As one of the five French mother sauces, béchamel is a versatile sauce to use in all sorts of recipes from a layered lasagna to a creamy tuna mornay. And while it’s typically heavy on the dairy, it’s possible to whip a vegan-friendly version up; however, choosing the right plant-based milk is key. According to Tatiana Mora, holistic coach and chef-owner of Latin American-influenced Washington, D.C. vegan restaurant Mita, it’s unsweetened oat milk that’ll give you the best results. “It has a naturally creamy texture, a neutral flavor, and blends beautifully into a roux without separating,” she tells us exclusively. That neutral flavor is key, as it means it won’t interfere with other ingredients that’ll ultimately be paired with that béchamel sauce. Oat milk also has a similar consistency to cow’s milk. This isn’t to be understated, since boiling milk down to thicken the sauce is a key part of béchamel.
What about other non-dairy milks? “The key is to avoid anything sweetened or flavored,” says Mora. Soy milk (unsweetened, of course) is the next best bet after oat, she suggests, as it adds richness, although the beany aftertaste of some soy milks may be a bit imposing, depending on your taste preferences. Either way, it’s almost definitely a better option than coconut milk, which offers richness, but its tropical qualities will be out of place in terms when it comes to flavor. Almond milk is more neutral in flavor, but doesn’t heat well, and is prone to separating or curdling.
Other tips for vegan béchamel
Although choosing unsweetened oat milk will put you on the right track for your vegan béchamel, there are other steps you can take to nail all the qualities: That is, smooth, creamy, and rich. “It’s all about layering fats and textures,” explains Tatiana Mora. Obviously, a non-vegan béchamel starts with a roux: a base of flour cooked in melted butter. Or technically, it’s flour and fat, and the fat you choose should be something that can match the dairy richness of butter. Hence, you’ll want to go for something like olive oil or vegan butter (ideally one that has a dairy-like taste), as opposed to a neutral cooking oil.
A few tablespoons of nutritional yeast is also a common suggestion for some extra flavor, although take note that it can add a cheesy quality and a little yellow color — probably not an issue for recipes like lasagna. Mora suggests that ground cashews or tahini can also add an extra layer of creaminess, although bear in mind that tahini in particular will add a notable nutty edge in terms of flavor.
If you’re short on oat milk or just want to experiment, Mora has another dairy-free alternative. You can go for cashews. “They create a silky base that mimics the body of dairy cream,” she says: These qualities are why they’re so popular in vegan cooking overall. You’ll have to soak them a bit and blend them — approximately a one-to-one ratio of nuts and water in the blender should work.
