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You are here: Home / Dips/Sauces / Vegan Cheese Sauce (Nut-free and Oil-free)

Vegan Cheese Sauce (Nut-free and Oil-free)

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The most amazing Vegan Cheese Sauce that is Nut-free and Oil-free, as well as fat-free! It has no nuts and no cashews! It is also is the perfect sauce to make vegan Mac ‘N’ Cheese. This cheese sauce is healthy, creamy and made from potatoes and zucchini.

hand dipping chip into vegan cheese sauce

*This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.

NUT-FREE VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE

Are you ready for this? Are you ready for a to-die-for creamy vegan cheese sauce that tastes rich, thick and silky smooth? This is so darn delicious over mac ‘n’ cheese too. There is no nuts, no oil and totally healthy, as it’s made from vegetables like potatoes and zucchini.

vegan nut free cheese sauce in bowl with chips

In case you are wondering, this one is totally guilt-free. It is even coconut-free and gluten-free. When I’m not stuffing my face with this Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake, I like to enjoy this lighter, lower calorie version.

The majority of vegan cheese recipes are made with nuts/cashews or tofu, etc. Since so many of you readers cannot have nuts, I wanted to create a nut-free and fat-free cheese sauce that we could all enjoy with absolutely zero guilt. It’s totally kid-approved too, my daughter gobbles it up.

measuring cup holding cooked mashed potatoes

CHEESE SAUCE MADE WITH VEGETABLES

To create a whole foods cheese sauce made with vegetables, I took inspiration from 2 of the recipes on my blog that were creamy sauces without containing any nuts. My Low-Fat Nut-Free Creamy Parsley Sauce  which is made from potatoes and my Spicy Zucchini Pepper Soup which is made from zucchini! Both are incredibly creamy, so I combined the two for a magic cheese sauce.

Lastly, another key ingredient that really drives home the cheesy flavor is soy sauce. It gives a depth of flavor that salt alone doesn’t give. I tried just lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt and none of them gave that cheesy flavor as great as soy sauce. I mean seriously, this entire recipe is basic ingredients that I just got at my local grocery store. So easy.

blender of vegan cheese sauce

HOW TO MAKE A NUT-FREE VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE

First, you will need to gather these 8 ingredients (+salt and water):

  • zucchini
  • yukon gold potatoes
  • nutritional yeast
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • smoked paprika
  • soy sauce or liquid aminos
  • lemon juice

Prepare the zucchini by preheating an oven to 415°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Peel all the green skin off the zucchini and slice into 1/4 inch slices and salt and pepper well. Bake for 15 minutes.

Next, cook your potatoes either by roasting, steaming or in the microwave. Mash them with a fork and measure out 1 cup.

Add the cooked zucchini and potato, along with all of the remaining ingredients (start with 3/4 cup water and add as needed, stopping at 1 cup) to your blender and blend until smooth. You will need to stop and scrape a couple of times from the bottom during. Do not be too eager to add extra water until you’ve really blended it up a couple of minutes on high to get it completely smooth. It will seem too thick at first, but it will start to turn very smooth from all the water from the zucchini.

several chips surroungin bowl of cheese sauce

Whether you use it as a dip or a vegan mac ‘n’ cheese, it’s delicious!

OTHER VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE RECIPES TO TRY:

  • Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese Sauce
  • Best Vegan Queso
  • Vegan Ricotta Cheese
  • Vegan Pimento Cheese

If you make this recipe,  be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!

Vegan Cheese Sauce (Nut-free and Oil-free)

Brandi Doming

4.98 from 85 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, Vegan
Yields 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 small zucchini, peeled and sliced, THEN weigh 130g
  • 1 lightly filled cup (220g) cooked/mashed yukon gold
  • 3/4 cup -1 cup water (as needed to reach desired thickness (I ALWAYS use 1 cup, so keep that in mind in regards to other ingredients)
  • 1/4 cup (20g) nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2-3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular if you don't like smoked
  • 2 teaspoons liquid aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, do not omit, this is what gives the cheesy flavor, do not use coconut aminos, it will not yield the correct flavor!)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

