5-Minute Vegan Cashew Queso

Yum! I’m not vegan but appreciate a good vegan recipe now and then, and this hit the spot! So quick and easy to make, lovely texture. I subbed chipotle chili powder because that was what I had on hand and it lent a delicious smoky flavour. I skipped the harissa/hot sauce to keep it not too spicy for my kids. The chipotle was just enough spicy for the adults to be intrigued.

I’ve made this a few times and it is a star. It is so delicious and everybody can enjoy it because it is vegan. And it can be made last-minute, thank God. I can’t find harissa here but the chipotle pepper in adobo is fantastic. This is also easy to decorate.

I make this all the time, so easy and flavorful! I’ve used both ro-tel and fresh jalapeños and it’s always SO good.

Instead of the dry spices and harissa paste I used a tablespoon of berbere, and it turned out fabulous!!

So delicious! We added a bit of smoked paprika and turmeric for color, but everything else just as the recipe said. So creamy, savory, and yummy! Thank you MB❤️❤️

HAPPILY SHOCKED!!! I was skeptical b/c I always make my “cheese” with boiled cashews, tapioca starch and stirring it on the stove – long process… this was SOOO easy and it came out amazing!!! I keep my raw cashews in the freezer so I microwaved them in 3/4 cup water for 3 minutes before blending (and used that same water) but whatever… 5 minute queso turned into 8 minute queso haaa! This will be my go-to and I like that you can play with the seasonings depending on what you want to use it for. THANKS!! PS. No harissa on hand, hot sauce and the dry spices worked great. I’ve never left a comment on these sites – that’s how great it is :)

I added a bit more salsa and nutritional yeast. Thank you so much for making this recipe!!!!

I’ve made this twice in the last week when I craved nachos and to top roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and soyrizo. I always felt guilty when I made conventional nachos, but this queso erases the guilt. I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything since I’ve given up dairy and meat. I just add a bit of smoked paprika to mine. Now I need to buy more cashews.

Revisiting a plant based diet. I remembered this recipe and had to make it for my nacho craving. Enjoyed this with Siete corn chips. I added some canned green chilis in the middle. Delicious.

This page has so many pop ups and videos it’s barely useable. This recipe is fine if you don’t have much time to make a more complicated cashew queso though. I added some onion and garlic powder too.

This is absolutely delicious, and so easy

I’ve made this so many times and it’s always a hit in my family and among friends. I usually use 1tbsp of Franks since I have it on hand. And I up the garlic to 3 large cloves because I love garlic! My 1 year old loves it drizzled on everything. The pop ups and videos on the website are really distracting but I’ve printed it out to make it easier for me.

For weekday lunches it really takes a beans + rice bowl up a notch and we drizzle it on nachos and use it in 7 layer dip!

Love this recipe! When my family went vegan I was obsessed with the vegan cashew nacho cheese from Whole Foods. Had a craving tonight and made this recipe with a few additions: added 2 canned Serrano peppers with a bit of juice and a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar with the mother. I used this instead of the harissa. It was so good! My teenage kids were literally licking from the bowl. Definitely a keeper!

I didn’t have raw cashews, but the ones I had already had salt, so win-win. I followed the instructions other than that and this was simply amazing. We too had last minute, unexpected guests and I was so grateful that I bookmarked this. It was delicious, creamy. We served it with chips as well as carrot sticks. Left overs? None.

So yummy! I only had half a cup of raw cashews so I did half raw and half unsalted, roasted cashews. The flavor was amazing and it all blended really well in my ninja. I used it for paleo enchiladas and it really made the dish perfect.

This was ok. I added way more cashews.

This was delicious! I upped the nutritional yeast as you suggested for more cheese flavor and stirred in a can of Rotel before serving. Next time I’ll also add some ground sausage. Thank you!

Spectacular, spectacular! Closed my eyes and imagined being at a fine dining vegan restaurant. This cashew queso is an experience! I’ve tried other recipes and purchased several varieties and this is IT! I didn’t have the harissa so I just used a few dashes of cholula.

Oh my GOSH…I can’t begin to tell you how amazing this recipe is! But then again, you already know that because you created this masterpiece :)
I’m a huge wimp when it comes to hot, spicy things, so I just pretty much went hog wild on the nutritional yeast, and garlic. I also added a bit more salt and cumin than the recipe said. That was perfection! After tasting it, I told myself to branch out and try just a teeny tiny bit of Cholula sauce. I added just a couple drops (wimpy, I know) and it really did bring out a burst of flavor.
Thank you for this super easy to follow recipe! I will be making this very often :)

Made this as part of a vegan chip and dip board for a Halloween party and got so many compliments. It’s delish!

