It always happens. Just as I’m about to drift off to sleep at night, a recipe idea zings into my brain out of nowhere. This time, for vegan queso.
Origins of Queso
Queso, also called chile con queso, is a melty, cheesy dip that’s typically served alongside tortilla chips. It’s believed to have originated in Texas in the early 1900s (source).
Though you may find chile con queso at some Mexican restaurants in the US, it’s much different than the authentic Mexican queso (called queso fundido) that likely inspired it. While queso fundido is typically made with soft white cheeses, chile con queso is usually made with more processed American cheeses. You can learn more about the history and differences here.
Our plant-based version is not traditional, but is inspired by the creaminess and heat of chile con queso!
Eggplant Vegan Queso
EXCITING NEWS.
I’ve tried vegan cheese based with cashews. It’s good, and it’s the first way I learned to mock cheese texture and flavor without using dairy. But I knew there had to be a better way.
I mean, not that I’m into counting calories, but cashews are very high in calories and fat and you can detect them in sauces unless you really build up the flavor from spices and otherwise.
So, the thought was, “What else is creamy but neutral and would make a good base for cheese sauce?”
The zinger I got at midnight whilst falling asleep: EGGPLANT!
Eggplant is amazingly versatile, especially once roasted. I enjoy it in pastas, whirled into baba ganoush or even roasted and layered into a hearty veggie sandwich. I adore the creaminess of baba ganoush and suspected its eggplant base would make an excellent base for vegan queso.
DING DING DING. I was correct.
This sauce starts with roasted eggplant. I speed up the process by slicing it into thin rounds and broiling. A little steam in foil and then you can pull away the skin with ease. Then, just throw it into a blender with almond milk, nutritional yeast and a handful of spices and you’re good to go.
Look at that creamy queso goodness.
A little cornstarch in the mix helps it thicken up once heated in a saucepan for serving. This is an optional step but I recommend it for that ultimate luxurious cheesy texture. (If you don’t use cornstarch, try another thickener, such as arrowroot powder.)
All that’s left to do is add in a few Tbsp of slightly drained Rotel (just like real queso dip!) or your favorite chunky salsa. This really sends the texture and flavor over the top to mock the real thing.
Oh. My. Word.
You’re not gonna believe how delicious this is. And guess what? HUSBAND APPROVED!
John tried it, and he doesn’t like cashew sauces, and he really liked this dip! We agreed that it was ridiculous how close it was to real queso dip. Seriously amazing!
So what does it taste like?
Creamy
Velvety
Savory
Super cheesy
Slightly spicy
Perfectly dippable
Totally pourable
Begging to be added to all your favorite dishes
Don’t worry. I have a few recipes in the works utilizing this dreamy dip! And another bonus: It reheats extremely well! If you’ve ever made cashew cheese you know it doesn’t exactly reheat well. But with this, you can just pop it in the microwave or put it back in a saucepan and it’s just as good!
Yet ANOTHER bonus? This dip is cashew-, soy-, dairy-, and gluten-free!
And did I mention it’s way lighter in fat and calories than nut- and dairy-based quesos? Just 55 calories and 3.5 grams of (healthy) fat per serving! What’s not to love? Make this dip! And if you do, take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so I can see! Cheers!
Cashew-Less Vegan Queso
Ingredients
- 7-9 rounds of eggplant (sliced 1/4-1/2-inch thick // half of a medium eggplant yields 7-9 rounds)
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 ½ – 2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
- 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (see instructions)
- 1/4 tsp finely minced fresh garlic (I used crushed garlic from Trader Joe’s)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch (optional for thickening // sub another thickener if desired)
- 1/4 cup chunky medium salsa (slightly drained // OR 1/4 10-ounce can of Rotel original diced tomatoes and green chilies)
- Smoked paprika and hot sauce (optional // for added color and flavor upon serving)
Instructions
- Slice your eggplant into thin rounds just under 1/2 inch (not quite 1/4 inch). Then sprinkle both sides of the flesh with a little sea salt and arrange in a colander to help draw out some of the moisture and bitterness. Let set for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse with cool water and thoroughly pat dry between two clean towels.
