Bechamel Sauce Recipe
Published January 8, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This classic French Bechamel is a creamy, savory sauce I make with whole milk, a simple roux, and a touch of nutmeg. It’s ready in about 25 minutes and works beautifully in pasta and layered dishes. And I promise, if you can stir and watch closely, you can do this.
This is one of the most foundational sauces of all time. It’s essential in the kitchen, and when made right, the flavor is incredible. Whether I’m layering it into a classic lasagna Bolognese or pouring it over a Kentucky hot brown sandwich, this sauce always delivers. I’ll show you how to nail it.
What is Bechamel Sauce?
Bechamel is a simple French white sauce made by thickening milk with a roux. It’s often gently seasoned with bay leaf, nutmeg, onion, clove, salt, and white pepper. As one of the five French mother sauces, it sits right alongside tomate, hollandaise, veloute, and espagnole.
The thickness of the sauce really depends on how much roux I use and how thick or thin I want it. I love using it in sandwiches like a croque madame. Bechamel also serves as the base for sauces like mornay, soubise, Nantua, and even the cheese sauce I use in mac and cheese. It’s worth noting that it’s not used in a classic Alfredo sauce, which is made only with butter and Parmigiano.
French or Italian? The Origins of Bechamel
The sauce was created in the 1600s and later named after Louis de Béchamel, who served as steward to Louis XIV in France. But there’s some debate about that, since Tuscany, Italy, claims it originated earlier with Caterina de Medici’s chefs in the 1500s, when it was known as salsa colla.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Roux – For this bechamel sauce, I use my homemade roux made with unsalted butter and flour. It’s a simple base, but getting it right makes all the difference in how smooth the sauce turns out.
- Milk – Whole milk is best to use for maximum flavor. However, 1%, 2%, or skim milk may also be used. If you want this to be over the top, then half-and-half or heavy whipping cream can be substituted.
- Onion – A fresh white, yellow, or sweet onion can be used.
- Bay Leaf – A fresh or dry bay leaf will work in this sauce.
- Clove – Whole clove works best, but ground clove is a fine substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
- Nutmeg – I prefer to grate the whole nutmeg finely, but pre-ground works just as well.
- Seasoning – Coarse salt and ground white pepper is best. I go with ground white pepper to help keep the bechamel a consistent color without any large black or other colored peppercorn chunks.
How to Make Classic Bechamel Sauce
Scald: I warm the milk slowly in a medium pot over low heat until it’s just scalded, which usually takes about 6 to 8 minutes. Then, I stir in the roux until it’s fully incorporated.
Whisk: After adding the roux, I whisk until the sauce turns completely smooth and well blended. Once it’s fully incorporated, I bring it just to a boil to help it thicken. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon, and when I run my finger through it, the line should stay clean without the sauce creeping back, that texture is called nappe. At that point, the heat goes down to low.
Infuse: Next, I cut a small slit into ¼ of an onion about 1 inch wide and a 1/2 inch deep and jam a bay leaf into it. Then, I press a clove into the onion.
Simmer: I drop the clove-studded onion into the sauce and let it cook gently for about 15 minutes. That gives the flavors time to infuse and also helps mellow out any raw flour taste from the roux. Toward the end, I stir in a pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated when I have it, but pre-ground works too.
Season and Strain: After seasoning with coarse salt and a touch of ground white pepper, I taste to make sure the balance feels right. Once it’s where I want it, the sauce comes off the heat and goes through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. That final pass gives it the silky texture I’m always aiming for.
Finish: At this point, the sauce is ready to use. If I’m not using it right away, I let it cool slightly, then store it covered in the fridge. It keeps well and reheats smoothly when I need it.
Chef tip + notes
To make the best bechamel sauce, you have to let it come to a gentle boil after mixing in the roux. Without that step, the sauce stays thin no matter how much you stir. Boiling is what activates the roux and starts the thickening process. It’s a small detail that’s easy to miss, especially if you’re new to making sauces, but it makes a big difference. That moment is what brings the sauce to that smooth, nappe consistency every time.
- Scalding the milk: I know the milk is scalded when I tilt the pan and see bubbles clinging to the bottom without sticking. That’s my cue it’s ready for the roux.
- Adjusting thickness: If the sauce gets too thick, I just stir in a little hot milk, about a quarter cup, until it loosens up to the right consistency.
- Preventing burning: I stay close while it cooks because this sauce can stick and burn fast if I’m not paying attention. A little focus goes a long way here.
Serving Suggestions
I use this bechamel sauce as the base for so many recipes. It’s perfect layered into a lasagna, poured over vegetables, or used in a simple mac and cheese. Sometimes I just serve it under poached eggs with toast if I’m feeling extra old-school French. It plays well with cheese, but honestly, it doesn’t need much. The flavor is soft and comforting, exactly how I like it.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: For freshness, you can make this sauce up to 2 days before.
How to Store: Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze the bechamel for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for one day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place your desired amount into a small saucepan and whisk over low heat until thick. If the sauce separates, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of roux or slurry to rethicken it. Adjust the seasonings and serve.
Recipes I Love Using Bechamel In
Bechamel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups of whole milk
- 1 roux recipe
- ¼ peeled onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- coarse salt and ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the milk to a medium-size saucepot over low heat until it scalds. See notes.
- Whisk in the roux until it is completely mixed in and smooth and bring just to a boil over hight heat to thicken, and then turn the heat back down to low.
- Next, make a 1” slit into the top of the onion and push the bay leaf into the slice and press the clove into the onion as well, then place the entire thing right into the bechamel sauce, and cook for 15 minutes to infuse the flavor.
- Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper and mix with a spoon.
- Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer like a chinois or some cheesecloth in a regular strainer. The sauce should be silky smooth.
- Serve or store the sauce.
I made this sauce for my lasagna at Christmas, it really made it very moist and delicious. Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!! Monique
My pleasure! Thank you for giving it a try!
Nutrition has calories and carbs etc. But it does not hearing size. Please include serving size with nutrition.
It does. It makes 4 total cups
This is out of this world!
Is it a fresh or dry bay leaf that is stuffed into the onion?
Wide should be wise. FYI
You must wait for the sauce to boil after mixing in the roux for it to thicken other wide, it will remain on the thinner side.
This bechamel sauce recipe is perfect!
The clove, is it a clove of garlic?
no. Spice Clove
I made your bechemel sauce and your instructions were spot on! It can be tricky to make, but you made it possible to make this! It went on the stuffed shells recipe. Your recipes are always a hit with my family! ❤️ Thank you for sharing your talent!
Excellent!
Made this for a midnight dinner for my family in our Egyptian Macaroona Bechemal . Combined with ground beef with a hint of cinnamon, the flavors just exploded! Creamy, delicious and it became a family favorite!
That herb sack trick made me look like a legend!!
That’s awesome!
Hi
What is the roux quantity for this recipe? I know it’s the 2 to 1 ratio of flour to butter but what quantity is used in this recipe?
Thanks
click the roux in the recipe card.