I made this for the first time last night for some cheese lover foodies in their early 70s and they all raved about it! It was delicious and so smooth (I did soak the cashews for a few hours) – I should have made a double batch!

Super yummy and quick! A go to recipe! Thanks!

Good stuff!

This was really easy and tasty. I needed more heat in mine, so added about half a jar of pickled jalapenos and a few more tablespoons of some very hot salsa.

This was so good! I used mild salsa (in place of harissa) I had on hand and chipotle chili powder (in place of chili powder). I actually used this as a replacement for Siete Cashew Queso Blanco in a Defined Dish Hatch Chili Chicken Casserole recipe. I will use this recipe every time I make that one and I will definitely make this as it’s own dip!

This turned out great! (And so easy!) Only thing I did differently was to soak and rinse my cashews first.

This is an awesome recipe. I like to add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, for some tang. I recently started adding a few slices of dill pickle. This adds more tangyness, and a bit more flavour depth.

LOVE this queso sauce, it’s so good! I’ve seen a few vegan youtubers using plant-based lactic acid in their vegan cheese, so I ordered some and added 1tsp as well as about 2tbsp of Forager cashewmilk yogurt. It was out of this world delicious! My mom, who is a self-avowed “cheese snob”, loved it and insisted that I leave a review, lol!

Oishiiiiiiii! Very good great recipy!

I made this for the first time today as a lark and I was blown away! I thought my days of enjoying the flavors of queso were over, but this nails it pretty dang closely. Of all the vegan cheeses I’ve had, this is easily the best one I’ve tried and it was so easy to make. Thank you !

I just made this for the first time and I literally licked the spatula!! Cheese has been the hardest thing for me to leave behind but this will make it sooo much easier! This will become a regular make at my house! Thank you so much!!

This recipe is the bomb. I use a chipotle pepper and it’s got a good amount of spice to it, delicious! When I open a can of chipotle peppers, I freeze them singly on a piece of wax paper on a sheet pan, once frozen I pop them in a bag and store in the freezer for all the things I just need one chipotle for.

This was spot on for a non dairy substitute. We made quesadillas and I subbed this for cheese. I followed the recipe as printed. It was delicious….so glad I can have quesadillas with my family!

I had a sudden craving for queso and happened to have everything for this recipe on hand. Turned out fantastic, especially for something I was able to throw together so quickly!! I started with the smaller amount of water but still needed some extra cashews to thicken it to my liking, and I added some extra of all the seasonings after. I also used sriracha in place of the harissa since that’s what I had. It’s so easy to customize to your own taste which is my favorite type of recipe. It isn’t identical to a dairy cheese queso, but it hits all the creamy, savory, spicy notes I was craving. My non-vegan roommate tried it and liked it as well. Definitely making this again.

By far the easiest and most delicious vegan nacho cheese recipe that I’ve tried. I love that it only takes a few minutes to make, minimal ingredients and always turns out great. I always use chipotle sauce, which I think works really well.

Delicious queso. I won’t be able to stop eating it! I used ro-tel and hot sauce because I like it a little spicy. I also added about 1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar to give it an acidic kick and that sharpness you get from real cheese. Soooo good. I’ll definitely make it again.

I make this often, usually at the request of my husband, who would eat the whole batch by himself in one sitting if it were possible. Tonight I served it in a taco salad situation with some new friends who are not dairy-free, but they thought it was fantastic and asked for the recipe. This queso is always a hit, Dana! Thanks for a fantastic recipe.

This is a staple in our house, we love it so much in burritos, bowls, breakfast hash, nachos. I’ve been adding a couple tablespoons of pickled jalapeño juice and it’s DELICIOUS!!

This is legit delicious. I used salsa because it was all I had in the house and it turned out great.

Came out more like a hummus looking thing that tasted like smokey spices. I added more yeast, but it didn’t really taste cheesey. It was a fun “dip”
But probably wont make again. Was I supposed to soak cashews? The ingredients just said raw cashews…

Easy, quick, and delicious. The Harissa makes this one special. Thank you very much for sharing such a simple yet tasty recipe. Definitely recommended.

Soooo good. Easy to make and adjust to your tastes. Highly recommend making it.

Very easy to make and customize. Making with soaked cashews and a simple addition of a dollop of chili crisp worked nicely too.

