If you miss cheese, you need to give this vegan cauliflower cheese recipe a try! It's got the perfect cheesy texture and flavor and you can eat it as a dip, mix it with pasta, or drizzle it over veggies. It's oil-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and it's ready to eat in 30 minutes!
This delicious vegan cheese sauce is so special! My family loves it, and I hope you will too! The dairy-free cheese is made with a combination of sunflower seeds, cauliflower, red bell pepper, garlic, onions, lots of spices, and pickled jalapenos. It's thick, creamy, super flavorful, and so versatile! You can use it as a dip with chips, sauce for pasta, or as a topping drizzled over nachos or loaded baked potatoes.
Many of the vegan cheese sauce recipes out there use cashews as the base, but this recipe uses sunflower seeds and cauliflower instead to create the perfect creamy texture. Sunflower seeds are much more affordable than cashews, and they give a very similar buttery texture. I also use sunflower seeds as the base for this wild rice soup, white lasagna soup, and to make chive cream cheese.
What is Vegan Cheese Sauce Made Of?
This oil-free and gluten-free cauliflower cheese is made with a combination of fresh or frozen vegetables and pantry staples. Let's go over the most important ingredients and substitutions if you need them.
- Cauliflower & Sunflower Seeds: The cauliflower and raw sunflower seeds are the base and bulk of this vegan cheese sauce recipe. They are what makes the texture so thick and creamy. The best substitute for both is to use raw cashews.
- Red Bell Pepper & Turmeric: Both of these flavorful ingredients come together to give the sauce its vibrant golden color. You can substitute an orange bell pepper for the red pepper, but don't sub a green pepper because it will change the color of the sauce. I haven't tested the recipe without turmeric. It will still taste delicious but the color will be much paler if you omit the turmeric.
- Pickled Jalapenos: Pickled jalapenos are less spicy than fresh jalapenos. I used the pickled jalapeno slices and the juice because it adds a delicious tangy kick. If you don't have it, you can substitute cayenne pepper. Start with ⅛ tsp and add more to taste.
How To Make Vegan Cauliflower Cheese
Start by boiling raw sunflower seeds in water for 10 minutes (Photo 1). Doing this makes the seeds easier to digest and easier to blend into sunflower cream. While the seeds are boiling, saute the onion and bell peppers in a large pan until they're soft (Photo 2). Add the garlic and the cauliflower and let it cook until tender (Photo 3).
Combine the seeds, cooked vegetables, and the rest of the ingredients in a large blender cup and blend until smooth and creamy (Photo 4). The mixture will be pretty thick (like a dip), so add more water until you reach your desired consistency depending on what you're using the vegan cheese sauce for.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan cheese sauce is so versatile! You can serve it as a dip with a crunchwrap supreme, tortilla chips, or raw vegetables like broccoli florets, carrot sticks, or slices of bell peppers. You can also drizzle it over baked potatoes stuffed with broccoli, nachos, jackfruit enchiladas, or use it as a sauce for macaroni and cheese. It's also surprisingly delicious used as a salad dressing for a taco salad.
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it will stay fresh for 4-5 days.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes, this vegan cauliflower cheese sauce freezes perfectly! Put it in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months for the best quality.
How To Reheat It
Take the container out of the freezer and let it defrost in the fridge for 24 hours. The ingredients will separate a little bit while it's defrosting, but all you need to do is stir it until it's all combined again. You can warm it up in the microwave for a few minutes or in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat until it's hot and bubbling.
Notes & FAQ
- Can I use frozen vegetables? Yes, you can. I often use frozen bell peppers and cauliflower instead of fresh vegetables to make this vegan cheese sauce because I usually keep them on hand in the freezer.
- Is it spicy? No, I don't think the dip is spicy at all. The pickled jalapenos just add extra flavor, not heat. Pickling the jalapenos changes the flavor profile and makes them taste much less spicy. Feel free to add more slices of jalapeno if you want it to pack a punch.
- Can I use fresh jalapenos instead of pickled jalapenos? Sure. Remove the seeds and scrape out the inside layer to make it less spicy. Use half the amount of fresh jalapeno to replace the pickled slices.
- What else can I add to the cheese? Cooked black or kidney beans, fresh cilantro, or meatless crumbles are all delicious additions to mix with the cheese.
- Can I use a food processor? You can use a food processor, but I prefer to use a blender because I think it makes the texture smoother and creamier than a food processor does. If you do use a food processor, you may need to let it blend for longer until you get the texture right.
Success Tips
- Boil the sunflower seeds for 10 minutes to make them easier to digest and to make them softer so they will blend easier into sunflower cream.
- Use a blender to make the sauce consistency extra creamy. You can use a food processor but it may not be as smooth. If it's gritty, keep blending until it's smooth.
- The vibrant golden color of the sauce mostly comes from the turmeric and red bell pepper. It's ok to use an orange or yellow bell pepper instead of red, but don't use green because it will muddy the color.
- This sauce is not spicy. Start with the amount of pickled jalapeno slices that the recipe calls for and then you can add more to taste.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future snack.
Want More Vegan Cauliflower Recipes?
Lemon Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
Thai Yellow Cauliflower Lentil Curry
Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
- Large Pan
- Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- 2 ½ cups water (divided)
- ¼ cup vegetable broth or water (to saute)
- ½ medium red onion sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced (seeds and membranes removed)
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 8 oz cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pickled jalapeno juice (from the jar)
- 3 pickled jalapeno slices (add more to taste)
Instructions
- Put the sunflower seeds in a medium saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Increase the heat until the water boils and let it cook for 10 minutes.
- In a large pan over medium heat, saute the onions and bell peppers until soft. Add more liquid if the pan gets too dry. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower florets and ¼ cup water. Increase the heat until the water starts bubbling and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables, boiled sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, turmeric, cumin, salt, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, pickled jalapeno slices, pickled jalapeno juice, and ¼ cup water to a large blender cup and then blend until it's smooth and creamy. The sauce will be very thick, you can add more water to thin the consistency if you like. Taste and add more salt and jalapenos to your preference.
Notes
- Boil the sunflower seeds for 10 minutes to make them easier to digest and to make them softer so they will blend easier into sunflower cream.
- Use a blender to make the sauce consistency extra creamy. You can use a food processor but it may not be as smooth. If it's gritty, keep blending until it's smooth.
- The vibrant golden color of the sauce mostly comes from the turmeric and red bell pepper. It's ok to use an orange or yellow bell pepper instead of red, but don't use green because it will muddy the color.
- This sauce is not spicy. Start with the amount of pickled jalapeno slices that the recipe calls for and then you can add more to taste.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future snack.
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