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Best Vegan Queso (Ever)

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This is the best vegan queso recipe ever. It’s easy and tastes so much like the real thing it should be illegal! With rich cashew cream and a touch of cheesy nutritional yeast, you’ll fall in love with this dairy-free vegan queso recipe. It’s paleo and Whole30, too, even low carb!

A chip dipping in a bowl of vegan queso

Enter… the best vegan queso blanco. Only because the “best damn vegan queso” isn’t uh, super SEO-friendly. Just being honest, y’all.

I’ve been vegan queso for years, but this vegan queso recipe kind of took my breath away. One, singular bite was loaded with so much promise: visions of weekly nacho nights flashed before my eyes! And I might have groaned with delight.

Don’t judge; you’ll do it, too. Pinky promise.

Why this is the best vegan queso recipe:

  • It tastes so much like the real thing you might worry you’re actually eating dairy!
  • The ingredients are beautifully balanced with all the attention to cheesiness factors: lemon juice to replicate the tang you’d get from cheese, full-fat coconut milk to up the creaminess, and nutritional yeast to represent the, well, cheesiness you’d get from cheese.
  • The tapioca starch gives this vegan queso a sort of gooeier texture, like regular cheese dip, that you don’t get with other recipes.
  • The cashew cream offers an absolutely indulgent richness that, paired with the spicy, briny jalapenos and bright green chiles, is just perfect. Garlic because… of course.
  • It’s really super easy to make: you blend almost all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and hot, then stir in more canned diced jalapeños. Quick and easy!

How to make the best vegan queso recipe:

Put all ingredients, except for 1/4 cup canned diced jalapeños and Rotel, in your high-speed blender.

Vegan queso ingredients in a blender

Blend until completely smooth and preferably hot. If your blender does not heat your vegan queso, transfer to a medium saucepan and heat through over medium-low heat.

Stir in 1/4 cup canned diced jalapeños and Rotel.

Tomatoes and green chiles on a bowl of vegan queso

Garnish with fresh jalapeño slices and cilantro, then serve with chips or over your favorite Mexican recipe!

Tips for Perfect Vegan Queso

  • Use a high-speed blender to make this vegan queso recipe so, so quickly and easily. I blend mine long enough that it heats up and is super smooth.
  • If you don’t have a high-speed blender or a blender that will heat your vegan queso, soak your cashews overnight in hot water (Simply pour hot water over the cashews then let sit – no need to change the water to keep it hot). Then, after blending, you’ll want to transfer the vegan cheese dip to a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until heated through.

Variations:

  • For a queso blanco, leave out the turmeric and can of tomatoes and chiles. You still want to use the small can of green chiles, just leave out the Rotel.
  • Go for mild canned diced jalapeños if you’re very sensitive to heat. However, we don’t find this vegan queso very spicy, even with regular jalapeños.
  • If you want or need to leave out the coconut milk, increase the cashews to a total of 1 1/2 cups and 1 1/3 cup water or stock. Leave out the coconut milk altogether, of course.
  • If you’re strictly paleo, swap the 1 cup of cooked peeled potatoes for 1 cup steamed mashed cauliflower.

An overhead shot of a bowl of vegan queso with garnishes on top

Other recipes you’ll love:

Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below! 👇 And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

A chip dipping in a bowl of vegan queso
5 from 20 votes
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Best Vegan Queso (Ever)

The best vegan queso recipe ever, it tastes so much like the real thing! Made with potatoes, cashews, and nutritional yeast, this magical combination does not taste dairy-free, paleo, or vegan. But it is!

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword appetizer, mexican, vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 101 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiled potato about 2 medium yellow or red potatoes, see note for strict paleo diets
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked overnight if not using a high-speed blender like a Vitamix
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup coconut milk unsweetened, full fat
  • 1 4-ounce can chopped mild chiles
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 4-ounce can chopped pickled jalapeños divided and drained (reserve juice)
  • 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon tapioca starch Optional. For a gooeier texture
  • dash turmeric Optional. For color
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 can tomatoes and green chiles like Rotel, drained. Optional
  • fresh cilantro chopped, if desired for garnish

Equipment Needed

Instructions

  1. Combine everything except for 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños and can of tomatoes and chiles (Rotel) in a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. Including the 4-ounce can of green chiles. Start with 1 teaspoon salt. Blend until very smooth.

  2. If blender does not heat mixture, transfer to saucepan and put on the stove over medium-low heat. Heat until desired consistency, stirring constantly so as not to burn the bottom. 

  3. Taste and add extra salt if desired. Pour vegan queso into a serving bowl and stir in the 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños and drained can of Rotel if using. Garnish and serve.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

If on a strict paleo diet or if you must avoid nightshade, swap the 1 cup white potato for 1 cup mashed, steamed cauliflower.

Keep leftover in an airtight container in the fridge about 5 days. When reheating, add unsweetened almond milk, if desired, to thin to desired consistency.

I use a Vitamix and love it.

