• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Very Veganish logo

  • HOME
  • RECIPES
    • Plant Based
    • Oil-Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Quick and Easy
    • Comfort Food
    • Tacos
    • Pasta
    • Breakfast
    • Kid Friendly
    • Salads
  • CUISINE
    • TexMex
    • Italian
    • Southern
    • Asian
    • Caribbean
    • Indian
  • ABOUT
    • Cooking Classes
    • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Quick & Easy
  • Oil-Free
  • Weight Loss
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Quick & Easy
    • Oil-Free
    • Weight Loss
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Sauces and Condiments

    Fauxveeta Vegan Cheese Sauce

    Published: Nov 10, 2016 · Modified: Jul 29, 2022 by Abi Cowell · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases · See my privacy policy linked in footer · This blog uses cookies

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    vegan mac and cheese

    Rich, creamy and velvety faux cheese sauce, made using only real food. Totally plant based, vegan and oil free. Decadent, gooey and perfect for mac and cheese, nachos, tacos or queso.

    Who ever knew that potatoes would give a vegan, plant-based, oil free cheese sauce such luxuriant richness and creaminess? Not me. For a few months I saw various recipes for creamy sauces using potatoes and scoffed at them. How wrong I was.

    Jump to:
    • 🧄 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 11 ways to use this cheese sauce
    • 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions
    • ❓ FAQ
    • 💜 More recipes you'll love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews
    finished sauce in pan

    I've made Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce for a long time, which is a vegan white béchamel sauce alternative.

    But, for a plant-based mac and cheese, I needed something different.

    Something cheesy, gooey, creamy and, while I love using cashews, they are very rich and calorie-dense.

    So, I experimented with a vegan, nut-free, oil-free cheese sauce that would be a good, healthy velveeta substitute or alternative.

    Presenting... Fauxveeta! (do you see what we did there?) 😉

    🧄 Ingredient notes

    This sauce is made using:

    • potatoes
    • carrots
    • onion
    • garlic
    • plant-based milk (I use almond milk, but to make this completely nut-free, use soy milk or oat milk)
    • nutritional yeast
    • turmeric, salt and pepper

    Some optional, but highly recommended, flavor boosters are:

    • smoked paprika
    • lemon juice
    • apple cider vinegar
    • miso paste

    The potatoes make it rich, silky and creamy.

    The carrots give a hint of sweetness and add to the color.

    The onion and garlic are for flavor.

    The almond milk adds to the creaminess and is needed to thin the mixture in the blender.

    The nutritional yeast gives it the cheesy, umami flavor.

    And, the turmeric contributes health benefits and aids in the bright orange color.

    Believe me, okay? Just try it. It is not cheese, but it sure does work as a great alternative.

    finished sauce

    🔪 Instructions

    Step 1: Boil the veggies in a stockpot until tender.

    • potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic in stockpot on counter
    • boiled potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic in stockpot full of water on counter

    Step 2: Blend it up with spices and almond milk.

    • empty blender jar on counter
    • ingredients (cooked potato, carrot, onion, garlic and seasonings) in blender on counter
    • blended sauce in blender on counter
    a spoon full of vegan cheese sauce already blended up

    Step 3: Use as you would use any cheese sauce!

    11 ways to use this cheese sauce

    1. Pour over macaroni for vegan mac and cheese
    2. Mix with spicy Rotel or salsa for an easy vegan chile con queso nacho cheese dip
    3. Loaded Vegan Nachos, hello!
    4. Cheese fries
    5. Drizzle over tacos
    6. Drizzle over tostadas
    7. Broccoli cheese baked potato
    8. Pour over steamed veggies and rice
    9. Pour over steamed broccoli for vegan cheesy broccoli side dish
    10. Broccoli cheese soup
    11. Use chilled sauce in place of fat in Southern biscuit recipes. Your biscuits will be orange, but will be low-fat!
    • Loaded Vegan Nachos
    • Easy Vegan Chile Con Queso Nacho Cheese
    • Vegan Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato

    👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions

    This makes enough sauce (about 4+ cups) to completely coat one pound of macaroni pasta, for mac and cheese.

