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    Home » Vegan

    Paleo Cheese Sauce {Vegan, Whole30, & Low-Carb}

    Published: Jan 27, 2020 Updated: Jan 7, 2021 By: Cassidy Stauffer May contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    pinnable image of vegan cheese sauce with text

    This low-carb, whole30, and paleo cheese sauce or queso is rich, creamy, cheesy, and comforting. Even if you CAN have dairy, this is sure to be a hit!

    cheese sauce in small bowl with garnishes
    sauce in small bowl with veggies and chips

    While we occasionally eat dairy, it's something we generally try to stay away from. I really wanted to make a dairy-free paleo cheese sauce recipe that we could enjoy guilt-free and that was still creamy and delicious.

    When creating this recipe, I was determined to get the flavor spot-on that tasted just as good as the dairy-filled version.

    To do this, I made the cheese from a box of Annie's Macaroni & Cheese so I could do a side-by-side taste test. It definitely paid off, I was able to get the flavor exactly perfect!!

    There were only a few subtle differences between my version and Annie's. The main one being that the dairy-free version just barely had a flatter aftertaste, if that makes any sense.

    But trust me, unless you were doing a side-by-side taste test like me, no one would ever know!

    It's rich, creamy, cheesy, and comforting - everything you would expect from a good cheese sauce. Even if you can have dairy, I'm sure you will love it and it will leave you wanting more.

    Jump to:
    • 🔪 Easy instructions
    • The cashews
    • Serving ideas
    • How to store
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🔪 Easy instructions

    melted butter and garlic in a saucepan
    melted butter and garlic in saucepan

    Start by adding some non-dairy butter or ghee and minced garlic to a saucepan.

    Heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside.

    blended ingredients in jar of blender
    blended ingredients in jar of blender

    To the jar of a blender, add raw cashews, nutritional yeast, water, non-dairy milk, onion powder, sea salt, paprika, chili powder, arrowroot or tapioca flour, dried mustard, and the non-dairy butter/garlic mixture. Blend until smooth.

    I don't recommend skipping the arrowroot (or tapioca) flour or the nutritional yeast.

    The flour adds stretch and helps with the texture of the paleo cheese sauce when heated.

    And the nutritional yeast is what gives it it's cheesy flavor - so you definitely don't want to skip it!

    The cashews

    Be sure to use RAW Cashews, not roasted and salted. The roasted and salted variety will leave an aftertaste.

    Also, if you don't have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot water at least 1 hour for easy blending.

    close up of sauce with tomatoes and jalapeño slices on top
    close up of sauce with tomatoes and jalapeno slices on top

    Once blended, heat on the stove over low heat until heated through. Then, stir in the fresh lemon juice and serve.

    Serving ideas

    Here are a few serving ideas that would go great with this recipe:

    • Siete Tortilla Chips
    • Tortilla Chips from My Keto Breads Cookbook
    • Shredded Beef
    • Enchiladas
    • Chimichangas

    How to store

    This paleo cheese sauce can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, place in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until heated through.

    The sauce will thicken when stored, so use non-dairy milk as needed to thin.

    💭 Top tips

    • Use RAW Cashews, not roasted and salted. The roasted and salted variety will leave an aftertaste.
    • If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak cashews in hot water at least 1 hour for easy blending.
    • Nutritional yeast is a seasoning usually found in the spice aisle of health food stores. It's what gives this recipe it's cheesy taste so don't skip it!
    • The arrowroot or tapioca flour adds stretch and helps with the texture of the vegan cheese sauce when heated.
    • This sauce can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
    • To reheat, place in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until heated through. The sauce will thicken when stored, so use non-dairy milk as needed to thin.

    If you’ve tried this Low-Carb, Whole30, & Paleo Cheese Sauce or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!

    Craving more? FOLLOW ME on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or E-Mail to find more delicious food!

