One of the questions I’m frequently asked about following an oil-free diet is “What do I use on baked potatoes or steamed vegetables or grits if I don’t eat butter or margarine?” Sometimes I mention salsa or mushroom gravy or the sauce from my Mac and Cheeze as options, but from now on, I’ll point people to this, my family’s new favorite all-purpose sauce. That’s right, all of us–including my picky teenager–prefer this cauliflower-based sauce to our old cheesy sauce. Daughter E put it best: “It’s less heavy, almost fluffy, and mixes into a baked potato better.” And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t like cauliflower very much.
Besides the flavor, which is tangy and delicious and holds no hint of cauliflower, what I like best about this sauce is that a generous 1/3-cup serving contains only 28 calories and has no added fat, gluten, or soy (if you use soy-free miso). The secret to its creaminess is cooking cauliflower until it’s practically falling apart before blending it in its cooking water until smooth. I used my trusty Vitamix, but I think that any good blender should be able to puree cooked cauliflower.
Each batch makes about three cups, so you’ll have plenty to keep on-hand to use for up to a week or two. Just pour it on anything you think could use a touch of cheesiness.
Besides drizzling it over baked potatoes and steamed vegetables, I’ve used it instead of margarine on grits, as a dip for tortilla chips, and even as a salad dressing (it was incredible!) And though I haven’t tried it, I can imagine it would be a delicious replacement for margarine on toast or garlic bread. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Don’t forget to check out my other Cauliflower Magic Tricks!
Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 heaping cups small cauliflower florets
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic peeled, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon mellow white miso or soy-free chickpea miso or a little salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cauliflower, onion powder, garlic, paprika, mustard, and turmeric. Cover tightly and reduce the heat to very low. Simmer until the cauliflower is so tender that it easily comes apart when poked with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and blend, starting on low and increasing the speed until you’re at the highest setting. (Be careful–hot foods can “erupt.”) Blend until you have a completely smooth sauce.
- Pour the sauce back into the saucepan, add salt to taste if you like, and heat until it begins to bubble, stirring occasionally. Allow it to cook and thicken for at least another 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Make a dip for tortilla chips by increasing the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons and adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salsa during the final cooking stage.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Enjoy!
Marcia
Cheese sauce on everything, oh my ! This is truly addicting. I think I’m in love! This is the 3rd time I’ve made this and all I can say is YOU ARE THE BEST!
I used wasabi powder instead of mustard because that’s what I had plus I added about 1 tsp. + the chipotle powder so it was good and spicy but not over powering (surprisingly so). Last night, I pan roasted 3 large portabello mushrooms and poured some in the caps. I used one for my “burger” and saved the other two for another day. Quite simply out of this world, thank you!
mj
The instructions for the recipe for Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce don’t include the addition of the last 4 ingredients – yeast, miso, cornstarch and lemon juice. Do these get added at the end? I know you can’t put the cornstarch in the pot of hot soup. Please help! Thank you!
Susan Voisin
Those ingredients are added to the blender in Step 2: “Add all remaining ingredients.”
River (Wing It Vegan)
I made this sauce and loved it! So light and delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! (Blogged it here: http://www.wingitvegan.com/2013/09/cheesy-cauliflower-sauce.html)
Scott
Fantastic! I just made this tonight for the first of what is sure to be many times! I cannot believe this is only 28 calories per 1/3 cup. Seriously! I had this Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce on cauliflower, I know, not very imaginative, but really just because I had leftover cauliflower after making it, and it was so wonderful! I can’t wait to try it on all sorts of things! I can’t wait to look at more of your recipes either! Thank you for this recipe and all the recipes I will try.
Maureen
I really like this sauce! I made broccoli and “cheese” sauce with it. It was great.
Kayla Revae Pins
Thank you a million times over for this recipe. A lot of my Midwest cooking calls for cream of mushroom soup and this makes a great vegan substitute. I refer back at least weekly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Corey Lee Wrenn
Delicious! Thanks for sharing, even my non-vegan mom liked it!
Sandi
Susan, can I use arrowroot instead of cornstarch? Can’t wait to try this. I love your recipes.
Brenda
I just made broccoli and cauliflower au gratin casserole by pouring this sauce over the veggies and baking for an hour. It made awesome comfort food without all the fat and calories, thanks!
Sandi
Susan, I found the sauce bland, so I added 1/2 tsp. horseradish sauce (no oil, zero calories, according to the jar), and that made it come alive! Next time I’ll try the chipotle for the paprika, or add liquid mustard. Thank you! I used this on corn on the cob and plan to use it on sandwiches or veggies.
Whitney Chao
Is this sauce ok for freezing?
Susan Voisin
I haven’t tried, but I think it would freeze well.
Marjan
This is so good! It’s even better than the real thing. I make half of the original quantity at a time, add about two and a half tablespoons of raw pecan halves to the cauliflower/water mixture (the pecans make it a bit richer), and then serve the finished sauce over cooked pasta. It’s one of our favorite vegan meals, and we have it often. Thank you, Susan!
