Homemade Gluten-Free Parsley Sauce Recipe

Gluten-Free Parsley Sauce is a simple, creamy sauce that pairs beautifully with fish, baked ham, gammon, pork chops or as the base for a fish pie. Made with cornflour so there’s no need for a roux, it features plenty of fresh parsley and a splash of double cream for richness.

A traditional English parsley sauce is a handy recipe to know because it complements so many dishes. We often serve it with buttered grilled salmon for a quick weeknight meal, and it’s a favourite at Christmas alongside glazed ham and creamy mashed potatoes.

Does parsley sauce contain gluten?

Many parsley sauce recipes use a roux made from butter and all-purpose flour, and some ready-made mixes include wheat flour. This version is thickened with cornflour (cornstarch), which is naturally gluten-free, producing a smooth, velvety sauce infused with parsley.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Very easy to make using ingredients you likely have on hand plus fresh parsley from your herb garden.
• A classic British sauce that works as a gluten-free white sauce for fish and pork.
• Can be prepared ahead to simplify weeknight cooking.
• Simple, fresh flavours brightened with lemon and a hint of Dijon mustard.

What is parsley sauce made of?

This sauce is essentially a white sauce made with whole milk and cornflour, richly flavoured by a generous handful of fresh parsley.

Gluten-free flour required

Cornflour (cornstarch) is used to thicken the sauce. Tapioca starch or arrowroot can be substituted, but cornflour tends to give a lighter texture.

Full list of ingredients needed

• Whole milk — or a plant-based milk if making a dairy-free version.
• Fresh parsley — curly or flat-leaf, roughly 25–30g (about two large handfuls).
• Cornflour (cornstarch) — for thickening.
• Dijon mustard — substitute English mustard if you prefer more heat.
• Lemon — the juice of half a lemon to brighten the sauce.
• Salt — kosher or fine salt to taste.
• Ground white pepper — white pepper keeps the sauce looking pale; black pepper can be used instead.
• Double cream — or heavy cream; for a dairy-free version try unsweetened cashew cream or omit.

How to make it

Full recipe quantities and timings are in the recipe card below.

1. Roughly chop the parsley and add it to the milk in a saucepan. Heat until just below boiling, then turn off the heat and allow the milk to infuse with the parsley for at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours for a stronger flavour).
2. Pour out 100ml of the parsley-infused milk and whisk the cornflour into that cold or room-temperature portion until smooth to form a slurry.
3. Return the slurry to the remaining parsley milk, add the Dijon mustard, salt and white pepper, and heat gently while stirring.
4. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, whisking constantly and paying attention to the pan edges where lumps can form. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for one minute while whisking to ensure a smooth texture.
5. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream until combined, then add the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.

Tips and troubleshooting

• Rinse parsley thoroughly to remove grit that can cling to the leaves.
• Infuse the parsley in the milk for at least 30 minutes; up to 4 hours intensifies the flavour. If infusing longer than 30 minutes, chill the milk in the fridge.
• Always whisk cornflour into cold or room-temperature liquid — adding it to hot milk can cause lumps.
• If a skin forms on the cooled sauce, press a sheet of parchment directly onto the surface before refrigerating to prevent it.

Make in advance

You can prepare the parsley-infused milk a day ahead and keep it refrigerated. Alternatively, make the full sauce up to 2 days in advance. Cool it with parchment pressed to the surface to stop a skin forming. Reheat gently and add a splash of milk if it has thickened too much.

How to make dairy-free or vegan

• Use a neutral plant milk such as cashew, almond or oat milk (avoid strong-tasting coconut milk).
• Replace double cream with unsweetened cashew cream to maintain the sauce’s richness. If you don’t have cashew cream, make or buy an unsweetened version and skip any sweet additions.

Gluten-Free Fish Pie

This parsley sauce works beautifully in a gluten-free fish pie:

1. Poach cubed salmon, smoked haddock and cod in milk for 10 minutes, then remove fish and set aside.
2. Make the parsley sauce as instructed and pour it over the fish in a baking dish.
3. Top with mashed potato and parmesan, then bake at 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 5) for about 30 minutes.

What to serve this Gluten-Free Traditional Parsley Sauce with

• Grilled salmon or white fish such as hake, cod or halibut
• Salmon fishcakes
• Sautéed shrimp
• Pork chops
• Glazed or baked ham
• Serve any of the above with mashed potatoes for a classic meal.

Other gluten-free sauce recipes you’ll love

• Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce (made with a roux)
• Gluten-Free White Sauce (Bechamel)
• Gluten-Free Homemade Custard
• Gluten-Free Gravy and Onion Gravy
• Gluten-Free Bread Sauce
• Dairy-Free Peppercorn Sauce
• Green Tomato Ketchup and Homemade Brown Sauce

Try this Gluten-Free Creamy Parsley Sauce and, if you enjoy it, please leave a review and rating. It helps others find the recipe and is much appreciated by the author.