Learn how to make this Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese Sauce with ONLY 6 ingredients and 10 minutes! Goes amazing on tacos, burritos or just as a dip. Dairy-free, oil-free and so delicious! RAVE REVIEWS by every reader!
Ok, I’m obsessed with Mexican flavors. I borderline want to carry around cumin and chili powder and salsa around with me, everywhere I go. But I’m not that crazy. This recipe was totally not what I was planning to post today, as I specifically created it as a quick cheese sauce to go with another recipe that a reader specifically requested, which is this Big Time Vegan Mexican Bowl. However, after whipping this up and tasting it, both my hubby and I agreed, it needed it’s own post. I didn’t want it to not get it’s fair share of attention, haha. Plus, can you believe this is my first time ever posting a cashew cheese?
On a side note, aren’t my hand models the cutest?! 🙂 Hubby and daughter getting in on the dip action.
NUT-FREE VEGAN MEXICAN CHEESE SAUCE
If you are allergic to cashews, don’t worry, I tested a nut-free version made with tahini for you too! I would say though, if you hate tahini, it may not be for you. We loved it, not as much as the cashew version, but it does have a slight tahini flavor, so keep that in mind. If you are avoiding fat or allergic to nuts, then be sure to try my super popular Nut-free Vegan Cheese Sauce. I get tagged basically daily on Instagram from you guys making it, so check it out. You could always add some cumin, chili powder, etc. to give it a Mexican flavor.
YOU ONLY NEED 6 TOTAL INGREDIENTS
As you will see, this vegan cheese is incredibly easy, as all my recipes are, but this one is like 10 minutes! Just 6 ingredients, total, including salt & water! I wanted this cheese to have a strong Mexican flavor, so a good dose of cumin and salsa is added to a base of cashews, water, nutritional yeast and salt.
The combo of the nutritional yeast and the acidity and spices from the salsa give an amazing cheese flavor and spiciness. Some people like nutritional yeast, most do, but there are a few that don’t. I personally love it. In fact, I don’t think things taste very cheesy without it, so it’s a must for me in cheese sauces. I think it’s even more important for a Mexican flavor, like with this Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese Sauce.
It’s truly shocking how darn delicious this is, considering how simple it is. It’s creamy, smooth and the perfect dip consistency. I had a couple of non-vegan friends try it and it won over big time! Give it a try. It will be great on tacos, burritos, as a dip, etc. But I created it for the recipe that is coming on Thursday, so stay tuned!
Other Vegan Cheese Recipes:
Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (108g) raw cashews (SEE NOTES)
- 3/4 cup (180g) salsa (I used Trader Joes medium heat, this makes it spicy, if you don't want it too spicy, use a mild salsa)
- 3/4 cup (180g) water
- 6 tablespoons (36g) nutritional yeast (I highly recommend this Sari brand, it is non-fortified with much better taste.)
- 2-3 teaspoons ground cumin (to preferred taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon + 1/16 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- First, you will need to soak your cashews if you don't have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. Soak the cashews in a bowl filled with water overnight or 8 hours, drain and rinse and proceed.
- Add everything to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add any more salt if desired. I found the amount to be just perfect, based on the acidity that came from my salsa, but you may need to adjust.
- Add the sauce to a small pot and turn the heat to low. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, just until it's thickened up some. You will notice it thickening. Whisk occasionally along the sides, so it doesn't stick too much. Don't really walk away while cooking it, as it cooks quickly. Don't worry if it sticks a little, you can always smooth it back out. It's important to cook it on low heat because if it's too high, the cheese will get too thick and turn crusty. About 5 minutes should do it. The tahini version will take a bit longer to thicken up. The color will darken some after cooking, to a more true cheesy color. Pour in a serving bowl and give it a good stir to smooth out. Pour extra salsa on top if using as a dip, if desired. Mine was spicy, so if yours is mild, it's a great idea to add a little extra salsa on top and it not be too hot. Serve immediately with chips, over tacos, burritos, etc.
- Store in the fridge. It will thicken as it sits in the fridge, so give it a good stir and thin out a little with water if desired (mine didn't need it), but it stays really creamy and smooth. Reheat on low.
