This Vegan Nacho Cheese Dip may be the best Vitamix recipe ever
New and exciting! This recipe is part of our new diet plan: 1k30. Check it out!
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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, especially if you’re looking for a cheesy dinner for kids!)
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.
Note: Vitamix has an adapted version of our queso. Their version is quite watery, especially compared to ours.
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.
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
Legendary, dairy-free queso cheese dip with a kick!
Almonds, Cashews, Nutritional Yeast, Red Bell Pepper,Ingredients:
- almond milk - 1 cup (240 mL)
- nutritional yeast - 1/4 cup (20 g)
- raw almonds - 1/2 cup (70 g)
- raw, unsalted cashews - 1/2 cup (65 g)
- red bell pepper (de-seeded) - 1 whole
- 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:
- Add liquid ingredients to your Vitamix.
- Then add rest of ingredients.
- Start blender on low, ramp to high.
- Blend on high for 6 minutes (or use preprogrammed ‘Soup’ setting).
- Snap a pic and tag #lifeisNOYOKE
- 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!
Lucy is so cute!! She definitely wanted a bite of that chip with queso 😉
Confirmed: Raw broccoli super good when dipped into this (hot or cold!).
I just made this and it is AMAZING!!!
Not that this lasts long… but in the event that there is some left over; how long can it be refrigerated? Or how far in advance can you make it and store. My entire family LOVES this recipe!
It’s good for 2-3 days after making it. But as you say, how often does it actually last that long? 🙂
http://myfoodcanvas.weebly.com/blog/the-7-layer-vegan-burrito
I used this recipe to make burritos and mentioned them in my blog. Great way to introduce alternative vegan flavors.
Looks great! 🙂
Just dialed this up, used it to make kosh chicken quesadillas! Sick. Will be a staple moving forward.
Wait, I thought there were only suppose to be 4 ingredients? Did I get the wrong 9 ingredient recipe?
Well, I don’t really count simple spices (like garlic powder, salt, etc) as ingredients. 🙂
Made it. Ate it with Red Hot Blues chips. SO delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Steph!
So glad you made it (and left a comment to make it official!).
Haven’t heard of Red Hot Blues chips, but they sound…primary?
Are you in Hawaii forever?
My sister is vegan and is visiting this weekend. I am going to attempt top make this as an appetizer in my new Vitamix 🙂 Looks delicious!
Do it.
And don’t be shy with the crushed red pepper. Makes it all worth it.
thankyou sooo much ..lol i saw a few of your videos .. i got a blendtec classic for a product review the other day . at first i tried to get the vitamix they said no ..lol but im happy with my blendtec.. i enjoy your videos please make soup when you can .. thankyou
Soup? Okay, you got it! I’ve tried to get the soup thing down to a science. Seems like they’re more complicated (and require more ingredients) than they’re demonstrated. Plus, there’s a million variations. Anyway, once I hone in on a “easiest, healthiest, quickest” version, I’ll put one up.
I appreciate the suggestion, Jennifer.
thankyou sooo much ..lol i saw a few of your videos .. i got a blendtec classic for a product review .. at first i troed to get the vitamix they said no ..lol but im happy with my blendtec.. i enjoy your videos
Yeah, I have a Blendtec classic in the “testing-zone.” It’s a solid machine — especially since you can get one for about $300. And you can’t beat the warranty.
Thanks, my videos are silly. Glad you don’t take ’em too seriously. 🙂
Hi Heather,
Thanks for the heads up. After all that writing about nutritional yeast and talking about it in the video, it would be an ingredient, right?
Added it to the ingredient list just now. It’s undoubtedly the most important ingredient. 🙂
Thanks again!
Nutritional Yeast is not on the ingredients’ list. Is it needed for the queso? Sounds delicious! I’m saving for a blender, and I will definirely try this when I am able to buy mine.