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This vegan oat milk béchamel is a creamy white sauce perfect for topping lasagnas, pasta dishes, and pizzas. It’s completely dairy-free and yields a thick, luscious, creamy texture.
This recipe uses oat milk to create the béchamel, but other kinds of plant milk can be substituted!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Béchamel
A good dairy free béchamel is a staple in any vegan’s kitchen. This sauce is one I use in so many recipes and dishes. Here are a few reasons we love this creamy white sauce and you will too!
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Customizable flavors: add in different flavorings to your liking- make an herbed sauce or vegan cheese sauce.
- Super creamy: oat milk is creamier than other plant milks, which helps create the perfect velvety texture!
- Can be made thicker or thinner: this recipe includes instructions on how to create a thicker or thinner sauce, so you can use it in any cooking application you’d like.
- Classic white sauce: this is one of those staple recipes that you can use in so many dishes!
What is béchamel?
A traditional béchamel uses dairy milk and dairy butter in a 1:1 ratio to create a roux. This white sauce is a staple in French cuisine, and can be used in dishes like lasagnas, moussaka, or Alfredo sauces. This recipe is a vegan adaptation of the traditional béchamel.
Ingredients:
Today we’re using simple ingredients instead of the dairy products that are in a classic roux. Below are the main ingredients plus a few notes on substitutions & add ins!
- Oat Milk, like Oatly Original or Silk Extra Creamy Oat Milk
- All-Purpose Flour
- Vegan Butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, like Country Crock Plant Butter or Earth Balance
- Salt and Black Pepper
Substitutions & Add-ins
- Flour: to make this gluten-free you could try subbing in cornstarch, glutinous rice flour or chickpea flour.
- Nutmeg or Garlic Powder: add in a pinch of nutmeg or other spices to infuse the plant milk.
- White Pepper: feel free to use white pepper instead of black pepper in this sauce.
- Vegan Parmesan or Nutritional Yeast: Violife Vegan Parm would be a great cheesy addition!
Other dairy free milk for vegan white sauce
While this recipe uses Oat Milk, which tends to be higher in fat and creamier than other plant milks, you could also substitute in one of the options below. The trick is to use thick dairy-free milk and to make sure you’re using plain, unsweetened milk.
- Soy Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Almond Milk
Helpful Equipment
Below are some helpful tools to make the best creamy dairy free white sauce.
- Medium Saucepan
- Whisk: to create a lump-free vegan white sauce
- Measuring Cups: to accurately measure all the ingredients
Step By Step Guide
🎥 *Video tutorial and exact ingredient measurements are in the recipe card below!*
Over medium low heat melt the vegan butter (or heat the olive oil) in a medium saucepan.
Once melted, sprinkle in the all-purpose flour. Whisk to form a thick paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, and pour in the oat milk ¼ cup at a time. Be sure to whisk, continuously until it reaches a lump-free and creamy consistency.
Add the salt and black pepper. Let the sauce continue to cook for 5-7 more minutes, whisking periodically. Remove from the heat and serve. If you’d like a thinner or thicker sauce, see the notes below!
How to Use The Vegan Béchamel
This creamy sauce can be used in a variety of ways. It’s incredibly versatile and a staple to have in your recipe box. Below are a few of my favorite ways to use this recipe:
- Basil Bechamel Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan White Pizza
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Any Pasta Dish that calls for a creamy sauce!
Béchamel Variations
- Basil or Herbed: for herby flavor, add in 2-3 tablespoons of fresh minced basil, rosemary, or other herbs.
- Vegan Cheese Sauce: add in 1-2 cups of dairy-free cheese to create a classic vegan cheese sauce.
- Garlic: add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for punchy flavor.
Helpful Tips For Amazing Vegan Béchamel
- Use room temperature or warm milk: while this isn’t 100% necessary, it will make the sauce thicken faster and help prevent lumps.
- Do not boil the oat milk: the heat should stay on medium-low through the whole process.
- Stay near the pot and whisk: this will prevent any lumps and keep the oat milk from burning.
- Use plastic wrap: place plastic wrap or parchment paper on top of the béchamel while cooling (especially if placing it in the fridge) to prevent a skin from forming on top.
these create the best flavor & texture!
Thickening or Thinning the Sauce
The consistency of this vegan white sauce leans thicker, perfect for topping lasagnas or pizzas! However, the recipe is easily adjustable and can be made thinner or thicker to your liking.
Extra Thick béchamel
- Use ¼ cup less oat milk and heat the sauce for 3-4 more minutes.
- You can also add an extra tablespoon of flour.
thin béchamel
- Add ½ cup – ¾ cup more oat milk during step 3 above.
FAQ
Yes, oat milk is a great substitute for dairy milk because it has a higher fat content and is thicker than other plant milks.
This vegan béchamel uses all-purpose flour (to create a roux) to thicken the oat milk. Oat milk is naturally thicker than other plant milks lending itself well to creamy sauces like this one.
I don’t recommend using thinner plant milks like rice milk or some almond milks that are on the watery side. (If using almond milk, I recommend Trader Joe’s or Silk Extra Creamy Almond).
Place the sauce in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes, it can be frozen in an air-tight container for 1-2 months. Reheat the sauce on the stovetop in a saucepan. Since sauces thicken in the fridge, once heated through, add ¼ cup of plant milk at a time as needed to thin the sauce back out.
More Vegan Sauces:
- Vegan Alfredo without Cashews
- Super Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Classic Vegan Pesto
- Pesto Rosso
- Cashew Cream for Pasta
- Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
More Vegan Staples:
Vegan Oat Milk Béchamel (White Sauce)
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 5 tbsp vegan butter, or olive oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened plain oat milk, like Oatly Original or Silk Creamy Oat Milk
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper, or white pepper
Instructions
- Melt the vegan butter on medium-low heat in a medium sized saucepan.5 tbsp vegan butter
- Sprinkle in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously to prevent clumps. Cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Pour in the oat milk, ¼ cup at a time, whisking continuously. Make sure the milk mixture does not boil. It should begin to thicken after a minute of stirring.1 ¼ cup unsweetened plain oat milk
- Heat over low heat (about 5-7 minutes). The longer the sauce is heated, the thicker it will become. Once it cools, it will continue to thicken.Stir in the salt & pepper. Feel free to taste the sauce at this point and add any more salt & pepper to taste.¼ tsp sea salt, ⅛ tsp black pepper
- To Thin the Sauce: whisk in ¼ cup extra oat milk at a time until the desired consistency is reached.To Thicken the Sauce: continue to heat over medium-low heat, stirring continuously. If the sauce isn’t thickening enough, mix 1 tbsp of all purpose flour with 2 tbsp oat milk, then add it to the sauce.
Video
Recipe notes
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Used this on its own, and then again as a base for a cheese sauce and it was wonderful! Enjoyed by 2 adults and a 5 yr old!
The recipe says 5 TBSP of oil or vegan butter!! Is this a typo?
Hi Linda, no this is not a typo. This sauce is made with 5 tablespoons of vegan butter- this is what helps create the roux with the flour.
Hi would the benchmark be ruined if my oatmilk is sweetened?
Hi there! I wouldn’t recommend using sweetened or flavored oat milk unless you’re planning to use the béchamel in a sweet recipe or dessert. The sweetness can really affect the flavor in savory dishes. If you don’t have unsweetened oat milk on hand, unsweetened almond or soy milk would be a great substitute. Hope that helps!