    This should serve four people, with a side salad or other type of vegetable side.

    Steamed broccoli goes really well with this. Also, green peas.

    finished sauce

    ❓ FAQ

    Do I have to peel my potatoes?

    • For a smooth sauce, peel your potatoes.
    • If you don't mind a speckled sauce and are using Yukon gold potatoes, which have a thin skin, you can leave the skins on (but be sure to thoroughly scrub them when washing).
    • If you're using potatoes with a thicker skin (like russets), they should definitely be peeled before cooking.

    How long will this sauce last?

    This vegan cheese sauce will last up to 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

    Will this freeze well?

    • Yes! I've tested this and it keeps in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • To reheat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, heat it up either in the microwave or on the stove.
      • Microwave: Remove lid and microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Repeat until hot and smooth again, as needed.
      • Stove: Add thawed sauce to a small-medium saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. It will look separated at first, but keep heating and stirring it until the smooth, silky consistency has returned.

    Is velveeta vegan?

    • No. Velveeta cheese contains animal products, like milk, whey, milk protein concentrate, milk fat, along with a host of other preservatives and other things.
    • The ingredients for Velveeta are: Milk, Water, Whey, Milk Protein Concentrate, Milkfat, Whey Protein Concentrate, Sodium Phosphate, Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Calcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Alginate, Enzymes, Apocarotenal, Annatto, Cheese Culture.
    • This recipe for Fauxveeta Vegan Cheese Sauce is a real whole food, plant-based alternative to Velveeta. Hope you enjoy it!

    💜 More recipes you'll love

    • Eggy Tofu Scramble Seasoning with Black Salt
    • Vegan Miracle Whip Substitute (fat-free, egg-free mayo)
    • 4-Ingredient Peanut Dipping Sauce for Spring Rolls
    • Sweet Soy Ginger Dressing (oil-free, vegan)

    Love this recipe? Please rate it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below in the recipe card. And, if you make it, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook in your posted photos! I would love to see your creations. 😄

    📖 Recipe

    pouring from ladle

    Fauxveeta Vegan Cheese Sauce

    Abi Cowell
    Rich, creamy and velvety faux cheese sauce, made using real food. Totally plant based, vegan, oil free. This makes enough sauce to completely coat one pound of macaroni pasta, about 4 cups of sauce. Nut-free option in notes.
    4.64 from 73 votes
    Estimated Cost: $4
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Sauces and Condiments
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 193 kcal

    Equipment

    • High speed blender I use Blendtec, but a Vitamix or Ninja would also work
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 cups yukon gold or russet potatoes about 5 medium potatoes (or 530 grams), peeled and cut into large squares
    • 1 ½ cups carrot about 5 medium carrots (or 210 grams carrot), peeled and cut into large pieces the same size at the potatoes
    • 1 small onion (or 175 grams), quartered
    • 5 cloves garlic (20 grams), chopped
    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup almond milk unsweetened, unflavored

    Optional (but recommended!) Flavor Boosters

    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon miso paste
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium-large stock pot, add cut potatoes, carrots and onion. Cover with water. Then, boil potatoes, carrot, onion until fork tender, then drain.
      3 cups yukon gold or russet potatoes, 1 ½ cups carrot, 1 small onion
    • Add cooked veggies to blender with garlic, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt, almond milk and optional (but recommended!) flavor boosters, if using. You may need to do this in more than one batch, depending on your blender size.
      5 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 cup almond milk
    • Blend until completely smooth (I use a Blendtec and press the soup button). If it will not blend, you may need to add a bit more almond milk.
    • Taste the sauce and adjust salt, as needed.

