Creamy, zesty, cashew nacho cheese is delicious for dipping and great on tacos, burritos, nachos, and more. You make it in the blender, no cooking required, and it’s so versatile! Nutfree option
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I have a couple of versions of nacho cheese on the blog . They are nut-free, so I decided to make a nut-based version which is creamier and more decadent. This is a super easy vegan cheese recipe. Just add everything to the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.
From there, you can adjust the flavors by adding more spices or adjust the tang with lemon juice to make this your own.
Use this cashew nacho cheese over nachos, burritos, a taco bake, baked potatoes, on blanched broccoli, or however you like. Add some salsa for even more flavor and serve with your fave tortilla chips!
Why You’ll Love Cashew Nacho Cheese
- rich and creamy vegan cheese sauce with no oil needed
- velvety smooth with light smoky and spicy notes
- versatile! Adjust saltiness and spiciness easily. Serve on nachos, tacos, burritos, and more!
- naturally gluten-free with an easy soy-free option
🧀 More Vegan Cheese Recipes
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Cashew Nacho Cheese
Creamy, zesty, cashew nacho cheese is delicious for dipping and great on tacos, burritos, nachos, and more. You make it in the blender, no cooking required, and it’s so versatile!
Servings: 6
Calories: 135kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup (129 g) raw cashews unroasted, unsalted, soaked in warm water for at least 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon yellow miso paste
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) water or more, if needed to get the creamy texture
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar of pickled jalapeños
- 2 tablespoons salsa or chopped tomato
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Additions
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chipotle chili flakes or cayenne for heat
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
-
Soak the cashews, if you haven’t already. Let them sit for 15 minutes in hot water, then drain.
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Add the soaked and drained cashews to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, and then blend for a minute. Check the consistency of the mixture, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water, if needed. Then, blend again for 30 seconds. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then blend again for 10 seconds. Let it sit for another 2 minutes, and then blend again for half a minute or, until the mixture is nice and creamy and smooth.
-
Taste and adjust flavor by adding more lemon, salt, garlic, flavors or heat, and then blend in those additions. Then transfer to a serving bowl, top it with some salsa or pickled jalapeño, and serve with tortilla chips, or use the cheese sauce in tacos, wraps, over burritos, over nachos.
Video
Notes
Cashew nacho cheese is naturally gluten-free.
This is a soy-free recipe, if you use chickpea miso instead of yellow miso.
For nut-free, make my nut-free nacho cheese sauce instead.
To make this without nutritional yeast, just omit the nutritional yeast and add another teaspoon of miso.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Cashew Nacho Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 135
Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 298mg13%
Potassium 223mg6%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 137IU3%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- raw cashews – Make sure to soak your cashews in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain before using. This will soften them, so they blend up smooth and creamy. You need raw cashews for the neutral flavor. Roasted cashews will add too much nuttiness. For a nutfree version make my nut free nacho cheese.
- nutritional yeast – Adds cheesiness and umami. If you don’t want to use nutritional yeast, you can use an extra tablespoon of miso instead.
- miso – Use yellow miso paste for this cheese sauce recipe. You can use chickpea miso for soy-free.
- lemon juice – For tang.
- pickled jalapeños – Adds more tang and some heat. You’re using both the pepper themselves and some of the brine from the jar.
- salsa – Adds such a nice flavor! You can use chopped tomato, if you prefer.
- salt and spices – We are seasoning this with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can add in chipotle chili or cayenne for more heat. If you want this to be more yellow in color, also add in some turmeric.
💡 Tip
This recipe is all about thoroughly blending those cashews! Don’t skip the soak, and make sure that you blend as directed for the creamiest cashew nacho cheese.
How to Make Cashew Nacho Cheese Sauce
Soak the cashews, if you haven’t already. Let them sit for 15 minutes in hot water, then drain.
Add the soaked and drained cashews to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, and then blend for a minute. Check the consistency of the mixture, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water, if needed. Then, blend again for 30 seconds. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then blend again for 5-10 seconds. Let it sit for another 2 minutes, and then blend again for half a minute, until the mixture is nice and creamy and smooth.
Taste and adjust flavor by adding more lemon, salt, or heat, and then blend in those additions. Then transfer to a serving bowl, top it with some salsa or pickled jalapeño, and serve with nacho chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cashew nacho cheese is naturally gluten-free. This is a soy-free recipe, if you use chickpea miso instead of yellow miso. For nut-free, make my nut-free nacho cheese sauce instead.
You really won’t. It’s such a small amount that it just adds a little bit of natural color.
An extra tablespoon of miso will give your cashew nacho cheese the umami flavor without needing nutritional yeast.
