I’m not joking when I say that this is the best dairy free cheese and mushroom sauce in the world. This is a creamy dairy free sauce that lacks NOTHING! Vegans, you will not miss the dairy in this recipe, nor will you eat it whilst having to “try hard” to enjoy it! It genuinely is a smooth, delicious sauce that is thick, creamy and full of yummy flavor.
Creamy. Satisfying. Amazing flavor. This is comfort food at its best. A sauce made without milk or cream that is rich, thick and genuinely indulgent, yet it much lower in fat than the original! Ever since I was a kid, creamy, cheesy pasta was one of my favorite foods. Actually, it was my absolute favorite. But then as I got older I noticed I always had digestive problems after eating it. To say I was disappointed to realise that I couldn’t eat and enjoy my childhood comfort food any more would be more than just an understatement.
So I set out to find an alternative that was just as rich and satisfying as the original. I tried out a few recipes and I even tried the sachets and pots of dairy free cheese sauce from my local health food store and supermarket. If you have ever tried these you will know how terrible they are! Even if you are prepared for the taste not being exactly the same, nothing can prepare you for the texture and lack of taste these products have. No amount of wishful thinking will make them right, trust me…
Eventually after much eating of dairy free foods I started thinking about what you could put together to make a dairy free sauce rich and creamy. It was not easy. And it required the help of a relatively new player on the scene – almond milk. If you have never tried almond milk before but have tried other dairy free milks, then you are missing out. Almond is much different than other milks in the free from category. It is virtually flavorless but not watery like rice or soy milk. It is as close to the dairy version as I have tried and is the only fairy free milk that can be made even richer in a milk frother. No others have worked for me in my home gadget. It REALLY makes a difference to my morning coffee; I cannot stress this enough!
What do you need to make dairy free cheese & mushroom sauce?
Almond milk
As mentioned above, this is a key ingredient in this sauce. If you need to make this recipe without nuts, then try oat milk instead. This is the only other milk that has a relatively bland taste and will not impact the flavor profiles in this recipe.
Nutritional yeast
Other than the mushrooms this is the main flavor of this sauce. I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out. Can you make this dairy free sauce without nutritional yeast? Yes, but it won’t have such a powerful cheesy flavor. Try your local health food store, supermarket or even Amazon if you are struggling to get hold of it. It usually comes in a foil-lined tub. In addition to flavor it also adds essential B-vitamins to vegan foods and sauces. Very important if you do not eat dairy products, especially for children.
Mushrooms
Obviously these are important for this recipe but if you just want a plain dairy free cheese sauce recipe then leave them out. They add a wonderful taste to this sauce however and when they are blended are silky smooth and amazing. I used plain old mushrooms I had left over from another recipe, but chestnut or any other type would work great too.
Scallions
Or spring onions as they are known in Europe are used in this recipe. Any other mild onion will do such as shallots or even chives. Perfect if you have any left over and don’t know what to do with them.
Tahini
This is usually in a jar format and is creamed sesame seeds. The paste is really thick, nutty and creamy and adds essential fats and calcium to this cheese mushroom sauce. Just 1 tsp is enough for one serving.
How to make dairy free cheese and mushroom sauce
Prepare your ingredients ready and set aside as it only takes 5 minutes to cook completely. Chop your vegetables and measure out your powders and paste.
Add your olive oil to the pan and fry the chopped mushroom and scallion until tender. This should only take 3 minutes or so as they cook very quickly.
Next add the tahini and stir briefly before adding the nutritional yeast, mustard powder and bouillon to the pan. Add the almond milk and stir thoroughly.
Take the pan off the heat and add the cornstarch. Stir in well and transfer the contents of the pan to a blender. Pulse until smooth.
Pour over your required dish and enjoy.
Serving suggestions
This recipe is great for serving over pasta for a quick gluten free dairy free lunch. The spaghetti I have used in the photos is gluten free rice and corn spaghetti. It works beautifully. Also try this sauce with spinach on a cheese free pizza, over vegetables or as a dip with chips or tortilla strips. Makes a great way to serve broccoli or cauliflower!
The BEST Vegan Dairy Free Cheese & Mushroom Sauce in the World
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp vegetable bouillon
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch cornflour
- 6 small mushrooms chopped
- 1 scallion sliced (spring onion)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp tahini creamed sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare your vegetables and measure out the dry ingredients ready as the dish will cook quickly and you don’t want anything to burn.
- Add oil to a pan and heat to a medium level. Add the scallion and the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until they are softened and a little darker in color.
- Next add the tahini and stir briefly. Then add the mustard powder, nutritional yeast and vegetable bouillon to the pan. Add in the dairy free milk and stir together thoroughly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the cornstarch. Stir briefly and transfer the contents of the pan to a blender if you are using. Pulse until completely blended and silky smooth.
- Return the sauce to the pan and heat until piping hot, if it isn’t already.
- Use the sauce in your required dish and enjoy!
Notes
Yummy. Will make again
Added more nutritional yeast. Definitely a keeper.
My son can’t have eggs or dairy so this recipe was a great find. Added some salt and pepper. Turned out amazing. Thanks so much for sharing this
So creamy! Will make again