This Quick Vegan Queso is creamy and flavorful without any of the dairy! Enjoy this Tex Mex inspired recipe as a snack with chips, as a nacho cheese sauce, or in a quesadilla!
Recipes like this Quick Vegan Queso make it easy to go dairy-free! This recipe satisfies that cheesy craving while allowing us to stay fully plant-based. Win win!
This is a substitute-style recipe and is highly inspired by traditional queso, but obviously it won't taste 100% the same. However it satisfies that queso craving by providing a similar experience! It's got an ooey gooey texture, a cheesy Tex Mex inspired flavor, and pairs deliciously with tortilla chips.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a more nutritious, dairy-free version of a Tex Mex classic! Cashews replace traditional dairy in this recipe, providing us with a creamy texture but keeping things plant based!
- It's quick to make! This recipe is just a matter of blending things together and then heating them on the stovetop to thicken.
- It's versatile! This Quick Vegan Queso can be used as a dip, as a vegan nacho cheese sauce, or even as the filling for a vegan quesadilla. You could even go a non-Tex-Mex route and use it on baked potaotoes. The possibilities are endless!
Key Ingredients
- Cashews: cashews a great dairy substitute, because they get nice and creamy when you soak and blend them!
- Arrowroot flour: our magic ingredient. This is going to thicken our sauce so that it is the delicious cheesy queso consistency we are looking for.
- Garlic, lemon juice, and a bunch of seasonings: for yummy cheesey & Tex Mex flavors!
- Salsa: this gets mixed in towards the end of the recipe for that extra Tex Mex flare. Any salsa will do - just pick your favorite!
How to Make Quick Vegan Queso
This one requires your cashews to soak for 20-30 minutes, but after that it all comes together very quickly!
- Soak your cashews.
- Blend cashews and other ingredients so that they are smooth.
- Heat your mixture until it gets thick and mix in your salsa.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- I know it seems annoying to soak your cashews, but don't skip the soaking! Soaking them is what allows them to blend up and get creamy. No one wants chunky queso!
- When heating your queso on the stovetop, it will feel like you are stirring thin soup at first. This is normal! As it heats the arrowroot will activate and will start to thicken - just be patient!
Serving Suggestions
- You can serve this as a dip with chips, fries, or even veggies! Serving it this way is perfect for a snack or an appetizer.
- Use this as a sauce! This is perfect for a burrito bowl, nachos, baked potatoes, or even loaded fries!
- The consistency of this makes it perfect for quesadillas! You can make a simple quesadilla with just this queso and a tortilla, or you can get fancy with my Jackfruit Quesadillas!
Substitutions & Variations
- If you are unable to find arrowroot flour, the next best option is tapioca flour! This gives your queso a slightly different consistency, but overall it still works!
- Note that different salsas will create different flavors! You can use a spicy salsa if you want some heat, or a mild one to keep it chill.
- Pico de Gallo is also an optional replacement for the salsa. This doesn't incorporate as many flavors into the queso itself, but gives some fun textures and extra chunks of veg. The "Super Quick Salsa" recipe from my ebook is somewhere between a Pico and a true salsa, and it also works great!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe is oil-free and made with minimally processed ingredients, making it WFPB friendly!
This Quick Vegan Queso has a base of cashews, which blend up to be a creamy texture. We also use arrowroot powder, which thickens our queso to give it a cheesier consistency. To achieve a cheesy flavor, it uses nutritional yeast and other seasonings.
Yes! To reheat, just stir in another tablespoon or two of water, then warm it over medium heat on the stovetop. Stir constantly until smooth.
Other Tex Mex Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Quick Vegan Queso
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews - soaked in very hot water for 20-30 minutes (OR in room temperature water overnight)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon arrowroot flour* - (also called arrowroot starch or arrowroot powder)
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salsa of choice
- Optional toppings: diced tomato, cilantro, or a couple extra spoonfuls of salsa
Instructions
- Drain your soaked cashews.
- Add all ingredients except your salsa into a high powered blender. Blend on high until very smooth (This typically takes 1-2 minutes in my Vitamix).
- Pour your blended mixture into a small saucepan and stir constantly as you bring it to medium-high heat on the stovetop. When you first pour in your mixture it will be very runny. After a couple of minutes it will start to form small clumps and then begin to thicken. Once it starts thickening, add in your salsa and continue stirring. Once your salsa is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and cheesey, remove from heat. This entire stovetop process should take about 3-5 minutes.
- Top with extra optional toppings if desired. Enjoy however you wish!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your queso-making ways.
Stay jouyfully balanced!
SM says
This is officially my favorite vegan queso. I make it all the time
Delaney Marie says
Reading this made my day! I'm so glad you like it!
Kimberly says
I have tapioca flour and would like to use is as a sub for the arrowroot. Is is a 1:1 sub? Thank you in advance.
Delaney Marie says
Hi Kimberly! I have also used tapioca flour in place of the arrowroot before with a 1:1 sub. The consistency wasn't quite the same as the arrowroot, but overall it did the trick! 🙂 Happy cooking!