The Best Vegan Queso Dip

this Recipe

I take queso dip very seriously around here. Considering my husband goes through a bag of chips and a few jars of salsa weekly, it’s safe to say that we love a good chip and dip combo. My chili cheese dip is one of my most popular recipes and one of the most requested recipes in my hose. 

I can’t get enough of that chili cheese dip, it really is so good and my go-to dip when we have friends over (remember those days?) or want a lazy afternoon of snacking. However, I wanted to create something that wasn’t so heavy and didn’t require a cup and a half of cashews! I love cashews, but they are also energy-dense and expensive. This vegan queso dip is still creamy, luscious and cheesy, but light enough that you can pour it on whatever your heart desires: tacos, nachos, burrito bowls or dipping straight from the bowl. 

How to Make Vegan Queso Dip

This dip is similar to how you’d make a regular cheese dip. First, you’ll saute garlic in butter to help with the aromatics and flavor. From there, add in flour to create a roux. I haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour, but I’ve used a gluten-free blend in other recipes and it usually works out fine. 

Next, you’ll add in almond milk and whisk until the mixture thickens. This is what makes the dip thick enough to dunk chips into, but also light enough that you don’t feel like you’re eating a spoonful of nut butter with every bite. 

I’ve made enough queso cheese dips to know that I really like adding in a yellow or orange bell pepper to the dip. Not only does it provide color, but the slight pepper flavor really makes or breaks the profile of the dip– so don’t skip it. Likewise, you’ll need nutritional yeast for the cheezy flavor and spices to help round everything out. 

For added body, I also threw in a 1/4 cup of cashews, but you could leave them out if you don’t have them or don’t want as creamy of a dip. Now you’re ready to blend! Using either an immersion blender or a blender, puree until creamy and smooth. To finish, you’ll spoon in a 1/2 cup of chunky salsa and your vegan queso is ready to be enjoyed. 

If you’ve got a little lime lying around, I like to squirt a bit in to help balance everything out. However, I didn’t put it in the ingredient list as it’s not necessary and I hate asking you to grab something that you only need a tiny amount of in a recipe. If you have it, use it. If you don’t, that’s OK too. 

I highly recommend my homemade salsa in this one! We are officially addicted to that recipe. I canned 62 jars the beginning of August and we’ve already gone through 20. When I say we, I really mean my husband and my son who easily polish off an entire jar together in a single sitting. Thank goodness I’ve now got a back-pocket queso dip to share with them. 

How long does this last in the fridge? 

This sauce should last about 5 days in the fridge. 

How much queso dip does this make? 

This dip makes ~3 cups. 

If you make this recipe, make sure to come back, rate it and leave a comment. I love seeing you make my recipes and your feedback helps others. 

The Best Vegan Queso Dip

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: ~3 cups
• Category: sauce, queso, appetizer, snack
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American, Mexican Inspired
• Diet: Vegan

Description

Vegan Queso Dip! This healthy queso dip is a must for tacos, nachos, burrito bowls and more. Dairy-free, vegan and ready in just minutes.

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• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: ~3 cups
• Category: sauce, queso, appetizer, snack
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American, Mexican Inspired
• Diet: Vegan

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: ~3 cups
• Category: sauce, queso, appetizer, snack
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American, Mexican Inspired
• Diet: Vegan

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons non-dairy butter
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup chopped orange or yellow bell pepper
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chunky salsa

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Instructions

1. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic. Simmer for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
2. Add in the flour and cook, stirring 1-2 minutes, or until flour is cooked and lightly golden brown.
3. Whisk in the milk and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook a few minutes, until lightly thickened and add in the bell pepper, nutritional yeast, cashews salt, cumin and chili powder. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
4.  Transfer to a blender and puree until creamy, or use an immersion blender and puree until creamy. Return back to the pot, then stir in the salsa. Taste, adding salt as needed. Also tastes great with a squirt of lime juice!

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