The good news: This vegan queso is the divinely rich and creamy cheese sauce you’ve been seeking.
The better news: It’s so simple to make and naturally wholesome, there’s no reason not to indulge weekly (daily? hourly?) for the rest of your life.
With just 8 ingredients and almost zero hands-on work, you can whip up a mind-blowingly cheesy, spicy condiment that will level up your burritos, quesadillas, tacos, and nachos, or wow on its own, served hot as a dynamite dip for tortilla chips.
In this post:
Minimal effort, maximum yum
It shouldn’t be possible for something so easy to make—step 1: soak the cashews; step 2: blitz everything in a blender—to be so game-changingly delicious.
It doesn’t make sense that something made from 8 wholesome ingredients can taste like a decadent, guilty-pleasure condiment.
So yeah, this vegan queso breaks all the rules. My advice: don’t question it, just go with it.
Bonus advice: Make a batch of this during your Sunday meal prep and let it jazz up your meals all week.
Note: For even more options, check out my complete guide to vegan cheese! It covers the best vegan cheese recipes to use for every situation (including my Vegan Feta and Vegan Cashew Cheese) and reviews the best vegan cheeses you can buy at the supermarket.
Ingredient notes
- Cashews. The base of our vegan queso. They add creaminess and body but have a mild flavor.
- Nutritional yeast. For those cheesy vibes. Don’t skip it!
- Vegan yogurt. A good coconut based yogurt gives our vegan queso some tang without contributing any coconut flavor. My favorite brands are Culina, CocoYo, or GT’s.
- Salsa and pickled jalapeños. We need some heat and these two work perfectly together. The pickling liquid from the jalapeños give the queso a mouthwatering tart flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
- Spices. Chili powder, cumin, and paprika add flavor, depth, and the Tex-Mex feeling you need for a great queso.
Step-by-step instructions
Soak the cashews in hot water for 15 minutes.
Add the drained cashews and all the remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender. If you’re using a food processor, see the Tips section for how to soak your cashews.
Blend until thick, creamy, and smooth, scraping down the sides as you go. Taste for seasonings, adding salt as needed.
Tips for making this recipe
How to soften raw cashews
There are a couple of different ways to soften raw cashews, depending on how much time you have and how high-powered your blender is.
- If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, you can soak the cashews in boiling water for as little as 15 minutes.
- If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soak your cashews in cool water overnight.
- Regardless of what blender you have, you can also add your cashews to a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 15 minutes. Boiling is the quickest option and works great to fully soften the cashews.
As spicy as you like
I think the recipe is perfect as-is; it has some spice but it’s by no means overwhelming. However, I also recognize that spice tolerance is deeply personal.
If you love spicy food, I suggest using a hot salsa and adding more pickled jalapeños to taste. If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, you can try adding fewer of the pickled jalapeños and choosing a mild salsa.
Note: It’s easier to add additional heat to this recipe than take it away, so if you’re not sure, add fewer jalapeños than you think you need initially. You can always taste the queso, then add more later if need be.
Serving suggestions
There are so many ways to enjoy this vegan queso (including straight out of the blender by the spoonful).
For starters, try it in buffalo chickpea quesadillas, vegan crunchwrap supremes, breakfast burritos, or burrito bowls.
It’s also the star of these epic loaded vegan nachos. And it pairs well with virtually any taco: spoon it onto Crispy Black Bean Tacos, my Ultimate Vegan Tacos, or these Meaty Lentil Tacos.
If you want to keep it more casual, you can always use the queso as a dip with tortilla chips. It’s something we do not infrequently in my house! Check out the first FAQ for instructions on serving it hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are serving the queso as a dip, it’s even better served warm!
All you need to do is add it to a small saucepan and gently heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. If it seems too thick, add a splash of plant-based milk or water and stir to incorporate.
While the easiest way to make vegan queso is with a Vitamix or similarly high-powered blender, it is possible to make queso without one.
