The Best and Easiest Vegan Queso Recipe

The best and easiest vegan queso recipe you will make. Made with simple ingredients and ready in just 10 minutes, it’s a rich, creamy, indulgent, and dairy-free nacho cheese sauce no one would ever guess is vegan. Perfect for making nachos, tacos, veggies, and more.

One of the hardest things for me to give up when I first decided to go plant-based was cheese. Shocker, I know. But, the thought of saying “goodbye” to cheese dip and queso seemed like a punishment far worse than death.

There would be no more watching the Super Bowl or celebrating the holidays with a big creamy bowl of nacho cheese. So, I made it my mission to either find or create a healthier plant-based alternative.

I tried a lot of vegan cheese dip recipes but none of them could really hit the mark. They usually required a ton of ingredients, didn’t taste that great, and lacked that creamy and gooey texture of decadent queso. And, forget the vegan cheese alternatives because few brands are actually healthy and most contain a ton of processed ingredients.

But, after many attempts and much trial and error, I stumbled upon those little miracle workers, raw cashews. Raw cashews blend up so creamy and are the perfect flavorful base for recipes like plant-based milk, vegan sour cream, dairy-free cashew cream, and yes, vegan queso dip.

If you are a cheese freak like me, this vegan queso recipe will be your saving grace. It’s smooth, rich, and so creamy. Trust me, the cheese flavor and texture is so close to the real thing that it’s scary! No one will ever suspect it’s dairy-free and healthy.

If all that wasn’t reason enough to make it, it’s EASY! And, by easy, I mean foolproof. All you need are 6 simple ingredients and your blender, and in 10 minutes you’re ready to chow down!

Why You Will Love This Vegan Queso Recipe

You’re going to love this queso because it’s…

• cheesy and indulgent
• so freaking creamy
• healthy
• perfectly spiced
• made with wholesome ingredients
• super easy to make in a blender and ready to eat in 10 minutes
• it tastes amazing

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Raw Cashews: You should use only raw, unsalted cashews. Roasted cashews are usually contain added oil and loaded with salt.
• Nutritional Yeast: The gold standard when it comes to making healthy vegan cheese recipes. You can find this in most grocery stores, but it’s best to buy in bulk or online.
• Garlic Powder: Some consider this ingredient optional but I love the little extra bite it adds to the flavor.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemons or bottled lemon juice with nothing but lemons is best for flavor. Leave the crap in the green bottle alone.
• Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies: I LOVE Rotel canned diced tomatoes and green chilies. And, they also have a “no salt added” version as well which is what I use. This adds spice and texture to the cheese dip.
• Optional: I like to keep this vegan queso dip simple, but feel free to toss in your favorite spices to add more flavor. A few options could be cumin, chili powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, or paprika.

How To Make Vegan Queso

This vegan queso tastes amazing and is super easy to make and all you need is a blender. It’s also made with simple healthy ingredients.

1. Start by boiling the raw cashews for 5 minutes or soaking them in hot water for 20-30 minutes. This will break them down and make them super creamy once they’re blended.
2. Drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with water, lemon juice, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Hold a fine mesh strainer over the blender and drain the liquid from diced tomatoes and green chilies into the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Place the strained tomatoes and chilies in a small saucepan and set it aside.
3. Blend the queso mixture on high for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the cheese sauce into the saucepan with the tomatoes and chilies and warm over medium-low heat while stirring frequently. The mixture thickens once it begins to heat up.
4. Pour it into a serving bowl and enjoy hot. Enjoy!

Once you’re ready to serve this delicious vegan queso dip top it with sliced pickled jalapeños, avocado, or diced green chiles.

How Do I Store Leftovers?

This vegan queso dip is perfect for Super Bowl parties, potlucks, or anytime you need a cheesy snack. But, if you end up having leftovers you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

You can reheat the vegan queso on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave. It tends to thicken up after being in the fridge so add a little water or plant-based milk to thin it out.

Tips, Suggestions, and Substitutions

• Nuts ain’t your thing? Try my amazing Vegan Cheese Sauce. It’s made using potatoes and carrots and is super low-fat.
• Use salsa in place of diced tomatoes and green chilies.
• I have only used cashews for this recipe, but if you don’t like cashews my readers have used blanched almonds and sunflower seeds with success.
• White vinegar can be used if lemon juice is not available. And, I suggest using fresh lemon juice.

Do I Need A High-Speed Blender?

I have a Vitamix and love it! It does make everything much simpler and sometimes I don’t even soak the cashews. But, I have found that a decent affordable blender works just fine after soaking or boiling the cashews.

DO NOT use a Ninja blender. IT SUCKS! And, will leave with a gritty sauce.

What Do I Serve With Vegan Queso Dip?

• Make some delicious BBQ nachos using my BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork and Oil-free Oven Roasted Potatoes.
• We love making healthy burrito bowls with brown rice, black beans, corn, and some cilantro.
• Pour the vegan queso into a bowl and enjoy it with Homemade Tortilla Chips, Tacos, Sheet Pan Veggie Fajitas, or Breakfast Tacos.

If you try this vegan queso recipe or have any questions, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment, rate it down below, and don’t forget to tag a photo #shaneandsimple on Instagram.

Print