This is the most amazing Vegan Queso Blanco! It’s cheesy, spicy, and goes well with just about everything. Easy to make with simple ingredients in only 20 minutes.
Hello to my fellow diehard vegan cheese sauce lovers! Make sure you check out my Vegan Cheese Sauce (Nut Free!), Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, and Vegan Beer Cheese recipes while you’re here.
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“Omg Nora!! This cheese dip is the bomb and easier than all other cheese recipes you have. It’s great on top of my rice bowls, tacos, dipping with chips, etc… love love love it! Thank you” – Eleisha
My Vegan Queso Blanco never lasts long in my house. Just like my 5 Ingredient Vegan Queso, it’s the kind of cheesy, creamy, spicy-ish dip that’s great with everything. It’s one of my Cinco de Mayo staples but also comes in handy for game days, parties, and late-night snacking.
Queso blanco, or white cheese dip, is usually made with some sort of dairy cheese, but I used a mix of raw cashews and potatoes for the base. The cashews make it rich and cheesy, while the potatoes give it a stretchiness you’ll love. Don’t worry, you can’t taste the potato!
It’s naturally cheesy-tasting (even without any nutritional yeast or store-bought vegan cheese) and has a nice kick of heat from diced green chiles. One taste and you’ll be hooked!
Why you’ll love this vegan queso blanco
- Crowd-pleaser – I make this vegan white cheese dip every chance I get—for parties with friends, dinner on Cinco de Mayo, and snacking at home. It’s a hit with everyone I serve it to, vegan or not.
- So easy – It’s no surprise that vegan queso dip is the perfect party snack, especially when you learn that it only takes 20 minutes to make.
- Great with everything – You’re going to want to eat this vegan cheese dip with everything! Drizzle it on potatoes, put it in tacos or burritos, dip tortilla chips in it (of course!), and more.
How to make vegan queso
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Add the cashews and diced potatoes to a small pot, cover with water, and heat to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
Drain the cashews and potatoes, then add them to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Use a high-powered blender
I highly recommend blending the queso mixture with a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix. The blender actually heats up the dip, so you can serve it as soon as it’s done blending! If you only have a regular blender, soak the cashews overnight and blend the mixture longer.
Warm up the queso in a saucepan on the stove or serve it as-is in a bowl with diced peppers, chopped tomatoes, Vegan Chorizo, or fresh cilantro on top. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
This is the best part! There’s really no wrong way to serve white queso, but here are a few ideas that my readers and I seem to love most:
- Scoop it up with tortilla chips (the easiest game day snack)
- Drizzle it over vegan tacos
- Serve it as a cheesy dip with vegan burritos and quesadillas
- Stir it into pasta or vegan mac and cheese
- Drizzle it over roasted potatoes
- Served over vegan nachos (instead of nacho cheese sauce)
- Pour it over a loaded baked potato with broccoli
- Spread on veggie burgers
- Drizzle it over a vegan burrito bowl
Frequently asked questions
An equal amount of slivered raw almonds will work in place of the cashews here. Sunflower seeds might work as well.
I haven’t tested a completely nut-free version, but a block or two of silken tofu might work as a substitute for the cashews/slivered raw almonds. I haven’t tried it with white beans, but they may work okay in place of any nuts/seeds.
Classic queso blanco has a smidge of heat from chile peppers. You could easily get away with making this only with canned green chiles for a milder version, but the pickled jalapeno slices add that extra kick that really makes this the best vegan queso dip.
Of course! A bunch of my readers have tried blending anywhere from 1 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast into the queso mixture for some extra cheesiness.
If you’re lucky enough to end up with leftovers (I never do!), pack them into an airtight container and refrigerate them for 4 to 5 days. The dip tastes great straight out of the fridge or warmed up in the microwave (in 30-second increments).
You could try it, but the texture might not be as thick or creamy after thawing.
Vegan Queso Blanco
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup peeled and chopped yellow or white potato (1-2 potatoes)
- 8 ounces canned green chiles, mild or medium
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño juice from the jar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon squeezed)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional: finely diced tomatoes and jalapeños, for topping
Instructions
- In a small pot, add the cashews and diced potatoes, then cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the cashews and potatoes and add to a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy. If you have a Vitamix or similar blender, you can simply blend it until hot, without needing to warm it in a pot.
- If you have a regular blender or prefer to warm it on the stovetop, pour the mixture into a small/medium pot and stir frequently over medium heat until hot. It will thicken as it heats up, so add more water as desired to thin the cheese sauce.
- Top with optional diced tomatoes and jalapeños. Serve with tortilla chips, in tacos, burritos, bowls or with any other Mexican-inspired meal. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cashew allergy? Substitute raw slivered almonds instead. I haven’t tried a nut free version of this, but silken tofu or white beans may work in place of the nuts.
- To store: Vegan Queso Blanco will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. It can also be frozen.
Nora,
Wow!! What an amazing recipe! Loved it! So simple and easy to make! The only problem I had was trying to stop myself from eating the whole bowl! It was that good! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
David
Hi David. That’s a good problem, right! I’m really glad you love my queso recipe. Thank you for using my recipes, and for taking the time to share your comments!
This was simple to make and absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome!
This is truly a game changer for anyone trying to go vegan but struggling with giving up cheese. I’ve searched high and low for a good vegan queso and this hands down surpasses anything I’ve tried. Im OBSESSED with this and plan to make it on a regular basis. Thank you Nora!!
You’re welcome!
