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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Whether you use it as a dip or a vegan mac ‘n’ cheese, it’s delicious!
OTHER VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE RECIPES TO TRY:
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)
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.
I made this last weekend. The first thing that came to mind when I tasted it was BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP. This would be a perfect base for a cheesy soup! 🙂
This recipe is amazing! So creamy and so yummy and super easy to make. I just whipped up a batch in 20 mins tops. Thank you Brandi I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Oh I’m so glad to hear that Laura! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much 🙂
I was wondering how this would do transferring over to a casserole dish? I know most vegan cheeses have a hard time being in the over (Go Veggie cheese for example doesn’t melt and tastes awful), so does anyone have any experience with this in a casserole-esq dish?
Hi Lauren! I know what you mean, most vegan cheeses are horrible for melting and nut-based cheeses tend to get really weird and thick and pasty. The amazing thing about this cheese sauce is that it stays smooth. I haven’t tried baking with it long term though in a casserole, so I’m not sure, but it’s definitely worth a shot. Please let me know if you try it, I’d love to hear!
oh my god. I am over the moon with this recipe. Came out to perfection and beyond my expectations. Thank you!!!!
I am so happy to hear this Ana! Thank you so much for making it and sharing your photo on Instagram as well, I’m thrilled you love it so much!
I’m SO excited to try this recipe – it looks incredible! Do you think using sweet potatoes would drastically alter the texture/flavor? Sweet potatoes are my favorite food, and I saw that one reviewer tried it with success, but I wanted to get your thoughts. Also, does this sauce keep well for leftovers? I’d love to make a big batch and bring it for work lunches!
Hi Hannah! I haven’t tried the sweet potato personally but I can’t imagine it would alter the flavor too much, and as you said, another reader had wonderful success, so I say go for it! It might just make them a tad sweeter, but if you love sweet potatoes, then I’m sure you will be okay with that 🙂 Please come back and let me know after you make it what you thought! Oh, and yes this is sooo much better than the nut-based cheeses because it stays really smooth and doesn’t turn into a thick paste which can happen a lot with nut cheese. All it will need is a gentle stir and reheat and it’s just as good as when you first make it. One reader even stated it was even better the next day. I actually agree, the flavors deepen and it’s just delicious. I’ve been eating it all week, haha!
This sauce looks amazing and I like the healthy ingredients it has. I am going to try it. Is it possible to freeze it?
Cara, I’m so sorry I never saw this comment before!! So sorry! I have never tried freezing it but since it’s not made with any processed starch powders or anything weird, I would imagine it would freeze fine, that’s my guess!
Hi Brandy! Thanks so much for the great recipe! It was super easy and tookpractically no time at all. This sauce is so versatile I can tell it will be one I keep in my back pocket. I ate it with some cauliflower, and i will be definitely trying this over some pasta like you recommended as well. I love that this is an alternative to using cashews, I love cashews but it’s nice to have a different way to make cheese!!
All hail to Queen Brandi! I love that you are so inventive! I made this and served it over zoodles and sautéed mushrooms and onions. Oh. My. Stars!!!! Silky smooth and delicious! My husband had a ton of it on his plate but kept getting more cheese sauce out of the bowl to eat with his spoon! Plus this is more affordable to make using potatoes instead of cashews. Great job! Posting pic on Instagram shortly!
I made this using sweet potatoes instead Yukon gold because I try to limit my consumption of nightshades for health reasons and it was AMAZING. I used Herbamare seasoning instead of salt and onion powder and it was just perfect. I had it with kamut penne and I mixed in some spinach to get some greens in there and topped everything off with my homemade vegan walnut parm. It was just perfect. Thanks for a great recipe Brandi. I’ll post a pic to Instagram tomorrow and tag you. Too dark for pics tonight.
I am so glad you loved this so much Nissrine! Thank you so much for making it! I know we already discussed about it on IG as well back then, so thank you again!