Oh my goodness! This is soo good. Our family loves this queso. We would spoon it over ice cream, over mashed potatoes, over just about anything. Thank you. We appreciate you!

I have had an aversion to making things with cashews for the sole reason of the soaking time. I just whipped this up in no time. It is so good! I did add a little salt, less than 1/4 tsp and it was just enough. Excellent recipe! Thank you!

You really are magical! I never realized how fiery and GOOD harissa can be! The flavors shine in this queso.
Thank you for all of your hard work and amazing creations! You make my life SO much more fun and SO flavorful!

Thank you for this recipe! Amazing texture and flavor, and so quick and easy to make! Being from the south, the harissa seasoning threw me off a bit, was not a fan of the hint of mint that comes through. Next time I will substitute hot sauce or chilies instead. Thanks again!

So tasty! Added more hot sauce and chili powder to give it a bit of a kick and some plant milk for creaminess. Have made twice already!

My first vegan queso and this recipe is easy and delicious. No substitutions; tweaked quantities to my taste. 3/4 cup water gave me the creaminess I wanted. I’m newly GF sensitive and it’s a whole new world for me. I’m thankful for your cookbook and website. I’ll be making this recipe often.

This is the best queso recipe I’ve ever had, vegan or otherwise. It’s just so good! I do use unsweetened plant milks to make it a bit richer, but I otherwise keep it the same. Also, hint hint: If you have kids, leave out the cumin, chili powder, and harissa, and you’ve got a great alfredo sauce! My kids eat it up, and they are crazy picky eaters.

I usually don’t leave comments but felt like I should because this recipe was so easy and delicious! I use hot sauce instead of harissa because I didn’t have any and it was very delicious.

Love all your vegan recipes and cashew queso is no exception. I used rose harissa and only 3/4 cup of boiling water and it is perfect texture 🙂

This is SO good! I used 3/4 cup water and subbed 1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce. The last time I made it, I just doubled the recipe as the container of raw cashews from the supermarket is exactly 2 cups. Yum-o! Thanks for posting this!

Made this with a couple small tweaks – roasted the cashews and used Sambal Oelek in place of Harissa. I probably (close to) doubled the nutritional yeast. Absolutely delicious! I have been looking for a good Queso recipe and you most definitely did not disappoint!!

I love cheese.
This recipe is fantastic. I made it as part of a vegan charcuterie board. The dairy eaters (myself included) ate most of it. Next time I will put it on both boards.
I used all the water and added creole seasoning for extra spice.
Next time I want to add salsa to replicate the velveta dip. Thank you!
Bnali

Pretty good! It didn’t have enough flavor for me before so I added canned green chilis and a few cherry tomatoes as well as seasoning salt and it was perfect!

My GO TO cashew queso recipe!! Taste exactly that way it should! I have made this SEVERAL times and brought it to friends and family and everyone’s loved it

So incredibly good and easy. I love the fact that I don’t have to run to the store and buy anything special! I will be making this regularly!

This was really delicious. I used my Ninja Foodie which makes sauces and smoothies and it blended very well. I used Frontier Nacho Spice Nutritional Yeast, Frontera Chipotle Pepper Adobo, a little champagne vinegar for acid, and extra chili powder. I like the very light texture and it would also make a great replacement for sour cream. I am a fan of very spicy food, but you can customize to your preference. Easy, quick, and guilt free!

Amazing vegan queso! There are so many more complicated ones out there, I’m glad I found this one. It took maybe 2 mins and was delicious! Will definitely be making it again

Quickly googled cashew queso and this was the first recipe I clicked on. Whipped it up and omg!! Delicious!! Now I’m on Instagram going through your page!! So many recipes I want to try!! So happy I accidentally found you!

Love that it didn’t involve soaking the cashews (was definitely having a “need queso now” moment)!!
Didn’t have harissa, so it tasted a bit on the sweeter side. Added a combination of original and green pepper Cholula sauces, plus a but of onion and garlic powder and that made it for me! Just thought I’d share some the flavours! These quick recipes are great encouragement for those new to vegan/dairy free lifestyles! Thanks for sharing!!

This recipe has become a staple in our house. I am so appreciative. We make it for burrito night.

Some modifications: add 1 tsp miso, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tbsp pickled jalapenos, and double the nutritional yeast.

It is delicious as written but these modifications make it cheesier to me.

This was delicious! I see this becoming a favorite in our house. Thank you for the great recipe with easy to follow directions.