Recipe Notes
I tested two versions. This one with cashews and another with tahini. If you are allergic to cashews then you can make this with tahini! All the ingredients remain the same except instead of cashews, use 6-8 tablespoons smooth tahini, to taste. I preferred the cashew version, which is why it's posted, but the tahini is still good. Just please keep in mind that it will have a tahini flavor, but is masked pretty well with the salsa, but it's not quite as smooth as the cashews either. So, only use the tahini if allergic to cashews.
I feel like if you’re not obsessed with Mexican flavors…there is something wrong 😉 Too good!
Lol, right?!
Best cheese sauce I’ve ever made, hands down. Will be making several times in the future if for no other reason than to bathe in…
wow, thank you so much Travis for this amazing feedback! I’m so happy it was such a hit! Thank you for making it!
Oh and bathing in it sounds like a great idea, lol!
I’ve tried other vegan cheese sauces, but this one beats them all! I love that it requires no advanced prep. The raw cashews lend a richness, but it doesn’t taste nutty. Well done! Thank you.
Wow, Brandi! Honestly, I need both versions in my life! I love anything with tahini and cashews! I bet both versions are just delicious you can’t never go wrong with cashews and tahini, given two versions are just genius! For those are allergic to cashews, so everyone can enjoy this! Happy, I’m not allergic to any nuts, but I love tahini, too so I can say I need both, not only one! Your pictures are so inviting and beautiful, with the tortilla chips and the different colors in the dip.
Thank you so much Florian, you are the sweetest! They both were delicious, definitely! But I would say if somebody hates tahini, they would likely taste it, but my hubby didn’t know it was in there in the first trial. I wanted to create 2 versions so readers wouldn’t have to go without 🙂 But we agreed the cashew one was more amazing and would please a crowd! Thank you so much!
I was just thinking of adding salsa to a vegan cheese sauce and recreating the Queso dip that I used to love so much, and BOOM! Brandi is two steps ahead of me haha 😀 I love this! I think I could go through an entire bag of tortilla chips on this. Mmmm looks dangerously good <3
Haha! It wasn’t planned, but due to the recipe reader request for Thursday, this cheese sauce is the other part of it and it is so darn delicious, it needs it’s own limelight, lol! It’s my new favorite cheese sauce now, I just love Mexican and spicy! I’ve added salsa before to my fat-free cheese sauce, but this is just to-die-for with the cashews and a power dose of cumin! Thanks girl!
Thank you! Thank you! Can’t wait to try this and the associated recipe next week. Keep the Mexican recipes coming!
You are so welcome Billie, thank you SO much for the recipe request, and your patience on it! Excited to share the whole thing on Thursday 🙂
I used to be obsessed with queso. I have been meaning to turn my butternut mac sauce into a queso for quite some time now. Well, now I don’t even have to…I’ll just use yours! 🙂 Looks so good!
That sounds like a great idea!! Thanks Jenn!
Oh my word when I saw this I fainted! I just regained consciousness now. Haha Wow seriously incredible. Your recipes make me want to try cashews so bad and see if I can handle them now but I am thankful for the tahini option. I have tried eating soy again because of your fat-free cheese sauce recipe that I love but I still react the same was as in the past. I get lethargic and get a really bad headache and pain in my lower back. Weird right? But I deal with it cause yum but maybe I should give soy a rest for awhile and experiment with cashews. My reactions to cashews is more of a traditional allergic reaction so this one is scarier to try but I am tempted. I so want to try your 20 min Alfredo
Oh, just try the tahini version then! It really is delicious. We liked it, I just would say that it’s not AS good as the cashew version, but certainly still stuff-your-face worthy, lol! It does have a slight tahini flavor though, so that’s why I mentioned if people hate tahini, don’t bother 🙂 So sorry to hear about your soy allergy. I have a friend who is really sensitive to it as well and has to avoid it. I hope you love this! I don’t want you to have a horrible reaction to the cashews and I was thinking of you and my other readers who can’t have them, so that’s the reason for the tahini version, so just make that one 🙂
Oh and are those chips homemade? They look amazing and they look oil free. And seriously cumin is like my favorite spice. I know this is an amazing recipe.
Yes, homemade! And oil-free! I just buy Food for Life frozen corn organic tortillas from the freezer section and cut them into 4ths and bake them until golden brown. I will have that on Thursday’s recipe, as it is part of that recipe too 🙂
Love this! Too funny, I just finished working on a Mexican dish that is going on the blog on Thursday, and I made my cashew cheese for the recipe. I love it as a dip too. Your pictures are making me hungry!
