This Vegan Oat Milk Bechamel is thick, creamy, buttery, and delicious! It's ready in 10 minutes and made with 4 simple ingredients! Perfect for vegan white pizza, vegan mac and cheese, lentil pot pie, and beyond!
I love using oat milk in different recipes! I use it all the time in my oat milk matcha latte, oat milk hot chocolate, vegan eggnog, and even vegan rice pudding. But oat milk can be used in savory recipes as well, just like this vegan white sauce!
Oat milk bechamel sounds fancy but it really is an incredibly easy recipe to make. In my opinion, it's one of those things every home cook should perfect because it's a staple in so many other dishes!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make. This recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes and requires minimal effort.
- Customizable. You can add anything you like such as vegan cheese if you want to make a cheese sauce or some fresh herbs for a herby oat milk bechamel.
- Versatile. This basic white sauce can be used for SO many things including vegan white pizza, pasta, lasagna, and creamy vegan mac and cheese.
- Creamy and delicious. It has a smooth, thick, and luscious texture with no lumps!
What is Béchamel?
Béchamel is a classic white sauce from French cuisine that is a part of the 5 "mother sauces". Its main ingredients are flour, dairy butter, and dairy milk.
It's one of those staple recipes that are used in various dishes such as mac and cheese, lasagna, pizza and pasta sauces, etc.
This vegan version is made with vegan butter and dairy-free milk and is just as delicious and creamy as the traditional one!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Vegan butter: Just like traditional bechamel, this vegan white sauce starts with vegan butter for a creamy and buttery result. But you can also use olive oil or neutral oil of choice such as canola oil.
- Oat milk: Make sure to use high-quality oat milk that is rich and creamy such as Oatly, Silk, or Califia Farms. Avoid using brands that have thin and watery oat milk.
- Flour: This is what will thicken the sauce and you can use any flour you like. I am using all-purpose flour, but you can also use rice flour, cornstarch, chickpea flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Salt and black pepper: To taste.
- Nutritional yeast (optional): This is not a traditional ingredient, but I've found that adding just a teaspoon of nutritional yeast adds a savory and umami flavor that takes this sauce to the next level.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Oat Milk Béchamel
Make the roux. In a medium saucepan or a rimmed pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and using a whisk, mix until a paste is formed.
Slowly pour the oat milk, while whisking constantly to prevent clumps. Then, add salt, black pepper, and nutritional yeast (optional).
Stir and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the oat milk bechamel thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Hint: You can make it thicker or thinner depending on your preference. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken further as it cools.
Expert Tips
- Make the roux on low heat. If you burn the roux (the flour and butter mixture), there is no going back, so make sure not to cook it on too high heat.
- When adding the milk, whisking constantly. This will ensure that no big clumps of flour will remain and that the sauce will turn out smooth and creamy!
- Simmer on low heat, but don't boil! This oat milk bechamel can burn VERY easily, so make sure to cook it on low heat.
- Don't walk away from the stove! This recipe is super easy to make but it requires your full attention. You need to stay next to the stovetop and whisk from time to time, to make sure your sauce it's burning.
- Use it immediately or cover it with plastic wrap. This will prevent the sauce from forming a skin on the top.
FAQ
Yes, you can use soy milk, cashew milk, or a rich and creamy almond milk (not the watery stuff). I don't recommend using thinner types of milk such as rice milk or some types of thin almond milk.
A properly thickened bechamel is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Get a wooden spoon and dip it into the sauce. Draw a finger through the coated spoon, if it forms a line and sticks to your finger, you know it's ready.
If your white sauce is too runny, you can thicken it by simmering it for 3-4 more minutes over low heat, while whisking from time to time to prevent burning.
Stovetop: Add sauce to a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Whisk constantly to prevent burning, until warmed through. Add a splash of milk if the sauce is too thick.
Microwave: Add sauce to a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a lid or a plate. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through.
Yes! Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge, or for a few hours on the counter. before using it in a recipe.
Variations
- Vegan cheese sauce: Add 1 cup of shredded dairy-free cheese for a creamy and delicious vegan cheese sauce.
- Add spices: You can add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or ground nutmeg, or even a dash of paprika if you want to change things up.
- Add herbs: You can make a herb bouquet also known as bouquet garni to infuse the sauce with flavor. Remember to add it after the milk has fully incorporated and to remove it at the end.
- Make it thinner: If you want to make a thinner and pourable sauce let's say to use for pasta, you can use ½ cup more plant milk.
- Make it gluten-free: Use cornstarch, rice flour, chickpea flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Vegan tofu bechamel: If you want to make a healthier bechamel without flour and butter, you can blend 5-7 ounces of silken tofu with a splash of oat milk, salt, and black pepper until creamy.
How to Use Bechamel Sauce
This oat milk bechamel can be used for all kinds of recipes and pasta dishes.
You can use it to make vegan lasagna, vegan alfredo sauce, or pasta bakes such as this vegan baked spaghetti casserole (you can replace the store-bought vegan cheese or add another cheesy layer on top).
But besides pasta, there are many more applications like using it for vegan green bean casserole, Greek moussaka, and creamy vegan pot pie, just to name a few.
Storage
Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up 5-6 days.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Oat Milk Béchamel (White Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil
- 2 tablespoon flour of choice (all-purpose, gluten-free all-purpose, cornstarch, rice flour, etc.)
- 1 cup oat milk (I use Oatly))
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan or a rimmed pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and using a whisk, mix until a paste is formed.2 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil, 2 tablespoon flour of choice
- Slowly pour the oat milk, while whisking constantly to prevent clumps. Then, add salt, black pepper, and nutritional yeast (optional).1 cup oat milk, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, Pinch of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- Stir and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often, or until the oat milk bechamel thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken further as it cools.
Notes
- Make the roux on low heat. If you burn the roux (the flour and butter mixture), there is no going back, so make sure not to cook it on high heat.
- When adding the milk, whisking constantly. This will ensure that no big clumps of flour will remain and that the sauce will turn out smooth and creamy!
- Simmer on low heat, but don't boil! The sauce can burn VERY easily, so make sure to cook it on low heat.
- Don't walk away from the stove! This recipe is super easy to make but it requires your full attention. You need to stay next to the stovetop and whisk often, to make sure your sauce it's burning.
- Use it immediately or cover it with plastic wrap. This will prevent the sauce from forming a skin on the top.
- Fridge: Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up 5-6 days.
- Freezer: Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge, or for a few hours on the counter. before using it in a recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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