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
Kelly says
This was epic!!!!
I soaked the cashews in boiling water for about 20 monutes instead(impatient). I didnt have miso but I added a tiny squeeze of lemon and a small amount of massels(vegan) chicken stock powder.
Then I put a tiny biy of smoked paprika and some tumeric for a cheesy colour.
I also only had the regular soy milk which I think is sweetened but it turned out fine!
Thanks for a yummy recipe
Aimee says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kelly! And thanks for the notes on your substitutions - good to know it works well with those too :)
Annie says
The consistency of this was perfect. I wasn't able to find miso, but it was still good. On a lark I mixed in red sauce to make a pink one and it was perfection. I will make again with miso, but this is going in the recipe book. Thank you!
Aimee says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Annie! I like the sound of your red sauce version too :)
Victoria says
This cheese is amazing!!! I'm seriously obsessed and am making it for the third week in a row today. I've made Vegan nachos, Vegan chili cheese fries and Vegan burritos, just to name a few! I would absolutely choose this over real cheese:)
Aimee says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoy it as much as I do. I'm still obsessed with it and make it all the time too. Having some tonight with pasta, in fact :)
Emily says
Keep coming back to this one. I'm trying to be better about leaving comments to thank the bloggers that work so hard to keep me fed, fit, and healthy! Thanks for posting!
Aimee says
And we appreciate it, Emily! Honestly, it always makes my day to hear someone enjoying my recipes :) Thank you!
Leah says
Alright, THIS is cheesey deliciousness!!! It is hands down the best vegan cheese sauce I’ve made yet. The miso is a brilliant addition - I’m delighted to have finally found a recipe that is delicious, easy to make and Animal friendly. Thank you!!
Aimee says
Woooo! Makes me so happy to read comments like this :) Thanks Leah!