Vegan Queso Dairy Free Queso Recipe

What’s in This Vegan Queso Recipe?

I know it seems a bit strange for us to post a dairy free queso recipe. I’m all about the cheese, and you guys are well aware. But I wanted to prove that dairy free recipes don’t have to be hard or lacking flavor. This vegan queso is proof that we can have your cake and eat it too.

Raw Cashews: These nuts have a mild flavor and blend up dense and creamy. Get unsalted, raw cashews if possible (if not, use less salt in the recipe). They need to be soaked for a minimum of 5 hours in order to create the stretchy queso consistency. Nutritional Yeast: This is the magic ingredient that adds the nutty, cheesy flavor to our queso. We love Bob’s Red Mill for all things vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free, but any brand will work. Almond Milk: We’re partial to unsweetened almond milk for its nutty flavor, but cashew, soy, or oat milk will also work well. Avoid coconut milk, as it tends to add coconut flavor which really doesn’t work in this recipe. Coarse Sea Salt: The larger flakes of salt really enhance the cheesy flavor of this dip. If using kosher or table salt, cut the salt amount in half. Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice adds a pop of freshness and balancing acidity to this creamy dip. We recommend fresh whenever possible, but bottled will also work since we’re using so little of it. Chili Powder: Adds smokiness and heat to this dip. Add more or less to taste. Cilantro: Adds freshness and a peppery flavor to the dip. If you’re a cilantro-tastes-like-soap person, omit or swap in fresh parsley. Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles: Turns this dip into more of a vegan Rotel dip. You can definitely omit if you prefer, but we like the freshness, spiciness, and dimension it adds. Make sure to drain out the liquid so the dip doesn’t turn runny.

Variations on Dairy Free Queso

While we feel that cashews produce the creamiest vegan queso, other nuts and seeds can work in this recipe. Macadamia nuts are the best substitute, closely followed by blanched almonds and then sunflower seeds. All will need to soak like the cashews to soften them up before blending. Just keep in mind that each of these substitutes has a unique and less mild flavor than cashews that will impact the final flavor of the dish.

How to Store and Reheat

If you have any leftover queso, pour it into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, add a splash of almond milk and heat in the microwave in 15-30 second increments, stirring between each increment to make sure it’s fully heated through. We do not recommend freezing dairy free queso because it will be too grainy when thawed and reheated.

How to Keep Warm

It’s normal for queso to harden as it cools, so stir regularly and keep it warm while serving. We like to serve it out of a Crockpot at parties for this reason. After making vegan queso on the stovetop, pour it into a slow cooker, and set it to “warm”. This will keep it hot, smooth, and creamy throughout the whole party.

Serving Suggestions

This vegan queso pairs wonderfully with classic tortilla chips. For something different, try our homemade wonton chips or blistered sweet peppers. But don’t stop there! Dip in some vegetarian taquitos, avocado egg rolls, or air fryer potato wedges for a satisfying snack.

Notes from the Test Kitchen

In a pinch, soaking the cashews in boiling water for just 15 minutes will help them soften enough to blend, though we found the queso had the best and creamiest texture when the nuts were soaked overnight. Don’t forget to drain off the soaking liquid before adding the nuts to the blender.