Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese
This Vegan Nacho Cheese is incredible as a dip for baked chips as well as on fries, baked potatoes, and pizza. For healthy burritos and quesadillas, it can’t be beaten! Make it with cashews or white beans.
This dairy-free queso takes vegan cheese to a whole new level. It’s a combination of my regular vegan cheese sauce paired with salsa, so you can kick the spice up a notch with medium or hot.
We have more vegan cheese sauce recipes on this website like our 5-minute vegan cashew queso, this sweet potato cheese sauce, and my cashew vegan mozzarella.
Reasons you will love this cheese
- Creamy and Indulgent Flavor: This vegan nacho cheese delivers a rich, cheesy taste and creamy texture that rivals traditional cheese, making it a delicious and satisfying snack for everyone, including those on a plant-based diet.
- Nutritious Ingredients: Made with wholesome ingredients like cashews, nutritional yeast, and spices, this vegan cheese is packed with vitamins and healthy fats, providing a guilt-free way to indulge in your favorite cheesy dishes.
- Versatile and Flavorful: Perfect for nachos, tacos, or drizzled over veggies, this vegan nacho cheese adds a burst of flavor to a variety of dishes, enhancing your meals while keeping them plant-based and delicious!
Ingredients you will need
- Vegetables- Potatoes, carrots, and onions are the surprising ingredients for this cheese sauce.
- Cashews– I like to use cashews for the cream texture, but this recipe can be made with white beans instead or a combination of both.
- Nutritional yeast- It imparts a rich, cheesy flavor that mimics the taste of dairy cheese.
- Lemon juice- To add a tangy, acidic flavor that mimics the sharpness found in traditional dairy cheeses. It also helps balance the richness of ingredients like nuts or seeds, creating a more authentic and well-rounded cheese-like taste.
- Spices- Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne powder round out the flavor.
- Salsa- Adds a burst of flavor and freshness to vegan nacho cheese sauce, enhancing its overall taste profile with tangy tomatoes, zesty spices, and a hint of heat. It also contributes moisture and texture, making the sauce creamier while providing an extra layer of complexity that complements the cheesy flavor.
Substitutions and variations
One of the best things about this vegan cheese is that it can be made with either cashews or white beans for those avoiding nuts. Better yet, do a combination of both to reduce the fat but maintain the creamy rich texture.
- 1st Version: Originally, I made it with 1/2 cup of raw cashews.
- 2nd Version: Now, I sometimes sub out white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more. For those avoiding nuts completely, this is a terrific nut-free cheese sauce.
- 3rd Version: Nowadays, I mostly make with a combination of the two–1/4 cup cashews + 1/4 cup white beans. It has a warm creamy texture with less fat. This easy vegan cheese sauce has so many options!
How to make vegan nacho cheese
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
This recipe is really a 2-in-1 deal because it’s a combination of my Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe and Blender Salsa.
STEP #1: I have a Vitamix blender and so don’t take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy.
However, if your blender isn’t jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes before adding to this recipe will help this recipe come out more creamy.
STEP #2: Dice up the potatoes, carrots, and onion. I like to leave the peelings on mine, but you can peel them if desired.
In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in a pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
STEP #3: When veggies are tender, drain the water, and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
STEP #4: Combine 2 cups of cheese sauce and 1 cup of salsa. Stir well and eat!
I have a recipe for homemade oil-free corn tortillas that are simple and perfect for dipping if you want to give them a try.
*Originally published February 2, 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can substitute cashews with white beans or even sunflower seeds to keep the sauce creamy while making it nut-free.
This cheese sauce will thicken when it is chilled in the refrigerator. To thin it out, add a little more veggie broth and blend well until smooth.
Absolutely! Add jalapeños, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to the blend for extra heat, or mix in your favorite hot salsa for a zesty kick.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. You can also freeze it for longer storage, and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Vegan Nacho Cheese
Ingredients
- No-Cheese Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup potatoes peeled & diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (or 1/2 c white beans)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
Easy Blender Salsa
- 2 15 oz cans of fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic medium
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 1/2-3/4 cup fresh cilantro
- small piece of chipotle in adobe sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Cheese Sauce
- In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain them and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- NOTE: I have a Vitamix blender and so don't take the time to soak the cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn't jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes before adding to this recipe will help this recipe come out more creamy.
- Once the cheese sauce is blended well, it's ready to use. It makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Salsa Instructions
- Place all salsa ingredients in blender and pulse to desired consistency.
Nacho Cheese
- Combine 2 cups of cheese sauce and 1 cup of salsa. Stir well and eat!
Video
Notes
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.
Hi,
Your nacho cheese sauce sounds great but nutritional yeast and I don’t agree. Any thing I could substitute for that? Thanks
Hi Debra- I’ve heard a few people say that they use miso paste, vegetable bouillon, or liquid aminos for nutritional yeast.
For the salsa recipe, 1 tsp of garlic powder is listed twice. Correction please?
Hi Marianne- Thank you for letting me know about the duplication. It’s been fixed now. 🙂