    Video

    Notes

    Feel free to omit or adjust the nutritional yeast (i.e. adding more) to see if you like it the flavor with more. For us, 3 tablespoon is just right.
    *To make nut-free: use soy milk, oat milk or another unsweetened plant-based milk of your choice.
    This is delicious over pasta, on top of steamed broccoli or other veggies, or mixed into rice. You can also make it into Vegan Chile con Queso Nacho Cheese using Rotel or salsa.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 8gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 473mgPotassium: 1004mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 8148IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword potato cheese, vegan cheese sauce, vegan mac and cheese
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Update 9/8/17: I have updated this recipe with more specific measurements. Also, the nutritional yeast has been marked as optional. It imparts a cheesy flavor, but is not necessary to make this sauce. We often make it without and it is still delicious! I hope this helps!

    More Sauces and Condiments

    • Vegan No Oil Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

    About Abi Cowell

    Hey y'all! I’m the plant-based food blogger, recipe developer, photographer and cooking class instructor behind Very Veganish. Join me as we explore and taste incredible plant-based food, with cultural influences from around the world. You’ll find healthy comfort food vegan recipes and inspiration here. When I'm not cooking, you'll find me homeschooling my two boys, volunteering and trying to survive the Texas summers with copious glasses of iced tea.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kelly says

      August 29, 2017 at 5:29 am

      This looks delicious, thank you for sharing your recipe!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:16 pm

        Thank you! So glad you stopped by. Thank you for commenting!

        Reply
    2. Steffi says

      August 29, 2017 at 5:49 am

      Yummy!!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:16 pm

        Thank you, Steffi!

        Reply
    3. Mia says

      August 29, 2017 at 5:55 am

      This is the most exciting vegan recipe I have ever come across in my digital life! I will definitely try this

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:15 pm

        LOL! That is quite the compliment. Thank you so much, Mia!

        Reply
    4. Sydney says

      August 29, 2017 at 6:21 am

      Omggg! I can't believe how on time this recipe is! I'm dairy-free again after a two year hiatus and this week I broke down and ate Daiya cheese. Yuck! I've been looking for better brands and/or homemade recipes. Thank you so much!! Pinning!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:15 pm

        I'm so happy that it came at the right time for you! I hope you like it!!!

        Reply
    5. Tani says

      August 29, 2017 at 6:30 am

      5 stars
      This looks incredible...I want to curl up in bed with a movie and eat a huge bowl!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:14 pm

        Thank you, Tani!!! It's excellent movie comfort food.

        Reply
    6. angelinawatson.com says

      August 29, 2017 at 6:51 am

      I AM CRAVING!!! Gonna have this for dinner! I have a very similar recipe I use!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:13 pm

        I make this at least 3 times a month. It's my go-to!

        Reply
    7. Angie says

      August 29, 2017 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      Looks amazing. When I make this sauce I literally eat it with everything 🙂

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:13 pm

        Thank you so much, Angie!

        Reply
    8. Angela says

      August 29, 2017 at 11:54 am

      This looks absolutely divine! I'm making it this weekend for sure! xx

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        August 29, 2017 at 10:12 pm

        Thank you so much! Please let me know how you like it. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Kim says

      September 08, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      Howdy! This has been delicious at your house! I couldn't stop eating it so I am thinking it's time to give it a try! ?

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        September 09, 2017 at 12:50 am

        Hi Kim!!! I'm so glad you liked it. I would love to see you try it at home. I just updated the recipe today with more specific instructions, so that should help you out while you're making it. Let me know if you have any questions. I would love to see what you do with it - you're such a master in the kitchen. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Megan says

      January 27, 2018 at 11:29 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this and it's delicious! Instead of Rotel I mixed it with my favorite salsa, YUM!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        January 28, 2018 at 12:14 pm

        Hi Megan! I'm soooooo happy that you liked the recipe! Using your favorite salsa is a genius substitution. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Megan says

      April 23, 2019 at 2:46 am

      5 stars
      I just made this and it's delicious! Instead of Rotel I mixed it with my favorite salsa, YUM!

