I can’t claim any Irish heritage, but I’ve rarely felt as close a connection to any country as I did when we visited Ireland a couple of years ago. This is a beautiful land, home to friendly people with a wicked sense of humor and a fabled love for drinking. Ask an Irishman for directions, they say, and they’ll probably take you there themselves. This is exactly what happened on our very first day in Dublin. What made the experience of being in Ireland all the more fun was the food. Looking in from the outside, one’s view of Irish food might be limited to colcannon, boxty, shepherd’s pie and meat stew. All washed down with whiskey and Guinness. But the food we encountered on the ground was anything but limited in terms of creativity and imagination. There was a plethora of tasty options to be found, even in pubs, even for a vegan. I came home with lots of lovely memories, and an urge to try so many of the wonderful foods I had encountered or admired on Desi’s omnivore plate. One of those was a creamy, gorgeous Irish whiskey sauce. This vegan version I have for you today is all that, and more. One of the key flavor ingredients in this sauce is Irish whiskey. In case you’re wondering, Barnivore affirms that all Irish whiskey is vegan, including Jameson’s, which I used. I am not a big whisky drinker, although I do occasionally enjoy a nip of Desi’s single malt Scotch. (Irish whiskey, spelled with an “e” like the American version, differs from Scotch in a few key ways, including a smoother flavor and a lighter color.) But I do love cooking with whisky. While beers like Guinness can be assertive and work well in dishes like hearty stews, whiskey, in my opinion, is a better option for sauces where it adds richness without too much personality. Whiskey definitely makes this vegan Irish Whiskey Sauce a keeper. Even if you are not an alcohol drinker, it is well worth trying it out here. The alcohol cooks out leaving just pure deliciousness behind, and you won’t taste it nor will you get drunk (if you really think that’s a good thing ;))

What you’ll love this recipe

Smooth and creamy Delicious Full of flavor from the whiskey and mushrooms. Herbs add a pop of flavor. Super easy to make. Healthy Certified kid friendly! Jay, for once, didn’t even bat an eyelid at the mushrooms.

Tips and tricks

Soak the cashews for the sauce about 30 minutes ahead of blending, for a smooth texture. A high powered blender will do the trick even if you don’t soak, but soaking the cashews doesn’t hurt either way. Allergic to nuts? Use pumpkin seeds instead of cashews. Make sure they are raw. There is flour in the recipe, to thicken the sauce. You can use all purpose, or, if gluten-free, use rice flour or gluten-free flour. Make sure you cook out the alcohol in the whiskey. To do this, after you add the whiskey, let most of it reduce and disappear. Then add the remaining ingredients. I use crimini mushrooms in the recipe, but any mushroom would work here, including wild mushrooms or dry mushrooms. If using dry mushrooms reconstitute them by soaking in hot water for 30 minutes. You can use the soaking water to replace some of the stock in the recipe. Use mushroom stock for more umami. I’ll share my mushroom stock recipe at some point soon but basically you can just throw in a few mushrooms with some aromatics into a pot, boil them, and let them simmer on a low fire for about an hour. As I often tell you on this blog, mushrooms have the elusive fifth taste found in meat. and they add a big wallop of flavor–a characteristic that makes them invaluable in vegan cooking. Although you have mushrooms in this recipe, adding mushroom stock will only enhance the flavor even more. If you don’t have it, however, a regular vegetable stock will work just fine. Use lots of herbs. I add rosemary and sage, which are great, smoky flavors in this sauce. You could sub with thyme or oregano–either would work here. Finish with a shower of parsley. You can use the same marinade for tempeh or cauliflower steaks.

Make ahead and storage instructions

This sauce can be made up to three days ahead. Refrigerate after it cools down. Check to get new recipe updates by email.

You can freeze it for longer periods, up to three months.

More tasty vegan sauce and gravy recipes

Recipe card

This sauce would also be great with a ribbon pasta like fettuccine, or with vegan meatballs.

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