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!
Table of Contents
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
PrintBest & Easiest Vegan Queso Recipe
The best and easiest vegan queso recipe ever! It’s creamy, cheesy, indulgent, and tastes so much like the real thing! Made with cashews, nutritional yeast, diced tomatoes, and green chilies, no one will ever guess it’s vegan, dairy-free, and healthy. This recipe is based on this solid 5-Ingredient Vegan Queso recipe from Nora Cooks.
- Prep Time: 5 mins.
- Cook Time: 10 mins.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Dips & Spreads
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies (RoTel Tomatoes (No Salt Added)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour it into a serving bowl and enjoy hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 107
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 7.4 mg
- Fat: 7.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.6 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Jo Archer
In the past when I have used cashews I have found they leave a sweet taste that I don’t like, so I have used walnuts instead. Would walnuts work in this recipe?
Shane Martin
I’ve never tried them, but I question it. However, I have tried blanched almonds before and they worked. You would to wash them, rub them in a towel to remove the skins, and then boil them for 5-10 minutes.
Marlene
I had a favorite “cheese” sauce I used religiously. Potatoes, carrots, etc… I saw this one and thought what the heck. It was even faster because I had a batch of already softened cashews in the fridge. This bumped out my old favorite, and is now my new favorite! Absolutely delicious and I could see it used so many ways.. pasta, potatoes, Mexican anything, veggie bowls, salads… you get my point. Lol. Thanks so much !
Sandie
I don’t need any special occasion to make this queso dip. I am addicted. Everyone says that their sauce is the best, well Shane you are correct and have earned the prize! It is easy and so tasty and gets even better overnight! Thank you for being my go-to guy for any recipe I need. You make it so simple and yummy that even the meat eaters of the family enjoy every bit!
And don’t even get me started on your Thai Peanut Sauce! Keep up the great recipes, I live for them! Or is it because of them? (wink)
Cindy Brevell
Hello,
Made way too much for Super Bowl. Delicious!!! Just overestimated everyone’s appetite. Does this dip freeze well? Thanks so much.
Cindy
Shane Martin
I do that as well:) Yes, you can freeze it for up to one month.
Lyn
I made this for a Super Bowl party and the host, who is NOT WFPB loved it!
I’m not a fan of spicy foods so I used a medium salsa and it was fantastic.
This will go in a recurring rotation for me!
Shane Martin
That’s awesome, Lyn!!!
Kate
This may not make it to the party! It’s a winner—I’m eating it out of the saucepan! I’ve wasted lots of expensive raw cashews making cheez sauces. This one is theeeeeee best I’ve ever made/eaten. I cut the mooch in half as I seem to be super sensitive to the taste, and also added the smoked paprika. As some in the household do not want to see tomatoes in anything they eat, I used a purée salsa instead of the Rotel. This is delicious,creamy, tangy and savory.
Jann
I made a half batch (ran out of cashews) and blended it in the small bowl attachment of my food processor. We had it over baked potatoes and it was fantastic! I loved finding a low sodium recipe that I didn’t have to try to adapt. Will be making this again this weekend. Thanks for a great recipe!
Shane Martin
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.
Shanna
This sounds delicious. Crazy question. Is this something we could serve over macaroni or rice and if so would I double the recipe?
Shane Martin
Hi, Shanna! You absolutely could do that and we do:) Doubling the recipe would depend on how many people you’d be serving.
Shanna
Is this enough for 8 oz. pasta? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks Shane.
Shane Martin
Sure thing!
Tom
Shane,
I’ve been eating plant based for about 1 month. I feel very fortunate to have found your site! Thank you for what you do, it has made this journey so much more manageable. I was making this recipe today and was doubling it when I made an error.Instead of grabbing the smoked paprika I grabbed the chili powder. Only only one tsp made it into the blender when I realized what I did. I figured I’d give it a shot and see how it turned out. It turned out to be a rather happy accident though. Gave the dip just the right amount of heat. At least for me! Thanks again!
Tom
Shane Martin
Way to Bob Ross it:) “There are no mistakes just happy little accidents.”