Haha, so funny! Same wavelength!
Is it possible to replace the cashews and water in the recipe with freshly ground cashew butter? If so, how much?
Yes, I think 1/4 cup should work perfectly 🙂 Just blend it all up so it gets really smooth and cohesive. Let me know what you think!
Thank you. I can’t wait to try it tonight! ?
I’ve been eating grilled cheese sandwiches and serving them to my husband for several days now. It is the best.I even bought a grill in order to make Panini grilled cheese sandwiches. I tried the cheese in nachos also. The nachos were good, but my favorite is definitely the sandwich. The cheese has such great depth and interesting flavors. It’s hard to believe there is no dairy in it at all. Thank you for sharing your creativity.
Wow, that is an AMAZING IDEA! I totally am going to try that, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and letting me know. So happy it was such a hit!
I just tried this tonight with some vegan tacos and nachos! I have a Vitamix, so it was super easy! Literally tossed the ingredients in, turned it on high for 5 minutes, then out came this delicious sauce! It really tastes like it took a lot of effort. Soooooooooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! So darn happy to hear it Michele! Crazy that it tastes like you stood in the kitchen whipping this up forever, huh, haha! Sometimes, I just don’t want to mess with chopping veggies and don’t have the time, so this takes care of that. So happy you loved it, thank you for making it and leaving feedback!
I literally laughed out loud at the beginning of this post!! Cumin is the best!!! Easily one of our most used spices. This looks SO amazing!!! And loving how simple it is – I’m with you on the nutritional yeast…the other day we tried a new “cheese”‘sauce and something was missing, I added a little nutritional yeast and it tasted so much better! We’re on a very similar wavelength and I’ll freak out if your Thursday post is in line with what I’ve been working on…it has to do with a Mexican cheese sauce, too! Anyways, can’t wait to try this!!!
Haha, thank you so much Mandy! I can’t wait to see what you’ve been cooking up over there! Yay for cheese!!
Wowwwwwwwww this cheese sauce sounds soooo good! Mexican flavours + cheese flavours = food heaven. I can so easily see myself becoming addicted to this, it looks incredible Brandi!
Thank you so much Harriet! So darn delicious!
Tried this recipe last night and added to our amazing nachos recipe (see the Plantpower Way, Rich Roll & Julie Piatt).
Ok- it was so good and so easy! Best Mexican cashew cheese we have tried yet. Great on our nachos & amazing as a stand alone dip! Thank you!
So happy to hear that Sandy! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! So glad to hear it was such a a hit!
I am always so intrigued when I see VEGAN cheese – there are so many variations and… They all seem to satisfy those cheeseyyyyy cravings! 😛
Thank you Gigi! Yes, no shortage of them, that’s for sure. This is my favorite thus far now, especially since it takes 5 minutes and totally reminds me of queso I used to eat 🙂
Sounds delicious! I love adding salsa, hot sauce, etc. to my cheese sauce. SO tasty and definitely gives it that queso type feel. I think my family could actually survive on chips, salsa and cheese sauce. I swear. LOL
Yep, I do it all the time as well to my fat-free cheese! This tastes entirely different though than that version. The spicy salsa and big dose of cumin really reminded me of questo I grew up on. So damn good!
Hi~
I made the cheesy sauce last night and was really happy with it. We’re waiting out the blizzard, so it was chips, cheesy sauce and a bottle of wine in front of the fire last night.
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Wonderful Laura! I’m so happy to hear you loved the cheese, thank you so much for the feedback and stay warm!!
Could we replace the cashews with white beans Brandi? 3/4 cup of cashews has a lot of fat, but the recipe sounds good
Hi Jess, you can if you want, but be prepared that it will have a completely different texture and result. It’s not going to have that cheesy, rich creamy taste. I personally do not like how white beans taste at all in sauces, but if you want to try and reduce the fat some, I would at least only do partial, like maybe just use 1/2 cup cashews and then some beans. You could try that, I just can’t vouch for the results other than the cashew version and tahini version I shared above.
We have just started our vegan journey and a friend shared your blog with me. This recipe is AWESOME! My husband said if all vegan stuff taste this good he is on board. Thanks Brandi for sharing your great recipes!
Wow, thank you so much Vicky for the amazing feedback, that is so wonderful to hear!
The cheese sauce looks delicious. I’m eager to make it and I have cashew butter in my refrigerator I bought at Mother’s Market and it was freshly ground there. Can I just replace the cashews and water in the recipe with cashew butter?