      Reply
    12. Angie says

      April 23, 2019 at 2:46 am

      5 stars
      Looks amazing. When I make this sauce I literally eat it with everything 🙂

      Reply
    13. Tani says

      April 23, 2019 at 2:46 am

      5 stars
      This looks incredible...I want to curl up in bed with a movie and eat a huge bowl!

      Reply
    14. Anonymous says

      May 09, 2019 at 3:55 am

      5 stars

      Reply
    15. Lisa says

      May 02, 2020 at 1:23 am

      5 stars
      This is such an easy and tasty recipe. Simple ingredients and almost too good to believe how great it tastes. I made this for vegan nachos and was instantly hooked! I’ll be using it on my fries for cheez-fries too!

      Reply
    16. shannon says

      May 20, 2020 at 11:47 pm

      I made this recipe into a broccoli cheese soup tonight but was struggling. It was the perfect texture, nice and rich and creamy. But it had almost no flavor. I kept adding nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt and that helped a bit. What am I doing wrong? It looks delicious!!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        May 23, 2020 at 6:12 pm

        Hi Shannon! Yeah, so with this sauce you're dealing with plain cooked potatoes and carrots, which need a lot of seasoning, especially if you're converting it to a soup. So, my suggestions to amp up the flavor would be to:

        1) sauté the garlic and onion in a pan, instead of boiling it with the potato and carrot. Then, add to the blender to puree.
        2) Add vegan bouillon (like better than bouillon or edward and sons brands) or a little miso or soy sauce to increase the savory/umami flavor that's helpful for a soup.
        3) add something acidic at the end, like a little bit of lemon juice.

        I hope those suggestions help!

        Reply
        • Jana says

          September 25, 2021 at 10:03 pm

          Im planning on using this for mac and cheese and nachos. Can I add vegan cheese to this recipe ? If so, how much do you recommend ? Can you please help me? Thanks.

          Reply
          • Abi Cowell says

            November 13, 2021 at 11:18 pm

            Hello Jana! Sure, you could certainly add vegan cheese to this recipe, too. I would recommend adding it after you've blended the sauce and transferred it to a pan to heat it up. Stir in the vegan cheese over medium low heat until melted. I'm not sure how much to use, since it would depend on how much you're making and what kind you're using. But, start with a little, heat it, then taste and see if you want to add more. I hope it turns out great for you!

            Reply
    17. Hannah says

      May 28, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      I am so excited to try this recipe!! My coworker brought this to share and it was amazing! I am not vegan but have been dairy and gluten free for 5 years. I have alway just stayed away from dairy free cheese except for the occasional use of daiya (yuck. Only when I’m desperate) but this will definitely be my new go to recipe. My cousin also has a dairy allergy and I can’t wait to share it with her!! Thanks for the amazing recipe!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        May 30, 2020 at 2:57 am

        Hannah, I'm so happy that you loved this sauce as much as we do. It's a regular in our house!

        Happy Cooking!
        - Abi

        Reply
    18. G. Jones says

      July 23, 2020 at 9:57 pm

      Omg! Just made this sauce and it’s amazing. I’m not vegan but and trying to step away from meat and looking for easy and delicious things to try and also feed my family and let me tell you this sauce it’s where is at. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        July 25, 2020 at 3:12 pm

        Thank makes me so happy! Made my day! Thank you so much for sharing this. 😄 It's a definite regular in our house, so I know what you mean! We use it for all kinds of meals (mac and cheese, queso/nacho cheese, cheesy fries, you name it).

        Reply
    19. Emma G McVicker says

      October 28, 2020 at 8:09 pm

      5 stars
      I bumped up the flavor a little by cooking the onions first in a little vegan butter with the garlic and the seasonings, once they were barely translucent, I added the vegetables and filled with water just to cover the veggies. Once they were cooked I kept the spiced water used to cook the veggies and used that water to boil the pasta, and blended the veggies up and added a ton of nutritional yeast and seasonings, and added it to the yummy pasta! I was wondering if theres a shelf life for this recipe though?

