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.
This recipe is amazing! I was hosting a party and knew several of my guests were either vegan or dairy-free. I made a double batch of this queso and it was the hit of the party. Every single guest preferred it over the regular, dairy-laden queso. I am not a fan of nutritional yeast so it was nice to find a queso recipe that didn’t include it in the ingredients. Thank you for creating this wonderful dip!
You are welcome, Sally! This queso is a popular recipe at parties! I’m so thrilled that it turned out to be a hit at yours! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and positive feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
All I can say is thank you! 🙏
I absolutely love this queso! I’ve made both the green chile version & chipotle. Excellent both times.
Can you please include serving size in your recipes? I usually print & laminate recipes I use often & it would really help. I also track my food & know serving size would help me be accurate in my consumption. Thanks so much!
Has anyone tried canning this? I’m sending a care package of homemade goodies to my son for his bday and this is one of his fav dips. He just never makes it for himself. 🙄😆🥰. Does anyone see a reason why it wouldn’t be safe to can it?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I found out almost 5 months ago that I have 28 food allergies. I’ve missed queso so badly! This recipe tastes amazing!
Hi Erin. I can only imaging how challenging it must be to plan around 28 food allergies! I am thrilled that you are able to enjoy this queso, and that you love it! Thank you for sharing your glowing review! Wishing you happy cooking, as you find recipes you are able to enjoy!
I had to leave a review because this sauce was so good! I was honestly hesitant at first that there was no nutritional yeast but this is so good without it. This came out so creamy and you don’t miss the dairy at all.
You nooch yeast would be a good addition for extra “cheesiness”?
Sure!
I never leave reviews but this recipe is so easy and SO good. I can’t believe how quickly it comes together and I’m grateful it doesn’t require pre soaking cashews because I often forget to do so!
Ok, like some others have said I never take the time to leave reviews, but OMG! This is sooooooo good! Thank you so much!
How awesome you loved the queso, Annelise! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful feedback! I appreciate you taking your time to do so, and for using my recipes! Happy cooking!
Can this be served cold or a room temp? I hope so because it sounds wonderful and I want it to not be served hot.
It should be find to serve chilled or cooled. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! I put it on tacos, tostadas, baked potatoes with broccoli, veggie burgers! So delicious! My non vegan friends enjoy it too! Thank you!
You are welcome, Kelly! Thanks for your awesome ideas and review!
I have never commented on a recipe before but OMG! This is the absolute bomb!!!! I was told to go dairy free about 2 years ago for dietary reasons/health reasons but have not completely embraced that because of cheese. I love my cheese and the DF stuff just does not cut it. I was craving queso, decided to google it and found this recipe and finally said, what the heck. I had everyone in the office try it and they loved it. Thank you!
I am thrilled you got to enjoy queso! I really missed cheese and had to come up with some recipes that I could enjoy! Thank you for sharing your awesome feedback, and may you continue enjoying the queso!
Made this and had some left over so made a Spicy Mac and cheese with gf pasta !! So yummy !! Thank you !!
That sounds delicious! Thank YOU, Linda, for sharing your idea and great feedack!
Delicious! My entire family loved this. Thank you, Nora.
Delicious! I added red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m thrilled you loved the queso!
This is exactly what I have been looking for! The texture and flavor were perfect. I added a TBS or two of nutritional yeast as well. Great recipe!
Thank you for sharing your fabulous review and feedback! I’m so glad you loved the queso!
So delicious!! Will definitely be making again. Love how easy it is too.
Omgoodness! We love this! Wasn’t expecting it to be sooo good. I’m a spice weeny so will 1/2 the amount of jalapeño next time. I also didn’t have lemon so I used apple cider vinegar. Will be making this alot! Have loved every recipe of yours that we’ve made 💜
Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback and review! I’m thrilled you loved the queso!
I have made this twice now. It is delicious! I did sub the cashews with sunflower kernels. I will definitely be making it again.
I appreciate you sharing your substitution, and letting us know how it turned out! Thanks for your wonderful review! I’m glad you loved the queso!
This came out so good! Great flavor, and so addicting! Thanks for another winner! Didn’t quite finish it, so I’ll try it on pasta as another commenter suggested.
Hi Emily. How wonderful the queso was great for you! Thanks for your awesome feedback and review!
This was so good!! I used it in a fajita bowl, but definitely stole some on chips because it tasted so good!!
So terrific that you love the Queso! Thanks for sharing your fantastic feedback and review!
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
Hi Eleisha. It’s so fantastic that you are enjoying the cheese sauce in so many wonderful ways! I’m thrilled that you love it! Thank you for sharing your fabulous feedback and review!
I love this queso. My husband loves it. My mom and sister too. We are all obsessed and have been obsessed for several months. We put it in burritos, nachos, with chips, and most recently pasta! Because I am restricting the use of tomatoes in my diet, my mom suggested I use this queso in replacement for pasta sauce. Oh my word! What a delicious combination. I’ve tried it was spaghetti noodles and Trader Joe’s vegan spinach cashew ravioli several times. It’s an amazing pasta sauce. I did leave out the jalapeño recently since I’ve been sensitive to spicy but with or without it, the queso is amazing and goes well with pasta!
Hi Nay. I’m so glad the queso is a hit with all of you! I love all the ways you are using the queso! Thanks for sharing your fantastic feedback and review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
It was delicious! I added nutritional yeast which I usually don’t like since it tastes just like potatoes and peppers without it. I also added more jalapeños and juice. I added about three tablespoons of nutritional yeast! It was so good and would be great in enchiladas!
Alright! I’m so glad you loved the queso! Your additions are great! Thank you for feedback and ideas!
I made it with silken tofu and it’s probably thinner than it would be with cashews but it’s very good! I love all of your queso recipes!
Hi Nikki. Oh gosh, we love queso at our house as well! I’m glad you like the queso blanco! Thank you for sharing your great feedback!
Wow! My husband really loved this. I didn’t have pickled jalapenos, but used a fresh one as well as a bit of Rotel mild tomatoes with Jalapenos. Also added a touch of turmeric. Will definitely make this again!
Hi Dana. I’m thrilled you guys loved the queso! Your additions sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback!