Home Recipes Condiments Vegan Queso
by: Kaitlin
22 Comments
Jump to Recipe
Our vegan queso is so good, you may find yourself forgoing your go-to cheese substitutes (or, dare I say it, cheese?)! Whether you’re looking to eat plant-based, are lactose-intolerant, or just want a healthy alternative, with delicious add-ins like tomatoes, peppers, and vegan chorizo, you’ll never look back.
How to Make Perfect Vegan Queso
The trick to making a good vegan queso is having a heavy hand with a few key spices and flavorings. If you go too light, it’ll taste like what it technically is: vaguely spicy blended cashews with hot water. Blech. Put too much though, and you might just get stuck with unpleasant overpowering flavors.
That said, as a lactose intolerant individual, I’m deeply committed to my fake cheesy spreads, so I’m pretty sure I’ve made the perfect vegan queso. It even got the seal of approval from Sarah, the eternally skeptical cheese-loving omnivore!
The 3 key ingredients are:
- Plenty of nutritional yeast for a cheesy base flavor
- Simple distilled white vinegar for tang
- Your favorite Mexican hot sauce. (I use Valentina, a classic must-have we use for everything from burritos and tacos to rice and beans.)
There’s also plenty of garlic, and a simple blend of additional spices!
Optional Toppings/Add-Ins
So now you’ve got a perfectly creamy and tasty queso. The next conundrum? My constant, subconscious craving for restaurant style queso—that ooey gooey little casserole of cheese baked with greasy chorizo. It’s so good, but it ain’t vegan.
Hence the TOPPINGS. It’s all about the toppings. My favorites are chopped tomato, chopped green bell peppers, a handful of chopped cilantro leaves and stems, and a spoonful of crispy vegan chorizo.
Break out the tortilla chips, or dollop it over a baked russet potato or sweet potato with a side of salad. It’ll become one of your favorite things to make!
How Long Does Vegan Queso Last In the Fridge?
This queso lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, without any add-ins. I store it in resealable jars for when the craving strikes!
When you want to reheat it, simply pop it in the microwave for 1 minute, covered with a plate to catch any splatter. From there, reheat it 30 seconds at a time to bring it up to your desired temperature. It may seize a little, but just stir it until it’s smooth, adding in a splash of hot water if needed.
Ok, on to the recipe!
Vegan Queso Recipe Instructions
Combine the hot water, raw cashews, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add the nutritional yeast, cumin, onion powder, oregano, white vinegar, and hot sauce. Blend until combined, and add salt, additional hot sauce, and/or nutritional yeast to taste.
Transfer the queso to a serving bowl (or store some of it in jars).
And add toppings if desired, and serve with tortilla chips! Here it is with vegan chorizo on top:
Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!
5 from 4 votes
Vegan Queso
Our vegan queso recipe is rich & creamy—perfect for whether you’re eating plant-based, lactose-intolerant, or just want a healthy alternative.
by: Kaitlin
Course:Appetizer
Cuisine:American, Mexican
serves: 10
Prep: 5 minutes minutes
Total: 5 minutes minutes
Rate
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons Mexican hot sauce (such as Valentina, to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Optional toppings:
- 1/2 small tomato (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper or jalapeño (finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- 1/2 cup vegan chorizo (if you’re lactose intolerant but not vegan, feel free to use pork chorizo; browned/sautéed)
Instructions
Combine the hot water, raw cashews, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add the nutritional yeast, cumin, onion powder, oregano, white vinegar, and hot sauce. Blend until combined, and add salt, additional hot sauce, and/or nutritional yeast to taste.
Transfer the queso to a serving bowl (or store some of it in jars), and add toppings if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.
Tips & Notes:
Makes about 2.5 cups of queso. Store in the refrigerator in a clean, airtight container, and always handle using clean utensils. Will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition information is for approximately 1/4 cup of queso. Does not include toppings.
nutrition facts
Calories: 113kcal (6%) Carbohydrates: 7g (2%) Protein: 4g (8%) Fat: 9g (14%) Saturated Fat: 2g (10%) Sodium: 189mg (8%) Potassium: 153mg (4%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin C: 2mg (2%) Calcium: 8mg (1%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Did You Make This?Tag us on Instagram @thewoksoflife, subscribe to our email list, and be sure to follow us on social for more recipes!
You may also like…
Vegan Garlic Aioli
Vegan Adobo
Quick and Easy Kimchi Ramen
Our Top 19 Traditional Chinese Vegan Recipes
About Kaitlin
Kaitlin is the younger daughter/sister in The Woks of Life family. Notoriously unable to follow a recipe (usually preferring to freestyle it), Kaitlin's the family artist, knitter, master of all things chili oil/condiments, and trailblazer of creative recipes with familiar flavors.
Subscribe
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
22 Comments
Newest
OldestMost Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments