Vegan Béchamel Sauce

Missing your favourite creamy dishes? Master this vegan béchamel sauce, and you’ll soon be basking in the comfort of creamy lasagnas and pasta bakes.  

 

Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 10 mins | Serves: 1 cup 

Making béchamel sauce is not rocket science, but pulling off a flavoursome vegan alternative can be tricky. A traditional French béchamel relies on three core ingredients: flour, butter and full cream milk. Hence, most vegan versions, swap the dairy milk and butter with plant-based alternatives. 

In this béchamel recipe, Almo Crème, coconut oil and flour are heated over a stovetop to form a thick paste, to which Almo Milk is then gradually added to create a silky-smooth sauce with a  golden hue and nutty flavour, just like a classic French roux. Turmeric and nutmeg balance the sweet and savoury flavours, while the nutritional yeast adds a rich, fermented cheesy flavour. 

The quantities given should be enough to cover a large lasagne, make a vegetable gratin, or take your potatoes to the next level. We recommend steadily heating your béchamel in a cast iron saucepan, which retains heat and locks in moisture to enhance the flavours. We’ve used the signature cast iron saucepan from Le Creuset’s new Meringue collection.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Almo Crème
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp plain or gluten-free flour
  • 1/2 litre Almo Milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • Pinch of nutmeg

Method

  1. Melt coconut oil and Almo Crème in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add flour and cook, stirring continuously, for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles start to form. 
  2. Gradually add Almo Milk, whisking continuously, to ensure no lumps form. Add optional bay leaf, nutritional yeast flakes and turmeric.
  3. Bring mixture to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring continuously, for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken. Add a pinch of nutmeg and season with sea salt and cracked pepper to serve.