Cashew Queso

Cashew Queso is a thick and creamy vegan dip with a hint of spicy chilis and lots of smokey flavour. You can devour it as a straight up chip dip or pour it over your favourite nachos. Thanks to the cashews and nutritional yeast, you’d never say this ‘cheesy’ dip is dairy-free!

*This post was originally published in May 2019. It has been updated with new text including helpful tips for readers. The recipe remains the same.

Why you’ll love this cashew queso

• It’s completely vegan. Yes, creamy and ‘cheesy’ without any dairy.
• The spice level is adjustable to your taste.
• It’s versatile, so you can use it as a chip dip, spread, or as a sauce for nachos and tacos.

Details on the ingredients

Cashews – I used raw and unsalted whole cashews. I haven’t tested the recipe with roasted cashews. While I don’t think it would affect the texture, it may affect the taste of the queso.

Hot water – For soaking and softening the cashews for the blender.

Nut milk – I normally use almond or cashew milk. Just make sure it’s unsweetened and unflavoured.

Nutritional yeast – Adds a cheesy flavour to the queso without using any cheese.

Smoked paprika – The smokiness adds a nacho flavour to the queso. If you substitute regular paprika you will not get the desired flavour in this queso.

Baby tomatoes – For some added veggies, I usually blend in some grape or cherry tomatoes. They also help thin out the thick queso.

Chopped green chilies – Just a small can of chilies adds a punch of flavour that complements the smokey queso.

Garlic gloves – Just a few for added flavour. Feel free to add more to suit your taste.

Crushed red pepper flakes – Just a little for some extra spicy flavour. If the queso is spicy enough for you, just leave it out.

Salt – For added flavour. Add more or less to suit your taste.

How to make vegan queso

1. Soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. This softens them up so your blender doesn’t have to work so hard to create that smooth and creamy texture.
2. Once soaked, drain the cashews and add them to your blender along with the milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, smoked paprika and salt. Blend on high until creamy.
3. Add the fresh tomatoes and pulse until they are blended but some little pieces remain.
4. Stir in the chilies and red pepper flakes. For a less chunky queso, you can blend in the chilis.
5. Serve immediately, or warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave.

How to serve dairy-free queso

Dip those chips in there! These air fryer tortilla chips go perfectly with this homemade queso.

Use it as a vegan nacho cheese and pour it over your favourite nachos or tacos. We love it with these loaded vegetarian nachos, taco cups with ground turkey and pulled pork breakfast nachos.

Use it as a dip for potato wedges, roasted potatoes or french fries.

Add a generous scoop to your vegan chili and stir it around for added flavour and texture.

Frequently asked questions

Additional recipe tips

• This queso is not overly spicy. It’s actually more smokey than spicy, so if you like things spicier, just add some more red pepper flakes, or substitute chili powder for some of the smoked paprika.
• Add some finely chopped jalapeños for an extra spicy kick.
• If you like it less spicy, just leave out the red pepper flakes.
• Make sure you use smoked paprika, not regular paprika. Smoked paprika adds a distinct smokey flavour to the queso.
• Instead of fresh tomatoes, you can use half a cup of canned diced tomatoes. Just make sure they are drained well. If they’re salted, you may need to reduce the amount of salt you add to the queso.
• I like to stir the chilies in for a chunky queso, but you can also blend them in.
• This queso is thick (especially after it is refrigerated), so you can blend or stir in some more nut milk to thin it out.
• This recipe makes a large batch of queso. We often half the recipe when we’re making it for two.

If you make this cashew queso, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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