Vegan Cashew Queso

Cashew queso is definitely the answer. What was the question? This vegan cashew queso dip is perfectly snackable and wildly versatile… Prepare yourselves, you’re about to host a fiesta that is gonna give you notable vegan street cred.

This vegan queso is CREAMY, slightly spicy, cheesy, and umami. It’s just so good even on its own with tortilla chips.

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Cashew Queso Ingredients

Cashews are a miracle ingredient in vegan cooking! In this queso recipe, we will soak and blend the cashews so they’ll become super smooth and velvety.

Cashews: Use whole cashews, halved cashews, or cashew pieces. Raw, unroasted, unsalted cashews are needed. Costco has a great price on raw cashews!

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: These are canned, smoked jalapenos that have a medium spice level and a lot of smokiness. They also impart some umami notes.

Lemon Juice: Lemon reliably gifts us with a snappy acidic profile.

Miso: This has a complex, savory, umami, & fermenty flavor that sends out those feel-good, cheesy satisfaction signals! You can usually buy it near tofu in the grocery store.

Nutritional Yeast: ‘Nooch’ provides the cheesy taste in the queso and it also acts as a thickener.

Cumin: Gives a background note that hints at queso flavors.

Vegan Cashew Queso Method

Enter this vegan cashew queso dip. You’re probably going to memorize this recipe and have it on standby. It is the ULTIMATE versatile cheese sauce! As the recipe is written it is very approachable- it isn’t too spicy, too salty, or too noochy.

Step #1: Soak the cashews. Even a quick 5 minute soak in very hot tap water helps to soften the cashews.

Step #2: Blend everything together. A high-powered blender like a Vitamix will help obtain the smoothest, creamiest texture. Stop and scrape the sides of the blender down with a spatula a few times during blending to push any cashew bits or seasonings back into the mix.

Step #3: Taste & Adjust. After blending, taste the queso and see if it needs more heat, more salt, more cheesy flavor, or more tang, and adjust accordingly.

After blending, the queso will be mildly warm. If you want to serve it as a hot dip you can gently heat it on the stovetop for a few minutes.

The queso will thicken up substantially as it cools in the fridge. You can thin it with a bit of warm water to bring it back to a drizzly consistency.

I fully and completely encourage you to alter and adjust this recipe to best suit your palate. Want more spice? Kick up the chipotle peppers! Want this to resemble a cheddar sauce? Go heavy on the nutritional yeast.

Cashew Queso Uses

This vegan queso is made on regular rotation at our house and used in a variety of different ways! It lasts for nearly a week in the fridge (if it doesn’t get eaten!) so we end up using it in a variety of meals.

Use as-is with tortilla chips for a tasty, cheesy dip!

Make a 7-layer-inspired dip by adding salsa, chopped herbs, refried beans, black beans, olives, and guacamole.

Spread this on tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or sandwiches.

Thin the queso and drizzle it on burrito bowls, vegan scrambled eggs, grain bowls, or nachos.

Cashew Queso FAQs

1. Can you freeze cashew queso? You can freeze cashew queso! To achieve a smooth and creamy consistency while blending, you need to have enough volume to get your blender flowing smoothly so this recipe creates a big batch.
2. Can you use this recipe for nachos? We use this queso as a nacho cheese, smeared inside of tacos, plopped onto chili, and spread on quesadillas!
3. Can you add salsa to this vegan queso dip? Absolutely! Diced hatch green chiles, black beans, diced tomatoes or bell peppers are also fabulous additions!
4. Can you make this queso nut-free? Yes, you could substitute a seed, like sunflower seeds, in this recipe, however, sunflower seeds are more bitter than cashews so you may have to do some taste testing and adjust seasonings as needed! Or you can even substitute cauliflower in this recipe! I would decrease the amount of water you add and check seasoning levels as you blend.

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