When I published my popular Easy Cheezy Sauce and Vegan Cheddar Cheese Sauce recipes, I immediately got requests for nut-free versions. It seems quite a few of you have allergies or want a lower fat recipe. I’ve been playing around with a bunch of ingredients, but this Chickpea Cheese Sauce has stolen my heart.
How to Make this Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce with Chickpeas
Just like my Eazy Cheezy Sauce, this chickpea cheese sauce is incredibly simple to make. You’ve got just seven required ingredients in this recipe. You simply dump everything together in a blender and process for a half a minute or so.
Then, I like to cook this sauce gently for a few minutes to marry the flavors. Most dishes you’ll probably make this sauce for—pasta, baked potatoes, a cheese dip—all taste better with a warmed sauce anyway.
That’s it—instant, easy, cheesy done! And probably one of the healthiest ‘cheese’ sauces you can put in your mouth.
Why I Love This Nut-Free Chickpea ‘Cheese’ Sauce
This chickpea cheese sauce has so much going for it. Let’s break down the healthy, whole food plant-based goodness:
First, it makes the BEST low fat, high fiber nut free vegan mac and cheese! I never expected this recipe to become a Shah family favorite, but indeed it has. I mean, it’s got some pretty stiff competition with the other cheese sauces in our repertoire. 🙂 But this chickpea cheese sauce is so darn tasty and satisfying, we keep coming back to it again and again.
Second, it’s low in fat and high in fiber thanks to the chickpeas. In fact, it has about half the fat as a nut-based cheese sauce. And of course, it’s oil free. Third, it’s budget friendly. Let’s face it, chickpeas are way cheaper than cashews. At least where I live.
Fourth, it’s full of beans! (Or legumes, in this case.) According to Dr. Greger’s recommended Daily Dozen, we should all get about three servings of beans and legumes a day. What a tasty, creamy, satisfying way to fit more in. Fourth, if you have nut allergies, or your kid does, or your co-workers—no worries here. This one is nut allergen free.
How to Make the BEST Nut Free Vegan Mac and Cheese
This cheese sauce is great on baked potatoes, nachos–wherever you want to add creamy cheesiness. But we love in as a healthy mac and cheese sauce.
I like to use a whole food, plant-based compliant pasta, like a brown rice pasta or even a chickpea pasta. And while it’s great with just the sauce, I love adding extra flavors like:
- fresh parsley (so simple, and my favorite)
- crushed red pepper flakes
- diced sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrated)
- fresh basil
- Italian seasonings
- and if you don’t mind a small amount of nuts, a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese
With this simple sauce and a pot of pasta, you can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes!
If you like this whole food plant-based recipe, you might also like:
- 5-Minute Vegan Chickpea Alfredo Sauce
- Vegan Easy Cheezy Sauce
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese Sauce
- Easy Vegan Oil Free Pesto Sauce
- Vegan Oil Free Mayonnaise
Chickpea Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15-ounce can, LIQUID RESERVED
- 1/4-3/4 cups low sodium vegetable broth adjust for desired thickness
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste (see notes for substition and info about miso + sodium)
- 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- Sea salt to taste
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon turmeric for color
For Nut Free Vegan Mac and Cheese, serve over macaroni or pasta shells
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and process on high speed until thoroughly blended, about 20-30 seconds. Add a little of the reserved chickpea liquid ('aquafaba') to thin the sauce if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- For the best results, gently cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes to combine the flavors.
Notes
- Nutritional information shown is for sauce only
- Sodium: the sodium in this recipe may seem high, but is primarily from the miso paste, which is a healthy "green light salt" according to Dr. Greger. You can read more about miso here.
- I use mellow white miso paste for this recipe. If you can't find it or are allergic to soy, you can substitute 1 tablespoon tahini + 1-2 teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce, tamari or Bragg's aminos.
- If the sauce gets too thick (especially after refrigerating), thin it out with a little reserved chickpea liquid, how pasta water or hot tap water
- To add extra flavor to your mac and cheese, add:
- fresh parsley (so simple, and my favorite)
- crushed red pepper flakes
- diced sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrated)
- fresh basil
- Italian seasonings
- and if you don't mind a small amount of nuts, a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese
This recipe is the bomb! My boyfriend has allergy induced asthma and the list of things he can eat is shorter than what he can’t. I made this cheese sauce to go with gluten free pasta and he loves it!
That’s outstanding, Nancy! So glad the BF can dig into this sauce 🙂
I like it! I didn’t have miso or tahini so I threw in some cashews. I almost always add extra nutritional yeast to cheese recipes, and paprika! Pretty good with chickpea pasta and vegan chick’n.