My mouth was watering through this ENTIRE post!!! This Cheese Sauce honestly looks UNREAL, Brandi!! Plus, I love that it is completely fat free. I’ve been trying to eating closer to the Starch Solution side of things lately so any sauce that is completely oil free, fat free and made with potatoes is a GO, lol!! I’m honestly SO excited to try this. I had big plans to make it this Sunday but the day got away from me 🙂 Will hopefully snap and image of it to share with you! I’ll be coming back with my feedback to let you know how it turns out!
I couldn’t wait any longer to make this recipe and made it for dinner tonight. OH my word – you have done it with this recipe! It is absolutely delicious! To be honest, the ingredients don’t sound like much (potatoes, zucchini) but when blended together into this sauce they turn into a magical, silky, creamy cheesy sauce. I smothered it all over whole wheat macaroni, topped it off with chives, ground black pepper and hot pepper flakes and served it for dinner this evening. So amazing! And the best part is that it is not “heavy” like traditional cheesy sauces – you feel amazing when eating this sauce AND after. I can’t wait to try this on potatoes next week and also serve it as a cheese sauce at a party! Thanks for the great recipe!
Oh, and if anybody is wondering, I made this with a cheap immersion (stick) blender and it blended up creamy smooth in less than a minute! 🙂
Thank you so much Ceara for making it and such a wonderful feedback! Apparently a lot of my responses on these comments didn’t go through when I responded in my admin panel! Anyways, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and glad that your immersion stick blender worked so well too!
mmm!! I’ve made a similar cheese sauce using just steamed/boiled potatoes, the hot water they boiled in, lemon juice, notch, s&p, and its my favorite ever because it actually stretches and gets gooey and super thick and broils and everything! I’ve used it on pizza and even in quesadillas! Im going to try adding zucchini and more spices next time because why not add veggies to everything! your flavors look divine!! thank you!
Thank you Lacey! Yes, this one really is the real deal…the combo of potatoes and zucchini really gives a magical texture and super smooth. It was partly inspired by the amazing texture of my zucchini soup….and the soy sauce is key to the cheesy flavor. I have been making cheese sauce with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt, etc. and none of them really clicked until I used soy sauce! It is my favorite I’ve ever had!
Oh and I know about the awesomeness of gooey potatoes! I actually make a pizza crust out of red potatoes! It acts as glue and makes the best pizza crust, so there are no binders or egg substitutes needed!
We made this for the second time in a week! This time I left out the smoked paprika and added tomatoes, jalapeños, and hot sauce. It was an amazing spicy Mexican cheese dip. Big hit at the wineries 🙂
Sounds so incredibly delicious Leiah! Thank you for the feedback! I love adding jalapenos to mine for a nacho cheese flair. I actually just bought some red bell peppers yesterday to add to them as well. Your Mexican version sounds delicious! I bet it would be great with cumin too!
Brandi, Brandi, Brandi, you have done it!! This is excellent. I made it just as your recipe reads, with one exception…I was SO hungry, I didn’t peel the potatoes nor zucchini, and is was still wonderfully creamy, cheesy, and deeeelicious! THANKYOU so much. I have a picture, how do I send it to you?
Oh yay! I’m so happy to hear you loved this so much!! It is definitely my favorite for sure 🙂 You can share your photo on my Facebook page or on Instagram. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to do it on my comments. Feel free to tag me on Instagram at #thevegan8 with your photo (if you have an account) or just post it on my Facebook page. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Wow…this recipe is a winner! Made this last night with pasta and it was so flavorful and delicious (I think I ate way too much of it but it was just that good). It was like magic watching the mashed potatoes, roasted zucchini, seasonings and spices blend into a rich and creamy cheese-like sauce THAT REMAINED CREAMY and did not change texture!!! I increased the spices to my liking (I love smoked paprika), used tamari in place of liquid aminos and added red pepper flakes for a nice kick. This recipe is so versatile and I can imagine all the pasta and non-pasta dishes that I will be making in the future. It’s definitely a keeper for me!
