Vegan Bechamel

5 from 1 vote

This easy vegan bechamel is a great basic recipe that you can flavor using the ingredients you want, like spices and herbs. Delicious simply over steamed vegetables, it also makes for a great quick pasta sauce, gratins or creamy topping for oven-baked dishes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: gratin, Pasta, Sauce

Cuisine: French

Keyword: dairy-free, healthy, Low in fat, nut-free option, Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 177kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour white or whole wheat
2 cups vegan plain milk unsweetened
salt and black pepper to taste
seasoning of your choice (nutritional yeast, nutmeg, dried herbs, garlic powder, etc) see notes

Instructions

In a small sauce pan, start by warming the oil on medium-high heat or until it looks thinner. Make sure it does not smoke. Then, add the flour and whisk for about 30-60 seconds (this will allow the flour to cook).
Add the vegan milk slowly while whisking vigorously. Make sure there are no clumps anymore. Keep cooking on medium-high heat while whisking often. Stay around the pot and once it starts to boil, then keep simmering on medium-high heat for about 7-8 more minutes or until thickened, still while whisking a lot. Remove from the heat.
The bechamel will also thicken as it rests and cools down, so usually when I remove it from the heat, it looks still a little thinner than I actually want it to be. After resting for 5 minutes, it becomes nice and thick.
Add the seasonings of your choice and whisk to combine.
I like to keep this sauce quite simple with about ½ to 1 tsp of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, ½ tbsp of nutritional yeast and plenty of ground pepper. Don't be shy on the ground pepper!
Serve over cooked pasta, steamed vegetables, use in oven-baked dishes, lasagna, gratins or anytime a bechamel is asked for!

Video

Notes

You can also use vegan butter in place of the oil.
Store any leftovers in a air-tight container for up to 4 days. If you want to avoid having a film forming over the sauce while resting in the fridge, then add a plastic paper (saran wrap) over the sauce making sure it touches its surface.
Whisking vigorously will help prevent the lumps, but have your bechamel go through a fine-mesh colander before using it if it ends up with too many lumps.
How thick your bechamel will be depends on the type of milk you use, how long you simmered it for and how long it has been resting or cooling for. If your bechamel is still too thin after done, then here is what you can do: in a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp of corn starch with 1 tbsp of water, whisk well with a fork. Then add to the bechamel that is still simmering on the stove and whisk while cooking for 2 more minutes.
If your bechamel is too thick, then simply add a splash of vegan milk and give it a good whisk before using or re-heating.
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition