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    Home » Recipes » Butter Sauces

    Easy Béchamel Sauce Recipe

    Published: Mar 26, 2022 Modified: Apr 19, 2022 by Isabel Laessig

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    My recipe for Béchamel Sauce uses just 4 ingredients and is ready in 10 minutes! This classic French white sauce recipe makes the creamiest sauces, perfect for pasta, savory pie fillings, casseroles, and so much more. You will wow everyone with this easy béchamel sauce recipe!

    bechamel sauce in a bowl next to pan of sauce
    Jump to:
    • Best Béchamel Sauce
    • FAQs about Béchamel
    • Béchamel Sauce Ingredients
    • How to Make Béchamel Sauce
    • Recipe Tips
    • What is the difference between béchamel and a roux?
    • How to Freeze Béchamel Sauce
    • How to Reheat Béchamel
    • Béchamel Cheese Sauce
    • How to Use Béchamel
    • More Easy Sauce Recipes
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Best Béchamel Sauce

    Making the perfect béchamel sauce is easier than it sounds, and mastering how to make béchamel will change your kitchen game completely!

    Béchamel sauce, also referred to as white sauce, is one of the five French "Mother Sauces" that acts as a starting sauce or base for all other sauces you can make.

    Adding a béchamel sauce to a dish is the best way to elevate a standard recipe into an elegant affair, or even better, as a quick sauce to add the perfect touch to a main course!

    I love using a béchamel sauce to make a silky, cheesy, and buttery Mornay sauce for macaroni and cheese, as a cheese sauce for lasagna, or a savory mustard sauce for pork and chicken. The possibilities are endless!

    lasagna using bechamel sauce on a plate and in a dish
    Lasagna using bechamel cheese sauce

    FAQs about Béchamel

    What is béchamel sauce made of?

    A traditional béchamel sauce is made using a white roux with added warm milk. The ingredients include flour, butter, salt, and milk.

    What does béchamel sauce taste like?

    By itself, béchamel is a silky cream sauce with a buttery flavor. As a traditional white sauce, béchamel takes on the flavors of whatever is added to it, including cheese, spices, and herbs.

    How thick should a béchamel sauce be?

    The consistency of béchamel depends on how much milk is added, and you should vary the thickness based on what the béchamel is being used for. If the sauce seems too thick for your recipe, simply add more milk. If you need the consistency thicker, cook the sauce for longer to thicken it up.

    What type of milk is best for a béchamel sauce?

    The type of milk used in a béchamel adds a varying fat content. For instance, 2% milk will create a less rich and thinner sauce than heavy cream. Traditionally, béchamel is made using whole milk.

    How long does béchamel last for?

    Béchamel lasts in an airtight, sealed container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

    Béchamel Sauce Ingredients

    • Butter
    • Flour
    • Milk
    • Sea salt

    How to Make Béchamel Sauce

    1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
    2. Once the butter melts, sprinkle flour over the butter. Cook for 3-5 minutes to form a paste-like consistency (this is your roux). It is ready when it has a slight nutty smell but is still pale in color. Reduce the heat to low. Slowly and gradually add in milk while whisking.
      bechamel sauce mixing in pan
    3. Whisk now and then as the sauce begins to thicken. When the sauce is ready, it will be thick enough to cling to the back of a spoon or your whisk, about 20 minutes. You can continue to thicken it by cooking it further, if desired.
    4. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste, and your béchamel sauce is done.
    bechamel sauce in pan and bowl

    Recipe Tips

    • When adding the milk to the roux, be sure to turn down the heat and add your milk slowly! The milk may curdle if it is added too quickly.
    • When a roux is finished, it should have a slightly nutty smell. This means the flour has cooked through and the butter has slightly browned.
    • Don't let your roux brown too much. For a béchamel you want a "light" or white roux, which should take about 5 minutes.
    • Béchamel sauce is finished when it perfectly clings to the back of a spoon or whisk. This ensures a nice, thick sauce ready to use!
    • Warm the milk before adding it to the roux. This makes it easier to incorporate all the ingredients. I like to do this gently over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.

    What is the difference between béchamel and a roux?

    A roux is required to make a béchamel, as it is simply equal parts flour and butter cooked together to create a paste-like consistency acting as the base of the sauce.

    A béchamel is what is made when warm milk is added to a white roux to make it have a creamier consistency, forming it into a white sauce.

    Learn more about making a roux here: How to Make a Roux

    How to Freeze Béchamel Sauce

    Béchamel sauce can be frozen, making it super convenient for dinner ideas in a pinch. Follow these instructions to freeze:

    • Once the béchamel sauce has cooled completely, transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container.
    • Label and date the outside of the container.
    • Freeze for up to 3 months.

    Tip: Portion out the béchamel in smaller quantities to freeze it. This is perfect for individual portions or for using only what you need. Plus, it will thaw more quickly!

