A basic creamy and delicious white sauce that has a lot of uses. And this vegan and gluten free Bechamel sauce is easy to make!
Bechamel is a French traditional sauce, mostly used to make "gratins" (casseroles). Though this creamy white sauce is traditionally made with wheat flour, butter and milk. But for those who can’t have dairy nor gluten, here is a vegan and gluten free bechamel version of this classic French sauce.
What's so great about this sauce?
In France, Bechamel is a pretty basic sauce used to make mostly all sorts of gratins: from pasta gratins to vegetable gratins and lasagnas. Adding creamy vegan bechamel sauce to a vegetable casserole instantly makes it much more kid friendly. What parent wouldn't like that? Well I think you will love it and that it will soon become one of your go to recipes.
Why this vegan and gluten free version is better than the traditional recipe?
Well I have made this recipe a few times for people who are not on any kind of "free from" diet. And believe me when I say that they all said that it was "lighter" (as in less heavy on the stomach) than the traditional recipe. And I do think that nowadays, people tend to prefer meals that are fulfilling without the feeling of being stuffed.
Ingredients
- unsweetened almond milk. Be careful to buy unsweetened almond milk!! Well, I speak out of experience as I made this mistake once (because the 2 cartons look exactly the same) and ended up having to throw away a whole dish because it was unedible. 🙁
- whole rice flour. Whole rice flour is also called brown rice flour.
- nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make it
Recipes using Bechamel sauce
- Cauliflower Casserole with gluten free Bechamel
- Gluten free scalloped potatoes with bechamel sauce
- Belgian endive gratin with gluten free bechamel
Vegan and gluten free Bechamel sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (500 ml)
- 3 Tbsp whole / brown rice flour
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch sea salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the flour in a saucepan. Turn on the stove to medium high heat. Add a little bit of non-dairy milk while whisking with a manual whip.
- Keep adding the milk slowly while still whisking.
- Let the mixture cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until it thickens, whisking regularly.
- Add the nutmeg salt and pepper to taste. And voila! You can use it for your favorite gratin or lasagna, pasta or whatever you feel like having.
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