Oat Milk Bechamel

A bechamel sauce forms the base of many dishes. Lasagne. Cauliflower cheese. Pies. If you’re following a vegan diet, this is a major issue because pretty much every bechamel sauce recipe you come across is loaded with milk and butter. But that’s where my oat milk bechamel comes in handy.

Don’t worry! Just because this is vegan does not mean it is any less delicious. It is creamy, smooth and buttery but sticks to plant-based ingredients. Once you’ve made it, you can go ahead and use it how you would use a traditional dairy bechamel sauce.

What’s In Oat Milk Bechamel?

A traditional bechamel sauce is made of butter, milk and flour. We’ve got to make a few tweaks to this original recipe in order to make it completely vegan.

• 40g Plain Flour: Flour is essential in a white sauce as this is what helps to thicken up the end result. You use the flour to make a roux.
• 40g Vegan Butter: Any plant-based butter will work here. Olive oil spreads can work, too.
• 500ml Oat Milk: I’ve opted for oat milk in this recipe but you can make a vegan bechamel with any plant-based milk.
• Salt, Pepper and 1 tsp Nutmeg: Although you don’t NEED to include these, it’s always worth seasoning your bechamel before using it. I’ve included a pinch of salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.

How to Make Oat Milk Bechamel

Step 1: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan. The butter needs to be fully melted but don’t allow it to brown too much. The moment it has melted, move onto step 2.

Step 2: Add the flour to the butter and constantly stir it with a spatula, wooden spoon or whisk. You want to combine the butter and flour to turn it into a roux. You then need to cook it for 2 minutes or so until it is slightly brown. This is to cook the flour out a little.

Step 3: While constantly stirring or whisking, slowly pour in the oat milk. If you do it all in one go, you’ll end up with clumps and will have to work a lot harder to get a smooth sauce. Slow and steady is 100% the way to go here.

Step 4: Now is the time to season it. Add a pinch of salt, some black pepper and your nutmeg then stir it through the sauce.

Step 5: Turn the heat down nice and low and then cook the sauce for between 8 and 10 minutes until it has thickened up. You’ll want to keep stirring it at this point to prevent it from catching on the bottom.

Step 6: Once the sauce has thickened to where you want it, immediately remove it from the heat. You can then use it as you usually would in any recipe that calls for a white sauce or bechamel.