White Sauce with Cornflour

This recipe for white sauce made with cornflour is invaluable. White sauce is a key part of many meals, and this gluten free, low fat, all-in-one method means that it's easy to make, and much healthier than most alternatives.

How do you make white sauce?

One of the most common types of  white sauce is a béchamel.  However, this contains quite a lot of butter, wheat flour and a fiddly two step process which can easily end up with a lumpy sauce. This easy white sauce is made with cornflour rather than wheat flour which is much simpler to use and is gluten free. It is an easy way to make a white sauce without butter, and you can control the level of fat in the sauce by the type of milk that you use.

Ingredients

It's a very simple list. You'll need:

1. Cornflour
   Cornflour, or cornstarch as it is sometimes known, is made from the kernel of corn. It's milled into a flavourless white powder, and is great for thickening sauces and gravies. (See here about a fuller explanation about cornflour if you want to double check you've got the right ingredient!) Provided that you always mix cornflour into a cold liquid first, you'll find it easy to avoid lumps. Cornflour is naturally gluten free.
2. Milk
   You can use any kind of milk to make this white sauce, either dairy or vegan.  If you want a very low fat white sauce, then use skimmed milk. Even then, you'll end up with a creamy, silky result. Alternatively, if you want something richer, use milk with  a higher fat content, or add a splash of olive oil or cream
3. Seasoning
   Seasoning is key with a low fat white sauce recipe, as you want to end up with a good flavour. As well as salt and pepper, you might want to include some other flavours such as nutmeg, or mustard

All in one white sauce

Making the sauce is really easy. You simply add the cold milk and other ingredients to a cold pan, and slowly bring to the boil stirring all the time. The sauce will thicken as it comes to the boil. Simmer for a minute or two to make sure that the cornflour is cooked, and voila. If you want your sauce to be slightly thinner, just add a little more milk.

Variations

It's easy to adapt this healthy white sauce with cornflour:

• A large handful of chopped parsley will transform it into a quick, healthy parsley sauce for fish or gammon
• Chopped spinach, either fresh or frozen will make a lovely vibrant green sauce, which is perfect with pasta
• And a splash of white wine plus some cooked mushrooms and onions will make a lovely white sauce for chicken
• If you want an easy cheese sauce, add some grated cheese. Using a strong flavoured cheese such as mature cheddar or parmesan will mean that you need to use less to get a good flavour. I'd suggest 40-50 gr of cheese to 400ml of milk, and a pinch of dried mustard and maybe some Worcestershire sauce. See here for the the full recipe for cheese sauce with cornflour

How to serve white sauce

This recipe is ideal for a number of popular family meals. It's a perfect healthy white sauce for lasagne, with either beef, turkey or sweet potato and kale. It's also ideal for a gluten free fish pie. You could also serve it with vegetables or pasta, maybe with a topping of grilled cheese.

Freezing and storage

This white sauce with cornflour will keep in the fridge for a few days if you want to make it ahead of time. When you are ready to use it, warm it through in a pan on the hob, and whisk until it returns to a smooth sauce. You can also freeze white sauce - it may look a little split as it defrosts, but a quick whisk as it heats up will solve the problem.

Other healthy sauces you might be interested in

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a rating and/or comment at the bottom of the page. Your feedback and questions are much appreciated.
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White Sauce with Cornflour

Wendy

Made using an all in one method, this easy white sauce recipe is low in fat and gluten free

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine Healthy

Servings 4

Calories 54 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoon cornflour
• 400 ml cold milk see notes above
• salt and pepper to taste
• grating of nutmeg

Instructions

 

• Add the cold milk to a cold saucepan and whisk in the remaining ingredients until well mixed. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly and simmer for a couple of minutes.
• If you want your sauce a little thinner, add more milk to achieve the desired consistency.

Notes

Nutritional information is for white sauce made with skimmed milk. But you can use full fat milk if you prefer. You could also use a plant based option if you want a vegan white sauce.

Cornflour is also known as cornstarch, and is gluten free.

Keyword Gluten free, Low fat, Quick, White Sauce

Please note nutritional information is for guidance only