Bechamel sauce


Bechamel sauce
Bechamel sauce is a classic, made from a cooked butter-flour mix called "roux", where milk is added and slowly cooked. We get a thick sauce, used in many recipes.
450 K 4.0/5 (46 reviews)
Grade this recipe:
Keywords:
Last modified on: June 13th 2024
For this recipe: Comment Send to a friend Ask me a question Follow Printable Diaporama
For 350 ml, you will need:

Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 3 min.
Cooking: 15 min.
All in all: 20 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - ⌛ 3 min.
Bechamel sauce : Stage 1
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan on low heat.

When it sizzles, add 2 tablespoons flour all at once.

Stage 2 - ⌛ 5 min.
Bechamel sauce : Stage 2
Mix well and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture become light brown.

This mix, which can be prepared beforehand, is called a "roux", and in this case a "blond roux". If you continue cooking, you will get a "brown roux".

Stage 3 - ⌛ 10 min.
Bechamel sauce : Stage 3
Pour 2 glasses milk (cold) onto the roux, all at once. Mix thoroughly.

You have there the secret of succeeding with a bechamel:
  • if roux is hot, add cold milk
  • if roux is cold (perpared beforehand), add hot milk


Salt, pepper and add grated nutmeg.

Leave to cook on low heat, stirring up continuously until bechamel thickens.

Stage 4
Bechamel sauce : Stage 4
The thickness of bechamel is a question of taste.

Stage 5
Bechamel sauce : Stage 5
You can make variations on béchamel, such as Mornay sauce, which is a béchamel sauce to which egg yolks and grated cheese are added.
Remarks
Bechamel can be easily made beforehand, and reheated when necessary.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe10 RDI=6 %40 RDI=4 %40 RDI=6 %550 RDI=30 %2,310 RDI: 30 %
Per 100 g5 RDI=2 %10 RDI=1 %10 RDI=2 %200 RDI=10 %830 RDI: 10 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman
Possible allergens in this recipe: milk, Gluten
How much will it cost?
  • For 350 ml : 0.50 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 32
Leek and Mimolette tart
Leek and Mimolette tart

This baked tart has a shortcrust pastry case, filled with a layer of chopped, braised leeks topped with a bechamel sauce with eggs and Mimolette cheese.
74 K4.1 1 hour 20 min.
Montlebon toast
Montlebon toast

Not just plain old cheese on toast, these slices are loaded with delicious toppings: bechamel sauce, caramelized onions and sticks of morteau sausage. The slices are finished with grated Comté, then browned in the oven.
58 K5 30 min.
Purple artichokes in a cheesy gratin
Purple artichokes in a cheesy gratin

Purple artichokes cooked in two stages: first boiled, then sautéed, and baked as a gratin in a Mornay sauce (cheesy bechamel) with morsels of fried ham.
42 K 1 hour 30 min.
Scallops au gratin
Scallops au gratin

Scallops rapidly pan-fried, then arranged in shells on a bed of finely chopped leeks, topped with a bechamel sauce and browned in the oven.
90 K 1 hour 7 min.
Croque-monsieur
Croque-monsieur

A classic of French "street food" or bistros: a slice of ham between two slices of bread spread with béchamel sauce. The sandwich is then sprinkled with cheese and toasted in the oven.
274 K4 50 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
Sugar syrup
Sugar syrup
This syrup is mainly used as a basis for all sorbet recipes, which consist of this syrup and fruit pulp, but it can be also used to soak biscuits for example, or for fruit salads.
February 21th 2011775 K3.5 8 min.
Nonettes
Nonettes
Nonettes are small, jam-filled cakes from a bygone age. They originated in Dijon, where they were made by nuns (hence the name, which means "little nun" in French). The traditional version is closer to the French "pain d'épices", but this recipe has a more of a citrus flavour, made with marmalade.
June 2nd 2015107 K4.4 1 hour 50 min.
Strawberry sorbet
Strawberry sorbet
The secret of a good strawberry sorbet is to use first class strawberries, very ripe and full of flavour, so do choose them with care. This recipe shows you how to lighten the texture of the sorbet by incorporating air.
July 9th 2014102 K4.6 35 min.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed Mushrooms
In this recipe, the mushrooms are stuffed with caramelized onions, topped with cheese and cooked in the oven. As mushrooms tend to give off a lot of liquid, especially when very fresh, the cooking is done in two stages.
May 10th 202374 K4.1 60 min.
Noisette butter
Noisette butter
"Noisette" means hazelnut in French. Noisette butter is made by melting butter, then boiling and raising it to a high temperature until it takes on both a light brown hazelnut colour and also a characteristic nutty smell. Compared with simple clarified butter, this noisette butter has a delicate yet distinctive flavour which is a welcome addition to both savoury and sweet recipes (particularly in cakes and pastries).
August 27th 2025144 K4.5 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-01-18)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this recipe (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page