The delicious, irresistible, and now legendary Cashew Queso

This 5-ingredient queso is a hall of fame recipe. So unbelievably, irresistibly delicious. What’s more, it’s:

• Great hot or cold
• Lasts for days.
• So, so easy to make and clean up.

And yes friends, it’s dairy-free (and therefore vegan).

It’s cashew queso. And if there’s a recipe that will have you fall in love with Life is NOYOKE or fantastic vegan food or your Vitamix, it’s this.

Let’s talk about how this cashew queso came to be.

Looking back: The story of Cashew Queso

You know those little moments in history that, today, look like turning points?

Creating cashew queso was a turning point for me (and Life is NOYOKE).

• A signature recipe.
• The return of cheese (after going 100% dairy free).
• A fabulous, non-smoothie use for my Vitamix.

Oh, and the discovery of Nutritional Yeast. A key ingredient in several of our best recipes.

But arguably the most life-changing impact of creating this cashew queso? Publishing this YouTube video; one of my first.

Thousands of people have made this cashew queso

Here are a few comments I’ve received when offering samples to my friends:

• “Can you just leave the bowl with me?”
• “It has a serious kick. Wow!”
• “It’s not cheese, but who cares!”

But here was my personal favorite:

“I can’t eat that. I just lost 50 lbs and now eat super clean…Oh, really? It is super clean? Oh wow. Let me try!”

And everybody asked what was in it. Raw cashews, raw almonds, almond milk, a red pepper, and nutritional yeast. That’s it! Mix that together with some simple spices and you’re done.

The best part? Clean up is really easy, too.

“You should sell this!”

I know. I know.

My cashew queso is the best thing ever. And I should jar it and sell it.

But can I just show you how to make it?

Watch me make it (and get really excited about the steam)

Watch a kids video featuring this queso

Summary

We make this cashew queso weekly, religiously. It’s great as:

• A dip (for chips or veggies).
• A sauce (on tacos or pasta).
• A recipe base (beer cheese soup, for example).

There are a lot of dairy-free cheese recipes out there. This one is very minimalist.

And, of course, it tastes incredible (and has a nice little kick!).

Go make this, guys. Go make this right now.

Other Noteworthy Versions

• Detoxinista: Healthy queso dip
• Allyson Kramer: Quinoa and Black Beans with Cashew Queso
• Vegan Sparkles: Sizzling Veg Fajitas with Cashew Queso

Recipe

Cashew Queso

Print RecipePin Recipe

• Yield: 475 ml (2 cups)
• You're needed for: 3 minutes
• Until it's done: 6 minutes
• 4.9 out of 5 based on 17 user ratings
• Lenny Gale

Legendary, dairy-free queso cheese dip with a kick!

Ingredients:

• almond milk - 1 cup (240 mL)
• nutritional yeast - 1/4 cup (60 g)
• raw almonds - 1/2 cup (70 g)
• raw cashews - 1/2 cup (65 g)
• red bell pepper (de-seeded) - 1 whole
• kosher salt - 1.5 tsp (8 g)
• garlic powder - 1/2 tsp (1.5 g)
• onion powder - 1 tsp (2.5 g)
• crushed red pepper - a few shakes (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Add liquid ingredients to your Vitamix.
2. Then add rest of ingredients.
3. Start blender on low, ramp to high.
4. Blend on high for 6 minutes (or use preprogrammed ‘Soup’ setting).
5. Snap a pic and tag #lifeisNOYOKE
6. Be really happy.

NOTE: This recipe requires a Vitamix.

Useful tips for Cashew Queso

Biggest takeaway from this recipe? Don’t hesitate to make it. Every day without it is a day without (dairy-free) cheese!

Allergic to cashews? Substitute them with raw sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. Per our friend Andrew, this substitution works perfectly.

The queso will last refrigerated for up to a week.

Here are some more useful tips:

Take a picture of your cashew queso and tag #lifeisnoyoke. (Here's the original featured image from this recipe post.)

The nutritional yeast needs to say "nutritional." Any other type of yeast won't work. This non-GMO version from Whole Foods worked great. You can also buy it there in bulk (near the coffee and nuts).

I can't speak to dogs' ability to stomach this stuff. But Lucy liked it!

Serve with chips or sliced veggies. Just know it won't last long!