Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (2024)

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce is made with soaked, raw cashews, blended with water, nutritional yeast and spices; and warmed on the stove until it reaches nacho cheese perfection! Optional but good: Add Sriracha to taste or keep it mild for kids with sensitive palates. Serve nacho cheese sauce with chips, or even drizzle on steamed broccoli or baked potatoes!

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (1)

Last week, we ate at the Veggie Grill near us. Oh my goodness, I could eat there every day! Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the budget!), it’s a good 25 minutes away, so we really don’t get there often enough. We do live near Portland, THE Mecca for vegan food, but it’s far enough that with 3 kids and traffic, we rarely make it to the city for good vegan eats.

Anyhow, we got the nacho appetizer to share, and that’s when I started thinking about the fact that I really needed to up my nacho game. I was anxious to come home and try to re-create the nacho cheese sauce they had. It was SO good. And mild enough that I knew my kids would totally go for it.

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (2)

I do have a tried and true recipe on the blog for Vegan Queso Dip with Cashews that is somewhat similar to this one. It’s amazing and a real crowd pleaser, but it is quite spicy and has chunky tomatoes and green chiles in it, which my kids aren’t crazy about. It’s also thicker, and makes for a better dip with chips than a pourable sauce.

I hope you love this Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce! It’s:

  • Creamy and rich
  • Mild, but spice adjustable
  • Pourable; not too thick
  • Kid-friendly
  • Easy and Quick to prepare
  • Versatile: Enjoy with chips, on a baked potato or drizzle on steamed vegetables!

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (3)

Want more delicious vegan Mexican recipes? Try any of these:

Ultimate Fully Loaded Vegan Nachos

Cauliflower Walnut Mushroom Taco Meat

Sheet Pan Cauliflower Fajitas

Vegan Queso Dip with Cashews

Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole

Instant Pot Spanish Rice

Instant Pot Refried Beans

If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment and tag a photo@noracooksveganon Instagram or find me on Facebook. Enjoy!

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”1AaDabKO” upload-date=”2020-04-30T14:30:58.000Z” name=”Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce” description=”Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, perfect for drizzling over tortilla chips, broccoli, baked potatoes and more!” player-type=”static”]

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (4)

4.95 stars (155 ratings)

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

This Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce is made from raw cashews, nutritional yeast and dried spices. It is quick to make, kid-friendly and perfect on chips, or even drizzled over steamed broccoli or a baked potato!

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw cashews
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
  • 4 cups water, divided, plus more as needed to thin
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional for color

Instructions

  • Soak the cashews: You can either do a quick soak, or soak the cashews for several hours or overnight. To quick soak, simply boil water in a tea kettle or on the stovetop, cover the cashews with the boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain.

  • Blend:In a high powered blender, add the cashews, lemon juice, 3 cups of the water, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and the salt. Add optional turmeric to make the cheese more yellow/orange.

  • Warm: In a medium saucepan, add the cheese sauce from the blender. Using a whisk, warm over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Add the last cup of water, depending on how thick or thin you want the sauce to be.

  • Add more salt to taste, and Sriracha if using, depending on your spice preference. If the cheese sauce sits for a while, or you refrigerate the leftovers, it will thicken. Simply warm it again on the stove, adding water as needed to thin. Serve over tortilla chips, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes and more.

Video

Notes

  1. Raw slivered almonds may be able to subbed for cashews, but they will need to be soaked very well. If you need a nut free cheese sauce, check out my Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce.
  2. You do really need a high powered blender for this cheese to get smooth and creamy. A food processor or regular blender just won't be able to get it very creamy. I use a Vitamix blender and love it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Nora Taylor

Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here.

About Nora

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Posted In: Appetizers, Cuisine, Gluten Free, Meal Type, Mexican-Inspired, Oil Free, Popular Posts, , Special Dietary Needs, Vegan Cheese, Vegan Ingredients

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Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is Taco Bell vegan cheese sauce made of? ›

In this case, "vegan" means no animal products are in the fries or the cheese sauce—the Vegan Nacho Sauce is soy and chickpea-based—but Taco Bell did mention in its announcement that because there's a shared kitchen, the company can't guarantee a lack of cross-contact.