NOTE

  • It's important to weigh the zucchini and potato, so the flavor turns out correct, too much zucchini and it could have an off taste.
  • I use this scale.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 415°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Peel all the green skin off the zucchini and slice into 1/4 inch slices and salt and pepper well. It's imperative to peel the zucchini, otherwise your sauce will be an ugly green. Bake about 15 minutes until tender.
  • I cooked the potato in the microwave for about 5 minutes until very soft. Do not boil them as they will get water logged and make the sauce more runny.
  • Mash the potatoes with a fork and measure out 1 cup. If you followed the correct weight measurement, you should get just about 1 lightly filled cup of mashed potatoes. Update: Using a food processor will make this too gooey, make sure to use just a blender.
  • Add the zucchini, potato and remaining ingredients (start with 3/4 cup water and add as needed, stopping at 1 cup) to the blender and blend until smooth. Stop and scrape a couple of times from the bottom during. Do not be too eager to add extra water until you've really blended it up a couple of minutes. It will seem too thick at first, but it will start to turn very smooth from all the water from the zucchini. If after blending it's too thick for you, add just a TINY amount just to blend it. If it's a bit thinner than you like, heat on the stove to thicken.
  • Taste and add any extra lemon juice and/or salt/spices if necessary. Add any desired toppings such as red pepper flakes, chopped tomatoes, sliced jalapenos. I like a kick of heat to my cheese so I added red pepper flakes.
  • To make it as a mac 'n' cheese, add cheese sauce to cooked pasta. You can either warm the cheese by running it awhile in the blender or gently warming over the stove. It gives such an incredible cheesy, thick and stick-to-pasta result.
Tried this recipe?Tag @thevegan8brandi on Instagram and use tag #thevegan8!
Keyword nut-free vegan cheese sauce, oil-free vegan cheese sauce, vegan cheese sauce, vegan cheese sauce no nuts

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dips/Sauces, Gluten Free, Grains/Pasta, Kid Friendly, Kid-Friendly Meals, Main Dishes, Nut Free, Oil-free, Pasta, Potatoes/Rice, Snacks, VEGAN Tagged With: Cheese, Dips, Mac 'n' cheese, Nut free, Potatoes, Sauce

Previous Post: « Easy Vegan Lemon Cookies (Gluten-free, ONLY 8 Ingredients!)
Next Post: Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins »

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Comments

  1. Joy

    June 5, 2021 at 1:47 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely LOVE this recipe! It comes out great every time!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      June 5, 2021 at 2:08 am

      Love hearing that Joy!!

      Reply
  2. Lori

    July 16, 2021 at 5:25 pm

    5 stars
    We love this cheese sauce and keep some in the refrigerator at all times since trying it for the first time a few weeks ago. I steam the potatoes and use the water in the cheese sauce. I add a small amount of jalapeno and use fresh garlic instead of powder.

    Reply
  3. Judy

    August 7, 2021 at 6:08 pm

    How long will this keep in the fridge?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      August 10, 2021 at 1:50 am

      3-5 days.

      Reply
  4. Janelle

    October 14, 2021 at 2:40 pm

    Question I dont own a microwave. How can I cook the potato without it becoming waterlogged? Should I omit the zucchinni if it is waterlogged? Thanx for your help & recipe.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      October 14, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      No, definitely don’t omit the zucchini! You can bake it!

      Reply
    • Jenny

      February 3, 2022 at 8:40 pm

      5 stars
      I don’t have a microwave either, so I boiled the cubed potatoes and drained them, then reduced the amount of water to 1/2 C. The consistency turned out great for me.

      Reply
  5. Rosebud

    January 3, 2022 at 9:23 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my ❣️FAV ❣️quick cheeses, nut free, and definitely tasty! Perfect for just having on hand. Thank you!!! And luv recipes with weights, SEW much easier to prepare!

    Reply
  6. Kathy

    January 15, 2022 at 6:02 pm

    5 stars
    This looks awesome. Can I steam the zucchini vs baking? I would pat dry.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      January 15, 2022 at 9:11 pm

      I think it might be okay, but I would be really precise on the excess liquid because steaming adds liquid and it will make the cheese more runny!

      Reply
  7. Helen

    February 9, 2022 at 3:39 pm

    I have been advised for health reasons to cut out fat. As a non vegan I was skeptical but I really like this sauce. It gets better overnight too. I had it on crumpets and in jacket potatoes. Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      February 9, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
      • Helen

        February 9, 2022 at 9:08 pm

        How long can it be stored for please?

        Reply
  8. Robin Butler

    March 11, 2022 at 11:52 pm

    5 stars
    May I just say wow? WOW. I’ve been making this once a week for a few months and it never disappoints. Once I even forgot to peel my zucchini! It was still yummy if a bit less great of a color! I’m amazed that you put this together — finally, delicious cheese without cashews. It really helps me stick to a weight-loss plan and I never, ever feel deprived. I’d love even more ideas for using it! My go-to is, of course, the glorious baked potato. With a swish of good balsamic and something spicy — salsa, for instance — nothing satisfies me more. Thank you thank you. I bought your book and am enjoying cooking my way through it.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      March 12, 2022 at 5:08 am

      I’m really happy to read this, thank you Robin!

