Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (2024)

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Vegan Queso is a quick and easy dip made with cashews, green chilies, nutritional yeast and warm spices for a deliciously thick, creamy condiment to pair with tortilla chips or veggie sticks!

Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (1)

Dips are a perfect center for a variety of chips, veggies, and crackers. You may already be familiar with this Vegan 7 Layer Dip, Vegan French Onion Dip, Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip, or Vegan Ranch. All delicious in every way!

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Why We Love This Recipe!

Now I would like to introduce to you the best cashew queso that’s dairy-free, plant-based dip and rivals any other cheese-filled dip. It’s absolutely creamy and delicious, and you won’t miss a thing!

This easy vegan queso dip is ready in about 15 minutes and is well suited for game day, movie night, parties, or whenever you are craving a savory ‘cheesy’ style dip!

It’s a perfect centerpiece for a platter of tortilla chips. Or if you’re in the mood for fresh, veggie sticks would be great too!

Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (2)

Ingredient Notes

Here is everything you will need, plus variations when possible:

  • Raw cashews – You can find raw cashews in bulk at Sprouts or Whole Foods, or packaged from Trader Joe’s. I often purchase them online from Amazon for ease:Terrasoul CashewsorAnthony’s Cashews(affiliate links).
  • Green chilies – Keep it easy by using canned chile peppers.
  • Garlic – Both fresh cloves of garlic or garlic powder will work.
  • Nutritional yeast – Adds a savory flavor, but can be optional. I used 1 tablespoon here and it was perfect).
  • Cumin – Use to taste
  • Chili powder – You can sub with regular paprika. If you’re feeling bold, try using smoked paprika or chipotle powder.
  • Salt – As always, salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon mineral salt).
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How To Make Vegan Queso

Here is a quick look at the process (Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post):

  • Soak the cashews. I like to soak my cashews covered in hot water for 5 minutes. This helps them soften up nicely and blend into pure creamy perfection. To help with digestion, it’s recommended to soak them for up to 2 hours in cool water. Soaking can be optional.
  • Blend the ingredients. Add the cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder, and salt to the blender cup. Blend until creamy, about 1 – 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste for flavor.
  • Warm it up (optional). For warm vegan queso, pour queso dip into an oven-safe bowl, cover with tin foil, and place in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees F. for 10 – 15 minutes.

Recommended equipment: I love using my NutriBullet (affiliate link) for small jobs like this. It’s compact, easy to clean, and packs plenty of power for such a small appliance.

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Top Tips

  • Make it chunky. Instead of adding the green chile peppers when blending, stir them in after the vegan queso dip has been blended. This will make for a chunkier style dip. You may even like to add finely diced red bell pepper, tomatoes, or jalapeno for color!
  • Add toppings. For color, texture, and an extra yum factor, top with sliced or diced, jalapeno, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and/or cilantro.
  • Add more spices. Feel free to adjust the amount of spices to suit your taste.

How To Store

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 6 – 7 days.

Freezer: For longer storage, vegan queso can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months using freezer-safe containers. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight, give a good stir before serving or warming.

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Serving Suggestions

Serve this savory dip as an appetizer to any of these delicious recipes. Here are a few of our favorites from TSV:

  • Salad:Serve alongside or use as a dressing for this Southwestern Salad or Southwest Chickpea Salad.
  • Soup: Pair with a bowl of this Vegan Pozole or Tex-Mex Vegetable Quinoa Soup.
  • Tacos: Make it a starter for these Roasted Poblano Tacos, Vegan Black Bean Tacos, or Buffalo Chickpea Tacos.
  • Burgers: Pair with Smoky Black Bean Burgers or Sante Fe Black Bean Burgers.
  • Meal bowls: It would be delicious drizzled in this Nacho Bowl, Vegan Burrito Bowl, or Kale + Black Bean Burrito Bowl.
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If you try this queso recipe or have a question, please let me know!Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

Vegan Queso

Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (7)
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 10 reviews

The best vegan queso is made with cashews, green chilies, and warm spices, creating a healthy dip made with whole food plant based ingredients and ready in minutes!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 15 min
  • Yield: Serves 6 – 8 1x
  • Category: Condiment, Appetizer
  • Method: puree
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex, Mexican
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/23/4 cup water
  • 1 clove garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 12 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 4oz can green chile peppers
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 salt, or to taste

Instructions

Soak the cashews. I like to soak my cashews covered in hot water for 5 minutes. This helps them soften up nicely and blend into pure creamy perfect. To help with digestion, it’s recommended to soak them for up to 2 hours in cool water. Soaking can be optional.

Blend the ingredients. Add the cashews, 1/2 cup water, garlic, nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder, and salt to the blender cup. Blend until creamy, about 1 – 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add more water as needed. Taste for flavor.

Warm it up (optional). For a warm vegan queso, pour queso dip into an oven safe bowl, cover with tin foil, and place in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees F. for 10 – 15 minutes. Alternatively, warm in the microwave, uncovered, using 30 second intervals, stirring after each until warmed through.

Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite tortilla chips or veggie sticks. For color and texture top with sliced or diced, jalapeno, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions and/or cilantro.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Serves 4 – 6

Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 – 7 days, in a covered container. Give a good stir before serving.

