Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (2024)

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce is made with soaked, raw cashews, blended with water, nutritional yeast and spices; and warmed on the stove until it reaches nacho cheese perfection! Optional but good: Add Sriracha to taste or keep it mild for kids with sensitive palates. Serve nacho cheese sauce with chips, or even drizzle on steamed broccoli or baked potatoes!

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (1)

Last week, we ate at the Veggie Grill near us. Oh my goodness, I could eat there every day! Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the budget!), it’s a good 25 minutes away, so we really don’t get there often enough. We do live near Portland, THE Mecca for vegan food, but it’s far enough that with 3 kids and traffic, we rarely make it to the city for good vegan eats.

Anyhow, we got the nacho appetizer to share, and that’s when I started thinking about the fact that I really needed to up my nacho game. I was anxious to come home and try to re-create the nacho cheese sauce they had. It was SO good. And mild enough that I knew my kids would totally go for it.

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (2)

I do have a tried and true recipe on the blog for Vegan Queso Dip with Cashews that is somewhat similar to this one. It’s amazing and a real crowd pleaser, but it is quite spicy and has chunky tomatoes and green chiles in it, which my kids aren’t crazy about. It’s also thicker, and makes for a better dip with chips than a pourable sauce.

I hope you love this Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce! It’s:

  • Creamy and rich
  • Mild, but spice adjustable
  • Pourable; not too thick
  • Kid-friendly
  • Easy and Quick to prepare
  • Versatile: Enjoy with chips, on a baked potato or drizzle on steamed vegetables!

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (3)

Want more delicious vegan Mexican recipes? Try any of these:

Ultimate Fully Loaded Vegan Nachos

Cauliflower Walnut Mushroom Taco Meat

Sheet Pan Cauliflower Fajitas

Vegan Queso Dip with Cashews

Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

Instant Pot Spanish Rice

Instant Pot Refried Beans

If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment and tag a photo@noracooksveganon Instagram or find me on Facebook. Enjoy!

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”1AaDabKO” upload-date=”2020-04-30T14:30:58.000Z” name=”Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce” description=”Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, perfect for drizzling over tortilla chips, broccoli, baked potatoes and more!” player-type=”static”]

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (4)

4.95 stars (153 ratings)

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

This Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce is made from raw cashews, nutritional yeast and dried spices. It is quick to make, kid-friendly and perfect on chips, or even drizzled over steamed broccoli or a baked potato!

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw cashews
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
  • 4 cups water, divided, plus more as needed to thin
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional for color

Instructions

  • Soak the cashews: You can either do a quick soak, or soak the cashews for several hours or overnight. To quick soak, simply boil water in a tea kettle or on the stovetop, cover the cashews with the boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain.

  • Blend:In a high powered blender, add the cashews, lemon juice, 3 cups of the water, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and the salt. Add optional turmeric to make the cheese more yellow/orange.

  • Warm: In a medium saucepan, add the cheese sauce from the blender. Using a whisk, warm over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Add the last cup of water, depending on how thick or thin you want the sauce to be.

  • Add more salt to taste, and Sriracha if using, depending on your spice preference. If the cheese sauce sits for a while, or you refrigerate the leftovers, it will thicken. Simply warm it again on the stove, adding water as needed to thin. Serve over tortilla chips, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes and more.

Video

Notes

  1. Raw slivered almonds may be able to subbed for cashews, but they will need to be soaked very well. If you need a nut free cheese sauce, check out my Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce.
  2. You do really need a high powered blender for this cheese to get smooth and creamy. A food processor or regular blender just won't be able to get it very creamy. I use a Vitamix blender and love it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Nora Taylor

Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here.

About Nora

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Posted In: Appetizers, Cuisine, Gluten Free, Meal Type, Mexican-Inspired, Oil Free, Popular Posts, , Special Dietary Needs, Vegan Cheese, Vegan Ingredients

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Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan nacho cheese made of? ›

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce is made with soaked, raw cashews, blended with water, nutritional yeast and spices; and warmed on the stove until it reaches nacho cheese perfection! Optional but good: Add Sriracha to taste or keep it mild for kids with sensitive palates.

Is Taco Bell nacho cheese sauce vegan? ›

The sauce, which consists of a soy and chickpea base to replace the dairy components found in the traditional version, will also be available at Taco Bell locations nationwide. Nacho Fries with vegan Nacho Sauce is also the brand's first vegan menu item to get a national rollout, Taco Bell added in a news release.

