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    Home » Snacks & Sides

    Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (GF)

    Updated: Jan 20, 2023 by Verna Rindler · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

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    tortilla chip being dipped in vegan nacho cheese sauce

    This Easy vegan nacho cheese sauce is made from cashews, spices, nutritional yeast & dairy free cheese and more... 10 Minutes to make! Stir all ingredients together on the stovetop until melty and ultra cheesy! Great on chips or poured over potato and steamed broccoli. Kids love it! 

    tortilla chip being dipped in vegan nacho cheese sauce

    I love me some vegan nacho cheese sauce, And this recipe will not disappoint! Made with cashews, nutritional yeast, vegan yogurt, spices, bouillon, tapioca starch (flour), pickled jalapeños and some grated Daiya cheese. No need for vegan butter or olive oil! It's a pretty healthy plant based cheese dip and you don't have to boil any veggies either- Yay!

    There's no where near me where I can buy a cheese sauce that's vegan so I had to make my own! and boy am I glad I did!

    vegan nacho cheese sauce in a white bowl surrounded by tortilla chips

    I’m telling yah, it’s the BEST cheese sauce for nachos! OMG!

    The cheesy flavour will blow you away! And it's not just for vegans people! Vegetarians and meat eaters love this vegan nacho cheese sauce! It's Delicious and so quick and easy! And you'd seriously never know it's dairy free!

    All you need is your Nutra Bullet or a quality Blender (like a Vitamix) and a pot and you are ready to rock! Well and some tortilla chips or fully loaded nachos and your appetite, lol?

    As far as vegan cheese recipes go this one is definitely at the top!! You're gonna love it! My daughter made it last night and says it's her absolute favourite! My grandkids too! totally kid approved!

    vegan nacho cheese sauce in a white bowl surrounded by tortilla chips

    How do you make Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce?

    1. Add cashews, water, nutritional yeast, vegan yogurt, cheese, and rest of ingredients -(except chopped pickled jalapeños) to your Nutra Bullet or blender (like a vitamix) and process until smooth. I don’t soak the cashews for this recipe and it works great! Super creamy!
    1. Now add the sauce and chopped jalapeños to a medium heavy bottomed pot .Bring to a simmer over medium heat and whisk continuously for a few minutes until it thickens.
    2. Serve warm with tortilla chips, loaded vegan nachos, burritos, quesadillas, or any mexican inspired dishes, or potatoes, over pasta,…etc! Enjoy! For full recipe instructions and ingredients see recipe card below.

    vegan nacho cheese sauce on a spatula

    tortilla chip being dipped into vegan nacho cheese sauce

    What's the difference between Nacho Cheese Sauce and Queso?

    • Nacho cheese sauce and Queso are relatively close but Queso usually has tomatoes or salsa added and or ranchero sauce. 😊

    Ok lets make some Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, it’s:

    • cheesy
    • a fabulous cashew cheese sauce!
    • made with whole food ingredients!
    • spicy
    • creamy
    • perfect for nachos
    • addicting!
    • kid friendly
    • gluten free

    Enjoy guys! Happy day to you? feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. I would love to hear from you.

    Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based Vegan Recipes❤️

    Want more Vegan Mexican Recipes? Check these out:

    • Vegan Nachos Supreme! (Fully Loaded)
    • Best Ever Vegan Enchiladas With Homemade Enchilada Sauce
    • Vegan Quesadillas with Refried Black Beans and Roasted Vegetables!
    • Vegan Burrito (Better than Chipotle)
    • Best Vegan Taco Meat
    • Mild or Spicy Pico de Gallo
    • Refried Black Beans
    • Tasty Tex Mex Vegan Taco Meat
    • Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme
    • Best Salsa Recipe
    • Best Guacamole Recipe
    Print
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    tortilla chip being dipped in vegan nacho cheese sauce

    Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (GF)


    ★★★★★

    5 from 3 reviews

    • Author: Verna
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 2 1/4 cups 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This Easy vegan nacho Cheese Sauce is made from cashews, spices, nutritional yeast & dairy free cheese. 10 Minutes to make! great on chips or poured over potato and steamed broccoli. Kid friendly! Gluten free.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 cup raw cashews (no need to soak)
    • 2 cups water
    • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
    • 1/2 cup grated Daiya cheddar cheese, (grated from the block)
    • 1/4 cup plain vegan yogurt, I use Silk brand unsweetened Cultured Coconut Yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (flour)
    • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
    • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt or regular salt
    • 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or pickled jalapeño juice or both!
    • 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños, chopped small

    Instructions

     

    1. Add cashews, water, nutritional yeast, vegan yogurt, cheese, and rest of ingredients -(except chopped pickled jalapeños) to your Nutra Bullet or blender (like a vitamix) and process until smooth. I don’t soak the cashews for this recipe and it works great! Super creamy!
    1. Now add the sauce and chopped jalapeños to a medium heavy bottomed pot .Bring to a simmer over medium heat and whisk continuously for a few minutes until it thickens.
    2. Serve warm with tortilla chips, loaded vegan nachos, burritos, quesadillas, or any mexican inspired dishes, or potatoes, over pasta,…etc! Enjoy!