    Paleo Cheese Sauce Story

    📖 Recipe

    vegan cheese sauce in small bowl with chopped veggies and tortilla chips

    Paleo Cheese Sauce {Dairy-Free, Whole30, & Low-Carb}

    This low-carb, whole30, and paleo cheese sauce is rich, creamy, cheesy, and comforting. Even if you CAN have dairy, this is sure to be a hit!
    5 from 5 votes
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    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 6
    CALORIES :184kcal
    CARBS :10g
    FIBER :1g
    Author: Cassidy Stauffer

    Ingredients

    Nacho Cheese Sauce:

    • 1 Cup Raw Cashews - soak in hot water 1+ hours if you do not have a high speed blender
    • ½ Cup Water
    • ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
    • ⅓ Cup Nutritional Yeast
    • ¾ tsp. Minced Garlic
    • 1 ½ tsp. Onion Powder
    • 1 ⅛ tsp. Sea Salt
    • 1 tsp. Paprika
    • ⅛ tsp. Chili Powder
    • ¼ tsp. Dried Mustard
    • 1 ½ Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
    • 2 Tbsp. Ghee or Non-Dairy Butter
    • 1 tsp. Arrowroot Flour - or any gluten free starch
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    Instructions

    • Melt the non-dairy butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant and browned, about 1 minute. Set aside.
    • In a blender, add the butter/garlic mixture, cashews, water, non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, paprika, chili powder, dried mustard, and arrowroot until very smooth (everything except the lemon juice!). I use my Vita-Mix to get it completely smooth. Add non-dairy milk as needed to thin.
    • Return to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, whisking frequently.
    • Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
    • Serve immediately.

    Add Your Own Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Notes

    • Use RAW Cashews, not roasted and salted. The roasted and salted variety will leave an aftertaste.
    • If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak cashews in hot water for at least 1 hour for easy blending.
    • Nutritional yeast is a seasoning usually found in the spice aisle of health food stores. It's what gives this recipe its cheesy taste so don't skip it!
    • The arrowroot or tapioca flour adds stretch and helps with the texture of the cheese sauce when heated.
    • This cheese sauce can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
    • To reheat, place in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until heated through. The sauce will thicken when stored, so use non-dairy milk as needed to thin.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 16th of recipe | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.8mg

    NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol

    Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.

    Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my

    Keto Resources
    Did You Try This Recipe?Mention @CassidysCraveableCreations so I can take a look!

    Note- After I came up with this recipe I ran across Tessa The Domestic Diva's Cheese Sauce Recipe and it's so similar!! Tessa and I frequently make each other's recipes and we are amazed at how similar our taste buds are. I guess it makes sense that eventually, we would come up with such a similar recipe, lol 🙂

    More Vegan

    • Low-Carb Keto Fudge With Chocolate Chips
    • Sugar-Free Keto Turtles (Or Pecan Clusters)
    • No-Oats Low-Carb Keto Oatmeal
    • Low-Carb Keto Peanut Butter Energy Balls
    1.8K shares
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    Cassidy is a certified keto and intermittent fasting health coach and a mom of two teenagers, one of whom has autism and epilepsy. For the well-being of her family, she serves up easy, kid-approved recipes that are gluten-free and keto with many dairy-free and paleo options. She's passionate about creating healthy, allergy-friendly food that's just as good as the original!

    Read More…

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nicole says

      November 19, 2022 at 8:29 pm

      5 stars
      I made this nacho cheese sauce last night for a paleo linguica nacho Friday night dinner. It was perfect. The only change was that I added some Siete taco seasoning to make it a little more zesty, but it was great with out it too. I will be keeping this recipe.

      Reply
      • Cassidy says

        November 19, 2022 at 10:35 pm

        Thank you, I'm so happy you liked it!!!

        XO,
        Cassidy

        Reply
    2. Lucienne says

      September 01, 2020 at 3:33 am

      Is there something that can be substituted for the cashews to make it keto after all?

      Reply
      • Cassidy Stauffer says

        September 01, 2020 at 12:32 pm

        Even though I haven't tried it, I successfully used 1 head of steamed cauliflower in other recipes to replace 1 cup of raw cashews - such as in my alfredo recipe. While I think it would work, each recipe is different so I'm not positive of the results. You may need to slightly adjust the seasonings and I would start with less liquid and add more as needed because I have a feeling the cauliflower version would be thinner. I hope this helps! And if you try it please come back and let me know what you think!!!

        -Cassidy

        Reply
    3. Alyssa Tulman says

      July 05, 2020 at 11:15 pm

      Made this for dinner tonight and created a healthy version of “hamburger helper” using gf elbow noodles. Added a little more chili powder and garlic powder. Turned out fabulous!

      Reply
      • Cassidy Stauffer says

        July 06, 2020 at 12:40 pm

        That sounds delicious! I'm glad the cheese sauce worked well in the recipe 🙂

        -Cassidy

        Reply
    4. Danielle says

      January 16, 2020 at 6:33 pm

      Does this recipe reconstitute well if frozen for later?