- Preheat oven to high broil and place an oven rack near the top of the oven. Arrange the dried eggplant rounds on a baking sheet lightly spritzed with non-stick spray and drizzle both sides of the eggplant with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with a very small amount of salt.
- Broil on high for 4-5 minutes on each side, watching carefully as to not let them burn. Flip at the halfway point to ensure even cooking. Once the eggplant appears tender and both sides have golden brown color, remove from the oven and wrap loosely in foil to steam.
- After a few minutes, unwrap and peel the eggplant skin away. It should come right off. If you pack your roasted eggplant into a 1-cup measuring cup, it will be almost 1 cup (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering default number of servings).
- Place eggplant in a blender with almond milk (starting with the lesser amount), nutritional yeast (starting with the lesser amount), minced garlic, cumin, chili powder and cornstarch and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added a pinch more sea salt and a little more nutritional yeast. To thin, add more almond milk.
- Transfer to a small saucepan and warm over medium to medium-high heat until slightly thickened and bubbly – about 5 minutes. The longer you go the thicker it will become.
- NOTE: If it isn’t looking as thick as you want, thicken with a slurry of cornstarch by adding an additional 1 tsp cornstarch to a small bowl with a little almond milk and 2-3 Tbsp of the cheese mixture (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering default number of servings). Whisk to combine and then stir back into the pot. This should thicken it right up.
- Once hot and thickened, remove from heat and stir in DRAINED salsa or Rotel. Don’t put the liquid in or it will make it runny. Pour into a serving dish and top with a little smoked paprika and hot sauce for flavor/color.
- Serve with chips, crackers or veggies. Keep warm in a mini crockpot or over a tea light warmer if you have one. Microwaves well.
- NOTE: When this dip sits out for a long time it loses its orange hue. It doesn’t affect the flavor but it doesn’t look as appetizing, so it’s really best when fresh!
- Refrigerate and cover leftovers. Reheats extremely well in the microwave or in a saucepan. Will keep for up to a few days, but best when fresh.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
ct says
Sorry- but this dip didn’t taste like queso at all, even with 5 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. It was also greyish-green. Maybe if you add lots of salsa and chilli powder you can make it taste of something, but it was pretty bland even with half a can of green chilis. I had to add a lot of salt.
The texture was good, but the recipe as it needs a little help.
We are sorry this recipe wasn’t a winner for you! Better luck with the next one :)
Ashley says
I followed the directions and ended up with a yellowish-gray sauce that reminded me more of baby food than cheese. It turned greenish-gray after about 20 mins. The cumin was way over powering. It was pretty disgusting. Not for us.
Alyssa T. says
Is there a way to do alfredo version of this ?
We have something similar- our Vegan Caramelized Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe. Hope that helps!
Necoe says
My daughter loved the cheese dip and asked if I thought I could make it into Alfredo sauce. Challenge accepted! I swapped the cumin and other nacho spices for oregano and basil. I think it needs less than the teaspoon each. Also went array with 3 T yeast. Super yummy!! Even the critical hubs loved it!!
Melissa says
This is delicious!! Not like queso….but good in a different way, if that makes sense ? I did make some minor substitutions/adjustments… I used cashew milk because I didn’t have any almond milk …. used only about 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast .
.. smoked paprika… red pepper flakes and extra of everything spice wise cause that is my family’s preferences….no other reason. Used some of it in a baked macaroni and cheese dish with salsa,corn, and black beans….delicious! Used some of it for regular queso …. yum!! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us ….. I never would have thought to use eggplant!!! Genius!!
Theresa says
Do you have a substitute for the nutritional yeast, I am allergic to it
Hi Theresa! We don’t have a sub for nutritional yeast, but you can leave it out and up the amount of spices we list. It won’t be as cheesy though!
Dr. Beth R Dupree says
5 cooked garbanzo beans and 1/4 to half tsp soy saucs
Jo says
I made this tonight since my daughter and I are both dairy free. I need to tweak the spices-maybe a little spicier next time-but it’s really good! Very creamy! I did have trouble “skinning” the eggplant, but most of the skin came off pretty easily. Wondering if I should have let it steam longer? Broil longer? We really liked it and will make it again! We had nachos with veggie chili and this queso! Thank you!
