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.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“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.
What is the serving size? Thank you.
I don’t know exactly, I think about 1/4 cup. If you divide into 8 servings, then that is 1 serving.
This is so delicious!! I make it every other week!
I am thrilled you are loving it! Thank you for your feedback!
Hello, can I use pb2 cashew power listens to lower the fat? Would it be equal parts? Thank you
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure!
I try to keep my fat lower as I’m WFPB. I used 1.5 cups of potatoes and only 1/2c of cashews. It worked well! And it thinned it out a little which I prefer for my queso.
I’d give 12 stars if I could. I knew I’d love this when I read it, but I just got around to making it. I get tired of vegan cheeses always being about the nooch. This is superb as are all of your recipes. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m thrilled you loved the queso! It is a favorite in my family!
Is the One cup of water added to the ingredients? or is that boiling the potatoes and cashews?
It’s added to the blender with the rest of the ingredients 🙂
This is a new family favorite. It will be a staple during Sunday football viewing and a go-to appetizer to have a parties. Comes together quickly and so delicious.
Thank you for sharing your review and wonderful feedback! I’m glad you loved the queso blanco, and thrilled it is now your go-to appetizer! I agree, it is a perfect appetizer for gatherings! Wishing you happy cooking!
Probably the best queso I’ve tried! Shocked to not see nutritional yeast in there! Hopefully it reheats well which is what is a bummer about most vegan queso recipes.
I’m so glad you loved the queso! Thank you for sharing your review!
Just FYI it DOES reheat well!!! It’s like I just made it! I halved the cashews and used one whole potato. I think that is where I go wrong on other recipes… the cashews “set” when refrigerated. Not putting as many prevents the coagulation. AMAZING FLAVOR.
Thank you for sharing the update!
I have been trying various vegan queso dips for two years. This one is amazing! I can’t believe how easy and delicious it is!!!! Thank you!!!
You are welcome! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and feedback! I’m so glad you loved the queso dip!
Girl, this is some serious vegan sorcery. I have missed my beloved Queso blanco so much, but this. This does the trick!! So grateful to have found you… keep em coming!
Absolutely delicious. I used hatch green chiles, since I didn’t have jalapeños, and added a little more fat. This is my new go-to queso, being tasty and dangerously easy and quick to make, especially if you warm it in a vitamix. Thank you!
This recipe sounds great. Just FYI, raw sunflower seeds make a surprisingly good sub for raw cashews! I was skeptical at first but I use them all the time now. When they’re blended up with seasonings you don’t even taste the difference. The color is a little less bright white, but even in that respect the difference isn’t too noticeable.
Thanks for the tip!
When freezing do you just set out in the fridge the night before? How do you reheat? Thanks this is amazing!!
Yes, that’s what I would do. Reheat on the stove top until warm. Thanks!
I’m so looking forward to this tonight! Have you tried it without peeling the potatoes first? I’m wondering if that will ruin the chemistry/taste/look.
I haven’t tried it, but it might make it a bit grainy and less smooth. Hope you enjoy it!
Surprisingly, I haven’t missed much since going vegan two months ago…except for queso blanco. This is amazing. I don’t have a high powered blender but I just kept blending and blending and blending and eventually got a pretty smooth texture! I have eaten it every night since I made it. First night, on top of flautas. Then with chips. Then with a burrito bowl. Now I used it for Mac and cheese. This is a super versatile sauce with very accessible ingredients. Obsessed!
I’m so thrilled you are loving the queso! Thank you for sharing your fun and great review and comments! Happy cooking!
Using it for Mac & cheese sounds amazing… great idea!!
Listen… this is next level. Nora… I think I love you, ha! Thanks for all your vegan goodness.
I’m so thrilled your are loving my recipes! Thanks for your fun and wonderful review! Happy cooking!
This is the best queso hands down. I have been vegan for 8 years and I have tried A LOT of queso recipes. Some were fast favorites but nothing has been as creamy as this one. Other recipes had too much onion or onion powder, too sweet from adding carrots, too gritty from too many raw veggies, or too sour from too much lemon juice or ACV. Thanks for the perfect queso that actually made some bland beans I made edible!
Hi Haley! I so appreciate you taking your time to share your fantastic review! It’s great to hear what you love about the queso. I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe hit it out of the ballpark but Nora’s recipes never dissapoint! I can’t believe I waited so long to make it. It’s delicious and everyone in my household enjoyed it. Thank you Nora for your amazing recipes.
Thank you for sharing your kind review! I’m so glad the queso was a hit! Thank you for using my recipes!
My mouth is so happy right now. This stuff is AMAZING. I am pregnant and had a random craving that I was sure glad to find a good vegan solution for! Thank you so much.
Hi Hannah. I’m glad you loved my queso blanco, and that it fulfilled your craving! Thank you for taking time to share your review!
I love Qdoba’s queso and I was pleasantly surprised with how close this came to tasting exactly like theirs! Recipe was easy to follow and it tasted great as a dip and drizzled over a burrito bowl.
Great to hear, Brittany! I”m glad you love the queso! Thank you for sharing!
I make this queso almost every week! It’s my crack. My non-vegan family LOVES it. Thank you so much for this recipe Nora!!!
Hi Joely! I’m so glad everyone loves the queso! Thank you!
OK…. Nora, you hit this one out of the ball park!! (again) We LOVED it!
I made it as a dip. Later, I made a delicious vegan chili, topped with fresh avocado, cilantro, and drizzled YOUR Queso Blanco on top! (Then served with YOUR delicious cornbread) This was SO good! Thank you!
Thank you or the awesome review, Heidi! I’m so glad you love the queso blanco! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I am going to make this tonight but I’m wondering if you could use almond milk instead of water.
Sure, as long as it’s unsweetened and unflavored it should be fine. Hope you enjoy it!
I am allergic to all tree nuts . Is there a nut free substitute I can use?
You might be able to use sunflower seeds, but I haven’t tried it myself, sorry. You might want to check out my Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce. Maybe it could be adapted for a queso blanco.
My husband is too. I think I’m going to try to make this with hemp seeds. They’ve been my go to cashew sub since I used them in a few other recipes. I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂
I’ve tried many vegan queso dips and this one is the absolute winner. I added some sauteed onions and it came out amazing. Even my dairy eating family loved it!
Hi Kim. I’m glad the queso is a hit! Thank you!
Holy moley this was good!!!! It was so easy and completely delicious!!! Thank you ?
Hi Sara. So glad you enjoyed the queso blanco! Thank you!