Gluten-Free Bechamel Sauce

This Gluten-Free Bechamel Sauce recipe can be made with or without dairy, and it always comes out beautifully.

Bechamel (it’s actually Béchamel, but who really uses that?) is one of the five “mother sauces” of French cuisine. When I first went gluten-free, I swear it was in every damn recipe I was trying to convert. It’s really just a creamy white sauce that can be used as a base for all kinds of things – layered in lasagna, macaroni and cheese, creamy soups – you get the drift.

I usually use my favorite gluten-free flour blend to make it, along with butter or olive oil and unsweetened coconut milk, because that’s what we always have on hand. You’ll notice I use a little less olive oil when I make it dairy-free, that’s because the consistency is different than butter. I’ve found that olive oil works better than coconut oil in a dairy-free version of this recipe.

Give this gluten-free Bechamel sauce recipe a try, and let me know what you think!

You may also want to check out my post & video on How to Make Gluten-Free Roux.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Gluten-Free Bechamel Sauce

This Gluten-Free Bechamel Sauce recipe can be made with or without dairy, and it's always a winner. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Keyword Bechamel, cream sauce recipe, sauce

Cook Time 20 minutes

Author K.C. Cornwell

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter -OR- 4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons Gluten-Free Flour blend -OR- 2 tablespoons rice flour + 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 4 cups milk dairy, unflavored coconut or unflavored almond
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted (or warm oil). Add the gluten-free flour and wisk until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the flour mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.