The Best Creamy Vegan Queso

The best vegan queso recipe made with dairy free ingredients for that perfect creamy cheesy tangy flavor. It's so easy to make and loved by everyone!

This queso recipe reminds me of the one I get at Mexican restaurants, except it's made without the dairy so doesn't leave me feeling bloated and yuck! It uses 9 simple easy to find ingredients and a much healthier version.

Ingredients

I brought this vegan queso blanco to a party, slipped it on the table and watched as it was devoured. No one knew it was vegan (or gluten-free as some recipes use flour). Everyone stuffed their face and it was glorious.

With the right blend of foods, you can create the most amazingly smooth queso dip, without any cheese! My dirty little secret is the pickled jalapeño juice, it gives it that true white queso dip flavor: creamy, cheesy, with the jalapeño tang! Here's what you need:

• Cooked potato 
• Roasted garlic 
• Raw cashews 
• Veggie broth 
• Unsweetened cashew milk
• Mild green chiles 
• Mild pickled jalapeños
• Pickled jalapeño juice
• Seasonings and spices

How to Make Vegan Queso

This queso blanco dip is incredibly easy to make. Throw it all in a blender and BOOM. Bathe worthy dip at your tongue tip.

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pulse in the extra pickled jalapeño slices for some texture .
2. Pour into a pot and heat over medium-low heat so it doesn't burn until thick and melty.
3. Pour into a bowl and serve with everything!

What to Serve With Queso Blanco

As much as I'd love to eat this dairy-free Mexican white cheese dip like a soup, I usually try to use some self control and pair it with other tasty foods either as a dip or topping. Here's some of my favorites:

• Homemade Oil Free Tortilla Chips
• Crisp veggies like celery, carrots, peppers, or jicama
• Vegan Nachos
• Vegan Taquitos
• Mexican Rice
• Pinto Beans
• Breakfast Burritos
• Loaded Vegan Burritos
• Refried Bean Burrito
• Veggie Burrito Bowls
• Crispy Potato Tacos
• Soft pretzels or pretzel chips
• Oven Baked French Fries
• Crusty bread
• Baked Potato
• Vegan Scrambled Eggs
• Mix with pasta

I also like to use leftovers of this vegan cashew queso to mix into other recipes. You could mix it into a filling for enchiladas, burritos or even taco meat.

Try mixing in things like tomatoes and black beans for a loaded version of this cheesy dip!

Preparation Tips

When making this vegan queso dip recipe over and over and over again (because you will!) make sure to keep these suggestions in mind:

• Add in some extra flavor by mixing in some vegan chorizo, Mexican salsa, or tomatillo salsa verde.
• If you are not using a high speed blender, you can soak the cashews overnight, boil them for 30 minutes or grind the dry cashews into a fine powder using a coffee grinder in order to help get them smooth.
• You can boil, microwave or bake the potato but keep in mind if you boil it there will be more moisture in the potato so you will need to let the dip cook longer to thicken. 
• I used red potatoes but any starchy potato will work, just don’t use sweet ones.
• I used a veggie broth without tomato in the base. You can sub water for the broth but the flavor will change a bit and you may need more salt.
• This dip is best enjoyed hot, serve it in a slow cooker on low. (High will likely burn it.)

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

• To prepare this dip ahead of time, roast the garlic, cook the potato, and soak the cashews (if needed) up to 3 days in advance.
• This vegan queso blanco dip will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• You can also freeze for up to 3 months!
• To reheat, take out of the freezer the night before and slowly defrost to room temp. Then heat in the microwave or stove top on low heat whisking well until the smooth creamy texture returns.
  • Sometimes freezing can change the texture, simply give it another blend in the blender and you're good to go!

Common Questions

More Vegan Mexican Recipes

If you're like our family and need Mexican food on a regular basis, you need a variety of recipes to choose from!

All of these plant based dishes are made from only whole food ingredients making them a healthy choice for your family (to learn more about how to figure out what is in those store bought varieties check out this guide on reading food labels):

• Healthy Crunchy Taco Cups
• Vegan Mexican Chili Cheese Dip
• Mexican Tequila Lime Chickpea Soup
• Vegan Enchilada Casserole 
• Cinco De Mayo Roundup

Also check out these other vegan cheese recipes:

• 4 Ingredient Cotija Cheese
• The Best Nacho Cheese Sauce