Paul says
Needless to say I did not read all comments. There are way too many but I am curious has any of the commenters actually tried the recipe? It has a five star rating based on its appearance and ingredients but no actual rating for taste. I can not go by “wow, I need to try this” as a real 5 star rating. It does not qualify. Thanks
DG says
This does not taste like cheese or queso. However, it is a Mexican style dip that tastes good. I think it tastes exactly like her green chile mac n cheese recipe. Many of the ingredients are the same, except for eggplant instead of cashews. It is good if you are not expecting a queso flavor.
Bex says
What should I set my oven temperature to? I dont have a high broiler setting.
Thanks!
Dianshan Ee says
Would this work without adding liquid(milk) and turn it into a normal vegan cheese instead of queso dip?
The end result would just be a thicker dip.
Vicky says
I’ve made several of your recipes, notably the arepas, and thoroughly enjoyed them all. I also really love the music you choose for your videos. I’m a New Orleans girl and I know good food and music!
Shawn says
We are not vegan but have a friend that’s is vegan coming to a party and wanted to have some things for her to eat. We didn’t really get a cheese flavor from this, but we both liked it. I am sure our friend will as well. Thank you for this recipe.
Em says
I just wanted to say, I think it’s amazing and so kind and respectful of you to do something like this for a vegan friend. ?
Kristen says
Velvety is the perfect word for this recipe! The only change I made was to substitute plain nutritional yeast for Pop Zest’s Vegan Artisan Cheese Nutritional Yeast Seasoning. Yummy ?
Ktloo says
Taste was ok- nothing like cheese. The color and consistency looked nothing like the picture. Diuretic. As other people pointed out, the color was gray… it did go nicely with a black bean corn tortilla taco, but no way would I serve this as a dip. Very time consuming too with the egg plant prep… I folllowed the recipe exactly.
Jan says
It has been cold and rainy here so on Friday I made the 1-pot red lentil chili. I got the awesome idea today to make a frito pie using this cheese. I must say, best idea I have ever had in my LIFE! I recently made the decision to go vegan due to health concerns and I will say, your site has made the transition so much easier and I am finding that many of your recipes (this queso dip included) taste better than the meat/dairy versions!
Carol Logan says
I am lazy so thought I’d try a shortcut. (Never made the original so I can’t compare it). Am also on a low FODMAP, and nut free diet so needed to change it anyway.
1. Sliced 1 largish aubergine, oiled slices both sides and baked at 220C for 40 minutes till golden.( NB did not pretreat the aubergine with salt. Did not get a bitter flavour.)
2. Removed only some bits of skin that had gone dry.
3. Put the remainer (including lots of skin) into food processor with 3 rounded tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 level tsp ground cumin, 1/2 level tsp asafoetida powder (Schwartz brand which is a blend- this is to replace the garlic ), large pinch of extra strong chilli powder and sea salt to taste. Whizzed still smooth.
4. Absolutely yummy – no milk, thickener or anything else needed so once the aubergine is cooked it takes 5 minutes to make. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
When the oven was on to bake the aubergines, I was baking potatoes at the same time.
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Carol!
Mary says
When I saw this I knew I had to make it…NOW. Not surprisingly, it was as good as it looked! I was oohing and aahing when my 16-year-old son came into the kitchen. I said,” you have to try this queso dip. ” Having tried some of my less successful food swaps, he was on to me. “Mom. That is not cheese. It is not going to taste like cheese.” I pushed him to try. He took one bite and his eyes lit up. “OH. MY. GOD. Mom this is amazing!” He began to take my bowl away and I panicked….maybe I didn’t want him to like it–more for me! Since then I have made it several times, my boys ask for it when their friends are over and I even had one mom text me–“Can you send me your dip recipe? My son was raving about it!” Thank you for making eating good foods so incredibly tasty!
Whoop! We are so glad to hear that, Mary! :D
Don Urban says
I made this in about 10 minutes (minus the cooking time) and splashed it all over tonights nachos. IT IS AMAZING!
Love your vegan pesto and now love this! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Ashley says
I really want to try this but I cant have salsa due to tomato intolerance. Any recommendations for me? Thank you!
