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4.6 from 25 votes

Bechamel Sauce

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By: Joanna Cismaru 13 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Creamy Bechamel Sauce made easy with just a handful of kitchen staple ingredients. Whip this staple sauce up in under 10 minutes and add it to a variety of dishes!

Table of Contents

  • The mother of French sauces
  • Ingredients
  • How to make bechamel sauce
  • Tips & Tricks
  • How to use bechamel
  • Storing your sauce
  • Freezing
  • Reheating
  • Did you like this homemade sauce recipe? Try these!
  • Recipe: Bechamel Sauce
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions 
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?
bechamel sauce in a white bowl with a hand taking a spoonful of it

Bechamel Sauce is one of my favorites. Extremely simple, it takes a mere 10 minutes to make and can be used in a variety of dishes! Creamy, dreamy, buttery and nutty – this is a staple sauce you need in your repertoire.

I was making a savory Greek cheese pie and I needed bechamel sauce for it; in my opinion, it’s absolutely necessary for the dish, and I figured I would share the recipe because it’s too good to be kept secret! Made with just a handful of kitchen staple ingredients, you’ll find yourself repeatedly reaching for this recipe!

The mother of French sauces

Now, we all have our favorite sauces, but there are a few that have been given the name of “the five mother French sauces” – béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato are those five and they are staples in most French cuisine.

Classical French cuisine has been extraordinarily influential in the culinary world and countless sauces have derived from these originals. Bechamel or “white sauce,” is a simple milk-based sauce made from butter, flour, and milk. It adds a creamy, richness, and complexity to almost any dish and can be used as a base for many other sauces!

Ingredients

overhead shot of all the ingredients needed to make bechamel sauce
  • Flour – all purpose
  • Butter – unsalted
  • Milk – Use your preference, dairy or non dairy.
  • Seasoning – one thing that bechamel sauce cannot go without – nutmeg and salt.
detailed process shots showing how to make bechamel sauce

How to make bechamel sauce

  1. Whisk ingredients: In a saucepan melt the butter and add the flour. With a whisk, whisk in the flour. Keep whisking for about 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Add the rest of ingredients: Add the milk, nutmeg and salt and whisk everything together. Cook for another 5 minutes and whisk as necessary.

Tips & Tricks

  1. The key is to whisk, whisk, whisk! This will ensure a smooth and creamy sauce
  2. If your bechamel sauce is turning lumpy, add a little bit of ice-cold water instead of the next splash of milk and whisk like crazy! It’ll magically sort out any lumps!
  3. Bechamel is very forgiving. Sauce too thick? Whisk in more milk until you get your desired consistency; if it’s too thin, continue to simmer it down, allowing evaporation to thicken the sauce up.
overhead shot of freshly made bechamel sauce in a saucepan with a wooden spoon inside

How to use bechamel

This is an amazing sauce that can be used in so many recipes! For me, it’s a mandatory ingredient every time I make Greek cheese pie, but it can also be used in dishes including pasta, casserole, sauces and pies! Try some of these options:

  • Use your bechamel in a homemade Mac and Cheese
  • Make a Mornay Sauce – Shred some strong Cheddar or any mix of hard and medium cheeses into your bechamel, maybe a bit of onion, and you’ve got a mornay!
  • Add it to a casserole or creamy carbonara Souffle
  • Layer it in a lasagna or add it to a pasta dish!
  • Use it as a base to a variety of different sauces, like this homemade Alfredo! Get creative!
bechamel sauce in a small white bowl with a mini wooden spoon inside

Storing your sauce

You can store your bechamel sauce in an airtight container or jar for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Cool the leftovers and place a piece of plastic saran wrap directly in contact with the surface of the sauce prior to refrigerating it! This will ensure that your bechamel won’t form a skin and will also help slow down oxidation!

Freezing

Freeze sauce in an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Keep in mind, freezing cream based soups and sauces won’t can change the texture and can affect the flavour when reheated.

Reheating

Thaw frozen sauce overnight in the fridge and reheat back on the stove top until heated through.

overhead shot of 2 white bowls with white sauce in them

Did you like this homemade sauce recipe? Try these!