This looks amazing!! I am just beginning a no-added-fat/no nuts/low-fat journey as best I can, and your recipe may save me. 🙂 Wonder why you sub tahini (added fat) & tamari for the white miso–can chickpea miso just be used instead? Or is that a totally different flavor? Also, how long will this last in the ‘fridge and can it be frozen? Thanks so much!
Hi Elizabeth! I offered tahini as a suggestion for people who don’t like miso or can’t find it where they live. (That question comes up a lot!) But if adding fat is not desirable, I’d recommend trying to find some miso–any mellow type will work–or just skipping that ingredient. Either the miso or tahini add a bit of richness and texture, along with flavor, but the recipe is still good without. Enjoy, and good luck on your low fat journey.
Thanks so much! Plan to make it soon. Can it be frozen, or how long will it last in the refrigerator?
Yes, you can freeze it or keep it in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
I was wondering if I could replace the vegetable broth with unsweetened Almond milk.
Yes Logan, you sure can.
I normally don’t leave comments, but had to say that we loved the “cheese” sauce. The flavor was excellent! Really pleased to add this to our recipes. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your review, Kelly! I truly appreciate it 🙂
Thank you for this girl! I have been looking for a recipe like this without nuts. I also add a roasted red bell pepper from a jar and it adds so much flavor!
You’re most welcome, Margaret! I can imagine the roasted red pepper really elevated the flavor–nice choice!
I have been vegan for about a year. This is the BEST cheese sauce recipe I have found and the easiest to make out of the five recipes I have tried. Thank you!!!
Thanks Beth, I’m so happy to hear you like this cheese sauce! I love whipping this up when I need something healthy and quick. 🙂
how much pasta do I use for the serving size?
Hi Emily, the nutritional info shown is for the sauce only. As for the amount of pasta to eat with this sauce, I think it’s a matter of personal choice. I tend to use a lot of sauce + veggies, and not so much pasta.
Thank you!!! 🤩😍🤩😍
It is so quick and easy to make. And I do love the taste. Ok, I know it’s not cheese, but it is yummy and it hit the spot. I poured it over spaghetti (no macaroni in the house), and garnished it with fresh basil… so yummy, with and without basil.
Hi Grace, So glad you enjoyed it! Some of my favorite recipes are the simplest ones. 🙂
A real keeper! Only changes made were: peeling chick pea skins off prior to adding and using asafoetida/hing powder instead of turmeric (as I didn’t have any turmeric on hand). Thanks so much for the recipe, can’t wait to top my stuffed veg with this! Cheers, Sharon from Australia.
Hi Sharon, I’ve heard of folks peeling chickpea skins, but never tried it myself. Glad you like!
Does the hing affect the flavour? Many thanks!
Hmm, there’s no hing in this recipe.
I loved this! Such a great healthy way to indulge junk food cravings. Maybe next time, I’ll experiment with a little less lemon as it seemed a tad too acidic. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Heather, Love that you loved this sauce! I admit–I’m a huge fan of lemon, so that could explain the lemony-ness :)))
Hi Elizabeth,
I plan on making this for my family’s cookout for the 4th of July. Is this miso necessary? Not sure what I’ll do with it if I buy it after I”ve used it for the recipe. I do have packets of miso, maybe that could work? Thanks!
I’m also thinking of substituting water instead of the vegetable stock, just to use what I have at my house. I saw someone else did that so hopefully it will work!
Hi, you can skip the miso or substitute tahini + tamari or soy sauce (see the recipe notes). It will still be good. Also, yes you can use water instead of stock, but you may want to add a pinch of onion powder or other ingredient for flavor if you feel it needs it. Good luck, and happy 4th!
Hi Elizabeth,
I’m making enchiladas tonight. Do you think it would be alright to add the bean “cheese” sauce to the top of them before baking?
Hi Julie, I’d recommend adding the sauce after baking. It doesn’t have much fat and will probably dry out. My cashew-based cheese sauce does bake well, if you’d rather try that. Best of luck!
No joke, I’m anaphylactic to onions and garlic. Would this recipe still work (taste okay) without the onion and garlic? It’s really nice to see a cheese substitute that isn’t made from nuts/seeds (also allergic). Thanks!
Hi Rachel, Yes it will still work, but maybe there’s another spice you like to include in foods since onion and garlic are clearly out for you?
I tried your recipe but I added smoked paprika and red pepper flakes. I really enjoyed the flavor a lot. I gave up on trying to find something that reminds me of cheese since becoming vegan. I was someone who could have lived off of grilled cheese sandwiches slowed grilled with butter until the bread was a golden brown back in the day and watching pizza recipes made me drool but I was ‘fat sick and nearly dead‘( stealing a title from one of the great plant based doctors) and at least now I have lost 46 l pounds but I have I many more to go, so I’m not looking to replace cheese but I am looking to be able to enjoy my food and stay much healthier than I was. So, thank you so much for sharing your recipes I really do appreciate your generosity.