Hmm I’m not sure, Ashley! The salsa is pretty key to the recipe but if you experiment with swaps, report back on how it goes!
LeAnn Lewis says
I know this comment is a bit dated, but if you’re still looking for ideas you could try adding in some green chili’s and lime. You could also use a chipotle pepper or roasted jalapeños.
Karma says
i am allergic to eggplant and carrot, so that really limits my vegan cheese options. do you think i could use zucchini in place of eggplant?
Hmm I’m not sure that would work, but if you give it a try, report back on how it goes. Good luck!
LeAnn says
I have used thinly sliced zucchini and minced garlic as a base for a pizza before. It was creamy and delicious. I’ve also seen zucchini “ganoush” recipes that mimic the eggplant version because the texture is similar.
Definitely worth a try!
Mommaof3 says
So excited to try this recipe! Eggplant is much more economical that cashews! My family is gonna love this!
Thank you Dana for all of your AWESOME recipes! You ROCK!
Cathy says
Made this today, it was amazing. I didn’t get a great orange color but the taste and texture are really good. Thank you!
Leslie says
After finding out last week that Cheese is now a big no-no for me, I found this recipe and tried it out! I was very pleasantly surprised. This recipe was so good, that I decided to review it on my blog! I will definitely be making this again and again!
Tesh says
I used this to make a vegan version of hamburger helper. It is SO good!!
SHARON GOODFELLOW says
I ahve a very dumb question, because Ive never used eggplant for anything; when you say 7-9 rounds of eggplant, does that mean I need 7-9 eggplants or I need to cut my eggplant into 7-9 pieces that are just under 1/2”? I know, dumb question. I want to make tonight since I have about 10 people coming over and they’re all vegan. Thanks!!!
Hi Sharon! You guessed right – we mean 7-9 slices (cross-sections, if you will) of eggplant not 7-9 eggplants. Hope this helps!
Sarah says
As a vegan with a cashew allergy, I am SO EXCITED TO TRY THIS.
We hope you love it, Sarah!
Jody Copp says
Im doing the happy dance in my kitchen……this tastes sooooooooooo good. I would recommend the whole world to try..NOT KIDDING!
Thankyou so much
We are so glad you enjoyed it, Jody!
Calgal says
I made this tonight exactly as written but I’m not a big fan. I even tried doctoring it up with smoked paprika, Himalayan sea salt, and some hot sauce. I used the drained salsa option and even thickened it up with some tapioca starch. I think my heart just belongs to cashew-based cheese as it’s so much creamier and richer.
We are sorry this recipe wasn’t a winner for you! Better luck with the next one :)
calgal says
I made this tonight and can’t quite decide if I like it or not. I made it as written, but doctored it up with some smoked paprika, salt, some hot sauce and I used the drained salsa option. I even thickened it with a bit of tapioca starch. I think I’m just obsessed with cashew-based queso and this doesn’t have the richness or creaminess of that. I do like this version better than potato-based queso, and is a good option for people who can’t have cashews or want a fat-free queso dip.
Sena McCarthy says
Delish!
Rosalie says
Would roasting the eggplant in an air fryer work?
We haven’t tried and can’t say for sure. If you give it a try, report back on how it goes!
Brandy says
This is my new favorite queso recipe, and I have tried a LOT since giving up dairy last year. Perfect for nachos, pasta and baked potatoes! Just make it!
Erin says
I’m convinced you are incapable of creating a bad recipe! I was, like, ‘eggplant? No way is this gonna be awesome’. Yet…. I was proven wrong! This is sooooooooo good!!!! Keep those recipes coming! They’re magic!
So kind, Erin!
Elaina says
Best vegan queso I’ve ever made! Taste is spot-on, but for some reason mine was more of a grayish brownish color and didn’t have the appearance of queso. Didn’t look appetizing at all but was delicious. Reheats well in the microwave.
Anna says
Can you substitute cashews for the eggplant, or zucchini? thanks!!
Hi Anna! Instead, you may be interested in our Roasted Jalapeño Vegan Queso which already includes cashews. Hope this helps!
sarah says
SO FREAKING DELICIOUS!!!