  • BBQ
  • Buffalo
  • Cranberry
  • Cheese
  • Enchilada
  • Sweet and Sour
  • Homemade Tzatziki
  • Ranch
  • Marinara
  • Teriyaki
  • Chimichurri
  • Homemade Mayonnaise

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

bechamel sauce in a white bowl with a hand taking a spoonful of it
4.56 from 25 votes

Bechamel Sauce

Prep 5 minutes minutes
Cook 10 minutes minutes
Total 15 minutes minutes
12
Rate Recipe Print Recipe
Creamy Bechamel Sauce made easy with just a handful of kitchen staple ingredients. Whip this staple sauce up in under 10 minutes and add it to a variety of dishes!
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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour (all purpose)
  • 2 cups milk
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Whisk ingredients: In a saucepan melt the butter and add the flour. With a whisk, whisk in the flour. Keep whisking for about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the rest of ingredients: Add the milk, nutmeg and salt and whisk everything together. Cook for another 5 minutes and whisk as necessary.

Notes

  1. You can store your bechamel sauce in an airtight container or jar for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
  2. Cool the leftovers and place a piece of plastic saran wrap directly in contact with the surface of the sauce prior to refrigerating it! This will ensure that your bechamel won’t form a skin and will also help slow down oxidation!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 57kcal (3%)Carbohydrates: 3g (1%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 4g (6%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Cholesterol: 11mg (4%)Sodium: 66mg (3%)Potassium: 53mg (2%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 155IU (3%)Calcium: 47mg (5%)Iron: 0.1mg (1%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

bechamel sauce in a white bowl with a hand taking a spoonful of it

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Originally shared March 2011, updated with pics and better information.

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

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13 Comments
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Ashley
Ashley
Posted: 7 months ago

I was inspired to make a bechamel sauce after eating at this restaurant that had a really great tasting one! I could taste the nutmeg in it so I began my search for a recipe that included nutmeg! This one worked perfect…I added some sugar (the one I loved at the restaurant was sweet) and it was soooo similar! Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

0
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Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Ashley
Posted: 7 months ago

My pleasure, so glad you liked it!

0
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Grace Smith
Grace Smith
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Very well written!
I have several people who are not to fond of ‘macaroni & cheese’. But when I made the baked Bechamel m&c they approved it whole heartedly.
But I couldn’t find my recipe for the nutmeg sauce. I thank you so much for sharing your recipe which very closely resembles mine.

0
Reply
Jeannette
Jeannette
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Thank you SO MUCH for preceding your “salt to taste” with a honest to goodness actual measurement!! I have no idea how this should taste, and since it’s to go into another recipe, there are all sorts of ways I could over or under season it.
Very simple recipe to follow, and it came out beautifully. Now I’m on to use it by putting my lasagna together. Thank you again.

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team AMJ
Jo Cooks Team AMJ
Reply to  Jeannette
Posted: 2 years ago

We are so happy you had such a great experience making this sauce!

0
Reply
John
John
Posted: 2 years ago

How many does this sauce serve

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  John
Posted: 2 years ago

12, as stated in the recipe card 🙂

0
Reply
Lois
Lois
Posted: 3 years ago

What can you use this sauce on?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Lois
Posted: 3 years ago

There’s a whole section in the post “how to use bechamel sauce”. 😉

0
Reply
Nat
Nat
Posted: 3 years ago

If you double the recipe, add 8 ounces of fried ground beef, a few grinds of black pepper and finish with a dash of Worcestershire sauce, you’ll have a breakfast loved by gazillions of GIs! Creamed beef on toast!

0
Reply
Laurinda
Laurinda
Posted: 3 years ago

My mother was singley raising 6 of us, & she made this with tuna & peas, served on potatoes or toast. I loved it, & haven’t been able to make any kind of gravy (or similar) my whole life. This, though, I want to try, as you break it down into easy, measurable steps

0
Reply
Lisa
Lisa
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
This came out perfect

0
Reply
HanSolo
HanSolo
Posted: 12 years ago

This bechamel sauce is great and it was really easy to make. Thanks.

0
Reply

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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is the place where I share my passion for easy and delicious recipes. From comforting classics to global flavors, I believe that cooking should be fun, approachable, and most importantly, rewarding. Join me on this culinary journey and let’s get cooking!

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