recipe to make it thinner and easier to dip.

How do I reheat Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce?

You can reheat vegan cheese sauce on the stove or in the microwave, but it will likely thicken. To thin it out, simply add a little water or plant-based milk. If using the microwave, heat at 50% power and stir frequently to prevent a film from forming on top. If a film does appear, just give it a stir—it won’t affect the flavor!?

Got a minute? I'd love for you to dive into the comments and rate this nut-free vegan cheese sauce. Your feedback is invaluable—did you love it? Did you make any fun twists? Let me know how my directions worked for you so I can keep improving my recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.

Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce

Regi Pearce

Looking for a delicious and creamy vegan nut-free cheese sauce? This easy, allergy-friendly, traditional cheese alternative is perfect for pasta, nachos, veggies, and more! Made with simple, affordable ingredients, it’s a smooth, dairy-free alternative that everyone will love. No nuts required—just pure cheesy goodness.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 5

Total Time 8

Course condiment

Cuisine American, Vegan

Servings cups

Calories 156 kcal

Equipment

Vitamix blender

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
½ cup nutritional yeast
12 ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers including the water in the jar too
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke or smoked paprika
juice of 1 lemon
2 ½ cups water 3 cups if you need it thinner
1 cup favorite salsa optional

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Combine: Pour all the ingredients, except the salsa, into a high-speed blender.
Blend: Blend ingredients in a high-speed blender until mixed and hot, about 5 minutes. It’s done when you open the top and see steam rising. If you touch the side of the blender, it should be hot and ready to pour. It might be thin, but it will thicken as it sits.
Add Salsa: Pulse the salsa for 2-3 seconds to maintain some texture, or stir it in by hand for a chunkier consistency. For a smoother sauce, blend it fully until incorporated.

Video

Notes

A high-speed blender is helpful for this recipe. You can find them refurbished on Amazon.

Optional: If you don't have a high-speed blender that heats or cooks food, you can blend it until smooth, then put it in a pot on the stove to heat on medium-low, often stirring until the cornstarch cooks and thickens the sauce. Return it to the blender until creamy, adding more water a tablespoon at a time if it is too thick.

If not heated well, the cornstarch will not dissolve, resulting in a gritty taste. Proper heating ensures a smooth, creamy consistency and blends the flavors, so heat until it steams out the top to avoid that grainy taste.

As this cheese sauce sits or is stored in the fridge, it will likely thicken. To thin it out, add a little water or plant-based milk. If using the microwave, heat at 50% power and stir frequently to prevent a film from forming on top. If a film does appear, just give it a stir—it won’t affect the flavor!?

After a few minutes in a high-speed blender, you may hear the blender slow down, and the noise deepens as the sauce thickens. This is when you know you’re close to it heated through.

This batch makes approximately 6 cups of cheese sauce.

Nutritional information is only an estimate. Use a nutritional app like Cronometer to get information on the exact ingredients and amounts you are using.