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The best vegan queso recipe made cashews, nutritional yeast, carrots and potatoes and no processed ingredients! It’s a rich and creamy dairy-free nacho cheese sauce made in your blender.

the best vegan queso; healthy dairy-free recipe

This rich and creamy vegan queso will rival any Mexican restaurants. The velvety smooth texture packs in the rich, cheesy flavor and a hint of spice. I’m declaring it the best vegan queso and I think you’ll agree!

However, take one look at the ingredient list and you’ll never guess that they turn into such an amazing dip. Most dairy-free cheese sauces rely heavily on cashews. This gives the cheese dip a smooth, creamy texture, but I often find them too thick and rich. Not this queso! The secret ingredients to make this sauce velvety smooth, while still being rich and creamy is the combination of potatoes, carrots, and a touch of cashews. The starch from the potatoes and carrots create a much more gooey queso-like texture. This combination truly puts this queso above the rest!

How to Make Vegan Queso

Making this queso is as easy as chopping a few ingredients, boiling some water and blending! Plus, no soaking cashews required. The potatoes, carrots, and cashews get boiled together for 10 minutes. Then add the boiling mixture into the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until completely smooth. That’s it!

I highly recommend a vented high-speed blender like a Vitamix for this recipe. If you don’t have a Vitamix or a similar blender, just make sure your blender can handle high heat.

Once your queso is made, garb your favorite chips and dive in! You can also use it as a nacho cheese sauce for nachos, tacos, broccoli and cauliflower, or a spicy mac and cheese!

vegan queso ingredients; cashews, carrots, potatoes, nutritional yeast. dairy-free

Nourished by Nutrition Facts

Nutritional Yeast

This star ingredient is the secret to giving dairy-free dishes a “cheesy” flavor. Aside from its unique taste, nutritional yeast is a nutrition powerhouse. These little yellow flakes pack in the plant-based protein and are a good source of fiber and B vitamins – especially B6, B12, and folate. Just 1/4 cup has 9 grams of complete protein and 4 grams of fiber. Plus, most nutritional yeast on the market today is fortified which helps ensure you’re getting even more nutrients in such a small amount.

Cashews

Cashews have a rich, slightly sweet taste. They make for a great snack but are also incredibly versatile. Raw cashews can be blended with water to make easy no-strain nut milk or blended with a variety of ingredients to make delicious dairy-free creamy sauces. Cashews are an excellent source of healthy monounsaturated fats, which are considered heart-healthy fats that are essential to lowering LDL-cholesterol while increasing HDL-cholesterol levels. They’re also rich in minerals like copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. It’s important to make sure you are eating enough iron and zinc-rich foods on a plant-based diet, which makes cashews a great option!

Carrots & Potatoes

Your body needs carbohydrates. Here at Nourished by Nutrition, we believe carbohydrates are a healthy part of your diet and shouldn’t be feared. Carbohydrates include whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies like carrots and potatoes. Both carrots are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which boost the nutritional value of this plant-based queso.

The carrots are a good source of beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A in the body), vitamin K, biotin, B6, potassium, and fiber. They’re also packed with lutein. This antioxidant is predominantly found in yellow and orange carrots and is important for eye health.

Potatoes are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin C. They’re also one of the few foods that contain resistant starch. This type of starch is considered a fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Resistant starch helps improve digestive health and blood sugar control. (1, 2)

the best vegan queso

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The Best Vegan Queso

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The best vegan queso recipe made cashews, nutritional yeast, carrots and potatoes and no processed ingredients! It’s a rich and creamy dairy-free nacho cheese sauce made in your blender.

  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 3 cups 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup diced russet potato

1/2 cup diced orange or yellow carrots

1/2 cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds

2 1/2 cups filtered water

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Juice from ½ lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (optional – makes it thick and velvety)

Instructions

Place the potatoes, carrots and cashews in a small saucepan. Add the water/broth and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10-15 mintutes.

Add the boiling mixture to a vented, high-powered blender. Make sure your blender can handle hot liquid. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and combine until smooth. Taste and asjust seasoning if necessary.

You can serve immediately. However, the sauce thickens as it sits. To thicken the sauce quickly, place in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until it’s thickened to your liking. Serve with chips, tacos, broccoli and cauliflower, or drizzle over nachos or grain bowls.

The queso will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

 

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #nourishedbynutriton.