So delicious!! Tastes very similar to restaurant-style queso blanco. I have tried this recipe with both almonds and cashews, and both were AMAZING, but the cashews yielded a much more creamy consistency than the almonds, I’m guessing due to the higher fat content. When I made it with almonds, I was able to make it a bit more “creamy” by blending in a splash of olive oil, but if I were to make it again, I’d stick to the cashews. I also couldn’t find an 8oz can of whole green chiles, so I used a 4oz can of diced green chiles, and I think that was more than enough. I also added 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, which gave it an even cheesier flavor. I also reheat it in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds before eating it so it’s nice and warm. Yum! Thanks for the fantastic recipe, we’ll be coming back to this again and again!
This is an awesome queso – I add half can Smokey chipotle peppers for an amazing kick. I use this inso many in my dairy free plant based diet. Thin with water and drizzle over plant based taco bowls, veggie quesadillas or Mexican smashed potato nachos. Yum!
Incredible! On first taste, all I could do was smile! Then I licked the spatula and some of my Vitamix! Thank you for this delightful creation. It will be forever in my menu rotation! <3
This was SO good!! And easy!! I can’t wait to get out of this pandemic so i can make this for my family and friends. Definitely a winner recipe! Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Loved this – the “mouth feel” was great. I added canned chipotle peppers for a Smokey zing which I love! And some canned tomatoes – Yum – a real hit with everyone.
I actually combined this recipe and the rotel dip recipe to make the BEST vegan rotel dip of all time. I made an enormous batch and froze it in little tubs so I can have my happy queso hour everyday. It’s all about the little things in life and this brought me GREAT joy! It’s also completely changed my mind about cooking with cashews in general! Thanks for this greatness!
You’re welcome!
This is BANANAS! These few simple ingredient transform into a really creamy flavorful queso. Beyond impressed. I did not even have the green chilies so I chopped up another tablespoon of pickled jalapeno and added it to the blended dip and we ate this with fresh salsa and tortilla chips. Love, love, loved this!
I’m so glad you liked it!!
I’ve made this several times and it’s my favorite vegan queso recipe I’ve tried, and I’ve tried many! The trick here is to be very careful not to over boil the potatoes, and to let the blender run for a long time to get it extra smooth. Both of these make a wonderful consistency that’s virtually identical to non vegan queso.
Thanks so much!
I just made this today and I am IMPRESSED! I’ve tried multiple vegan queso recipes and this by far is the best. I wasn’t sure how it was going to be because the ingredients were so basic but man you NAILED it! I’m from Arizona and we love our queso and chips so I’ve been struggling on the plant based diet. I shall struggle no more! Thanks so much ?
Oh yay I’m so glad you enjoyed the queso blanco! Thank you!
I did not peel my potatoes but it was still delicious.
I am making this tonight with our jackfruit BBQ nachos and I CANT WAIT!!!
I hope you love it!
I don’t usually leave comments but this was too good not to. I didn’t have any green chilies but it was delicious without it. All your recipes have been sooo good!
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you so much!
Absolutely delish!! We can’t stop eating it. So good!
I’m so glad to hear that!!
Made this for the 4th of July as an appetizer. Family of all ages loved it! Couldn’t even tell it was plant based. They even put it on their hotdogs (plant based also). This recipe is a WIN! Thanks, Nora! ☺️
That is wonderful, so happy to hear it was a hit!
Just curious, has anyone tried with silken tofu? My blender is pretty cheap, not powerful enough to blend nuts.
Nora, you are a culinary genius par excellence! I just finished making your queso blanco in preparation for making the vegan burrito bowl . Oh my goodness, it is so good I’m tempted to sit down and eat the whole thing on its own. Thank you. I have tried any number of your recipes and have yet to find one we didn’t like.
Wow, that’s so great to hear!! Thanks for the great comment!
It’s not often I’m inspired to go back and comment about a recipe. This was amazing. It could pass for cheese! My husband loved it too! Will make again and again. Highly recommend!
Thanks so much for the great comment!!
This is hands down the best vegan queso going. We did add a few things – cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and nooch. We had it last night with Nora’s Vegan Chick’ Burrito Bowl. Fabulous!
This was sooo good! I was curious how it would turn out with no nutritional yeast, but this queso was “cheesy” and just what I was looking for to satisfy my queso craving. I bought one hot and one mild 4oz can of diced chilies and didn’t have quite enough room for a full cup of water in my Nutribullet. It came out a little spicy, which is fine with me but maybe too spicy for others. I will absolutely be making this again, highly recommend!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Brutal. Así como se ve, así debe saber. Lo haré. Gracias?
My whole family loved this so much! It’s amazing. It made a nice big batch, which is great. This is definitely going to be a staple in my household going forward. Thank you for another awesome recipe!
I’m so glad to hear your family loved it, thank you!
I just made this and it was delicious!! Doesn’t taste “vegan” and is a great cheese replacement! I love all your recipes, Nora.
That’s so great!! Thanks so much!!
Have you tried it with silken tofu yet? How do you suppose I would go about this?
I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure, though the “cheese” would end up very different I’m afraid, without cashews or potatoes.
Sounds wonderful! (And I absolutely love your recipes – the website is my go-to for vegan cooking!) I’ve read a few vegan cheese recipes that also involved riced cauliflower. Think there’s any way to mix that in as well?
Thank you so much Mary, that means a lot! Wow, I’ve never heard of cauliflower rice in vegan cheese, so I’m not quite sure about that. You could try it though!