Easy cheesy cashew sauce! You won't believe how creamy and cheesy this sauce is when it is made from just cashews and a few other simple ingredients. Great for vegans, those avoiding dairy and paleo-dieters.
This recipe has been a long time coming. I make this cashew cheese sauce all the time and have done for years - I can't believe it's taken me this long to blog it!
I love to use this sauce on pasta, on pizzas, in risottos, drizzled over potatoes or vegetables, burritos and more. It's SO delicious.
I remember when I first tried it years ago, before I was vegan, I wasn't expecting to like it at all.
I was a very fussy eater and was only just starting to experiment with free-from foods so wasn't expecting something made from cashews to be a good substitute for cheese.
But I was shocked at how delicious and cheesy it was! I remember I said "oh my god" out loud and proceeded to eat it by the spoonful.
So definitely don't knock it before you try it!
And don't be put off if you've not heard of a couple of these ingredients because I promise you they're not that expensive or hard to find.
Your local health food shop will more than likely stock nutritional yeast and you can find miso paste in your local Asian supermarket or the world food aisle at the general supermarket.
The rest can be found at any supermarket!
This cheesy sauce is:
- Dairy-free & vegan
- Gluten-free & paleo-friendly
- Healthy
- Versatile (can be used for so many different recipes)
- Easy to make (you just need a blender!)
Use this cheese sauce on your pasta, on your toast or on a pizza!
Use this vegan cheese sauce to make:
Store-cupboard Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
Vegan Creamy Leeks & Butter Beans
📖 Recipe
Cashew Cheese Sauce
A delicious dairy-free cheese sauce, perfect for pastas, pizzas and more! Feel free to halve the recipe if you want a smaller portion.
Ingredients
- 150g / 1 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight in water
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes*
- 2 tsp miso paste or 1 tsp marmite*
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- (optional) ½ tsp mustard powder*
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 240ml / 1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (I use roasted almond)
Instructions
- Drain the cashews and discard the water they were soaked in.
- Add to a high-powered blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more almond milk, if needed to create the desired consistency. I like it when it's thick but runs off the spoon.
- Use straight away or add to a container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
*Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast with a natural cheesy flavour. You can find it in most health food shops or online and it's not expensive. If you want to use powder, halve the amount.
**White or red miso paste really helps give that fermented cheese flavour. It can be found in health food shops or Asian supermarkets. I buy mine from my local supermarket in the Asian food aisle. Marmite gives the same effect but is more intense so you need to use less.
***You can use a pinch of ground paprika instead. It just gives a subtle kick.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size Approx 2-3 tbspAmount Per Serving Calories 123Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 3mgSodium 135mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 6g
FLAVIA says
Flavour is great, but mine is a little watery, maybe because I use water instead of milk, so I added some more cashew nut. I also didn't have miso and onion powder, still it tastes great
Sandy LABONTE says
Can I use unsweetened coconut milk in the vegan cashew cheese sauce instead of almond?
Aimee says
Yes, if it's a mild-tasting one as it might overpower the flavour otherwise. Enjoy :)
Judy says
I love this recipe! Thank you!
Question: can this cheese be frozen if I can't use it all in 3 days?
Aimee says
Hi Judy, glad you like the recipe! Yes, you can. I actually did recently try freezing a batch (kept it in the freezer for about 2 weeks) and afterwards I had to blend it again to get the right texture, but other than that it was fine.
Lauren says
Very easy and delicious. I boiled the nuts for 10 mins and turned out great (no overnight soaking)
Aimee says
So glad to hear that!
Dolly Agrawal says
Can I use Red miso instead of white miso
Aimee says
Yes, I often use brown miso instead and still tastes delicious. You can also use marmite/yeast extract!
Judy says
OMG I didn't think about using Marmite!!! Thank you.
Kate says
I use a very dark miso and I think it gives it amazing depth and a more rich element.