Vegan Queso
Published 11/4/2020 • Updated 3/17/2024
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This vegan queso recipe is smokey, creamy, and tastes exactly like real queso. It’s made from cashews, nutritional yeast, spices, secret roasted veggies, and hot sauce. We are obsessed!
Vegan queso has never tasted so good. This vegan queso recipe has the texture and taste of traditional queso, but is actually made with real, whole ingredients that are 100% plant-based!
It took us a few rounds of recipe testing to get the PERFECT spice combination for this cashew queso, and we’re so excited about how it turned out. Have you ever tried Siete Foods’ Cashew Queso? It tastes EXACTLY like that, but you can make it in your own home.
What You Need to Make Vegan Queso
The two key ingredients to this vegan queso recipe are; cashews and nutritional yeast. They are the two ingredients that make this recipe creamy and give a cheese-like consistency.
The other ingredients needed are spices and roasted vegetables.
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Top Tip for Vegan Queso
Tight on time? Flash boil your cashews! Simply place your cashews in a large, glass bowl. Then, pour almost boiling water on top of them. Let them soak for 15-20 minutes and you’re good to go!
What to do with Vegan Queso?
- Vegan Queso Dip – eat your vegan queso as a dip with your favorite chips and/or veggies.
- Cheese sauce – top your favorite pasta or buddha bowl with your cashew queso!
- Mac and cheese – Make a batch of macaroni noodles and toss them in this vegan queso for an epic bowl of vegan mac!
What to Serve with Cashew Queso
Serve this cashew queso with fresh vegetables, roasted vegetables or your favorite tortilla chips.
Vegan Queso (Cashew Queso)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight and rinsed*
- 1/2 large red pepper, chopped
- 1 large carrot, cut into coins
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 tablespoons shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
Instructions
- First, place cashews* in a large bowl and completely submerge them with water. Soak cashews overnight or for 12 hours so that they soften. Once softened, drain the water and set aside
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Next, add the pepper, carrot, garlic, and shallot onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss
- Place baking sheet in the oven and bake at 425ºF for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent burning.
- Remove from oven and place veggies in a large food processor or Vitamix. Add the rest of the queso ingredients into the food processor (including the soaked cashews) and blend on high until smooth. Remember to scrape the sides of the food processor frequently as you blend to make sure all ingredients are combined. If the queso is lumpy and thick, add an additional teaspoon of water at a time until queso is smooth.
- Serve with chips, vegetables, or even over rice or noodles.
Tips & Notes
- Cashews: alternatively, you can flash boil the cashews by bringing a pot of water to a rolling boil, turning off heat, and add cashews to the water. Let soak for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is BY FREAKING FAR the most delicious and amazing queso I have ever made/had. Just made it this morning, and im about to devour it on some french fries. Thank you for this recipe! 😍😍😍😍
Mmmm french fries with this queso would be a DELISH COMBO!
It’s fantastic! And even better in a black bean taco salad. Omg! Amazing!
YUM!
I have to share that this queso is AMAZING.
I’ve made it pretty much weekly for about two months, and never tire of it.
Have shared with friends who love it too.
I put it on everything. Great dip fir veggies. Smash a hard boiled egg with it and put it on toast for breakfast. On baked potatoes instead of butter. Chips of course too.
Try this. A healthy alternative.
Happy 2021🎉🎉🎉🎉
Woo hoo!! Glad this is a winner for you 🙂
Looks so yummy, curious about it’s taste.
Question – what do you recommend doing if the queso is too liquid (runny?)?
I would say add more cashews!
It looks really good recipe. Thanks for that.
Made this queso for philly cheese steak bowl, and I am sold! I can’t wait to make this for my son, he is vegan. I think anyone would love this!
IT IS SO GOOD! We’re so happy you love it <3
Amazing! I subbed pickled jalapeño juice for the vinegar and hot sauce (I actually added 4 T instead of 2). Game changer for this vegan!
Oo love it! That substitution sounds DELISH 🙂
Yum! What great idea! <3
I’m seriously impressed! This is so so good. ???
Ahh thank you! We can’t get enough of this queso either 🙂
Made this last night! It was really tasty!!
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