What is vegan nacho cheese made of? ›

Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce is made with soaked, raw cashews, blended with water, nutritional yeast and spices; and warmed on the stove until it reaches nacho cheese perfection! Optional but good: Add Sriracha to taste or keep it mild for kids with sensitive palates.

What is nacho cheese sauce made of? ›

Butter and flour: This nacho cheese starts with a roux made of equal parts butter and all-purpose flour. Milk: You'll need a cup of whole milk. Cheese: For this classic nacho cheese recipe, opt for sliced processed American cheese. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the savory flavor of the nacho cheese.

What can I use to thicken cheese sauce? ›

For Smooth, Stable Cheese Sauces, Cornstarch and Evaporated Milk Are Your Friends.

What brand of nacho cheese does Taco Bell use? ›

While Taco Bell keeps the exact brand of their nacho cheese under wraps, it's widely known that they use a custom, proprietary blend. This means you can't find this exact cheese in stores. It's specially made just for Taco Bell!

What are three dominant ingredients in vegan cheese? ›

Common Ingredients in Dairy Free Cheese
  • Soy Based. Soy is unsurprisingly one of the most common bases for vegan cheeses—and is popular in many plant-based animal-product substitute. ...
  • Coconut. ...
  • Flour. ...
  • Tree Seeds and Nuts. ...
  • A Safer Alternative.
Apr 29, 2020

Is Velveeta dairy free? ›

A: Velveeta is a processed cheese which is not vegan. It's made with milk and whey, both come from cows.

Is Velveeta real cheese? ›

Though Velveeta is no longer an FDA-defined genuine cheese, it does have some similarities, namely pasteurized milk and cheese culture.

What's the best melting cheese for nachos? ›

The best option instead is to use cheeses that melt well, ideally cheddar or Jack. Per Bon Appétit, you'll get even better results if you combine those with American cheese as well.

What keeps Nacho cheese liquid? ›

Salts such as sodium citrate and sodium hexametaphosphate are known in the cheese industry as melting salts. Their primary purpose is to swap sodium ions for calcium ions bound to the casein proteins in cheese. In doing so, they loosen these proteins and make them water-soluble.

What is the white stuff in Nacho cheese? ›

They're most likely calcium lactate crystals, also known as “cheese crystals.” They are completely safe to eat, and usually signify that a cheese is flavorful and well-aged. Calcium lactate crystals form naturally during the aging process and are most commonly found in aged cheddars, including Smoked Medium Cheddar.

How do you keep cheese sauce creamy? ›

Remove the saucepan from heat and slowly incorporate the cheese, whisking constantly. According to AlSawwaf, adding the cheese over heat can cause the fats and milk solids to separate, resulting in a lumpy sauce with a curdled texture — so always take the pan off the burner first.

How to thicken a dairy-based sauce? ›

Whisking in cold butter adds thickness and shine to a sauce or gravy. Allow the sauce/gravy to reduce until it thickens on its own and then whisk in some cold butter at the end.

How to thicken cheese sauce without flour or cornstarch? ›

Slowly add a cup of the cheese sauce into the bowl containing the egg yolk, stirring to combine. Then add the mixture back into the cheese sauce on the stove, stirring to combine. Let the sauce boil over medium heat, and the cheese sauce should thicken.

Are any of Taco Bells sauces vegan? ›

Good news, Taco Bell lovers — according to VegOut, all of Taco Bell's sauces are certified vegan, including its border sauce, diablo border sauce, fire border sauce, hot border sauce, green chile sauce, green tomatillo sauce, and red sauce.

What is Taco Bell sauce made of? ›

WATER, TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), VINEGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, CHILI PEPPER, SPICES, XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE), POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, MALTODEXTRIN, YEAST EXTRACT, DATEM, NATURAL FLAVORS.

Is Taco Bell Cheddar cheese vegetarian? ›

Taco Bell ensures that all their cheese only comes from dairy, with no animal rennet or enzymes that sometimes make cheeses non-vegetarian. They use a mix of yummy cheeses like cheddar and pepper jack, all of which are 100% vegetarian-friendly. So, you can enjoy your cheesy treats without any worries.

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