This vegan carbonara is made without egg or dairy using simple plant-based ingredients.
Chickpea flour and Japanese umami seasonings shio koji (塩麹) create a rich, creamy sauce inspired by traditional carbonara.
It’s a satisfying vegan pasta recipe that people avoiding egg and dairy can still enjoy.
🌿 Why I Don’t Use Nutritional Yeast
Most vegan carbonara recipes I came across relied on nutritional yeast, which still isn’t very common in Japan. I wanted to create something using simple ingredients I already had at home, without losing the rich, creamy texture that makes carbonara so satisfying.
What I eventually settled on was a combination of chickpea flour and shio koji. It’s the same combination I use in my vegan shredded egg recipes to recreate the depth and smoothness of egg-based sauces without dairy or additives.
I’ve tried many vegan carbonara recipes using nutritional yeast, black salt, miso, and other ingredients over the years, but this version is the one I feel most satisfied with right now. The balance of richness, creaminess, and savory flavor feels closest to the kind of carbonara I'd been looking for.
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🧺 What Makes This Recipe Special
- Completely egg-free and dairy-free: A vegan carbonara made entirely with plant-based ingredients
- Chickpea flour creates richness and thickness: Chickpea flour (besan) gives the sauce a creamy texture and rich flavor similar to carbonara
- Layered umami flavors: Shio koji, apple cider vinegar, and mustard create depth and balance in the sauce
- Shimeji mushrooms replace bacon: They add texture and a light savory flavor to the pasta.
🥣 Ingredients
Vegan Carbonara Sauce
● Chickpea Flour (Besan Flour): The key ingredient in this vegan carbonara recipe. You can usually find it at Indian grocery stores or online. I often use chickpea flour in vegan egg-style recipes to recreate the texture and flavor of egg-based dishes.
🌿 My basic vegan thin omelet recipe made with chickpea flour is so versatile. You can use it for making futomaki sushi rolls, Japanese glass noodle salad, vegan chirashi sushi and vegan tuna mayo egg onigiri.
● Unsweetened Soy Milk
● Shio Koji: I use homemade shio koji. It adds umami, richness, and a mild natural sweetness to the sauce. Store-bought works well too.
🌿 Shio koji is one of my favorite Japanese seasonings to keep in the fridge. I often add it to stir-fried vegetables, natto, or simple salads like carrot râpée. Just a spoonful can make simple vegetables taste much more flavorful.
● Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a mild acidity that balances the sauce and brings it closer to the flavor profile of carbonara.
● Mustard: I used a tangy French whole grain mustard.
● Beet Sugar: Other sugars can be used instead. If using white sugar, start with a slightly smaller amount.
● Black Pepper: Finish with a generous amount of black pepper to add contrast and punch to the creamy sauce.
Other Ingredients
● Pasta: Use your favorite pasta. Boil in salted water using a ratio of 1 liter water to 8g salt, following the package instructions.
● Onion: Roughly chop before cooking.
● Shimeji Mushrooms: Used instead of bacon for texture and umami. Tear or cut into bite-sized pieces. Mushrooms also work well, but shiitake and maitake felt too strong for this sauce.
● Olive Oil: A small amount of extra virgin olive oil is used for sautéing the vegetables.
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below 👇
📖 Instructions
Boil the pasta while preparing the sauce.
Tossing the pasta with the freshly made sauce right away gives the dish its creamiest, silkiest texture.
- Prepare the Sauce Base
- Add the chickpea flour and a small amount of soy milk to a bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
- Add the remaining soy milk and all seasonings except the olive oil. Mix well.
🌿 If the mixture still feels lumpy, strain it before adding the seasonings for a smoother sauce.
- Sauté the Vegetables
- Heat the olive oil and cook the onion and shimeji mushrooms.
- Cook until the onion becomes soft and loses its raw smell.
- Thicken the Sauce
- Pour in the sauce mixture and cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula until thickened.
- Combine
- Add the cooked pasta and toss well with the sauce.
- Finish with a generous amount of black pepper if desired.
🌿 The sauce gradually loses its creamy texture as it sits, so it’s best enjoyed freshly made.
📚 FAQ
The sauce gradually loses its smooth, creamy texture over time, so it’s best enjoyed freshly made.
Chickpea flour is essential for the richness, flavor, and thickness of this recipe. Substituting it with a different flour would significantly change the final texture and taste.
The chickpea flour and seasonings create a rich, savory sauce with a flavor similar to traditional carbonara.
You can, but the sweetness and added flavor will slightly change the final taste.
🍽️ More Vegan Egg Recipes
🍳 More Chickpea Flour Recipes
🍝 More Vegan Pasta Recipes
If you feel like whispering a thought, asking a question, or simply saying hello — the comment section is always open 📮
✏️ Recipe Card
Creamy Vegan Carbonara with Chickpea Flour
Ingredients
Vegan Carbonara Sauce
- 20 g chickpea flour (besan)
- 200 g unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoon shio koji
- 1 teaspoon beet sugar (any sugar works. If using white sugar, start with a little less)
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
Other
- 100 g pasta — 100g
- 30 g onion (roughly chopped, about ¼ small onion)
- 50 g shimeji mushrooms, button mushrooms or cremini (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
To finish
- black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Cook the pasta in salted water (8g salt per 1L water) according to package instructions.100 g pasta — 100g
Make the sauce base
- In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour and a small amount of soy milk until completely smooth.20 g chickpea flour200 g unsweetened soy milk
- If lumps remain, strain through a fine mesh sieve before continuing.
- Add the remaining soy milk, shio koji, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and beet sugar. Mix well.2 teaspoon shio koji1 teaspoon beet sugar½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
Make the sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion and shimeji mushrooms until the onion is soft.30 g onion50 g shimeji mushrooms, button mushrooms or cremini1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pour in the sauce mixture and cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula.
- Remove from heat once thickened.
Combine
- Add the cooked pasta and toss well to coat with the sauce.
- Serve immediately with a generous amount of black pepper.black pepper
If this recipe made its way into your kitchen, and you'd like to share that moment, feel free to tag @veginveganvegun or use #vegin_vegan_vegun.
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