      Reply
      • Cassidy Stauffer says

        January 17, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        I haven't tried freezing it yet, sorry. I plan on making it soon, though, and I'll test out how well it freezes! As soon as I try it I'll come back and let you know 🙂 Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

        -Cassidy

        Reply
    5. Jessica says

      May 21, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      Hi how does this hold up if served the next day! My friend wants to try vegan cheese sauce (and for me to make it)! And you reheat it up?

      Reply
      • Cassidy Stauffer says

        May 22, 2019 at 1:02 pm

        Hi Jessica! It will stay good covered in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Then, heat over low heat on the stove and add non-dairy milk as needed to thin 🙂

        Hope this helps!

        -Cassidy

        Reply
    6. Sarah @ The Fit Cookie says

      February 19, 2019 at 11:00 pm

      Yummy, this looks delicious!! I'll have to give this a try sometime, I've been curious about cashew cheeses and cheese sauces but haven't made them yet

      Reply
    7. KELLY says

      February 17, 2019 at 9:57 pm

      THIS LOOKS SO GOOD & HAS A LOT OF GREAT INGREDIENTS, TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT AND DO A KETO AIP TYPE OF DIET.

      Reply
    8. Nicole Rouse says

      January 20, 2019 at 12:00 am

      Why is this recipe not Keto? Just curious.

      Reply
      • Cassidy says

        January 20, 2019 at 3:00 pm

        There aren't any specific ingredients that aren't keto-friendly. It's just a bit high in carbs to be considered Keto, which is why I labeled it as low-carb instead. I hope this helps!!

        -Cassidy

        Reply
    9. Jules Shepard says

      October 19, 2018 at 7:50 pm

      We LOVE cheese at our house...vegan please! Looking forward to giving this a try with some macaroni!

      Reply
      • Cassidy says

        October 20, 2018 at 9:11 pm

        Thanks Jules! I've poured it over gluten free macaroni and it was to die for!!! I hope you love it as much as we do 🙂

        -Cassidy

        Reply
    10. evy says

      October 11, 2018 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      THIS recipe is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And perfect.

      I'm guessing it could be made keto just fine...will experiment with either ground flax or chia or something to thicken it up a bit, and for that matter will try with no thickener first, and guessing it would still be perfectly YUM!

      Reply
      • Cassidy says

        October 12, 2018 at 1:45 am

        OH YAY I'm so excited you liked it!!! Let me know if you're able to make more keto-friendly 🙂

        -Cassidy

        Reply
        • Heather says

          October 26, 2018 at 2:45 am

          Is it the yeast or the arrow root that makes it non keto?

        • Cassidy says

          October 26, 2018 at 1:26 pm

          Hi Heather! Actually it's the cashews, because there are roughly 40 carbs in a cup of raw cashews!!! The nutritional yeast and arrowroot add a few carbs, but it's the cashews that get ya! We personally follow a modiefied Keto diet and don't stick to 20-30 carbs a day so this works fine for us, but the carb cound is a bit high for those who follow a strict Keto diet. That's why I re-labeled it as low-carb instead of Keto. Hope this helps!!!

    11. Lisa says

      August 28, 2018 at 11:54 am

      Not keto 🙁

      Reply
      • Cassidy says

        August 28, 2018 at 12:57 pm

        Hi Lisa! I posted this recipe right when were starting to learn about keto and you're right - I'm SO SORRY!!! I've changed to recipe to say low-carb instead of keto.

        Sorry again,
        -Cassidy

        Reply
    12. Tessa says

      January 19, 2018 at 3:20 am

      5 stars
      I’ll try your version!!!

      Reply
      • Cassidy says

        January 19, 2018 at 5:55 pm

        The next time I make mac n cheese I'm going to make your version! I can't wait to compare the two!!

        Reply
    13. Tessa says

      January 19, 2018 at 3:20 am

      Oh my gosh, too funny! Twins!!! I am
      Making a batch for my 13 year old’s slumber party Saturday! Yum!!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Cassidy! I'm a certified keto and intermittent fasting coach and am a mom of two teenagers, one of whom has autism and epilepsy. For the well-being of my family, I serve up easy, kid-approved recipes that are gluten-free and keto with many dairy-free and paleo options. I'm passionate about creating healthy, allergy-friendly food that's just as good as the original!

    More about me →

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