    Notes

    • if you want sauce even cheesier feel free to add another 1/4 cup or so of Daiya cheese, or if you would like to omit the Daiya completely, substitute 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
    • I use my Nutra Bullet for this recipe and it works perfectly! (the big cup).
    • I have not tried using a food processor but would recommend soaking your cashews in boiling water for 10-15 minutes first.
    • To store: keep covered in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat leftover sauce on the stove or in the microwave
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Category: Sauces & Dressings, gluten free
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Mexican

    Keywords: vegan nacho cheese sauce, dip, vegan nacho cheese dip, Mexican cheese dip, easy vegan cheese sauce, vegan cheddar cheese sauce, vegan cheese sauce, vegan nacho cheese

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

    More Snacks & Sides

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eli

      March 09, 2022 at 8:19 pm

      Does this taste anything like taco bell cheese sauce?

      Reply
      • Verna

        March 10, 2022 at 8:42 am

        My dairy free cheese sauce definitely gives Taco Bell real nacho cheese a run for it's money. It tastes pretty spot on, enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Eva

      July 20, 2021 at 10:14 am

      Absolute favorite dip by far! My whole family loved it, even my skeptical hubby who asked for more😊
      Thanks for this recipe😊

      Reply
      • Verna

        July 20, 2021 at 3:06 pm

        thanks so much Eva! feel free to leave a star rating too💕

        Reply
    3. Lynette

      January 05, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      OMG!! This is fabulous! My new favorite addition to Taco Tuesday dinner. Thank you for creating it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        January 05, 2021 at 3:48 pm

        Oh thank you so much Lynette! Absolutely thrilled you love it!

        Reply
    4. Kerrie

      January 04, 2021 at 10:28 am

      Love this cheese sauce so much!!
      Can this be frozen? I would love to freeze half portions so I could pull it out and heat it up when needed.

      Reply
      • Verna

        January 04, 2021 at 12:17 pm

        Hi Kerrie glad you're enjoying it!! Yes it's fine to freeze. I wouldn't keep it in freezer for longer than 2 months.

        Reply
        • Kerrie

          January 04, 2021 at 12:20 pm

          Thank you so much!

          Reply
    5. Denny

      December 08, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      Do you have to use yogurt? Or could I substitute it ?
      Thanks
      I just haven’t boughten any or had it forever

      Reply
      • Verna

        December 08, 2020 at 3:34 pm

        I only make it with yogurt but you could try vegan sour cream? or maybe add more cashews. Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Lauren

      June 18, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      Could arrow root powder be used instead of the tapioca starch? I always have arrow root powder on hand.

      Reply
      • Verna

        June 18, 2020 at 4:49 pm

        Hi Lauren yes that should work just fine! Enjoy!!

        Reply
    7. Shalona

      November 26, 2019 at 6:48 pm

      I have a ninja blender...I usually soak my cashews because neither me or my husband and children enjoy the gritty consistency of whatever I’m making when I don’t soak. I know all blenders work differently. Should I soak given i do not own a nutra bullet?

      Reply
      • Verna

        November 26, 2019 at 8:09 pm

        Hi Shalona, if you feel your blender isn't powerful enough the yes go ahead and soak the cashews in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy the cheese sauce!!

        Reply
    8. Cassidy

      June 14, 2019 at 6:02 pm

      My husband and I are addicted to this cheese sauce, my husband normally doesn't like daiya cheese but in this recipe it really works! Yum!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        June 14, 2019 at 7:29 pm

        Thanks so much for your comment Cassidy. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    9. Amelia

      April 17, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      This was delicious on nachos, I'm so happy to have found this recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • The Cheeky Chickpea

        April 17, 2019 at 3:19 pm

        So glad you loved it Amelia! Thanks so much for your comment!

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Verna! Major foodie of all things vegan! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea; here, you’ll find hundreds of restaurant-worthy easy vegan recipes. Some oil-free and gluten-free, from veggie-powered plant-based comfort foods to decadent desserts. Lots of tricks and tips up my chef sleeve…Grab your apron let’s get cooking!

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