White Sauce is one of those basic recipes everyone needs. I learned to make this version in one of the first cooking classes I ever attended. If you were wondering is white sauce gluten free the answer is yes! Mine is made with cornstarch so it has always been gluten free. Many recipes for a classic bechamel sauce, as the French call it, are made with wheat flour so just switch to this recipe if that's how you've made it before.
If you’re thinking you’re not really crazy about a boring old white sauce, think again. Do you like Mac & Cheese? Have you tried the Eggs Florentine variation, Eggs Benedict made with cheese sauce instead of the usual hollandaise sauce?
What about an amazing lasagne or cannelloni that seemed a little bit creamy and special? Maybe Greek Moussaka or Pastitsio. Or even Croque Monsiuer, a fancy French grilled cheese sandwich.
All these dishes have some version of white sauce and I think that’s what makes them so amazing.
Organizing Tip
When I took that first cooking class many years ago I decided opening the yellow box of cornstarch for one tablespoon was tedious. I also wanted that recipe for white sauce to be handy so here's what I did.
I bought a plastic container and put a label on it with this white sauce recipe. Now, decades later, the label is nearly illegible but the white sauce recipe is right there every time I grab it. That's what I mean when I say organize for success.
PIN for later...
Tips for Thicker Sauce
- I make this recipe with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch but my husband clearly does something different so he needs 1½ tablespoons to make the sauce thicken. If you're having trouble add your milk more slowly and don't stir it as much.
- Don't over whisk, that can actually break a sauce with cornstarch.
- This recipe works with skim milk but as you use milk with a higher fat content, including coffee cream or whipping cream, the sauce will become thicker. This is a great way to use up coffee cream or whipping cream and you'll see how decadent it is. It can get too thick so thin it with milk if needed and find your perfect version.
White Sauce Variations
Most of the variations I make include cheese but sometimes onion, garlic and white wine are involved too. Here are a few ideas:
- Once you've made the cheese sauce at few times you can make homemade Mac and Cheese as fast as cooking the store bought package. This is a fun challenge for teenagers and cooking with real food, rather than little packages of coloured powder, is always a good thing in my books!
- Beyond the basic Mac and Cheese recipe are variations limited only by your imagination. A decadent Lobster Mac and Cheese is real treat!
- Steamed vegetables with cheese sauce is always a good way to get kids hooked on a few vegetables they might not otherwise eat.
- White sauce and a few slices of ham transforms an everyday grilled cheese sandwich into a Croque Monsieur.
Get The Tools
Every kitchen needs tools and it’s always a good thing when you have the right tool for the job. A decent quality set of pots and pans is a great investment and so are whisks and spatulas.
- Quality set of pot and pans for everyday cooking.
- Whisks - if you have a colour theme 'for gluten only' or 'gluten free' keep it going with coloured handle whisks or silicone whisks.
- Silicone spatula sets in all the colours of the rainbow.
I'd love to hear in the comments below what you make with your white sauce. Happy cooking!
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More Recipes with White Sauce
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White Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch *see notes if you're having trouble with the thickness
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup milk (the higher the fat the richer the sauce)
Instructions
- Melt butter in small saucepan.
- Add cornstarch, salt and pepper, whisk until smooth and bubbly.
- Slowly pour in a third of the milk. Stir off and on as it thickens.
- Add the next third and allow sauce to thicken again.
- Add the final third, stirring until sauce is thick and smooth.
- For cheese sauce add cheese and stir until melted.
Kathy
My husband had to go gluten-free about 20 years ago, I will not lie in the beginning it was pretty hard. But as time passed we got better at checking labels and thinking of ways to change recipes so they were gf. And then started finding lots of things on the internet, some good, some not so much.
I really liked your cream sauce, it was so easy and simple, of course I have made cream sauce before but I never write it down. I never have whole milk so I used 2% and cream.
Any way it turned out really so good. Thank you for sharing.
Cinde Little
Thanks or saying that Kathy. Yes, it is hard at the beginning of going gluten free, no one would argue with that. But fortunately you found your groove an then it gets better. I made this white sauce with skim milk for many years and with cream too when I have some leftover from another recipe. I'm glad it turned out for you since there are so many great recipes to make with white sauce. I hope you find more ways to enjoy it!
Julie Clarry
Cinde, your recipe sounds just like the one I have been using for years. I used to used all purpose flour but I will try it with the cornstarch and the gluten free flour mixuture. I always warm up the milk before adding. Just one minute in the microwave. It helps blend in much faster and smoother.
Cinde Little
Hi Julie. As a general rule of thumb when you move away from wheat flour is to SUBSTITUTE "half the amount" of cornstarch for wheat flour. So in a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons of flour you would only use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. When people are new to gluten free cooking I recommend looking for recipes that don't use wheat flour. As you learn some of the basics of gluten free then you can go back and mess around with your old favourite recipes and perfect them to suit yourself. I hope that helps!
André F.
Only cornstarch for your béchamel?
well, you may want to try this gf flour mix mix instead:
57% white rice flour
16% cassava flour
23% potato starch
4% potato flour
Works very well also for pan browning to make a dark roux for my ragoût de boulettes et pattes de cochon.
André
Cinde Little
That sounds great André! Once people are comfortable with gluten free cooking I always encourage them to mess around and find the flour combinations they like best. I just might try your mix to make a dark roux. Thanks for sharing!