What is nacho cheese sauce made of? ›

Butter and flour: This nacho cheese starts with a roux made of equal parts butter and all-purpose flour. Milk: You'll need a cup of whole milk. Cheese: For this classic nacho cheese recipe, opt for sliced processed American cheese. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the savory flavor of the nacho cheese.

What can I use to thicken cheese sauce? ›

For Smooth, Stable Cheese Sauces, Cornstarch and Evaporated Milk Are Your Friends.

What are three dominant ingredients in vegan cheese? ›

Common Ingredients in Dairy Free Cheese
  • Soy Based. Soy is unsurprisingly one of the most common bases for vegan cheeses—and is popular in many plant-based animal-product substitute. ...
  • Coconut. ...
  • Flour. ...
  • Tree Seeds and Nuts. ...
  • A Safer Alternative.
Apr 29, 2020

Is Taco Bell really vegan? ›

Aside from the Spicy Potato Soft Tacos, all tacos, soft and crunchy, can be vegan so long as you swap the meat for black or refried beans and leave off the cheese, sour cream, and chipotle sauce. Try the Crunchy Taco Supreme with beans instead of beef and load up on add-ons.

Are Doritos vegan nacho cheese? ›

These are arguably the most popular Doritos flavor, but are Nacho Cheese Doritos vegan? Unfortunately, the Nacho Cheese Doritos are not vegan. This product contains several dairy ingredients, including cheddar cheese, whey, buttermilk powder, Romano cheese, lactose, milk protein concentrate, milk powder, and skim milk.

What does the V mean on Taco Bell menu? ›

Taco Bell takes pride in its ability to adapt its dishes to vegetarian tastes and maintains a page on its website called Veggie Cravings, currently featuring 18 items marked with a green diamond with the letter “V,” meaning vegetarian. Nacho Fries do not carry the symbol.

What's the best melting cheese for nachos? ›

Choose a combination of cheeses for both flavor and meltability. A Monterey Jack cheese will have the oozy-melty quality sought after in the best nachos, while a standard sharp cheddar will offer a little tang.

What is the white stuff in nacho cheese? ›

They're most likely calcium lactate crystals, also known as “cheese crystals.” They are completely safe to eat, and usually signify that a cheese is flavorful and well-aged. Calcium lactate crystals form naturally during the aging process and are most commonly found in aged cheddars, including Smoked Medium Cheddar.

What keeps nacho cheese liquid? ›

Melting Salts:

We've found that the secret to perfectly velvety-smooth nacho cheese sauce is a combination of keeping the cheese at low temperature while cooking, and the use of sodium citrate (derived from citric acid) and SHMP (sodium hexametaphosphate).

How do you keep cheese sauce creamy? ›

Remove the saucepan from heat and slowly incorporate the cheese, whisking constantly. According to AlSawwaf, adding the cheese over heat can cause the fats and milk solids to separate, resulting in a lumpy sauce with a curdled texture — so always take the pan off the burner first.

How to thicken a dairy-based sauce? ›

You can also make a slurry with other starches, like arrowroot or tapioca, especially if your sauce is acidic, since acid interferes with cornstarch's thickening ability. For dairy-based sauces, use cornstarch or tapioca, as arrowroot mixed with dairy will turn slimy.

How to thicken cheese sauce without flour or cornstarch? ›

For this recipe using evaporated milk is a great way to give you that creamy and cheesy texture you want. Evaporated milk usually comes in a can. Don't confuse it with condensed milk which is very sweet. Evaporated milk is basically regular milk with the majority of the water removed from it.

What was vegan cheese made out of? ›

What Ingredients Are in Vegan Cheese? Vegan cheeses are 100% animal-free and made using vegetable proteins. Usually, they're made from soy; nuts, such as cashews and macadamias; and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. You can also find cheeses that derive from agar, tapioca, peas and arrowroot.

What is vegan queso made of? ›

Description. This creamy vegan queso is SO LUSCIOUS! It's made with just three ingredients: cashews, green chiles, and taco spices.

What is vegan American cheese made of? ›

Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Potato and Corn Starches, Potato Starch, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Olive Extract, Paprika Extract and Beta Carotene for Color.

Why is vegan cheese so creamy? ›

Yukon gold potatoes and cashews – They're the key ingredients for giving vegan cheese recipes oozy, creamy texture.

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