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This is the best vegan queso recipe EVER. Ready to eat in less than 10 minutes, it tastes so much like the real thing you won’t believe it! Rich cashew cream, a little potato, and a touch of nutritional yeast blend together with traditional Mexican flavors for a dairy-free vegan queso you’ll fall in love with.
🧀 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s a foolproof copycat. Seriously, it tastes so much like real queso you might worry you’re actually eating dairy.
- It’s really easy to make. A quick blend in a Vitamix gives you a smooth, hot dip that’s ready to eat in less than 10 minutes!
- It’s low-calorie and low-carb, which means you can eat as much as your heart really desires.
- It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so you can make it ahead of an event or on meal prep Sundays. Store it in an airtight container, and add a little unsweetened almond milk when you reheat it if it’s too thick.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- Tapioca starch is an optional ingredient in this recipe, so don’t worry if you don’t have it. It does make a difference, though. It gives this queso a gooier texture than other vegan queso recipes, making it more like real queso.
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix) that’s okay! You’ll just need to soak your cashews overnight in hot water to help them blend more easily. Simply pour hot water over the cashews and let them sit – don’t worry about changing out the water after it cools off. After blending, you’ll need to transfer the queso to a saucepan and heat it through over medium-low heat.
- If you don’t want to use coconut milk, you can leave it out! Increase the cashews to a total of 1.5 cups and use 1.75 cups of water or stock to make up for it.
- For vegan queso blanco, leave out the turmeric and the can of tomatoes and chiles. Still use the small can of green chiles, though!
🌱 More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
- The Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Vegan Chili
- The Best Avocado Chocolate Mousse (Vegan, Dairy Free)
- Vegan Nutella
- Quick Creamy Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry
- Seitan Grilled Chicken with Vegan BBQ Sauce
- Vegan Crème Brûlée
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- Vegan Enchiladas
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!
servings
Equipment
- standard blender high-speed preferred, see Notes
- medium saucepan optional
- Large wooden spoon optional
- serving bowl
Ingredients
For the Vegan Queso
- 1 cup boiled, cubed potatoes approximately 2 medium red or yellow potatoes
- ¾ cup raw cashews soaked if needed, see Notes
- 4 cloves garlic peeled, roughly chopped
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies with juice
- 1 4-ounce can chopped pickled jalapeños juice reserved, ¼ cup jalapeños reserved
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño juice reserved from 4-ounce can of jalapeños
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk from can not carton
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
Optional (But Recommended) Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
- 1 dash turmeric for color
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies drained
To Serve
- ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapeños reserved from 4-ounce can of jalapeños
- chopped fresh cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Add 1 cup boiled, cubed potatoes, ¾ cup raw cashews, 4 cloves garlic, 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies, 1 4-ounce can chopped pickled jalapeños (excluding reserved ¼ cup jalapeños), 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño juice, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt to blender. Add 1 teaspoon tapioca starch and 1 dash turmeric if using.
- Blend ingredients until mixture is very smooth and all ingredients are fully combined.
- If blender does not heat queso mixture while blending, transfer mixture to medium saucepan. Heat saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring queso constantly, until mixture reaches desired temperature.
- Taste queso and stir in additional salt if desired.
- Transfer queso to serving bowl. Add ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapeños and 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies, and gently stir until ingredients are well incorporated.
- Garnish queso with chopped fresh cilantro if desired and serve warm.
Video
- Cashews: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll need to soak the cashews first so they’ll blend completely. Place them in a bowl and pour 3 cups of hot filtered water over them. Place the bowl in the fridge and let the cashews soak 6-8 hours.
- Vegetable Broth: If you’re not strictly vegan, you can use chicken broth instead if you want.
- Make it Paleo: If you’re on a strict Paleo diet, or if you must avoid nightshade, swap the potatoes for 1 cup mashed, steamed cauliflower.
- Leftovers: Store leftover queso in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Add unsweetened almond milk if the consistency of the queso is too thick. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until just heated through.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 171calProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 725mgPotassium: 353mgTotal Carbs: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 9gVitamin A: 370IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Okay, I never post reviews (though I heavily rely on them from others, I’m that person) but I had to for this recipe. Truly, the BEST vegan queso… ever. I’ve made so many different queso recipes and this was, by far, the one that looked/smelled/tasted like real queso!
The ONLY changes I made were doubling the garlic powder + adding extra jalapeño juice because we love spice but the base recipe is seriously fantastic. I’m sure adding vegan meat crumbles would take this to the next level! Thank you for this!
This is BY FAR the BEST vegan queso I’ve get had. Even my husband was surprised at how well it tasted. This will definitely be on repeat at my house!!!
Glad it was an all-around hit, Ashley!
THE BEST EVER!! I’m 2 years (mostly) dairy free and when I found your recipe and made it I was blown away! I’ve made it so often that it’s just about a staple in our refrigerator along with homemade salsa. I have shared this recipe numerous times with friends and have fooled people plenty with it. It’s definitely a recipe that could help people feel hopeful in switching to dairy free. Currently making this for my daughters taco birthday party tomorrow and it will be the only cheese dip! THANK YOU!!
Delighted to be such a hit with your friends and family, Emily!
Could you use fresh jalapenos instead of the pickled ones? But still use the tbsp. of juice from a jar of pickled ones? We LOVE spicy foods and are planning on making this tonight after reading the great reviews! Can’t wait!
Absolutely!
Absolutely the best vegan queso ever (perfectly named)! I have made this recipe about a dozen times since I discovered it around Christmas 2019, and it’s always turned out delicious. Cheese dip was one of the few things I hadn’t found a perfect replacement for in my 5 years as a vegan. I love this recipe more than any queso I have ever had (both dairy and nondairy), and I love adding a vegan taco mix (beans, plant based “beef” crumbles, mushrooms, and taco seasoning) for extra meaty texture! Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome! Glad you loved it!
Question. Can I substitute arrowroot powder or cornstarch for tapioca starch?
Yes! The tapioca starch is optional and creates a gooey texture.
Canned coconut milk? Or milk found in the dairy dept? Made it before was not successful will try again
Canned! I’ll make a note 🙂 What kind did you use before?
Taste soooo good! I would have added only 2 garlic cloves but that’s just my preference. I also added a little more nooch. But turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
I’ve been making this for over a year and I can’t remember if I reviewed it. But like many of the reviewers, I think it’s perfect. My whole family loves it as well as my non-vegan friends and family. We love it and it’s a recipe we’ll continue to make and enjoy. Thank you!
That’s awesome! Thanks for the great review!
SERIOUSLY THE BEST WOW!!
YAY!