Notes

If you find you want more flavor, bump up the spices a bit to suit your taste.

For a chunky style queso dip, instead of adding the green chile peppers when blending, stir them in after the dip has been blended. You may even like to add finely diced tomatoes or red bell pepper for color.

Nightshade free: To make queso nightshade free, simply omit the diced green chilies and chili powder. In place of the chili powder, use 1/2 teaspoon EACH garlic & onion powder. Also make the cumin a heaping teaspoon.

Nutritional values are estimates only. See ourfull nutrition disclosure here.

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Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan mozzarella cheese made of? ›

Vegan Mozzarella is typically made from a combination of plant-based milk, such as soy, almond, or cashew milk, and a coagulant, such as agar agar or carrageenan. Some vegan mozzarella brands may also include starches or proteins to improve texture and flavor.

What are the ingredients in vegan cheese? ›

What Ingredients Are in Vegan Cheese? Vegan cheeses are 100% animal-free and made using vegetable proteins. Usually, they're made from soy; nuts, such as cashews and macadamias; and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. You can also find cheeses that derive from agar, tapioca, peas and arrowroot.

What is vegan cream cheese made of? ›

Breathe a sigh of relief as you wave goodbye to dairy cream cheese FOMO. Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Potato Starch, Salt (Sea Salt), Glucono-Delta-Lactone, Flavor (Vegan Sources), Olive Extract, Vitamin B12.

Does vegan cheese have soy? ›

Vegan cheese is usually made from soy, nuts, vegetable oils, and various other natural ingredients like peas or arrowroot. Vegan cheese is seen as a healthier alternative to cheese by some, and may reduce your risk of heart disease due to its lower content of fat.

Is vegan cheese healthier than real cheese? ›

Not only is vegan cheese much more healthy for animals– as it doesn't require an animal hooked up to machine to produce– our cheeses benefit from lower saturated fat, zero cholesterol, and more. The Lower %DV of the Nutrition Stats, Between Each Dairy Vs. Vegan Flavor, Have Been Bolded for Ease of Review !

Is there any non-dairy cheese that tastes good? ›

Miyoko's Mozzarella

If you're making a caprese salad or pizza, Miyoko's mozzarella is a must. Both the original and smoked flavors mimic the texture of dairy-based mozz so well; she's even got the melting thing down. Of all the dairy-free cheeses, this might be the most addictive. It's so good.

What are three dominant ingredients in vegan cheese? ›

Ingredients of hard or firm vegan cheeses includes natural agents such as agar, carrageenan, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum. The manufacturing process of fermentation is often used to replicate dairy cheese texture and flavor.

How to make vegan cheese taste better? ›

Sauerkraut Juice: Will add the familiar flavor and tang of dairy cheese. Alternatively, use other pickling brine, olive brine (then reduce the salt), or water combined with 2 tsp lemon juice/ apple cider vinegar – though I've found sauerkraut juice is the best flavor, in my opinion!

Is Cool Whip vegan? ›

Also, Cool Whip contains sodium caseinate, a milk-protein. So no, present day Cool-Whip is not dairy-free. That also means Cool Whip is not vegan. Cool Whip is not exactly keto friendly either.

Why is vegan cheese so expensive? ›

The production of vegan cheese can be costlier than that of traditional dairy cheese due to the higher prices of plant-based ingredients and the additional processing steps involved.

Is Cool Whip dairy-free? ›

From its introduction, Cool Whip was labeled and advertised as non-dairy, but as of 2018 it contains skimmed milk and sodium caseinate, a milk derivative. Even before the skimmed milk was introduced, Cool Whip was classified in Jewish dietary traditions as dairy because of the sodium caseinate.

What is the best non-dairy cheese? ›

Shredded Cheeses
  • Chao Creamery Vegan Shreds: This is our go-to vegan cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches. ...
  • Parmela Creamery Shreds: This aged shredded cheddar-style cheese is made from cashew milk and melts well. ...
  • Violife Shreds: Violife has both mozzarella and cheddar shreds.
Jul 19, 2023

Is vegan cheese anti-inflammatory? ›

Taste and Nutrition. Containing oilseed and plant milk, vegan cheeses are rich in minerals (magnesium) and antioxidants, and they possess anti-inflammatory properties, all of which protect against damage caused by free radicals.

Is vegan mozzarella healthy? ›

Like regular cheese, vegan cheese can be part of a healthy diet when used in moderation — but it's best to avoid highly processed options. However, not all vegan cheeses are created equally. Some versions are highly processed and have less nutritional value than others.

Does vegan mozzarella taste like mozzarella? ›

This shredded, yellow-white cashew-milk-based vegan mozzarella had some vanilla and coconut notes, which, while not unpleasant, weren't exactly the flavors we thought we'd encounter. Raw, Parmela Creamery Plant-Based Mozzarella had a nice mouthfeel and a dairy cheese-like texture.

Does vegan mozzarella contain dairy? ›

You'll know these vegan mozzarella shreds are 100% free from dairy, lactose, soy, gluten, nuts, and preservatives, but your friends and family (and taste buds) certainly won't.

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