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Gluten Free Béchamel Sauce or White Sauce

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This Gluten Free Béchamel Sauce or White Sauce is a dairy free version of the French classic sauce and is a key ingredient for many dishes.

Gluten Free Béchamel Sauce or White Sauce in a cast iron pan on a white marble counter

Gluten Free Béchamel Sauce or White Sauce is a must for dishes such as Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes.

The French term for this medium-thick white sauce is béchamel and it is important as a base for soufflés.

Typically, this sauce is made with a roux.

However, since a roux is flour and fat cooked together until it reaches a specific color, it is not gluten free friendly.

So, this recipe uses a slurry instead.

Slurries are commonly used in Asian cooking and Chinese-American cuisine. It is used to make sauces needed for recipes like Beef Broccoli and Pepper Steak.

A slurry, like a roux, is used to thicken gravies, sauces, stews, and soups. However, unlike a roux, it is added at the end of the recipe.

It is a combination between corn starch or potato starch and water and provides a silky texture. 

While it is less common, slurries can be made out of flour, but obviously we won't be doing that here.

Both cornstarch and potato starch can be used to make sauces and gravy.

However, just like a roux, using a slurry helps avoid clumping. In fact, it does so even more easily.

CAN IT BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes. You can make this gravy a day or two before and simply reheat it shortly before you’re ready to serve.

Let sauce cool completely, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.

HOW TO STORE

Once the sauce has cooled, place it in an airtight container. Keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. 

HOW TO FREEZE

Once the sauce has cooled, place it in an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag. 

You can freeze sauce for up to 5 months. After that, it is still safe to eat, but the quality begins to degrade.

How to Reheat

Gravy will thicken as it cools. When you reheat it, add dairy free milk or water until it is smooth and reaches your desired consistency again.

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Yield: 1 cup

Béchamel Sauce or White Sauce with Cornstarch

Country gravy in a cast iron pan on a white marble counter

Gluten free béchamel sauce or white sauce made without flour. Perfect for scalloped potatoes and other classics.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 ¼ cups milk or dairy free milk, heated
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a cup, slowly mix water into the cornstarch until smooth to make a slurry.
  2. Heat milk or dairy free milk in a sauce pan.
  3. Once warm, whisk in the slurry.
  4. Continue cooking and stirring until thick.
  5. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Notes

If the gravy becomes too thick, you can thin it out with a little more water or dairy free milk.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 398Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 597mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 21g
© The Taste of Kosher
Cuisine: French / Category: Passover Recipes

kameljoe21

Friday 23rd of February 2024

I am going to try this with 2 tbsp corn starch and 1 cup whole milk. This will half the calories from my standard bechamel sauce of 3 tbsp flour, 3 tbsp butter spread, 1 cup whole milk which was about 400 calories. Using corn starch will nearly half it. This should make souffles a bit less calories with out changing their overall texture/taste.

Barb House

Sunday 9th of April 2023

That was perfect and so much easier than traditional white sauce using a roux.

ElissaBeth

Thursday 13th of April 2023

I am glad you found it so :)

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