Christina
This works really well. Have just made Christmas eve dinner with potato and leek gratin with this sauce. I simplified it a bit and just boiled cauliflower with paprika, cumin and then blended with mustard and still worked well. I also did some with toasted and then blended polenta and cashew nuts mixed with the cauliflower sauce. Such a great recipe/ idea thanks!
Joan Tendler
I was looking for recipes with nutritional yeast and this one looks fantastic-thank you! Nutritional yeast has so much lysine in it to counteract all the arginine in nuts, seeds, and grains, so it is very helpful. I need a few more ingredients, but I’ll definitely be trying your recipe!
Melody
I just made this over brown rice pasta for GF and DF “mac & cheese”. Absolutely amazing. All were satisfied, even those who often don’t eat vegan! Great recipe; it’s definitely going in my bookmarks! Thanks for posting!
Brandi G
I just wanted to tell you that I made this last.
My DH was a meat and potatoes kind of man, but over the past few years I have introduced him to more and more veggies. Finally getting to go Meatless on Monday’s about a year ago, and he finally agreed to go two nights a week this January.
I found this recipe through another friend, i did not tell him that it was fat free or that it was vegan just gave it to him, and he loved it. Then I told him all about the recipe, and he was very surprised.
You have just helped me open his eyes a little more.
Thanks for the recipe, and the eye opening experience for my DH!
Brandi
Alyssa
I was reading some of the comments, and wondered if you could sub the miso paste with marmite or veggimite? It give you that salt and extra flavor…almost meaty, but it’s just yeast concentrate. It is very dark though, so it could alter the color.
Lisa P.
What a great idea! I’m hooked on cashew cheese sauce at the moment, but this looks much better in terms of fat and calories. Can’t wait to try it out.
Michelle
Does the remaining cookig water for the cauliflower go into the blender?
Susan Voisin
Yes, the cauliflower and whatever is left of the water go into the blender. Just carefully pour the contents of the sauce pan into the blender.
Lisa
Hi from California! I’ve been following your blog since 2007, or 2008, and this is my first comment so before anything else, I have to say THANK YOU for all the work you’ve out into this! Without your blog I never could have entertained the idea of becoming vegan, much less gone ahead with it. And while I can never claim to be the die hard that other people become, your recipes are exceptionally helpful in my adventure as they seem to align with how I think of surviving on a plant based diet.
So! My question: I’m eager to try this and it looks incredible; would you happen to know if there might be a way to soften the cauliflower with less heat? I’m slightly concerned about the nutrient value steNjbg out
Susan Voisin
Thanks for your kind words, Lisa! The cauliflower is cooked only until soft, and the water that it’s cooked in is used in the recipe, so the nutrient loss will be minimal. And, as with most vegetables, some nutrients will actually become more available after cooking.
mkg
Thanks for this recipe! Made it tonight for nachos and as pasta sauce for the kids. Will be keeping this one.
vicki Clark
Thanks for the above recipe, just served my first vegan lasagne to meat eaters who did not notice anything ‘strange’ and cleared their plates. Have been vegetarian for 18 months but am really keen to make the step to vegan and recipes like this really help. Thanks again!
Jean bogardus
Sounds delicious but can you add the miso after you take it off the heat? Heating it till bubbly destroys the good stuff in miso.
Lisa Earl Wilson
Oh my goodness! I made this for dinner last night, it was delicious!!! Even my husband loved it! I’m definitely going to check out more of your recipes! Thank you for sharing!
Lisa
Hello!
What can I use to substitute for the nutritional yeast? My daughter has a yeast sensitivity to nutritional yeast. I used it in a vegan Alfredo sauce and her lips puffed up and I had to give her Benadryl.
Thank you,
Lisa
Anna
If she’s not allergic to soy, you could blend in Yellow Bean Sauce. The miso (also a soy product) has a cheesy flavor too.
If she’s allergic to soy, you can use Kala Namak, or Indian black salt to taste in place of the regular salt.
Rachel
Hi Susan! I have been meaning to make this recipe for the longest time. Lack of time in general and not having all the ingredients on hand were the cause for the delay but FINALLY I got everything together and made this sauce yesterday. Wow–spectacular! I doubled it right off the bat and I’m glad I did because I ended up eating a bowl of it like soup for lunch lol! Really delicious–served it on baked potatoes with scallions and toasted pumpkin seeds for dinner. My boyfriend and I ate two apiece. Thanks so much for your talent!
Lindsey Randall
Tried this for dinner tonight, so disappointed. It tasted horribly bland but had a funky after taste. Not a repeat.
Susan Voisin
Sorry you didn’t like it. People have different tastes, so I can’t please everybody every time.
Sharon
What a wonderful cheese sauce, Susan! It was a breeze to make, and the recipe produced a silky sauce with a rich, complex flavour. Absolutely delicious.
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad you liked it, Sharon!
Jack
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe! Finally a vegan cheese sauce that is quick, easy, and pain-free. I especially appreciate the pain-free aspect, because paying 12 bucks per pound for cashews really hurts me. A new staple in my household, for sure.