      Reply
  9. Lisa

    March 23, 2022 at 3:06 am

    Will this recipe work with a regular blender? I don’t have a vitamix. Thank you!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      March 24, 2022 at 7:48 pm

      Yes, it should since there are no nuts!

      Reply
  10. Judith Lautner

    March 24, 2022 at 8:05 pm

    I’m not a fan of nutritional yeast so I’ll try making this without it. Am thinking of other ingredients that might make up for that.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      March 24, 2022 at 8:12 pm

      Hmmm, the yeast provides lots of flavor and cheesiness, so that will definitely alter the flavor. Maybe a vegan parmesan or some miso….

      Reply
    • Jenna Durst

      March 24, 2022 at 10:04 pm

      I didn’t like nutritional yeast at first because I had only tried the fortified one carried at most grocery stores. I absolutely love the flavor that non-fortified nutritional yeast adds to recipes. Sari brand is my favorite.
      I have added additional tanginess in some cheese recipes by adding sauerkraut brine (natural fermented sauerkraut, not a brand with vinegar in ingredients).

      Reply
      • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

        March 24, 2022 at 10:07 pm

        Exactly! That is the brand I love! Non-fortified is the ticket!

        Reply
  11. Chantay

    March 30, 2022 at 2:23 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much! I’m experimenting with a High Raw diet/lifestyle and really couldn’t get a good, raw cheese sauce. (I’ve always used potatoes.) This is delicious. You’re so right- the liquid aminos is perfect. (I’d been incorrectly using coconut aminos.)

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      March 30, 2022 at 5:44 am

      Wonderful to hear!

      Reply
  12. Angela

    April 19, 2022 at 11:18 am

    Can you confirm ‘cup’? I understand this varies depending where you are located

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      April 19, 2022 at 8:38 pm

      Hi Angela, what do you mean confirm cup? The grams are also listed.

      Reply
  13. Keisha

    May 14, 2022 at 2:20 am

    Wow this is delicious. I finally found a cashew free cheese sauce that I actually like! So far every one of your recipes I’ve tried have been amazing.

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      May 15, 2022 at 8:35 pm

      Yay, so happy to hear that!!

      Reply
  14. Nayan Mipun

    December 8, 2022 at 2:26 pm

    Any alternative for zucchini?

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      December 12, 2022 at 4:56 am

      Hmmm that’s a big part of the recipe so I really don’t know. I’ve only ever tried it with zucchini.

      Reply
  15. Nicole

    December 31, 2022 at 5:41 pm

    Love this. I am making for my son who has a ton of food allergies and I am wondering if this can be easily frozen. The amount it makes is way more then we can use in a few days. Thanks!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      February 8, 2023 at 12:03 am

      So sorry I missed this before! I’ve honestly never tried freezing it but I think so!

      Reply
  16. Robin Rockhold

    February 7, 2023 at 11:42 pm

    5 stars
    I’m a newbie to plant based cooking…this is SO SPECTACULAR! Broccoli and cheese on a baked potato…SO GOOD! I love that there is no nuts and no oil…cutting out the calories is even more amazing!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      February 8, 2023 at 6:27 am

      Thank you so much Robin! So thrilled you love it!!

      Reply
  17. Crystal

    March 9, 2023 at 11:07 pm

    What are the nutritional information per servin? Please add that to your post.
    Appreciate it

    Reply
  18. Tracy

    March 21, 2023 at 12:41 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for another great recipe! Since going WFPB, no oil several years ago, your recipes are consistently my favorites! I love the cheese sauce with cashews (yum), but need to lose some weight, so have been looking for a good no oil, no nuts cheese sauce. I’ve tried soooo many and this one is finally the winner!

    Reply
    • brandi.doming@yahoo.com

      March 21, 2023 at 8:35 am

      Awesome to hear!!

      Reply
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I'm Brandi, creator of this vegan blog and cookbook author of The Vegan 8 Cookbook. Many of my recipes focus on 8 ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper or water, but not all of them. I love to create health-focused recipes, using whole foods to improve fitness and muscle-building, with the occasional comfort meal thrown in there! I'm an expert on oil-free cooking and baking! read more →

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