These 13 Nut-Free Sauces Are Rich, Creamy, and Delicious

When making creamy, dairy-free sauces like Alfredo, nacho cheese, pestos, and the perfect cheesy sauce for mac and cheese, cashews and almonds are the go-to for many. You just soak them, blend them with nutritional yeast, almond and cashew milk, maybe a pinch of turmeric for that golden yellow color, and bam! Cheese sauce. Their high fat content makes cheesy sauces  so rich and creamy that we forget that we ever thought that we couldn’t live without dairy cheese.

But, if you have nut allergies and if you’re also trying to eat more plant-based meals, finding the right cheese sauce to create your favorite meals might be a problem. Well, we’ve got great news for you — it’s not! We can make pestos with avocado and seeds and when it comes to cheesy and creamy sauces, we can use carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and cauliflower!

You might be asking yourself, “where do I start?” and we can help. Try these 13 sauces and that are proof you can still enjoy rich, creamy, and delicious sauces even when there are no nuts involved!

1. Ultra-Cheesy Mac and Cheese

You can stop searching, because this Ultra-Cheesy Mac and Cheese is the last mac and cheese recipe you will ever need! Why? It’s nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free (meaning everyone can have it!), ridiculously easy to make, and the cheese sauce is addictive. Seriously, it’s creamy, cheesy, and rich, and comforting – you’ll want to drink this stuff with a straw.

2. Nut-Free Wild Garlic Pesto

Is there anything better slathered on a dairy-free pizza or tossed with noodles than pesto? The problem is that so many of them contain either nuts or dairy (or both). If you love all things garlicky, then you’ll love this Nut-Free Wild Garlic Pesto So, gather all the wild garlic you can get, make this pesto, and enjoy it over your favorite pasta.

3. Creamy Pumpkin Seed Alfredo With Kale and Sweet Peas

This Creamy Pumpkin Seed Alfredo is luscious, comforting, and good for you all at the same time. The raw hulled pumpkin seeds used in the recipe are what gives it it’s richness, and they’re full of healthy fats, and are an excellent source of plant protein, iron, and zinc. No nuts here!

4. Big Ol’ Texas Bowl With Nut-Free Nacho Cheese

5. Heirloom Carrot Pasta With Sunflower Cheese Sauce

This spiralized  veggie pasta that has more crunch than your standard zoodle — and the colors are so pretty! If you’re nut-free and grain-free, then this Heirloom Carrot Pasta with Sunflower Cheese Sauce is here to save the day! Topped with a sunflower seed cheese sauce, this unique pasta dish is ideal for those with allergies who crave a cheesy pasta dish.

6. Cauliflower Alfredo

This Cauliflower Alfredo is comfort food bliss. Rich, creamy, and full of flavor, it’s like a sophisticated mac and cheese. The sauce gets its robust flavor from a combination of cauliflower and potato with fresh onion and garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and various seasonings. Serve this over whatever pasta you like, with fresh greens mixed in.

7. Life-Changing Cheese Sauce 

8. Pumpkin Hemp Pesto

This light and creamy Pumpkin Hemp Pesto is nut-free.That’s right! Serve it up on pasta the traditional way, use it as a sandwich spread or use it as a dip for chips and veggies. Any way you use it, it’ll make your taste buds happy.

9. Avocado Herb Pesto With Zoodles 

This Avocado Herb Pesto With Zoodles uses zero nuts, zero seeds, and it’s 100 percent raw! Ripe avocado is blended with fresh basil and lemon juice to keep it bright and green. The zoodles are mixed with the pesto and savoy sun-dried tomatoes and would be fantastic with a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper. It’s always and reliably delicious, filling, and leaves you feeling full, but not bloated.

10. Cheesy Kabocha Squash Pizza Sauce

Getting sick of the same old marinara sauce that usually sits atop your pizzas? Switch things up with this rich, Cheesy Kabocha Squash Pizza Sauce! It’s garlicky, creamy, and cheesy – this needs to be the star of your next pizza!

11. Fat-Free ‘Cheese’ Sauce

Who says that you need dairy, loads of fat and tons of sodium to make a cheesy sauce for dipping, mac and cheese, or even baked potatoes? Not only is this sauce Fat-Free ‘Cheese’ Sauce totally vegan, it’s also fat-free and nut-free. It’s made from zucchini and potatoes and that’s a sauce you can feel good about drizzling over your roasted veggies!

12. Yankee Doodle Macaroni 

The nut-free cheese sauce in this Yankee Doodle Macaroni is made with carrots and cauliflower mixed with liquid smoke, soy sauce, and smoked paprika. It’s rich, velvety, creamy, smoky, and savory. This favorite comfort food will be the star of any picnic, potluck, or barbecue!

13. Chickpea Fondue 

Fondue is more than just food, it’s a whole dining experience. In this Chickpea Fondue, chickpeas take main stage, creating the silky smooth texture for the ooey-gooey dish you know and love. You can use it as a dip, or as a sauce that’ll take mac and cheese to the next level.

What’s your favorite way to make dairy-free cheese sauces? Tell us in the comments!

Lead image source: Ultra-Cheesy Mac and Cheese