Creamy, rich nutritional yeast cheese sauce comes together in just 10 minutes on the stovetop. It's great for dipping tortilla chips, drizzling on veggies, and even using in place of dairy cheese for recipes like nachos or mac and cheese.
Jump to:
This nooch cheese sauce is super simple to make in one pan on the stovetop, and it's so versatile!
Use it over chips for instant nachos, slather it on broccoli or cauliflower, pour it over chili or grain bowls. Anywhere you want a nacho cheesy punch, this sauce is there for you!
So much vegan cheese out there uses coconut milk or coconut oil. This can give the cheese a mild (or sometimes not-so-mild) coconut flavor. As I enter my mid-40s, I've been trying to eat less coconut oil, since too much of it is not great for your heart.
This nutritional yeast cheese sauce is coconut-free and nut-free. You can make it gluten-free by using chickpea flour in place of the all-purpose flour. It can also be soy-free, if you choose a soy-free vegan butter.
Ingredients and substitutions
- vegan butter - Use your favorite!
- flour - Use all-purpose, white wheat, or chickpea flour. If you do use chickpea flour, make sure you roast it in the pan, stirring constantly, until it doesn't smell strong anymore. Uncooked chickpea flour can have a beany taste, but it will mostly cook off if you're patient, and all of the nutritional yeast and spices in this cheese sauce will mask the flavor, if it's mild.
- salt - Cheese is salty!
- smoked paprika - Adds color and umami flavor.
- garlic powder - For even more great umami flavor!
- onion powder - Look, cheese is all about the umami.
- chickpea miso - Gives it that slightly fermented flavor of cheese. You can also use mellow white miso, if you can't find chickpea.
- water - For moisture.
How to make nutritional yeast cheese sauce
Melt the vegan butter in a pan over low heat, then add the flour, salt, and spices and whisk until it's combined. Things are going to get crumbly. It's ok!
Whisk in the nutritional yeast. At this point, you'll have a even more crumbly mixture, but don't panic. It's going great!
Slowly add the miso-water mixture while whisking constantly until you have a smooth mixture. You can add more water , if needed.
If the sauce is seeming thick and/or gummy, don't panic! Just add more water, stirring when you add, until it's smooth and creamy. How much you'll end up needing depends on your pot, your stove, and how you measured the flour and nutritional yeast.
Helpful tips
- When you add the flour and then nutritional yeast, the cheese sauce will get crumbly, but don't worry! It will smooth out as you whisk in the water.
- Whisk that water in slowly, until the sauce gets nice and smooth and creamy.
- Don't be shy about adding more water, if needed! If the sauce gets too thin, you can always cook it down to your desired thickness.
Storage directions
Leftover nutritional yeast cheese sauce will keep for up to a week in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, whisking in a little bit of water, if needed, to get it smooth.
Frequently asked questions
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast related to the yeast that we use to make things like bread. It is a vegan condiment or seasoning that has a cheesy flavor.
I love adding nutritional yeast to sauces! It thickens them up and adds an amazing, cheesy, umami flavor.
Use it anywhere that you'd use nacho cheese sauce! I love it over corn chips with other nachos toppings. It's also a great way to amp up steamed veggies, like broccoli or cauliflower. Or stir it into cooked pasta for an easy vegan mac and cheese!
More vegan cheese recipes
📖 Recipe
Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅔ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon chickpea miso dissolved in 1 cup of warm water. You can use mellow white miso instead, if you prefer.
Instructions
- Melt the vegan butter in a pan over low heat, then add the flour, salt, and spices and whisk until it's combined. Things are going to get crumbly. It's ok!
- Whisk in the nutritional yeast. At this point, you'll have a even more crumbly mixture, but don't panic. It's going great!
- Slowly add the miso-water mixture while whisking constantly until you have a smooth mixture. You can add more water , if needed. If the sauce is seeming thick and/or gummy, don't panic! Just add more water, stirring when you add, until it's smooth and creamy. How much you'll end up needing depends on your pot, your stove, and how you measured the flour and nutritional yeast.
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!