Description
Here is a quick and easy vegan queso that even dairy lovers will find irresistibly creamy, silky, and delicious. Whether you're looking to dunk some tortilla chips, dress a plant-based burrito bowl, or dunk into a fondue pot, this vegan cashew queso has got you covered!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours and drained
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (almond, oat, or soy work well)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 small roasted red pepper (from a jar or freshly roasted), optional*
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (for stretchiness)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (for color)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust for heat)
Instructions
- Start by soaking the cashews. If you're short on time, boiling them for 30 minutes works just as well. This softens the nuts, making them easier to blend into a creamy texture.
- Drain the cashews.
- In a high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients.
- Blend on high in a high-speed blender for 4-5 minutes until smooth, creamy, and hot. When you open the blender's lid, you should see some steam if you blended it long enough. It should also be warm or hot when you touch the blender. If you don't have a high-speed blender, see the notes below.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips, drizzled over nachos or tacos, or as a dip for veggies. See post for more serving ideas.
Notes
*The roasted red pepper is optional. It gives it a great flavor, color, nutrition, and texture, but I recently found that I don't have to include it, and it still tastes phenomenal.
See other options for softening cashews at Guide to Soaking Cashews.
If you don't have a high-speed blender, transfer the blended mixture to a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens to your desired consistency. This should take about 5–10 minutes. If you heat it up on a higher heat setting, it will burn, so maintain a low heat setting and your patience.
Please note that the nutritional information provided is an estimate. For accurate assessments of ingredients and amounts, consider using a reliable app like Cronometer to stay informed about what you consume.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: condiment
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 428.2 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.4 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg