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!
__
This 5-ingredient queso is a hall of fame recipe. So unbelievably, irresistibly delicious. What’s more, it’s:
- GreatĀ 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 cheeseĀ (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 isĀ 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.Ā 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. ThisĀ 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!
I just used this to make a casserole and it was amazing. It’s great that I can sneak in an extra veggie and a serving of nuts with some protein pasta and broccoli! I did add chicken and greek yogurt which seems wrong because it’s a plant based recipe but hey it was delicious.
I just got my first Vitamix ever! Where have I been!
First recipe out of the gate was the green drink. I substituted green tea for almond milk and for my spice loving friends I added to a hot pepper.. so good. Now for the queso my second recipe. My friend is sitting next to me in aw that the Vitamix made the dip hot. He wants to know how it is possible to taste like cheese. Iām not sure I will be getting any. He grabbed the whole bowl and isnāt sharing š.
I would say your recipes are winners and the Vitamix well itās what makes your recipes so good! Worth every penny. Thank you for all your recipes.
Keep sharing! It’s worth it even if you don’t get any š
Love this recipe. Could I sub cashew mix (creamy version) for the almond milk ?
Made this tonight for my book club. Everyone raved about it and went back for more! They couldnāt believe it was dairy free. Definitely a repeat recipe.
I made it for my book club last week too!
Thank you for the recipe. Is there a substitution for the bell peppers? It is not healthy for me.
The bell pepper really is the star of the show here. There are lots of other dairy-free queso recipes online that don’t use them though!
My 17 year old daughter asked for this for her birthday party. You are a miracle worker.
Stop! We’re so popular š¤£
I have made a LOT of cheez sauces, and Iāve truly enjoyed each for their own reasons, but this one?? This is it right here!! Our only problem is I think it may be gone before my veggies get done cooking!!!! Canāt thank you guys enough for everything you do!!!! š¤©š¤©š¤©š¤©š¤©
Now THAT’S what we like to hear!
Absolutely delicious! I will make this over and over!
It’s on replay over here too š
Hey just found this wonderful recipe.
I am only concerned about the high level of salt. 8g with a daily consumption recommendation of 5g.
Yes you might not eat all of it alone but the high sodium lvl is concerning.
Or is the salt lvl wrong?
This recipe does call for 8g (1.5 tsp) of salt, but we have tried it with less and it’s still delicious.
I am so excited to make this. I only got my very frost vitamix yesterday and Iāve used it 5 times already š³
Today I made your banana bread flavoured but butter. Omg. The kids were eating by the spoonful! I can not get over how smooth it comes out! (Although I never managed to get it moving its self. I just kept whacking it with the tamper)
Okay my questionā¦. I have the vitamix 2300i which doesnāt have a soup functionā¦..
can I still use my vitamix for this recipe?
Iām very new to how to use the vitamix lol.
Thankyou!
Hi Lexa, Yes, 100%. Just run it on Variable Speed 10 for 5:30. Enjoy and share with friends!
Hi. I made this yesterday in my basic Vitamix but it never produced steam on 10. But after heating it up in a saucepan on medium low it was perfect. I made loaded vegan nachos with vegan chorizo, beans, pickled jalapeƱos, red onions etc.
Everyone loved them including my husband who hates vegan. No one knew my secret ingredients.
The end result sounds delicious! If you run your machine on high for about 6 minutes with the lid on tightly you should definitely get some steam!
Love making this! I have the e-book and the weight for the 1/4 C of nutritional yeast is 60g, but online the weight measurement is 20g. We usually use 60g, but not sure which is correct.
It’s 20g, thanks for letting us know!
Love your version of this dip!!! Since I first tried it about 6 months ago, I have been making it regularly. It freezes beautifully, too. Thank you!
Heyhey! Thanks Vardit! Yeah, we still make it weekly and often serve it for kids dinner!
Bad thing on nutritional yeast. It contains MSG and there is a claim it’s not vegan. Bummer. Here’s an interesting article: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/health-and-nutrition/healthy-living-health-and-nutrition/why-nutritional-yeast-is-not-vegan-health-food/
I do prefer unfortified for smell and taste purposes, but I donāt agree with all that was in that article you linked. If you feel better keeping your diet nooch free, more power to you, but Iāll happily enjoy my unfortified goodness. Have a great day!
Cashew Queso recipe has been around forever. You make it sound like you invented it. Your spin on the recipe is like others I’ve tried. And Cashew Queso is all good. Makes everyone happy