Yay!
Josée Bayeur says
What is Rotel?
Hi Josée! Rotel is a brand of diced tomatoes and green chilies! Feel free to use another brand if need be!
Josée Bayeur says
Thank you.
Mari says
I was so looking forward to this but the result was awful. I live abroad and maybe it’s the kind of nutritional yeast they sell here, because that was the awful part of it. Do you have any suggestions to what to use instead? Im not vegan, I just like eating vegan food every now and then so Im willing to try use any substitute.
Hi Mari! We are sorry to hear that this recipe did not turn out for you. We love this brand of nutritional yeast and have had success with it.
Mona says
You are a food genius!! Seriously! I’m so glad I found your site, it has been a life saver.
So kind! We are glad the site has been helpful for you!
Celia says
Definitely trying this!
WZ says
OMG this was amazing. I added extra nutritional yeast. The color was yellow but a bit more dull than what is pictured here. This recipe has helped me in my decision to eat vegan for most meals (eventually all meals) as I do get cravings for queso but it makes me feel nasty afterward. This is ultimately creamy and veggie-packed. I made nachos several nights in a row with silken tofu sour cream, Quorn chik’n (not vegan, be warned– has egg whites, learned after buying which was a good lesson to double check), peach salsa, cilantro, beans, tomatoes.. yum.
Yay! Thanks for sharing! :D
um says
just a thought – add some turmeric to retain/enhance the yellow color
terri carroll says
Is it real runny without the addition of a grain based thickener. I ask because I’m doing keto. It looks great, thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Terri! We do recommend using a thickener of some kind of not cornstarch as the dip is definitely more runny without!
Ruth says
Wow I always wanted to know how to make this recipe and I love it, I will surely try it. Can I try and roast it instead of baking It? Pls reply cause I want to try it today since I have the ingredients.
I think that would work!
Teresa says
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Just one side comment … I love your recipes, but your website it SO SLOW. Is it all the advertisements. I hope this could be sped up somehow. Thanks!
Hi Teresa! We are sorry to hear that. What browser and device are you viewing from?
Marisol Mendoza says
Usually love your recipes, but quite disappointed. Mine was brow/tan, too much cumin flavor(hard to reverse). I’m in Texas, so maybe queso different up north?
Elijah says
‘Tis good, thank you :)
Yay!
Soph says
Soooo Good! I used minimalist baker’s recipes like nearly eary day no joke. I used coconut milk for this recipe because I ran out of almond AND soy milk and it still turned out yummy. The sauce was a little thin for mine so I would recommend using a little more cornstarch if you use coconut milk because it will turn out thinner if not. Flavour wise there wasn’t a huge coconut aftertaste because the nooch masks it up. Def gonna make again. Thanks for being such a lifesaver for vegan late night dinners!!!
Thanks for sharing your subs, Soph! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe! :D
Lucie says
Not quite as cheesy or flavorful as I was hoping, but was still great served fresh.
Vicky says
I’ve just finished making this and eating some for the second time…oh yum! I’m not vegan, but I’m veggie and mostly dairy free. I wanted to give this a try because I like Queso in a jar (there’s only one kind available in the UK as far as I can tell), but it’s loaded with junk that’s awful for your body. So I wasn’t expecting this to taste like real queso, but wow. The verdict? So good that I crave it! Thank you, Dana!!!
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Vicky!
Nicole says
My husband made this for me for our 27th Anniversary!! So so delicious! So nice to enjoy a warm comfort food on a 25 degree day in Wisconsin during April. I’m tired of cold dips… this one hits the spot!
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Nicole! Happy 27th Anniversary! :D
Reshmi says
lovely, great recipe…
Sarah says
I made this queso tonight to go on top of some sweet potato nachos. The queso was so good I started dancing when eating it. After dinner I caught my husband eating it right out of the pot on the stove. We loved it!
Tina says
I love you but I am so sorry I hated this recipe! The spices overpower and it didn’t taste like cheese to me at all. The color was offputting but the texture was ok. I’ll still to cashew “cheese” for now.
Sorry it wasn’t a favorite, Tina.. Better luck with the next recipe!