Amanda
This was pretty good. I added some roasted red peppers to give it a nacho look
L2r1100
I just recently found your blog. What a blessing! This cheesy sauce is going to come in extremely handy!!! I had never even heard of nutritional yeast until you mentioned it here. We love it!!!!
L2r1100
Oh my! Just made this today and I will be using it tonight on something! It is extremely simple to make and tastes yummy! Thank you for introducing me to nutritional yeast!
Wanda
sherri
how long will this last in the fridge (i’m assuming it doesn’t freeze well) ? can you double the recipe with no problem?
Susan Voisin
Since there are no preservatives, I wouldn’t try to keep this more than a week. Also, I find it’s better right after I make it than the next day. You can double it, but you’ll probably have to blend it in separate batches.
Linda
I just made this for myself and my mom, who are both transitioning to animal-free diets for health reasons. OMG is this stuff tasty! we ate 2 cups in one sitting on tortillas chips and baked potatoes. I was on the verge of drinking it (not joking!)
The only substitution I had to make was red miso for yellow miso since that’s what I had in the fridge. I am absolutely making this into queso ASAP. thank you!!
Ben
We just made this for our chipotle seitan and it was so good that we were scooping up the remains with tortilla chips.
Lisa
Susan, I can’t tell you how excited and pleased I am to tell you right now, that I’m eating a baked potato, smothered with cheese. Except the cheese isn’t cheese, it’s your Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce recipe. So I’m eating a baked potato with a fat free, gluten free, vegetable side in sauce form basically. But my mouth doesn’t know that!! Thank you so much for this, it’s delicious. I used a kitchen aid food processor, no problems. Next time I’m making a double batch because it’s going on broccoli, vegan tacos, rice pasta, you name it!
Seasideshawn
Susan I feel like I don’t post enough to thank you for your recipes & letting people know how often I use them! They’re fantastic-people should know how great your food ideas are day to day! I read them & use them-Case in point-this cauliflower sauce I quite often keep in my fridge in Ball jars-I can add more turmeric & salsa for my husband who loves vegan nachos, or leave it out & add almond milk & herbs for an Alfredo version over pasta, or just use as is for a healthy topping for brown rice & vegetables-you hit the nail on the head with this one-endless possibilities!!!
Teri
This is soooo good! Thank you thank you thank you!
Trent
This was super good. Had it over baked potatoes tonight. I can see how this sauce can be very versatile. Thanks!
Sara
Hi Susan, I’ve made this sauce many times and love it, but tomorrow I’m going to try making it as a sauce for a baked mac & cheese, which I’ve never done before. How long would you recommend baking it for, and how many cups of sauce do you think I would need for 1 lb. of pasta? I plan to top it with a “bread crumb” mix made from almonds and nutritional yeast and take this along to a non-vegan super bowl party. Thanks!
Sara
Hi Susan– I just wanted to note for anyone else with the same question that I doubled the cauliflower sauce recipe and ended up with about a cup leftover. I used 1 lb of gluten free quinoa/corn elbow pasta and this would have been really creamy except my sister overbaked it! Even so, it was delicious and everyone liked it, except for one woman at the party who insisted her kids wouldn’t eat anything not covered in real cheese (and of course that was before any of them had even tried it). Nasty woman aside, everyone else enjoyed this dish, even if it got a tad overcooked. I’ve been using the leftover sauce as a dip for my leftover raw cauliflower 🙂
Annie G
You have such a wonderful site here. I’ve used many of your recipes and they are always a hit! I have been looking at this particular one ever since you posted it. But I have mixed feelings about nutritional yeast and I can’t like turmeric, as much as I try to. I finally made it the other day to top a baked potato, leaving out the yeast. It was delicious, but I still detected a slight taste of the turmeric. I had also cooked a chunk of carrot with the cauliflower, for color. So next time I’ll leave out the turmeric. Today I’m lunching on macaroni and “cheese”. So, I’m fixing it for myself and I think, you really should have some vegetables with this. Smack my head! It’s cauliflower! And it’s under 30 calories. Bless you, Susan Voisin. You are a genius!
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad you liked it! I had misgivings when I read that you’d left out the nut. yeast, but it seems to have worked for you. I just use the turmeric for color, so I’m sure leaving it out would be no problem, and since you don’t like the flavor will actually be a plus. Carrot is a great substitute.
Annie G
Susan – I actually shook a little nut. yeast on the macaroni and cheese I made yesterday and it was still delicious! I think a few times I may have used too heavy a hand when cooking with the yeast, and it turned me off. So, if I just add to taste I’ll be fine. I think the miso paste helps a lot in creating the cheesy taste, as does the smoked paprika. I have to tell you that I’ve wasted a forest full of trees printing vegan cheese sauce recipes over the past few years only to find out I didn’t like any of them. Except for some cashew cream versions. And I do need to stay away from nuts, as my most recent cholesterol test proved to me! Yours is a keeper! Today I’m trying it with frozen cauliflower and it’s going on an enchilada casserole. Love your recipes, Susan!