The key is to make sure you cashews fully soften. For the best results, boil your cashews. Simply add your cashews to a sauce pan, cover with water, and . You can also try soaking your cashews overnight, though they might not pulverize quite as easily.
Vegan queso can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for
up to 5 days.
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
The Best Vegan Queso
Equipment
- High-powered blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup (~130g) raw cashews
- 1/2 cup (~112g) vegan coconut yogurt (unsweetened, plain)
- 1/2 cup (~120g) of your favorite salsa
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Several cracks of freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño brine
- Kosher salt or sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Add the raw cashews to a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Drain the soaked cashews. Alternatively, you can soak the cashews in cool water overnight.If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, you can soak the cashews in boiling water for 15-30 minutes.
- Add the drained cashews to a high-powered blender. Add the yogurt, salsa, water, cumin, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, nutritional yeast, pickled jalapeños, and pickled jalapeño brine. Blend until thick, creamy, and smooth. Taste for seasonings, adding salt as needed.Note: the pickled jalapeños are decently salty, so I don't add much salt, but if you skip them, be sure to add salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt).
- To serve warm, add the queso to a small saucepan and gently heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. If it seems too thick, add a splash of plant-based milk or water and stir to incorporate.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
I made this yesterday and it really is cheesy. Other vegan cheese sauces that I’ve tried tend to get a bit sour after some time in the fridge, so I can’t really use them for meal prep. This one definitely doesn’t and I’m so happy. I used Forager unsweet cashew yogurt and La Preferida mild salsa. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Sarah!
Best vegan queso ever! I’ve tried several recipes but I’ve found my keeper. Wrapped up with black beans, avocado, lettuce, red onion and tomato in a whole wheat tortilla was the best taco I’ve had in a very long time! I didn’t even need salsa s because the queso was spiced perfectly. Another hit from
Nisha.
When I tell you this is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten…not lying! I’m newly vegan and love queso dip. This cheese sauce is beyond anything I could’ve imagined and so easy to make. I was shocked when I tried it out of the blender. Only change I made was vegan sour cream instead of yogurt because I was out. Seriously, this recipe will be a staple in my kitchen going forward. Amazing!!
Awesome, Josh. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I do not know why I took so long to try this. I will never need to make another queso again. First time, and this is now my go-to queso for any occasion. Easy to modify spice, smoke flavor, etc. So good!
Chris, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Can I use a different nut that is similar to cashews, like walnuts for instance?
Hi Michael, you should be able to use walnuts! If you do, please let us know how it turns out!
I LOVED this queso. I’m super picky. I even swore of nutritional yeast because I thought it smelled and tasted like feet. BUT I love your videos and decided to give this a try. W O W! My life has changed! I always make my own salsa so that is what I used. I made it with crushed tomatoes and it ended up being too sweet, so I’ll modify that in the future and use salsa with diced tomatoes instead. Regardless, it was AWESOME and I’ll be using this as a staple. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Leigh-Ann!
Holy moly, this queso is to die for, Nisha!
I have made it a couple of times now (the first time I ate the whole batch in a couple of days!!!) I’m going to try and pace myself with this batch… but no promises!
It is so creamy, flavourful and easy to make, I HIGHLY recommend anyone checking out this recipe to just go ahead and make it, you won’t be disappointed!
Keep up the great recipes and content, Nisha, you are a breath of fresh air!
Love, from your fan in South-Western Australia xxx
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Stacy! We are thrilled you love the recipe 🙂
I just discovered your YouTube channel the other day and I am hooked!!! You are so relatable and I can’t wait to try more recipes! This queso is AMAZING! We didn’t have the jalapeños but some Frank’s gave it the kick I was looking for! This is the second time I’ve made it this week. This time I got smart and doubled the batch! Thank you!
Erin, So glad to hear you love this recipe!
I tried making your vegan que so recipe from your cookbook. It’s a serious hit in our house. Does it freeze well?
This recipe is easy and delicious!! Love it!!
Awesome, Heather. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!