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!
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, single, 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 them, well, cheesiness you’d get from cheese.
- The tapioca starch gives this vegan queso a sort of gooier 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.
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.
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.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Best Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe
- Smoky Guajillo Salsa Recipe
- Roasted Salsa Verde with Tomatillos and Chiles
- Avocado Salsa
Did you make and love this recipe? Give your review below! 👇 And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
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!
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 gooier 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
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.
If the blender does not heat mixture, transfer to a saucepan and put on the stove over medium-low heat. Heat until desired consistency, stirring constantly so as not to burn the bottom.
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.
This recipe was originally published April 2017 but was updated with video and tips August 2018.
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Does mashed cauliflower make the taste a lot different then potato?
The taste is not totally different, but there is a distinct difference. In our opinions, mashed cauliflower is much more yummy!
Have you ever tried this w/ a white sweet potato? Wondering about using that instead of the cauliflower?
Try it, and please let us know how it works!
Sooo good! I used it in Enchiladas Suizas from thedefineddish.com and it was amazing!! Delicious, Paleo, Yummm!
So glad you enjoy it!
Can you make this without the nutritional yeast? I don’t have any on hand, but have everything else. Thanks in advance!
You can omit the nutritional yeast if need be, however it is a great addition to the dish because it gives it that extra cheesy taste.
We’re absolutely in love with this queso! So delicious, we’ve made it three times already!
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
This made my day. 🙂 I’m so so happy it was such a hit!
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.
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.
The rating is actually based off people who rate the recipe without leaving a comment 🙂
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.
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!
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!
Can you freeze this?
I don’t see why not!
How do you soak the cashews? How much water do you put? Do you drain the remaining water or does it all get soaked up? Thanks ! 🙂
Just cover them completely in hot water and then drain the water. No need to stress beyond that 🙂
Oh wow this looks so decadent and tasty!!!
It is definitely both of things!! 😀
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!
Ha!! I’m so so so glad you love it, and that it beat your expectations! It does sound totally like it won’t work, but it somehow really does! <3
Can you taste the coconut milk? also is there a way to substitute it out? Thanks
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”
THANK YOU! 12th day of Whole30 and my family is so impressed with this recipe!
That makes me so happy! Family-approved queso-free queso! 😍 What did you eat it with/on?
I am wondering what that beautiful brown chip is – It looks like something
I could go for whole30 or no.
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
How is chicken broth vegan ?
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 🙂
Do you leave the skins on the potatoes ?
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
Can you use any type of non-dairy milk instead of coconut milk?
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!
This dip looks amazing!! My husband can’t have cashews right now, but I plan on trying it as soon as he can. Yum!!
I promise you’ll love it, Jessica! Let me know how you like it as soon as hubby is cashew-approved 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try a vegan queso!! Yum!!
The best part… you can eat a whole batch totally guilt free! ?
Yum! Looks delicious. Love the Mexican flair
Thanks Megan! Mexican everything all the time = my life ?
The best damn queso blanco….haha! Damn SEO…
I’ve never done anything with cashew cream before but this has me totally wanting to!
Ha! Right?! SEO always cramping my style. I can’t believe you haven’t worked with cashew cream before! You’ll fall in love ❤️
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.
Oh, they’ll love it! The perfect snack for sure. I can’t wait to hear how you like it!