Nutrition Facts
Best Vegan Queso (Ever)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 101 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Sodium 279mg 12%
Potassium 201mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 3g 6%
Vitamin A 0.8%
Vitamin C 3.6%
Calcium 1.5%
Iron 10.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe was originally published April 2017 but was updated with video and tips August 2018.

Best Vegan Queso Recipe (Queso Blanco, Paleo, Whole30) Pinterest image Best Vegan Queso Recipe (Queso Blanco, Paleo, Whole30) Pinterest image
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About Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the clean eating, paleo, and Whole30 recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10 years and is known for her flavorful, family-friendly recipes and detailed recipe instructions.

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Comments

  2. Amy says

    February 3, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    This was SO awesome!! We are new to this vegan thing, and I am a very good (Southern) cook. So, this change has forced me to revamp every recipe I have. My kids REALLY miss cheese. ☺️ When my little man was having a cheese withdrawal today, I said “How does queso dip sound?” And bam – 20 or 30 minutes later we were ALL devouring this stuff like it was our last meal. THANK YOU for this recipe!!! I never leave reviews, and I rarely make a recipe without a good bit of modifications. This review-worthy recipe is completely perfect as is, and gives me hope for a delicious dairy-free life!!! ❤️❤️❤️ #welovefood

    Reply

  3. Di says

    January 21, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    This is absolutely fantastic!! Creamy, cheesy, great flavor… love it! Brought it to work and folks were amazed it was vegan (🤩)AND delicious!! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  4. Makelle says

    January 11, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    Was super stoked to try this recipe because on Pinterest it shows 16- 5⭐ ratings. Then, I go to the comment section only to realize your comments make up ALL but two of the five star reviews. That is really misleading, even if this recipe is delicious.

    Reply

  5. Taylor says

    November 9, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    I made this and it was SO good!!! I mean, literally tastes like the real thing! I followed the recipe to a T, I just added 2 extra cloves garlic. I soaked my cashews for 8 hours and used my Ninja to blend it up.

    Reply

  6. Bonnie says

    August 25, 2018 at 11:55 pm

    This was such a weird recipe that I just had to try it. And it works! We added more salt and a some light brown sugar because it wasn’t quite the queso replacement we were looking for. With those two substitutions, it was perfect for our tastebuds since dairy cheese is salty and sweet. When we were done, I soaked the bowls we used in the sink because melted cheese is so hard that clean. Yes, I forgot this wasn’t really cheese dip. That’s how great this recipe is. One more thing we did to alter the recipe was to sprinkle some nutmeg on top. Scoop some in your bowl, and add some nutmeg. If you don’t like the nutmeg, you can scrape it off. A local restaurant puts nutmeg on their queso, and it’s quite tasty. Thank you, thank you, for the recipe!

    Reply

  7. Ella says

    August 8, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    My bestie recently converted to vegan and she’s been struggling with not getting chips and queso at the Mexican place near her, definitely sending this her way! I tested it out with my non vegan husband and he enjoyed it so I know she’ll love it!

    Reply

  10. Smith says

    January 24, 2018 at 5:37 pm

    I just got finished making this and doubted it every step of the way. I thought it would be edible at best or end up down the sink at worst. How elated am I that I was wrong!!!! My kids didn’t even believe I made it—they thought I had picked it up at a restaurant. Sooooo good. Thank you from the bottom of my empty quest bowl!

    Reply

    • Cheryl Malik says

      January 25, 2018 at 2:22 pm

      You can’t! I would not substitute it if you don’t have an allergy. It adds a lovely velvety richness to the queso. I just made it yesterday and no coconut taste to me at all. Make sure you use canned coconut milk, and I prefer the Kroger and Sprouts brands. I find that a couple I get at the international markets taste really “coconutty”

      Reply

    • Cheryl Malik says

      October 16, 2017 at 10:21 am

      Those are my very favorite Red Hot Blues from Garden of Eatin’! They’re unfortunately not Whole30 OR paleo since they’re corn, but they’re organic so we like to splurge on them here and there 🙂

      http://amzn.to/2zsqYam

      For a Whole30-compliant option, you could make some sweet potato chips or plantain chips at home! Mmmm

      Reply

    • Cheryl Malik says

      August 14, 2017 at 10:20 am

      The recipe offers the option of either vegetable or chicken broth. The title of the recipe states it has a paleo option, hence the chicken broth, just like when I offer a vegan option to a paleo recipe 🙂

      Reply

    • Cheryl Malik says

      June 29, 2017 at 2:19 pm

      I would peel them if you’re using Russett or red potatoes. If you’re using yellow/Yukon, I personally would leave them on, especially if you have a high-speed blender

      Reply

    • Cheryl Malik says

      June 18, 2017 at 9:09 am

      It would still work, it just wouldn’t be as rich. You might be able to counteract that by adding a little less milk, a little oil or fat, etc. I personally would recommend the canned coconut milk, and it doesn’t give it a coconutty taste at all. But if you can’t have it, it’s still doable!

      Reply

  21. Layla says

    April 17, 2017 at 4:09 pm

    Oh my!!! I can’t wait to make this!!! The ‘rents are vegan & I like to make little snacks for them when they come visit.

    Reply

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