Hi Katherine! Yes, cashew butter is fine. I would use 6-8 tablespoons, but you still need the water so it’s smooth and creamy and not too much of a nut butter taste. Even if it seems a bit runny, you are cooking it, which will further thicken it. Let me know how it turns out with the cashew butter, as I haven’t tried it yet!
This cheese sauce is sooooo delicious! Giving up cheese has been the hardest thing for me. This really is yummy. I think I could bathe in it 🙂 I don’t have a vitamix, so I soaked the cashews like the recipe says, and put it in my Ninja (which is dislike tremendously. Keeping my fingers crossed that a new blender comes my way for my upcoming B-day). I couldn’t get the smooth texture I wanted out of the Ninja, but the flavor was outstanding! This will no doubt be something I make on a regular basis. Cheese sauce, fresh veggies, and wine – now we’re talking!!
Haha, such awesome feedback Karen, thank you so much! So darn funny, because you are the 2nd person to mention bathing in it, hahaha! So glad you loved it, thank you so much for the feedback!
Ah-mazing! My husband SWOONED when I made this today! We put it on top of our version of a Chipotle restaurant vegan bowl…YUM!
THANK YOU!!!!
Yay!! So so happy to hear that Samantha!! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Thank you so much for all your great recipes!!I tried this one today and loved it!!! can’t wait to share it with my family tonight 🙂 Making some crispy cauliflower tacos with your cheese sauce 🙂 Yummy!
I’m so happy to hear that Marie, thank you so much for the feedback! Oh, that sounds like a fantastic idea, wow!!
Wow! Brandi, this was delicious! Even my 7 year old picky eater loved this! Thank you for all of your amazing recipes. I have been following you for the past few months and we are slowly turning into a vegan family, one recipe at a time!!
Woohoo! So happy to hear that Lacey! Thank you so much for the amazing feedback, it really made my day!
I am going to make this cheese sauce again as just a cheese dip with the oil free corn chips. So for the tahini version do you recommend I both cook it a little longer and use more tahini? Or will it be ok with the 41/2 tablespoons only as long as it’s cooked longer?
Hi Christina! I’m so sorry, I hope I’m not too late…I’ve been crazy busy today. Yes, I would do 6-8 tbsp, it’s not as thick/creamy as cashews, so a little more is better. The consistency will vary when cooking, but it will thicken up. I tested my first version with tahini. The longer you cook it, it should thicken up. I use a toasted sesame tahini from Krogers.
OMG! I think someone else said this already, but I could bathe in this sauce. It’s SO good. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
hahaha, yes, you are the 3rd person to mention bathing in it, this is just so funny to me! I’m so happy you loved it, thank you Christina for the feedback!
Seriously best cheese sauce ever. I wonder if this would work on pasta. Haha probably not but wow it is so good. As you know I used the tahini version and it came out perfectly delicious in my opinion. Loved everything about it. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe ?
Thank you so much Christina!! I think it would probably be delicious on anything, haha!
This was fantastic! I used a spicy tomatillo salsa since I didn’t have any red salsa on hand. The finished product wasn’t as orange as the red salsa would have made it but it was killer delicious on Broccoli!
I will be bringing this to a SuperBowl party on Sunday. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much Denise for the amazing feedback! I’m so happy to hear you loved this so much!
I ordered this yeast from Amazon and I love cooking with it. So much better
than the stuff in stores…thanks
Wonderful, so glad to hear that!
I made this with the frito pie ! So amazing and easy and a wonderful flavour. Will now be a staple recipe for me!! I like cumin but not overly so i only used 1 tsp. ?
Thank you so much Rose for making this and leaving the awesome feedback, I really appreciate it!
Yummy!!! I’ve made so many not good “cheese” sauces over the years that my family was very skeptical tonight when I put this sauce in our bean and rice burritos,but they quickly all said “YUMmY! I want more!!! I am going to make quesadillas , nachos, even some Mexican flavored Mac n cheese will be forthcoming! My husband put some on his plate and started dipping chips in it. My 12 year old son even said it was great! And he is in the middle of an attitude that my vegan ways are so annoying to him lately! Well done Brandi! Thank you for making my life a little easier! Also, the sunflower chocolate brownies are now a weekly staple around here. I can not praise your name enough! I have five kids and your great tasting, fast and easy recipes are a necessity if I want to keep feeding my family plant based meals. ???