      Reply
    20. Mary Jo Matey says

      March 27, 2021 at 2:16 am

      I am HUngarian,, and have been vegan for MANY years now,,, LOVE making homemade pierogi w mash potato and cheese and sauerkraut ... the cheese that we always used ,, was Velveeta cheese and no way will use that .. eat all organioc and non processed foods,,, due to Thriving FROM STAGE 4 CANCER

      Do you feel this cheese recipe will be able to replace the velveeta ??

      My soo wonderful that will be,,, make my own sauerkraut toooo

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        March 31, 2021 at 5:40 pm

        Mary Jo, congratulations for thriving from stage 4 cancer, wow. That is incredible! To answer your question, yes. In our house, this recipe replaces velveeta. It has a very similar texture, thickness, silkiness, richness and a slight cheese flavor from the nutritional yeast, so don't skip that part. You can even add more nutritional yeast to make it taste more cheesy. You can also experiment with adding spices like paprika, miso, onion powder, garlic powder to amp up the flavor. This recipe is for a basic cheese sauce. I hope that helps and I hope you enjoy your pierogis again!!

        Reply
    21. Loretta says

      December 18, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      Can’t find measurements anywhere in recipe. How many carrot, potatoes, and no quantities of turmeric or yeast.

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        February 07, 2022 at 8:05 pm

        Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe card, where you'll find all the detailed measurements and instructions.

        Reply
    22. Jen says

      January 01, 2022 at 1:28 am

      I was so excited to try this recipe! I'm not fully vegan...yet...but I'm trying. I just made this "cheese" tonight and I was seriously amazed! It's still missing something for me personally. I think the lemon juice or the apple cider vinegar would probably give it that edge that I need. Either way...I'm positive I will be making this again. Thank you for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        February 07, 2022 at 8:04 pm

        You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. The acidity from lemon juice or vinegar helps it out! Feel free to adjust and tweak it and soon you'll have your own favorite version.

        Reply
    23. lori says

      January 31, 2022 at 12:02 am

      5 stars
      How far ahead can I make this?

      Reply
    24. Laura Ridgeway says

      April 14, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      Does this have the same texture after freezing?

      Reply
      • Abi Cowell says

        April 16, 2022 at 2:41 pm

        Hi Laura,

        Yes, it does! When you first take it out of the freezer and thaw it, it will look very crystallized and separated. Don't freak out! Just heat it over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring it and as it heats up it will return to the same exact silky texture as it had when you first made it. You can also reheat it in the microwave, just be sure to stop it regularly and stir it. Also, keep an eye on it, because it has a tendency to boil over on the edges as it heats in the microwave.

        I hope that helps!!
        - Abi

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Essential Tools for a Vegan Kitchen - Very Veganish says:
      August 25, 2017 at 4:42 pm

      […] Blender with Wildside Jar – From smoothies to soups to hummus to vegan cheese sauce, this blender will pulverize anything into a smooth and silky concoction that makes you wanna lick […]

      Reply
    2. Easy Vegan Chile Con Queso Nacho Cheese - Very Veganish says:
      September 9, 2017 at 7:24 am

      […] I mastered my Fauxveeta Vegan Cheese Sauce, though, everything changed. Heat that up with a can of Rotel and we’ve hit the dairy-free […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    woman eating paella

    Hi! I'm Abi, a plant-based food blogger. Join me as we explore cultures of the world through their food. You'll find healthy comfort food recipes and inspiration here. No judgment. Just food.

    More about me →

    Trending

    • Instant Pot Steamed Potatoes
    • 3 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (no egg, no flour)
    • Healthy Hash Browns (air fryer or stovetop)
    • Jamaican Rice and Pigeon Peas (vegan)
    • Fauxveeta Vegan Cheese Sauce
    • Homemade Healthy Fat Free Baked Tortilla Chips
    • How to Make Perfect Iced Tea
    • Instant Pot Pigeon Peas (vegan)
    Buy me a cup of tea ☕️

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Disclosure Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    Buy me a tea

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme