Name: Amazing Vegan Nacho Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Mexican
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 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes; 1 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 pinch paprika; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, optional; Salsa Ingredients; (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 Tbsp lime juice; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Amazing 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!

This stuff takes vegan cheese to a whole new level. It’s a combination of my regular cheese sauce and salsa, so you can kick the spice up a notch with medium or hot.

This nacho cheese is the best because it’s…

A 2-in-1 recipe deal
Bursting with flavor
Creamy
Spicy
Loaded with healthy ingredients
Vegan
Oil-free
Versatile
Insanely flavorful

This is really a 2-in-1 deal, because it’s a combination of my No-Cheese Sauce and Blender Salsa recipes. Or you could always use a favorite store-bought salsa brand if preferred.

No-Cheese Sauce is easily my top recipe of all time. It’s delicious and versatile. We eat it on pizza, tacos, baked potatoes, lasagna, and so much more.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

Made with cashews or white beans

Originally, I made the No-Cheese Sauce with 1/2 cup raw cashews. Now, I sometimes sub out white beans–like navy beans or cannellini–to lower the fat content even more.

cashews soaking in water and bowl of beans with labels

Nowadays, I mostly make it with a combination of the two– 1/4 cup cashews + 1/4 cup white beans. It has all of the warm creamy texture with less fat.

This is a picture of it being used in Nacho Supreme which is a family favorite at my house.

Vegan nachos on white plate with homemade chips in background

What are the ingredients for vegan cheese sauce?

Incredibly some of the ingredients used to make this amazing cheese sauce are…

potatoes
onions
carrots
cashews (and or white beans)
nutritional yeast flakes
lemon juice
spices

A full list of ingredients, measurements, instructions, and a print button can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

The other ingredient for Vegan Nacho Cheese is the salsa. You can use any favorite store-bought salsa, or make your own.

All that is required to make your own salsa is a few ingredients and a blender. This is my recipe for Blender Salsa that can be whipped up in minutes.

Nutrition in tomatoes

Whether you pronounce it “tomato or “tomäto,” there’s no question that tomatoes are a legitimate superfood. Packed with antioxidants, dietary fiber and vitamins, tomatoes are one food that should be on every health-conscious person’s eating plan.
From reducing prostate cancer risk to helping you shed excess pounds, tomatoes have a number of important health benefits.–LiveStrong

*Originally published February 2, 2015.

How to make homemade baked tortilla chips

Homemade corn tortillas are SO easy to make. Simply use regular corn tortillas.

Slice each tortilla into 8 slices using a pizza slicer.

corn tortillas begin sliced with pizza cutter to make baked tortilla chips on baking sheet

Arrange on a baking sheet and spritz with a water bottle.

Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Very easy and delish!

homemade baked tortilla chips in basket with whole corn tortillas stacked in background on wooden tabletop

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Other great vegan cheese recipes

Amazing Vegan Nacho Cheese

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Amazing 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 beat!

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 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper, optional
Salsa Ingredients
(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 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions

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.
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 [timer minutes=0]15 minutes[/timer]. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
When veggies are tender, drain 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.
Now, it's ready to use in nacho cheese dip, mac-n-cheese, topping for steamed broccoli, or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. 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!

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 5Total Fat: .14gCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gProtein: 1.9g

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.