Laura says
I added turmeric for a yellow appearance. I made it with less spices for more of a plain all-purpose cheese sauce. It’s great for Mac and cheese! Must add more eggplant to the shopping list…
Thanks for sharing your changes, Laura!
Edith Oh says
I made it. Follow the recipe. It does not taste like cheese. It tastes like curry. What was it supposed to taste like? What went wrong?
Hi Edith! I am not sure what went wrong, but there is no curry powder in the recipe so that shouldn’t be the case. It should be cheesy and creamy, but unless you added an ingredient or changed the recipe, I am not sure what happened. If you have any other info, let us know and we’ll do our best to help out!
Edith says
I found out what it was. I’ve been eating a lot of Indian curry recently and I now know the taste of their spices. I asked one of the doctors I work with, which is Indian, and he said they use cumin in their curries.
Charlene says
Our first try at making Vegan Queso and we enjoyed it. I followed the recipe and the texture was creamy. Flavor was tasty. Color did not resemble what was in the pictures but I will broil it for less time in the future and see if I can get it closer. Thanks for being so generous with your ideas!
MeganShannon says
Amazingly delicious! Thank you for being you and sharing your creativity!
Mallory says
I love the idea of this recipe Dana! I was wondering however if you had any suggestions for those who are allergic to all nuts? (A good substitute for the almond milk) thanks! :)
Perhaps try rice milk instead?
Kelly says
This recipe didn’t quite work for me. We enjoyed this dip and thought it would be tasty on vegetables, but my husband couldn’t give it his stamp of queso authenticity (to be fair, his family basically is the “when queso is life” meme). My attempt was also not at all yellow, but the same brown as the brewers yeast. Maybe I’ll try adding turmeric next time.
Krysten says
OOOOOOOO GIRL!!!! I made this last night. I read some of the comments regarding people not liking it. I tried it anyway and I am glad I did! I have no idea why anyone wouldn’t like this. Trust me guys, it is delicious! My husband is the biggest carnivore I know and he ate 5 plates of this over some rice. Read that again. FIVE PLATES OF IT. He loved it. My kids wanted more, so I made another double batch thinking I could save some. Uh no… gone. I made the recipe exactly as described and it turned out so perfect. The color is nice and cheesy-yellow looking. It has a very robust Spanish flavor and it is super creamy. Anyway, my family of 6 loved this! Great job!
Alicia says
Just made this for the first time and OMG it’s so good!! I am new to veganism and it blows my mind that I’m able to make a something as tasty, creamy, and bingeable as nacho cheese but way healthier! Much better than cashew cheeses I’ve tried.
Bill Dauz says
I have made this twice now and it was fantastic! After I went vegan, I thought I would never enjoy the cheeses again! Well, I stand corrected! This would hold up to even non-vegan standards.
Elaine says
Dana, I have been enjoying your recipes and waited until the weekend to try this one. I’m Mexican-American and was so drawn to the idea of queso. It ended up being a tad labor intensive (still working on cooking). I did use arrowroot in lieu of cornstarch. Thickness was fine. I used the Rotel and everything. My cumin is from a spice store. Mine was overwhelmed by the taste of the cumin and did not resemble cheese. I measured everything carefully. Mine never looked yellow.
Christina says
Thank you for making a no-nut cheesy recipe!!! I cook all vegan, but I have a daughter who is extremely allergic to cashews, pecans, walnuts, and sesame, which I find very limiting. I can’t wait to whip this up. You are responsible for many fave recipes at my house!
Susie says
This didn’t turn out well for me either. I really wanted to like it because I love eggplant. I followed the recipe exactly and the taste and color were totally off. It was somewhat salvaged by adding some salsa and green chilies. I wouldn’t say it was inedible, but definitely didn’t satisfy the queso craving. I’ve had better success with potato/carrot queso dips. I do love this blog and will keep trying out the recipes.
On a side note: I wish people would only rate recipes if they’ve made it. Most people have given this 5 stars because they like the ingredients or are excited to make it. I really wish there was a way to sift through comments so I could read how people liked it (or successful medications) AFTER making it. This especially becomes a problem when you are viewing on your cell phone. Only after I decided to post this comment am I seeing some of the more negative reviews from people who made the recipe. Sorry to rant but this is such a common problem on food blogs….