Thank you so much Nicolle for such wonderful feedback! You described exactly why I love it so much! I add red pepper flakes to mine as well and also adding jalapenos gives it a wonderful nacho flavor, so good! That is also what I love so much, the texture. Cashew cheese sauces get really weird and sticky thick as they sit and dry almost, this one remains creamy and smooth. Even after it sits in the fridge overnight, all you have to do is give it a good stir and slightly reheat it and it’s perfect again, no weird texture!
SO yummy looking Brandi!!! I love that it’s filled with veggies! Definitely on my must make list for sure.
Thank you Sophia!
I guessed right 🙂 I just knew potatoes had something to do with this magic cheese sauce! Though I must admit I didn’t expect the zucchini — what a brilliant idea. Gorgeous recipe — I’m not surprised at the rave reviews at all. This #awesomesauce deserves it 🙂
Well, guess what — made this tonight on a whim because I had all the ingredients on hand — DELICIOUS! Seriously, so good. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
I’m so happy to hear you have loved it as much as we did and other readers have Audrey! Thank you so much for making it and sharing your lovely photo on Facebook, it is just beautiful!!
thanks so much for the recipe. I made this tonight and it is amazing. I doubled the recipe so was supposed to include 2 full cups of water. It wasn’t thick so I think next time I will not put all the water so it is thicker. Definitely the best cheese sauce recipe I have tried yet :). Or perhaps I didn’t have enough potatoe should it be packed into the cup when measuring? I am always telling people about your site because your recipes are so easy to follow and the pictures always make me want it right now.
Thank you so much Erin! The best ever, wow! Thank you so much, but I agree, it is the best I’ve had as well! Did you by chance boil your potatoes? I’ve made it several times now and 1 cup water is always just perfect, but maybe it’s because my blender is super narrow. Just start out next time with 3/4 cup water and more as needed for desired consistency. The potatoes aren’t packed in tightly. I just gently pressed them in the cup and it just barely filled a cup (like in the above photo), that is exactly what I used for the recipe.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing my blog, I truly appreciate it!!
Yes I did boil the potatoes but next time I will just bake them and add water slowly. Planning to make nachos with it. Lol I can’t keep up to trying all your recipes, I just saw your granola now I have to make it very soon. Thanks again for all you do!
Awesome!! I made this last night using a yellow squash and it came out delicious. I might add the water slowly next time, because a cup may have been a bit too much for my particular veggies/blender. I mixed with macaroni and just ate a big bowl for dinner. I can’t wait to do a nacho version!
So awesome to hear the squash worked just as well, thank you so much for letting me know! I am so happy you loved it!
I don’t usually comment but just to on this one…. AMAZING!!!! I saw the recipe today and made it tonight– it came out perfectly and is absolutely incredible!!! Thanks so much for sharing your culinary talents with us all!
Aww I’m so happy to hear that Chrstine!! Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback!
What an amazing idea! It takes a little more time to prepare than to blend up cashews, which I used to do, but I’m sure it’ll be worth it! Thanks for sharing, yum! 🙂
Thank you so much Jana! Yes, a few extra minutes, but the taste is definitely worth it and even still, the whole dish comes together still within 30 minutes!
I made some cashew cream (for a bowl recipe) and it tasted like…well…cashews! Your sauce looks super yummy. I’m pinning it now and trying it out for dinner this week! Thanks!
Thank you so much Julie! Yes, I agree….that has always been my problem with cashew cheese that I’ve made…while it’s tasty, there is always that underlying cashew flavor and it works really well in my alfredo sauce but for cheese I’ve never jumped up and down about it. This not only tastes like cheese, it tastes incredible and better than the fat-filled ones to me and my family and taste testers! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
This is so inventive Brandi. I’ve used cauliflower to make cheese sauce, so I can see how the potatoes would make a nice and creamy cheesy sauce. The addition of soy sauce was so smart, I’m sure it adds a great boost to the flavor. Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you so much Linda! I’m not the first person to think of potatoes, but combining them with zucchini and soy sauce turned out to be the magic combo! It really is the best vegan cheese I’ve tried to date. I FINALLY found one I love and want to devour and up until now, I have not felt that way about a vegan cheese. Amazing that it just so happens to be the healthiest as well, lol!