Hi Dolly, Love your adaptations. Agree–nothing really tastes like dairy cheese, but for me at least, now, that’s a good thing. Great job on getting healthier! And you’re very welcome for the recipes. 🙂
Hello, can I just sub regular sea salt for the miso paste instead of the other options you gave? And if so, how much would you recommend? Is it a 1:1 ratio or should I use less salt than I would the miso? I know Dr. Gregor doesn’t recommend salt, but I still use/eat it.)
Your recipe came highly recommended by someone on a wfpb Facebook page I joined. I’m really looking forward to trying it. Thank you!! 🙂
Hi Lyn, you don’t have to use the miso or substitute anything for it. I like the texture, flavor and the added benefit of a healthy salt, but it’s not absolutely needed here. As for how much salt, I always say “salt to taste” in my recipes. The more you limit your use of salt, the less you’ll need to achieve the same perception of saltiness, so it’s a highly personal matter. I tend to use as little as possible, as much as necessary to bring out the other flavors in the food. And, I tend to add salt after I finish cooking something, with the exception of sprinkling a bit on onions to help sweat them. Enjoy, and thanks for trying out this recipe.
Couldn’t wait to try this recipe. Searched and waited until I found all ingredients. Made the sauce, simmered it (as suggested) for richness of flavor. Served with ziti pasta but found it had a distinct, artificial flavor to me. In all fairness I am not a vegetarian or vegan which may have affected my taste buds. I was fearful that my husband wouldn’t care for it so I added a good handful of pecorino romano. He loved it. I liked it but not enough to make it again. Just didn’t taste like cheese to me without adding real cheese.
Hi Lisa, Sorry you didn’t care for this vegan recipe. The flavor you’re talking about is likely the nutritional yeast, which many vegans eat regularly, but some people don’t like at all. You’re probably correct, vegans and plant based folks have very different taste buds. I personally could no longer tolerate an actual dairy cheese sauce; it would be overwhelming.
This does not taste like cheese. I followed the recipe exactly. It was a good type of sauce, though. I served it on nachos.
A lot of plant-based folks find that the combo of nutritional yeast + garlic tastes pretty cheesy. I sure do! Sorry this didn’t give you the cheese fix you were hoping for.
Just tried this sauce and we love it! Not only is it very tasty, it’s quick and that is worth 5 stars.
Thanks for another great recipe. ?
Hi Jodi! Thanks so much for your review and kind words. SO glad you like this chickpea cheese sauce. I couldn’t agree more–5-minute recipes are something we all could use more of. 🙂
I followed the recipe above except I used water and not broth to help control the salt. It was delicious!
I’m so glad you liked it! I haven’t tried water rather than broth, but good to know it’s still delicious. 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight as a vegan mac & cheese. It was very good. Kids loved it and it was fast which made this working mom happy too. I also loved the nut-based cheese sauce but wanted something lower in fat!
Hi Kelly, So glad you gave this a go and that the kiddos went for it! Gotta have those quick & easy go to recipes on hand. And thanks for the kind words 🙂
I wanted so much to love this recipe. I’m only about 4 months in to WFPB way of life. I’ve tried 5 other ‘cheese sauce’ recipes, but I just didn’t like this one. I’m not sure what I did wrong as I followed the recipe to a T. I used 1/2 cup Pacific Foods organic vegetable broth. I added 3 TBSP of aquafaba. And another 1/4 cup of nooch in hopes I would like the taste. I did use the white miso paste. I felt like I made a good mustard for a sandwich. I have another spicy cheese sauce in my fridge. I tried mixing a small amount of the two. I still only tasted mustard. I didn’t save this batch of sauce. I didn’t know what to do for it. I am giving it 3 stars though because it was so easy to make. Plus , I love the nutritional value and the ingredients.
I can’t imagine why this would have tasted like mustard! I’m personally not a fan of Pacific broth (too carrot-tasting for me). I usually use homemade or buy a mellower tasting powdered or paste mix. It could be the miso. I tend to use Miso Master’s Mellow White Miso. But honestly, I’m lost on this one! :)))
Maybe it was the miso? It is so strong in flavor. I’ll probably try it again with the tahini/tamari substitution. I forgot to add that I actually really liked how creamy it came out despite the beans that some people commented on. My ninja isn’t the best with cashews and I wanted this to work so bad! I’m lost too
Well, I hope playing around with the ingredients works out! Thanks for hanging in there :))))
Rachel you could try using Asafoetida the Indian spice that mimicks onion/garlic. I just made the sauce to have with cauliflower it’s lovely ! I also added a tsp of Dijon mustard to give it a little kick. Definitely one of those sauces you can vary and use for many things. It certainly works well for a mock cauliflower cheese. Thanks for sharing Elizabeth, so good !!