Name: Cashew Cheese Sauce
Prep time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 250
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) 1/2 tsp mustard powder*; 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg; Salt and pepper, to taste; 240ml / 1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (I use roasted almond)

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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

Grain-free Pizza

Vegan Burrito Stuffed Peppers

📖 Recipe

Cashew Cheese Sauce

Yield: 250 ml / 1 cup

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

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.