Taylor says
I was SO delighted with this recipe! After reading some of the comments I was honestly a little hesitant as I’m not a whiz in the kitchen… but I’m so glad I tried it anyway! It was so tasty, the perfect consistency, and addictive! My husband and I both really enjoyed it. (The colour of mine turned out just as shown in the photos – so it was pretty to boot!) Dana your recipes consistently blow my mind.
Robert says
Making this and vegan Chile for new years 2018. Can’t wait. ☺️
Nothing tells the story of out with the old and in with the new like vegan Chile and cheese nachos and other plant based Mexican fair.
Caryn at Veggie Campus says
Dana, this recipe is brilliant! I had a vegetable sponge, which is like a mix between a zuke and an eggplant, so I used that. I also don’t have an oven, which meant I ‘roasted’ the vegetable sponge rounds in a pan (sans oil) to sorta dry it out. Also used soy milk because almond milk is hard to come by in Taiwan. That being said…wow! Still turned out amazing. I added a half of a fresh red chili pepper for more spice because my salsa was very mild. Loved this flavor so much – thank you!
Katie says
Made this today for vegan macaroni and cheese – excellent! Thanks for the recipe!
holly says
Thank you so much for sharing! I just made this dip for my first time and it turned out great! I used a spicier salsa and it gave it the perfect amount of kick! Can’t wait to make it again!
Kayla says
I made this today and was a bit hesitant as I don’t normally like eggplants. But let me tell you THIS WAS AMAZING!!! I’ve just started dabbling into vegan recipes and I must say this has satisfied my craving for queso! I did burn some of my eggplant while broiling(LOL) so I cut the recipe in half, but it was perfect for just myself. I did find that I didn’t get a bright yellow color either, it was kind’ve ugly to look at but extremely delicious! Great recipe thanks!
Dave says
Question: I am allergic to eggplant and I’m wondering if you have tried this recipe for cashew less cheese sauce using zucchini or butternut squash?
Dee says
I made this exactly as listed and it turned out bad. I ended up tossing it. I tried tweaking it with more nutritional yeast and more salsa and still was terrible. Not sure how yours turned out so orange because mine looked like a beige green cheese dip from 1972. Sorry to be harsh but I wasted a lot of nutch trying to salvage it.
Jordan says
Delicious! I only made half, but the recipe halved beautifully. Was fantastic with nacho chips. My omnivore mother liked it too! Win!
Jenny Engle says
This is a brilliant recipe. Great way to use up my windfall of CSA eggplants and suits my vegan daughter and non-vegan husband. Added a little sriracha for heat since I only had regular diced tomatoes.
Christine says
I’m always looking for vegan queso dip recipes but eggplant is one of the few things out there that I can’t stand. Will I taste the eggplant or is it really just used for consistency?
Hi Christine! It’s more for the consistency!
Shawn says
so you salt the egg plant to get out the moisture. then you rinse with water….? am I missing something here?
Hi Shawn! That is correct and to draw out the bitterness as well!
Wendy says
Thank you so much for this. As a vegan who is highly allergic to cashews, I’ve been struggling all the great recipes out there, especially creamy sauces and cheeses. This gives me hope. I can’t wait to try it!!
Christina Kruk says
The only time I have ever had eggplant I found it slimy and uninteresting. I hope you’re right about this cause I DO count calories (or at least I consider them. lol)
Im wondering if this would make a good topping, in a more liquid fashion, for pasta? I cannot have tomato or onion and very little garlic. Right now I make a rue and then a white sauce add cream cheese and sometimes a little mozza (cant have too much cheese) and then I freeze it in single serving bags.
It would be nice to have a change (Im so dying for some variety in my food).
Do you think this would freeze and then reheat well?
Hi Christina! It should work as a pasta topping! I would freeze it in small batches in jars and it will reheat beautifully in the microwave. Or, put it in the fridge to thaw and transfer to a saucepan to reheat. Hope this helps!
Christina Kruk says
thanks.
This is all so new to me and it’s great that I can try stuff that you (or other) have already perfected.
