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Vegan, gluten-free and oil-free super tasty cashew vegan queso dip. Ready to devour in about 30 minutes!
This vegan cashew queso is loved by anyone who tries it, vegans and non-vegans alike. It is so easy to make, minimal ingredients and really, REALLY good. It really is the best vegan cashew queso.
It’s SO CHEESY, creamy, packed with flavor and so much healthier than any cheese dip!
What’s in it? First, can we just take a minute to bow down to cashews? I LOVE using cashews in my recipes! They are so creamy when boiled and mixed up in a blender. You can totally transform the taste and they are loaded with nutrients!
They are a good source of heart-healthy fats, magnesium, zinc, protein and antioxidants. I highly suggest buying them raw.
Next in line- nutritional yeast. If you’re not new to vegan cooking, you’ve probably heard of nutritional yeast but if you are new to this, nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that has a cheesy/nutty flavor. It’s important to note that not all nutritional yeast is created equal!
Some are fortified, some aren’t. I personally like to use one that is non-fortified. Aside from the added synthetic vitamins, nutritional yeast is actually naturally full of vitamins and minerals (although b12 is not naturally occurring in any plant-based food).
Given the extra b-vitamins, one could argue that the fortified yeast’s have health benefits but my personal opinion is to go non-fortified because some people don’t handle all of those synthetic vitamins very well. Again, that is just my opinion but I do believe the fortified ones can be a great option for some people!
How to Make
There are 3 main steps to this recipe.
First, boil your cashews. Second, add all ingredients (except salsa) to a food processor and blend until really smooth. Then, heat it up! I like to reuse the pot I boiled the cashews in because less dishes=happy mama.
After the cashews are done, about 20 minutes, drain and rinse and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes. Once cooled, add cashews and all ingredients, except salsa, into the food processor/high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
Once the cashew queso is smooth, transfer it to the same pot you boiled the cashews in and turn the stove to medium-low. I like to add my salsa at this point for a chunky queso, but if you want your dip really smooth you can blend it in the blender.
The possibilities are endless with this queso dip! Use in taco bowls, dip for chips/veggies, drizzle over steamed veggies, get creative!
The Best Vegan Cashew Queso [GF]
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning use a quality taco seasoning- It makes a difference!
- 1/4 tsp salt + more to taste
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fresh chopped garlic or about 1 clove
- Pinch of turmeric for color optional
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk I use oat milk
- 1 cup chunky salsa
Instructions
- Add raw cashews and water to a pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and boil cashews for about 20 minutes.
- When the cashews are done boiling, rinse and drain and then let them cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cashew and the remaining ingredients (except for the salsa) to a food processor/high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer queso dip to a pot and heat over medium-low. Stir in salsa and serve when hot.
Notes
- This will thicken when heated.
- For leftovers: stir very well. You may need to add a little bit of plant-based milk when you reheat it as it will thicken as it sits.
Very good and flavorful! Super easy and had all ingredients on hand. Pairing this dip with lentil/walnut tacos 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
I don’t usually eat vegan so i was skeptical about this….but OH MY GOSH. Prefer this to the real thing! So so good!
Woohoo!
I made this Super Bowl Sunday for my roommates and I. They’re trying the vegan life and one of them is lactose intolerant so I thought “why not try this out?” It was easy to make, everything you need is most likely already in your pantry, and it was not time consuming at all. The final product was so creamy and you can hardly tell it isn’t the real thing. You do have to make sure you blend as much as possible to get the extra creamy consistency and a very good taco seasoning really does make all the difference. Everyone loved it and I was in awe. I know I’ll be making it for all of my post Covid get togethers. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! I am so happy everyone loved it! Thank you so so much for your rating and comment, Diana! 🙂
Hi. I took this to a party last night, and IT WAS GONE!! So many Vegan-skeptics were in awe! Delish!
Will it turn out without the yeast? It’s msg and I’m allergic to it.
I made this for an appetizer on Christmas Eve. My sister and her family are vegan and they LOVED it! Actually, everyone loved it. Super easy to make, even easier to polish off the entire container. I look forward to doing this again and I will use a spicier salsa next time just to change it up.
I totally forgot the taco seasoning!It still tastes good, but I felt something was missing. Is it possible to add it after it’s done? Thanks for this cool vegan recipe! Finally a recipe that actually tastes like cheese, mild, but good.
This is the best vegan queso dip I ever had. This makes being whole foods plant based much easier. My husband kept asking me if I was sure it was vegan! Thank you so much for this recipe.
OH MY GOODNESS!!! This is hands down the best queso I’ve EVER had. Gotta love vegan recipes that are better than the “real” thing!