Oh my goodness!!! This is amazing!! Yesterday our doctor told us we needed to stay gluten free, dairy free & sugar free for at least another 2 weeks. It broke my 11yo son’s heart because he LOVES Mexican food. You just made his next 2 weeks better!! I can’t wait to have enchiladas and all sorts of yummy food we’ve been missing. Thank you!!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Cori, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! So glad to hear it was a hit with everybody, especially your son and this version is so healthy for us too, so I’m glad he loved it!
game changer for sure. Going to a pot luck tonight and I’m making a vegan enchilada casserole. Serving the cheese sauce on the side. It’s simmering on the stove right now and it’s so delicious!
thank you (again)
Oh that sounds absolutely heavenly! I’m so happy you loved this, thank you so much for the feedback!
How long does this sauce keep? I’m the only vegan in the house and this made quite a bit for just little ol me! I’m new to being vegan and have made this wonderful sauce a couple of times now… it’s excellent to make broccoli mac and cheese. I just added a little bit of pepper jack Daiya to my bowl and bam! Crazy good comfort food! I just need a guideline on how long it’ll keep in my fridge. Thanks!
Hi Cocoa! It lasts at least a week, by then we’ve gobbled it all up 🙂
Another hit. I love it when I have to fight to get to the vegan dish I brought to the omnivore party! I posted this comment on Twitter back in January. It is still true!!!
Oh wow, thank you so much for the amazing feedback, so happy to hear!!
Brandi!!!! This cheese sauce is AMAZING!!!!! I love how simple it was to make and how it goes with pretty much everything! My two favorite ways to eat it (besides with a spoon) is with potatoes and roasted broccoli. So full of flavor and creamy. It’s been thrown into our rotation of cheese sauces and each time we’ve made it, it’s been wonderful. Yet another fantastic recipe, my friend!!
Thank you so much Mandy! I’m so very happy you loved it girl! I loved your pic on IG of it and I pretty much put this on everything now, I’ve yet to find one thing it doesn’t taste good on, hahaha! Thank you so much for making it!
Delicious as always!
Thank you so much Tiffany! I’m so happy you loved it!
That was delicious. I just used it on a baked potato with broccoli and chili.
Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed it!
I made the vegan Mexican cheese the other night. Love love love it!!! I served it in bowls with black beans around it and a dollop of salsa in the middle! Wonderfully satisfying, tasting and so easy to make!
Thanks so much for the wonderful inspiration you are!
Whoop! So happy to hear that Kay, thank you so much for the feedback (as always) and making this recipe, I really appreciate it!
I had the pleasure of serving this to some non-vegans tonight and impressed the heck out of them! Thanks for another wonderful recipe! It’s so good I could eat it by the spoonful (:
Now that is what I like to hear, thank you so much April for the awesome feedback!
Seriously?! I’ve been looking for a vegan queso to copycat the liquid gold that I can only find at my favorite vegan restaurant…I’ve found it! I can’t believe how good your recipe is! Thank you for sharing!
Yay! So happy to hear that Cheryl, so glad you loved this cheese, it’s our favorite too! Thank you for leaving feedback!
This is amazing, I tweaked with using homemade pico and dash of miso paste, LOVE it! Thanks!
Thank you so much Jenn! SO glad you loved it!
This is truly delicious. I’ve tried a couple of other queso recipes and they were not even close to what I wanted. This is it! Thanks!!!
Just made this for the first time and I loved it! I was only able to use one teaspoon of cumin as that was all I had left but it was still amazing. 😋
I will definitely be making this often. Thank you for all your hard work in these recipes!
Wonderful Linda, I’m so happy to hear that you loved this so much!
This cheese sauce is to die for! I crave it even more than I did dairy cheese. Thank you for sharing such amazing recipes and making veganism possible.
Wow, that is so amazing to hear Nicole, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Wow Brandi! I was searching through your FB page trying to decide what to make for dinner and came across this Mexican cheese sauce. I decided to make tacos with lettuce cups and this sauce. This cheese sauce is SO AMAZING!! I licked the spoon clean! My boyfriend loved it too! Definitely a staple. Cumin is probably one of my favorite spices. You’re a genius!!
aww thanks so much Lindsay! This is hands down my favorite cheese sauce too, so I’m so glad to hear you both loved it so much! I pretty much put it on everything and anything I can find, lol!
