This Vegan White Queso is so cheesy and creamy, you won't believe it's made with potatoes. The ingredients are very simple and this dip comes together within 20 minutes. It's a perfect cheesy topping for Mexican dishes or an evening healthy dip for tortilla chips. Vegan, easy to make and so tasty!
Not eating dairy products often makes me dream of delicious creamy white sauces. I make these cauliflower Alfredo and primavera garlic cream pasta dishes to satisfy that craving, but was missing a simple cheesy sauce to drizzle on meals or to replace a cheese dip.
This dairy free white sauce is perfect to replace all the melted cheese sauces I have used. Actually, it is one of my favorite recipes I have ever made!
How can this vegan white sauce be so creamy?
The secret is in the potatoes! When blended with a little bit of liquid, the texture of cooked potatoes becomes very creamy and almost stringy. Which is perfect for a cheesy vegan sauce! Combine this with cashews and the texture will blow your mind.
Using potatoes as a base means this sauce is lower in fat, packed with healthy carbs packed and filled with fiber. Extra benefits you won't mind, I am sure.
How to make this Vegan white Queso
- You will need to soak cashews ahead of time. They are the source of fat that helps carry all the flavor together. Simply put them in water the night before you will make the dip.
- Cook the potatoes. They are the base for this dip! Crazy right?
- Then, blend the cashews and potatoes with a few very flavorful ingredients (lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt). You will reach a silky and very creamy texture that makes the dip so great.
- Finally, boost the flavors and texture with canned green chilis (mild or spicy) and red pepper.
Pro tips when making this creamy dip
- You will need to cut the potatoes in small pieces to have them fit in the measuring cups. That will allow you to get right amount of veggies (if the pieces are too big, you will end up with too much empty space in the cups!). They will also cook faster.
- I love a saucier texture for this dip. If you prefer to get a thicker mixture (for example, if you want to spread a few dollops on pizza...) then start with a little less water (maybe ½ cup instead of ¾), blend and add more if needed.
- The canned green chiles is essential! Don't skip it! If you really don't want to use it, then compensate by adding a tiny amount of white vinegar (or more lemon juice) to add that tangy subtle taste.
Need to speed up the recipe?
If you cannot soak the cashews ahead, then just add them to the pot of potatoes about 10 minutes before they are done cooking. Then, drain everything together and add them to the blender before mixing in the other ingredients. This will help soften the cashews before blending.
Skip the soaking time and you will have this vegan cheesy sauce ready in 20 minutes!
Personalize your vegan cheese dip!
- Jalapeno
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Hot sauce
- Diced fresh tomatoes
How do you store this dip?
This sauce will stay good in a air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
When ready to eat the leftovers, simply reheat it in the microwave until warm and mix well. This cheesy sauce keeps its texture very well.
The recipe makes for about 3 cups of sauce, which we often eat it all in one meal. But it can easily make for a delicious topping on a dish one night and you can look forward to snacking with it while watching TV the next night.
How to eat this vegan white Queso
Simply perfect as a dip for tortilla chips. Also, we love to make this cheese sauce to combine with Mexican meals: add a good drizzle of this packed with flavors sauce to bean chilis or quesadillas to make them extra special. Add a good drizzle on pizza to make it cheezy (after the pizza is cooked). Also, check out this Lentil Stew stuffed baked potatoes for a delicious way to eat it!
I hope you will love this Vegan Queso blanco dip as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate this recipe to let me know how it was.
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6 ingredient Vegan White Queso
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw and unsalted cashews
- 1 ½ cup white potatoes - peeled and diced in small pieces
- 2 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ¼ tsp salt - or to taste
- ¾ cup water
- 1x 4 oz (113g) canned diced green chiles
- ½ pepper, any colors - diced in small cubes
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water for at least 2 hours (overnight if possible). Drain and rinse them. See note.
- Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 15-20 minutes (depending on how small you cut them) or until they are cooked through. Drain well.
- In a blender, combine the drained cashews, cooked potatoes, lemon juice, salt, nutritional yeast and water. Blend until you reach a very smooth texture.
- Transfer in a medium bowl. Add the canned green chiles and peppers and mix well. Adjust the seasoning. Eat warm with tortilla chips or drizzle on Mexican dishes.
Notes
Pin it for later!
I made the queso with no added water and I liked the more dense dip texture. We had it with nachos and it was yummy. This will go on repeat for use for certain.
I'm happy to hear you like it Liz! I'll try with less water too for a thicker dip. Great idea.:)
Trop bon ! Avec extra piment fort 🌶
Oh super! 🙂
Délicieux 🤤
Merci pour ton commentaire! 🙂
I would love to make this can i use white beans instead of cashews I’m allergic to nuts and seeds.
Hi Melody, I haven't tried using white beans in place of the cashews. There are lots of white creamy sauces made using white beans, so I'm thinking it might work fine. Let me know how it turned out if you do try it! 🙂
I just got done devouring this queso! My boyfriend and I loved it and are already coming up with ideas to use this again. I love that it's so easy to prepare and has minimal ingredients. Yum!!
Great Robin, I'm glad you loved it!! Thank you for your comment 🙂
This Vegan White Queso is delicious and easy to make.
I put some over some leftover pasta and wow this is going to be my main go-to for a while. Got enough kick and if you want a little bit more kick take some and put some sriracha a few drops. I did that over the pasta and had wilted spinach with this.
You are the best, thanks for your many ideas. Yummy!!!
I'm glad to read this Gloria! I love this sauce over pasta too! 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
If you didn't soak the cashews, why not boil them with the potatoes!
That's a great idea! 🙂
I just made this cheese sauce. It is AMAZING! Definitely at the add water a little at a time. My husband who I’m trying to change over to plant base loved it too. Thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing Sue, I'm glad you liked it! 🙂