Make Your Own Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Powder Mix

Make your own vegan cheese sauce powder mix with this crazy simple, super easy, and inexpensive recipe that takes just minutes to make. 

When my kids were little, and before I was vegan, I ate my fair share of boxed macaroni with the powdered cheese sauce included. As a mom also going to school full-time, working part-time, and managing or trying to manage a home, I loved the convenience. Powdered cheese sauce was fast. It was simple and easy. And it was also pretty tasty.  

Now, after being vegan for 12 years, I’m way more familiar with making a cheese sauce with delicious and healthy vegetables. Either by starting with fresh vegetables, like with this Easy Vegan Sauce, or this Almost Instant Vegan Cheese Sauce, which uses canned. 

Both recipes are pretty easy but I wanted something even more convenient. Boxed mac and cheese level convenient. The other recipes I found used nuts and flour, but I love the potato-based sauce I was making from scratch or canned. So, I used an easy to find not-so-secret secret ingredient … 

Instant potato flakes! They work perfectly. Look how cheesy and creamy this is.

Really, this is so simple. I made a big batch today and am storing it in canning jars for future use. I have a long list of ideas on how to use it, too, in addition to in yummy vegan mac and cheese. Lemon pepper is used here to add just a little bit of tartness that makes it even more cheese-like. 

How to Use Vegan Cheese Powder for Vegan Mac and Cheese

This is superb as a delicious sauce for vegan mac and cheese. Just cook your favorite pasta according to package directions. Pour the cooked pasta into a colander to drain the water as usual. Use the pasta pot to mix 1 cup of unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk and a 1/3 cup of the vegan cheese powder mix. Whisk together over medium heat until hot and slightly bubbly. Add 2 tablespoons of vegan butter or olive oil, if desired. Pour the cooked pasta back in with the heated cheese sauce and stit to coat. 

Here are 10 more easy peasy, or easy cheesy, ways to use this vegan cheese sauce powder.

10 Delicious Ways to Use Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Powder

1. Gently heat 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk with 1/3 cup of cheese powder, stirring until smooth and hot. Add 1/4 cup salsa and cilantro, if desired, for a yummy nacho dip.
2. Cheesy soup! Add a half-cup powder to any batch of soup for a cheesy version. Broccoli or potato soup would be especially good this way. 
3. Yummy popcorn! Sprinkle over air-popped popcorn. If desired, spritz the popcorn with a little olive brine or pickle juice first so the cheese powder will stick.
4. Delicious breakfast! Add a few tablespoons or so to a tofu scramble.
5. Parmesan cheese substitute! Give your spaghetti a dusting of cheesy goodness.
6. Flavored vegetables! Sprinkle over any baked, boiled, or roasted vegetable.
7. Cheesy garlic toast! Sprinkle this over plain, buttered, or avocado toast. Add more garlic powder as necessary. 
8. Sprinkle on a hot baked potato or blend with plant-based milk for a creamy sauce for your spuds. 
9. Vegan pesto! Use this instead of dairy parmesan in any pesto recipe.
10. Add to any biscuit or bread recipe for a delicious cheesy flavor addition.

5 from 5 votes

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Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Powder Mix

Make your own vegan cheese sauce powder mix with this crazy simple, super easy, and inexpensive recipe that takes just minutes to make and uses common ingredients.

Course Sauce

Cuisine Vegan

Keyword Vegan Cheese Sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 125 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups instant potato flakes
• 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 3 tbsp plain dry instant oats
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp lemon pepper
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Place all vegan cheese powder mix ingredients into a blender that's totally dry and process everything until finely and evenly powdered. This will only take a minute or two, Make sure the oats are as finely ground as everything else.

2. This makes about a generous 2 cups. Store in lidded jars in a dry place. Don't store in the refrigerator as it will get damp.

3. Use as listed above for vegan mac and cheese or anywhere a cheesy flavor is desired.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Powder Mix

Amount Per Serving

Calories 125

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Or try this!

Almost Instant Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe

Vegan Cheese Sauce is easy to make when you start with already cooked potatoes and carrots. No nuts here, either. Just delicious vegetables. Make your sauce creamier with added oil, or keep it light and go without.

Bonus suggestion! 

Add a 1/4 of this vegan cheese powder mix to the coating for this vegan not fried chicken!

Southern Style Not Fried Boneless Tofu aka Vegan Fried Chicken

Lisa Viger Gotte

Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.