Leanne Nichols says
Recipe worked great for me. Felt like I was eating junk food (in the best way). Made it for nonvegans and they loved it, too.
Laura Jarrell says
Hi! I love this recipe and I’m cooking out of your cookbook a lot these days! I especially love cheese-y things. I recently unpacked my fondue pot from before I was vegan. Have you ever used any of your cheeses as a fondue?
Stacey Zebrowski says
This is an amazing idea! I really miss fondue. This just might do the trick! Thanks for posting.
Melissa says
Made this today – very happy with the results. Thank you for thinking up such a great vegan alternative. It’s nice to indulge in something that is tasty and healthy!
Anna Clements says
Love the idea and was very excited! Confused because the pics you show do not help us see the rotel/tomatoes mixed in…did you blend these? I wanted to love this, but mine came out like a vegan gravy–a great accomplishment, but not what I was looking for! Maybe I had a glitch with the spices, the color was not even close to yours.
Renee says
This looks great! I will try it.
One comment I’d like to make is when you roast the eggplant, by first enclosing/wrapping it in parchment paper and then the foil, the issue of aluminum contacting the food is avoided. Food will uptake some of the aluminum when heated.
Jasmine says
Where is the turmeric at (to solve the color deterioration)?! Very creative and inspiring. Thank you.
JD says
How does is compare to the potato and carrot based cheese sauces?
Tara says
I just made this and it was the bomb! I tweaked it a little because I had macadamia milk instead of almond on hand, tapioca starch instead of cornstarch 1/2 tsp of chipotle seasoning I got at TJ Maxx and 1/2 tsp of taco seasoning from trader joes. I had a large eggplant and I decided to blend half of the peeled and roasted eggplant in the queso mix and the other half I chopped up and added to the mix as it was heating in my saucepan. The 1/4 cup of the rotel added a kick and instead of chips I put it on top of rice. This recipe is very versatile and I can see this as a great sauce to dress up other dishes like ratatouille. Thank you Dana!
Katarina says
Calling this eggplant soup “cheese” is ridiculous. We are vegans and making all sorts of non-dairy cheese all the time, but this one was the biggest disappointment so far…
Jordan says
She included how to thicken the recipe!
Whitney says
Hi all!
I made this tonight and it turned out alright…BUT I really thought I’d get more of a smoky flavour from the eggplant. I really can’t taste the smoke/texture/taste of the eggplant at all.
I think I followed the eggplant section to a T. Any suggestions? Did others get a smoky/eggplant taste?
Thanks!
Whitney
Veggie Val says
This was AWESOME! I’m oil free so I just left out the oil, added a little yellow miso and boy oh boy was this FANTASTIC ?! I have found a use for my bumper crop of ? ??????.
Clara says
I made this and it never had a golden hue color. Just the color of the almond milk really. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Clara! We added A LOT of nutritional yeast which amped up the color. Paprika helps boost the color, too. Perhaps that was the issue? Hope you still enjoyed it!
Clara says
WE loved it! Made nachos twice and tonight made black bean enchiladas adding this cheese. It was super yummy! Thank you so much!!
GG says
So flavorful and delicious! So grateful for this. Completely giving up dairy is know actually doable!
Amanda says
Cannot wait to try this! The kids and I are going all vegan so it’s been quite a trip! Amanda
Kathryn says
Yes! Please continue to post more nut-free recipes!! :)
Carolyn McDaniel says
I made this last night for family and friends. It turned out really good. I didn’t find the need to make the slurry. I just used less almond milk than the recipe called for. I only had a jar of salsa so I used 1/4 cup instead of Rotel. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Carol Dunlop says
Lordy ! This queso is to die for !!! I don’t even like eggplant, but this works . I may eat the entire bowl right now . Thank you !!!!!
Sarah says
I followed the recipie to t! Came out like a beige colour and wasn’t as cheesy as I had hoped. I even added a little extra of the yeast. Oh well!
Eleanor Dillon says
Can you leave an approximate weight of the eggplant? I have lots of miniature ones I’d like to use for this. :)
carolyn says
She says a cup of eggplant in the recipe.
Danielle @ Delightful Mom Food says
Looks so creamy and delicious! What a great idea!