- This basic white sauce uses just five pantry staples you likely already have.
- Mastering béchamel lets you easily make creamy soups, casseroles, and classic gravies.
- Leftover sauce keeps well in the fridge for three days and can even be frozen.
Basic white sauce, or béchamel, serves as a fundamental component in many dishes and acts as the base for numerous other sauces. It's straightforward to prepare and requires only a handful of common ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen.
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Begin by making a roux with butter and flour, then season it with salt and pepper. Stir in the milk and cook until it thickens. To avoid lumps, keep stirring and manage the heat to prevent scorching. Follow these steps and tips to incorporate this versatile sauce into your culinary repertoire.
With added seasoning, a medium white sauce works wonderfully as a basic gravy for vegetables or biscuits. Adjust the thickness to suit the dish you're preparing: thin white sauces are ideal for cream soups, medium ones for casseroles or complex gravies, and thick, heavy sauces for soufflé and croquette batters. Follow the instructions provided for achieving the desired thickness and explore several popular sauce variations.
What's the Difference Between White Sauce and Alfredo?
While both sauces appear similar, their flavors differ significantly. Alfredo sauce usually skips the roux, opting instead to heat butter and cream, and features Parmesan cheese and parsley for added taste. In contrast, white sauce is basic and mild, providing a canvas for a variety of flavors and uses. It's a great alternative to Alfredo for pasta when seasoned to your liking.
How Can I Adjust the Thickness of White Sauce?
To adjust the thickness of white sauce, simply increase or decrease the amounts of butter and flour proportionately while maintaining the same amount of milk.
- Thin white sauce: Use 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Medium white sauce: Use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour. (Slightly thicker than the 2-tablespoon version in the recipe.)
- Heavy white sauce: Use 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of flour.
With any of these, if the cooked sauce is a little thicker than you'd like, stir in 1/2 tablespoon at a time of milk until it reaches your desired thickness. To thicken a cooked sauce that came out too thin, try cornstarch instead of flour. Mix 1/2 tablespoon each of cornstarch and water to create a slurry, then stir it into the sauce. This avoids introducing the flour taste that you cooked out while making the roux.
Tips for Making White Sauce Recipe
- No milk, no problem - Light stock, cream, or a combination may be used in place of the milk (see the variations below).
- More flavor - Add more flavor by seasoning with celery salt, nutmeg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, onion juice, or sherry, or a few tablespoons of chopped chives or parsley.
- Use the right flour - Avoid substituting the all-purpose flour with self-rising flour because self-rising flour contains baking powder and salt. If you only have bread, cake, or pastry flour, they should work in the white sauce because the primary difference is the gluten content. Even better is a combination of bread and cake flours (essentially making all-purpose flour).
Make Ahead
White sauce is typically best when made right before it's needed. However, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a sealed container. Heat it up gently before use and stir in 1 tablespoon at a time of milk or cream if it's too thick. It can also be frozen in a sealed container for up to 6 months.
Never Lose a Recipe Again!
"This essential sauce is extremely versatile, and it's nice that everything needed for it is on hand. While the flavor is bland, it’s meant to be seasoned for the end use. Note: When adding the flour, watch the clock so you cook it for the full 2 minutes." —Colleen Graham
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons butter
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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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Dash freshly ground black pepper
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1 cup milk (or half-and-half)
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
![Basic béchamel (white sauce) recipe ingredients gathered]()
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Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat.
![Butter melting in a saucepan for basic white sauce]()
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Whisk 2 tablespoons all-purpoose flour into the melted butter.
![Flour being whisked into melted butter in a saucepan]()
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Add the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
![Salt and pepper added to béchamel (basic white sauce) in a saucepan]()
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Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, for a full 2 minutes to cook off the raw flour taste. If your mixture is thickening slowly, continue cooking in 30-second intervals until it becomes thick and bubbly.
![Thickened and bubbling béchamel in saucepan over low heat]()
The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
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Turn up the heat slightly, then slowly add 1 cup milk (or half and half), stirring constantly.
![Milk whisked into béchamel in a saucepan]()
The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
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Bring to a low simmer and continue cooking slowly until the white sauce is smooth and thickened, about 10 minutes.
![The sauce is thickened over a low simmer]()
The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
- Standard béchamel sauce - Add milk to the medium white sauce recipe along with 1 small onion studded with 3 cloves, a bay leaf, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Make it cheesy - Add 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheese to the sauce as soon as you take it off the heat. Stir until the cheese has melted. Use this version in a casserole, drizzle it over vegetables, or toss it with pasta or rice.
- Make macaroni and cheese sauce - Double a recipe for medium white sauce and add 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard powder along with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Cook 2 cups of elbow macaroni according to package directions; drain well and combine with the cheese sauce.
- Velouté sauce - Instead of milk, make this sauce with stock or broth. Use chicken, beef, fish stock, or vegetable broth. Depending on the stock or broth you use, it's a great sauce to serve with chicken, beef, fish, seafood, or vegetables.
- Make it herby - Add about 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil, chives, or dill to the sauce a few minutes before it's done, or add about 1 teaspoon of fresh herbs.
- Low-fat white sauce - his version skips the butter and uses low-fat or nonfat milk. It also uses cornstarch instead of flour.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 96 | Calories |
| 7g | Fat |
| 6g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 96 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 7g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 4g | 22% |
| Cholesterol 20mg | 7% |
| Sodium 153mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 6g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 2g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 1% |
| Calcium 76mg | 6% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 92mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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