Easy Vegan Cashew Queso (5 minutes!)
Making Vegan Cashew Queso has never been easier than with this delicious 4 ingredient recipe that takes less than 5 minutes to make in your blender or food processor. Here we go!
This amazingly simple cashew queso is completely vegan, oil-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It’s a great dish to serve with Homemade Oil-Free Tortilla Chips to crowds because absolutely everyone will love it.
The recipe is from FatMan’s Favorites Cookbook by Tim and Heather Kaufman. Published here with permission.
What is queso?
Queso is a Mexican-inspired melty cheese dip that has been blowing up the menu at Mexican restaurants for decades. It’s usually served in restaurants as an appetizer with corn chips for dipping.
This dairy-free queso is inspired by the creaminess of cheese but made with cashews instead to give it the flavor and texture without using dairy.
Ingredients in vegan queso
Traditionally, queso is made with soft white cheeses, but it can be made dairy-free and vegan by using cashews instead with only a few other ingredients.
- Cashews
- Nutritional yeast flakes
- Onion powder
- Salsa
- Water
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Tools to Use
How to make vegan queso
This recipe is the simplest vegan cheese you will ever make. You don’t even need to soak the cashews. Personally, I order Raw Cashew Pieces online to use in sauces like this because they blend to a delicious creaminess with ease. These are the steps for the perfect dairy-free queso.
- Add all of the ingredients except the salsa (cashews, water, nutritional yeast flakes, and onion powder) to your blender or food processor.
- Blend on high until creamy and smooth.
- Empty the contents into a mixing bowl and stir in your favorite salsa or even make your own Blender Salsa.
- Use it as a dipping sauce, drizzle over tacos, or even use it as a salad dressing. I’ve listed some serving suggestions below.
Tips & variations
- Blending- Truth be told, I have been making this recipe incorrectly (3 times) by placing the salsa in the blender with the other ingredients, and it still comes out awesome.
- Spicy- If you like your queso spicy, add a little sriracha sauce or another hot sauce.
- Cashews- There is no need to soak the cashews for this recipe.
- Toppings- To make it even prettier for serving, add some diced red bell pepper, diced purple onion, and cilantro.
- Fat Content- This recipe is higher in fat due to the cashews. To reduce the fat content, try using 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup white beans such as navy or northern beans.
- Storage- It should last about 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen with great results.
Ways to serve cashew queso
There are SO MANY ways to serve this vegan cashew queso! I seriously made a garden salad and used it as a salad dressing recently.
- Dip- Serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips for movie or game night.
- Dollop- Make a big baked potato and dollop a few spoonfuls of this creamy queso on top.
- Drizzle- Perfect for drizzling over tacos, nachos, and even salads.
What recipes pair well with queso?
Just this week, I heated up leftover Crockpot Chili Beans for dinner and drizzled some vegan queso over the top, and it was delicious! There are so many recipes you could serve with this dairy-free queso recipe like the ones listed below.
More vegan cheese recipes
I have plenty of other delicious vegan cheese sauces on this website that you really need to try. Check out some of these.
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About the Chef
Tim Kaufman is the plant-based author and athlete behind FatManRants. He and his wife, Heather, lost 290 lbs on a whole food plant-based lifestyle and have gone on to inspire thousands to regain their health through a healthy Whole Food Plant-Based Diet. To learn more read Tim’s Full Story.
Tim was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) in his early twenties. He was in chronic pain most of his life. By the time he had reached the age of 37, he was addicted to Fentynal, alcohol, and fast food.
At over 400 pounds he was unable to perform simple daily tasks and almost immobile. He had lost his interest in life and had almost given up. Tim started a journey to regain his health by changing one small thing at a time.
He is now an athlete who thrives on a plant-based whole-food lifestyle and leads a healthy, happy, productive, and very active life that is free of all medications he was once on. He uses his platform on social media to help others find health and happiness.
Follow Tim:
- FatManRants Website
- Veggie Vault monthly membership program
- 5×5 Food Fix Program
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Vegan Cashew Queso
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 cup salsa
Instructions
- This recipe is the simplest vegan cheese you will ever make. You don’t even need to soak the cashews. Personally, I order Raw Cashew Pieces online to use in sauces like this because they blend to a delicious creaminess with ease.
- Add all of the ingredients except the salsa (cashews, water, nutritional yeast flakes, and onion powder) to your blender or food processor.
- Blend on high until creamy and smooth.
- Empty the contents into a mixing bowl and stir in your favorite salsa or even make your own Blender Salsa.
- Use it as a dipping sauce, drizzle over tacos, or even use it as a salad dressing. I’ve listed some serving suggestions below.
Video
Notes
- Blending- Truth be told, I have been making this recipe incorrectly (3 times) by placing the salsa in the blender with the other ingredients, and it still comes out awesome.
- Spicy- If you like your queso spicy, add a little sriracha sauce or another hot sauce.
- Cashews- There is no need to soak the cashews for this recipe.
- Toppings- To make it even prettier for serving, add some diced red bell pepper, diced purple onion, and cilantro.
- Fat Content- This recipe is higher in fat due to the cashews. To reduce the fat content, try using 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup white beans such as navy or northern beans.
- Storage- It should last about 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen with great results.
- Dip- Serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips for movie or game night.
- Dollop- Make a big baked potato and dollop a few spoonfuls of this creamy queso on top.
- Drizzle- Perfect for drizzling over tacos, nachos, and even salads.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
How long does this Cashew Queso sauce last in the fridge?
It should last about 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Have you ever used Cashew PB2 powder to make cheese sauce? I have some powder and thought I saw a recipe for it but can’t find it now. I’ll be trying this sauce for sure!
Shelia- I haven’t made it with cashew PB2, but it should work just fine. Hope you enjoy it!