The Best Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

This is the ultimate vegan nacho cheese sauce!  Quick and easy and free of dairy, oil, nuts, and gluten, yet this sauce has a rich and creamy texture and the sharpness of real cheddar cheese!  It's perfect for a cheese dip, vegan nachos, tacos, broccoli, or loaded baked potatoes.

You will LOVE this nacho cheese sauce because it's …

• It’s easy and can be made in about 5 minutes!
• There are no nuts, oil or gluten, but it is still creamy and delicious!
• It can be made extra stretchy!
• Kids LOVE it and will eat their veggies with cheese sauce poured over them!
• The closest tasting vegan nacho cheese to the real thing!
• It has a real cheddar cheese flavor!
• Nacho cheese sauce works great on broccoli, baked potatoes, and of course… nachos!

What can I do with this vegan nacho cheese sauce?

Pour it over broccoli, cauliflower, or any veggies and watch them disappear!

Use it to make loaded baked potatoes!  Topped with nacho cheese and homemade bacon bits you will have the ultimate vegan baked potato!

Pour it over corn chips and make easy loaded vegan nachos!  Add all of your favorite toppings for vegan nachos supreme!

Make it thick and stretchy and use it as a vegan nacho cheese dip!

How do I make a vegan nacho cheese sauce that stretches?

It's easy to make the sauce thicker and stretcher!  Simply add an extra tablespoon of tapioca starch to the sauce while the milk is still cold.  The tapioca starch thickens the sauce and gives it a stretchy texture.

Note: If you want your cheese to have a stretchy consistency, you have to use tapioca starch!  Nothing else gives it the same stretchy texture! 

What is vegan nacho cheese made from and why?

• Plant-Base Milk – I usually use soy milk, but you can use any plain flavored plant-based milk that you choose. This milk makes it rich and creamy.  (You can also use a can of coconut milk instead).
• Nutritional Yeast – to give it that cheesy umami flavor. Check out this link for more about nutritional yeast.
• Corn or Potato Starch – to thicken the sauce.
• Tapioca Starch – to make it stretchy like real cheese.
• Salt – for the saltiness of cheese.
• Turmeric – for color. (optional)
• Miso – to give it that cheddar cheese bite!  (This is optional, but you will want to use it if you are seeking a true cheddar flavor).

How do you make a vegan cheese sauce?

1. Mix together miso with a small amount of water and set aside.
2. Add 1 ½ cups of COLD plant-based milk to a saucepan.
3. Put in the starches, nutritional yeast, salt, and turmeric and stir well with a whisk.
4. Turn on the heat to medium and stir constantly while heating. After a few minutes (once your sauce starts to boil) it will thicken very quickly.
5. Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds and then remove from heat.
6. Pour in your miso mixture and stir until smooth.
7. Serve warm over broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, or nachos!

Pro Tips:

• Make sure to add the starches while the milk is still cold and give it a good stir before turning on the heat!
• Stir very frequently and do not walk away from the stove!
• Your sauce with thicken very quickly once it reaches a certain temperature and if you are not stirring it at that time it will burn.
• Add the miso at the end of cooking after it has cool off for a minute as to not overheat the miso and reduce its beneficial probiotics.
• If you don't use it all, it will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container.
• You can reheat the cheese sauce by adding a few teaspoons of water and reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.

How to store and reheat vegan cheese sauce?

Store this cheese sauce in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

To reheat the nacho cheese, add 1 tbsp of water and microwave for 1 minute or reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop for about 3 minutes.  Stir with a whisk until smooth and creamy again.

Note: The cheese sauce will get much thicker when it is cold.  This is normal and it will regain the melty texture when it is reheated. 

Love cheese?  Want more vegan cheese recipes?

These are some of my family's favorites...

• Vegan Cheese with Garlic and Herbs
• Vegan Smoked Gouda
• Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk
• Vegan Grilled Cheese with Cheese that Melts!
• Vegan Mozzarella Recipe
• Vegan Cheddar Cheese - firm and sliceable
• Vegan Swiss Cheese

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for daily vegan inspiration and recipe ideas!  Tag me at #thehiddenveggies!  I love to see what you made too!