    How to Reheat Béchamel

    To reheat, pour leftover béchamel sauce into a medium saucepan and heat over low.

    Or, you can place the béchamel sauce in a microwave safe container and reheat on high using 10 second intervals until heated through.

    If the béchamel is stringy while reheating, turn down the heat and whisk vigorously! Low heat is best for this type of sauce.

    If béchamel is frozen:

    1. Remove béchamel from the freezer and gently thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If you do not have time to thaw overnight, make a water bath using a large bowl and lukewarm water. Place the container of béchamel in the bowl.
    2. Gently reheat in a medium saucepan over low heat.
    creamy bechamel sauce in a bowl

    Béchamel Cheese Sauce

    One of my favorite ways to make béchamel is to turn it into a cheese sauce. Seriously, this is the silkiest, creamiest, and absolute best way to make a quick and easy cheese sauce for using in so many recipes! For each variation, make the béchamel according to recipe instructions, then follow these guides:

    • For Mac and Cheese: Add 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup smoked gouda, ½ cup parmesan, and ½ cup gruyere to the béchamel sauce, then add to cooked macaroni. Bake together with a crunchy breadcrumb topping for a gorgeous creamy mac and cheese!
    • Beer Cheese Sauce: Add 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne powder, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to the sauce. Stir in two-thirds of a cup beer (I recommend using a lager). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    • Mornay Sauce: Mix 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese, 2 ounces gruyere cheese, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a pinch of grated nutmeg into the sauce. Add in 2 bay leaves and allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves before serving.
    bechamel cheese sauce in a pan
    Cheese sauce for mac and cheese using a bechamel base

    How to Use Béchamel

    Béchamel sauce has a variety of uses - everything from a creamy cheese sauce to a fabulous addition to lasagna. Here are a few ideas!

    • As a cheese sauce: Add any of your favorite cheese to a béchamel for a velvety sauce perfect for fondue, dipping sauce, or sandwich spread. I like to add creamy blue cheese to a béchamel for a decadent, creamy steak sauce!
    • Pasta: Béchamel makes a perfect addition to a lasagna, in macaroni and cheese, and even acts as the perfect base for a homemade alfredo sauce! Béchamel perfectly coats pasta, making every bite perfectly delicious.
    • As a filling: Homemade chicken pot pie begins with the perfect béchamel cream sauce. Or, add to any of your favorite casseroles. Béchamel is perfect for vegetable bakes, stroganoffs, or as a base for gumbos and chowders!
    • Put it on top: Béchamel can start off a perfect sausage gravy for biscuits, or white sauce served right over top of salmon, pork loin, or chicken!
    bechamel sauce used for scalloped potatoes in a baking dish
    Scalloped potatoes with a bechamel cheese sauce

    More Easy Sauce Recipes

    • White Garlic Sauce
    • Peri Peri Sauce Recipe
    • Honey Sriracha Sauce
    • White Garlic Sauce
    • Creamy Mushroom Sauce

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    bechamel sauce in bowl and pan

    Creamy Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce)

    Isabel Laessig
    Learn how to make Béchamel sauce using 4 simple ingredients in just a few easy steps! Béchamel sauce makes a perfect cream sauce for pasta, casseroles, gravy, and more.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine French
    Servings 1 cup or so
    Calories 617 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 non-stick pan
    • 1 whisk or spoon

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 Tablespoons butter
    • 2 Tablespoons flour
    • 2 cups milk
    • sea salt to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter melts, sprinkle flour over the butter. Cook for 3-5 minutes to form a paste-like consistency (this is your roux). It is ready when it has a slight nutty smell but is still pale in color.
      2 Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons flour
      bechamel sauce mixing in pan
    • Reduce the heat to low. Slowly and gradually add in milk while whisking. Whisk now and then as the sauce begins to thicken. When the sauce is ready, it will be thick enough to cling to the back of a spoon or your whisk, about 20 minutes. You can continue to thicken it by cooking it further, if desired. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste, and your béchamel sauce is done.
      2 cups milk, sea salt to taste
      bechamel sauce in pan and bowl

    Notes

    • When adding the milk to the roux, be sure to turn down the heat and add your milk slowly! The milk may curdle if it is added too quickly.
    • When a roux is finished, it should have a slightly nutty smell. This means the flour has cooked through and the butter has slightly browned.
    • Don't let your roux brown too much. For a béchamel you want a "light" or white roux, which should take about 5 minutes.
    • Béchamel sauce is finished when it perfectly clings to the back of a spoon or whisk. This ensures a nice, thick sauce ready to use!
    • Warm the milk before adding it to the roux. This makes it easier to incorporate all the ingredients. I like to do this gently over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 617kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 19gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 214mgPotassium: 644mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 1529IUCalcium: 551mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword bechamel cheese sauce, bechamel sauce recipe, how to make bechamel, how to make bechamel sauce
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    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and hosts Family Foodie Friday on WTSP's Great Day Tampa Bay along with other television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

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