Take your nacho game to a whole new level with this vegan nacho cheese! It’s super creamy, rich, slightly spicy, and just bursting with flavor! Trust me, it’s an absolute game changer and it will leave you craving for more!
Why This Recipe Works
Prepare to be blown away by this cashew-based vegan nacho cheese sauce! We just can get enough around here and it’s the perfect comfort food.
Before I became vegan, I loved nacho cheese! Especially at the movie theater it was one of my favorites. It took me some time to come up with a vegan nacho cheese sauce that I was 100 % satisfied with, but I made it. This vegan nacho cheese sauce seriously is the bomb!
It’s a real crowd-pleaser and it’s pretty easy to make at the same time! All you need is a very good high speed blender to make this easy vegan cheese sauce extra creamy and smooth! Welcome to vegan cheese heaven!
Cashews are the perfect base for this dairy-free cheese sauce. They create an incredibly creamy, luscious, and velvety texture. Paired with the natural sweetness of potatoes and carrots, they bring a rich and satisfying taste to every bite. You won’t believe it’s dairy-free!
Nutritional yeast and miso paste add a cheesy and savory flavor, while pickled jalapeños and salsa give it a zesty kick and tanginess and take it on the next level of deliciousness.
With just a handful of simple ingredients and a blender, you’ll have a creamy and flavorful cheese sauce ready in no time. It’s perfect for game nights, parties, or simply satisfying those late-night cravings.
And the recipe is super versatile. Serve it with tortilla chips or drizzle it over roasted cauliflower and broccoli. And it’s also a great dip for pretzels or baked potatoes or you could use it as a filling for vegan quesadillas. Or just dip your favorite veggies for a healthier version. Trust me, this sauce will become your go-to for all your snacking needs.
So grab your blender, gather your ingredients, and make a batch of this amazing vegan nacho cheese sauce. You will love it!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Pickled Jalapeños – they make the nacho cheese a bit spicy.
- Tomato Paste
- Nutritional Yeast – it has a nutty and cheesy taste.
- Yellow Miso Paste – it has a rich, salty, and tangy taste. You can usually find it in the refrigerated section near tofu. Or check out your local Asian market.
- Non-Dairy Milk – use unsweetened almond or soy milk.
- Cashews – use raw cashews, not roasted or salted.
- Onion & Garlic Powder
- Oil – canola oil or olive oil
- Hot Sauce – use your favorite hot sauce. You can easily adjust the amount to your liking.
- Salt
- Lemon Juice – adds a tangy taste that balances out the flavors.
- Smoked Paprika
- Salsa – use your favorite salsa.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Peel the potatoes and the carrots. Cut them into small cubes. Cook until soft. I usually use my Instant Pot to cook them.
2. Step: Once the potatoes and the carrots are soft, transfer them to a high speed blender together with the remaining ingredients.
3. Step: Process until smooth. This will take about a minute.
4. Step: Transfer to a small pot and cook for a minute. The vegan nacho sauce will thicken up when being heated.
5. Step: Serve with nachos and sprinkle with chopped jalapeños. I also added a bit of salsa in the middle of the bowl. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- It’s very important to use a high speed blender for this recipe. Otherwise the vegan nacho cheese won’t become as creamy. I used my Vitamix, which I absolutely love.
- If you want to make it a bit easier for your blender, you can soak the cashews overnight in cold water or 30 minutes in boiling water. However, this step is not necessary if you use a Vitamix like I did.
- Please don’t leave out any of the ingredients. I often list ingredients as optional, but in this recipe you need all of them for the right consistency and the right taste. It took me a while to perfect my recipe.
Storing
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the nacho cheese sauce will last up to 4-5 days.
Freezing
You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Variations
Less Spicy
Reduce the amount of pickled jalapeños and leave out the hot sauce.
Spicier
Add a fresh jalapeño before blending all the ingredients.
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I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this vegan nacho cheese as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Vegan Nacho Cheese
Equipment
- 1 high speed blender
- 1 chopping board
- 1 knife
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked cubed potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked cubed carrots
- 5 pickled jalapeños
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon yellow miso paste
- 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond or soy milk)
- 1/4 cup cashews (unsalted and not roasted)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup canola oil or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and the carrots. Cut them into small cubes. Cook until soft. I usually use my Instant Pot to cook them.
- Once the potatoes and the carrots are soft, transfer them to a high speed blender together with the remaining ingredients.
- Process until smooth. This will take about a minute.
- Transfer to a small pot and cook for a minute. The vegan nacho sauce will thicken up when being heated.
- Serve with nachos and sprinkle with chopped jalapeños. I also added a bit of salsa in the middle of the bowl. Enjoy!
Notes
- It’s very important to use a high speed blender for this recipe. Otherwise the vegan nacho cheese won’t become as creamy. I used my Vitamix, which I absolutely love.
- If you want to make it a bit easier for your blender, you can soak the cashews overnight in cold water or 30 minutes in boiling water. This step is, however, not necessary if you use a Vitamix like I did.
- Please don’t leave out any of the ingredients. I often list ingredients as optional, but in this recipe you need all of them for the right consistency and the right taste. It took me a while to perfect my vegan nacho cheese recipe.
Susan
I accidentally added sliced pepperocini instead of jalapeños, then added the jalapeños but a few less, left out the oil $ salt, but added an extra 1/4 c soy milk. Very spicy but delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s a keeper
Anna
When I tried this out of the blender, my jaw dropped. This is by far, the best nacho cheese recipes. Both my sister and I had multiple helpings and zero regrets ;) I did happen to have lactic acid on hand and added 1/2 tsp, but I feel like more lemon juice or even fresh tomatoes would work. The ratios and spice combinations are IT. This is my new go-to cheese sauce. 10000/10 delish
Melodee Kielich
Use humnus ..I did when out of nuts! Nutritional yeast is good too..you can just heat up the other ingredients and thicken with cornstarch + water if needed..
Patty Jenks
Wow, somebody finally did it! The flavor and texture of nacho cheese sauce. Sooooo good!
Autumn
I am so excited to try this! Been searching for a more complex vegan nacho cheese because the ones with only like 4 ingredients seem to only be good for pasta sauce, not nachos!
But, HELP! I am allergic to cashews and pistachios! What can I substitute? Please and thank you!!
Jassica
Hey, Sina
I’ve been a vegan for about nine years and am always looking for new and tasty recipes, which drew me first to your grillable burgers, which mentioned the Nacho Cheese. Unfortunately, I can’t have nuts — or fat. So I wondered if you might have an idea for a substitute for the raw cashews, which seems to be a major ingredient in the recipe.
Meanwhile, I plan to try your burger recipe.
Many thanks for any suggestions you might have for the Nacho Cheese.