If your current dairy-free sauce strategy is “hope + cornstarch,” we’re upgrading today. My go-to creamy base builders are unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened coconut cream, and nutritional yeast. Not the sweet stuff. Not the coffee creamer cousin. The real, unsweetened pantry staples.

Unsweetened coconut milk gives body and silkiness without overpowering flavor when balanced with acid, salt, and aromatics. Coconut cream steps in when you want richness and structure — think pan sauces, skillet meals, and blended soups. Nutritional yeast brings the savory depth people usually expect from parmesan or cream — it adds umami, rounds flavor, and makes dairy-free sauces taste intentional instead of substituted. When you combine these with fresh garlic, herbs, citrus, mustard, or roasted vegetables, you get sauces that taste chef-built — not dairy-missed.

Creamy — without the cow. No apologies necessary.