I just made this for a party tonight. I doctored it up by putting garlic powder, pepper, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. I have a tiny crockpot to heat it in. Delicious! I was licking the spatula (after it was all in the crockpot- no double dipping LOL). I boil my cashews for 20 minutes because I never like waiting for them to soak. I also think boiling results in creamier sauce faster.
Wonderful Marni! An extra spicy version sounds lovely! I sometimes add cayenne to mine too for an extra kick, but I have to save it for myself because my daughter and hubby don’t like too spicy, lol!
Amazing!!! I just made a batch for the first time and had to slap my own hand to stop eating it. I was dipping my homemade oil-free corn chips in it. What a great combo! Thanks for your work inventing and protecting good, healthy vegan recipes.
Is it possible to replace the cashews with almonds?
Hi Holly! Unfortunately, I have never been able to get almonds nearly as smooth as cashews because they have skins on them and the texture is different so it would really change the taste and texture. I have provided another alternative to the cashews, with tahini that I tested, but those are the best versions.
Omg!!! I just ordered the nutritional yeast from your link and as soon as it arrives I will make Mac and cheese with black beans. I love your recipes. I am going to try your confetti cake next just waiting for the cake pans and vanilla powder from Amazon to arrive. I love that you provide links to your ingredients. Thank you Brandi you are awesome!!!
Yay Molly! Can’t wait to hear what you think! So glad it is helpful to you!
BRANDI! This is BETTER than any Nacho Cheese sauce I’ve never eaten! I’ve got a party this Friday with my carnivore friends..gonna trick them! Ha ha…love you for your creations. You really are a food artist! Thank you!
Oh that makes me so happy to hear Carol! Thank you so much for the feedback! Woohoo!
Well I FINALLY got around to making this tonight. Wow, this is the quickest and easiest-to-make cheese sauce that I’ve ever made! Oh…..did i forget to mention TASTY??!!! This was SO tasty! So I made a huge platter of nachos for dinner tonight (yes….dinner lol). I topped it with this cheese sauce, some refried beans with taco seasoning mixed in and topped with black beans and diced green chilis. These nachos were gone in record time and my husband kept saying over and over “wow these are so good….these are SO good” and he also kept saying “I feel like I cheated on our vegan diet” lol. As always….I’m blown away by the easy and tasty recipes you so lovingly share with all of us!!!
Aww Samantha I’m so very happy to hear you loved this so much! Sorry I missed this comment somehow before but thank you very much for the feedback!
OMG!!!! This is heaven. I loved this. I just doubled the recipe and poured it straight out of the blender over noodles, corn, black beans and broccoli. I love this. I was licking the extra sauce out of the blender. Amazing!!!
Wonderful to hear that Molly, so happy you loved it! Thank you for the feedback!!
Is there a substitute for the nutritional yeast? I just started experimenting with it and do not care for the flavor.
Hi Laura, unfortunately not. Since there is 6 T of the yeast in here, without that, it will really not have the right cheesy flavor. I think it is hidden well with the salsa, but if you don’t like it then you may notice it. I am experimenting with a cheese that doesn’t have any nutritional yeast. You could try adding a Tbsp of lemon juice and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar instead of the nutritional yeast and that may work.
Made this for vegan nachos for a non vegan friend and this sauce blew both of our minds! Soooo amazing ! thank you !
Yay! So glad to hear that, thank you so much for the feedback!
This was absolutely incredible. A huge hit at a party I threw this summer. When I stored it I put it in a container with guac & OMG the combo of the 2 was orgasmic! Making this again for a Christmas party. Thanks for the fab recipe!
That’s so awesome to hear Jocelyn, haha! Thank you so much for the feedback and so sorry I’m just seeing this comment!
If I have a really good blender like the new ninja do I need to soak the cashews at all? Thanks so much :)!
Hi Aysha, I have never used a Ninja, so I’m not sure if it would get the cashews 100% as creamy as a Vitamix. I would just heat them up for 10 minutes in boiling water, drain and then blend and that should do it 🙂
Hey!!!! I’ve discovered your website and I’m so happy to have stumbled across it because I’ve tried many of your recipes and they have turned out great. This one in particular I was curious about but worried because of the tortillas.I had a bad experience with some that I tried to bake at home and they tasted gross…had a really processed flavor. I’m doing my best to avoid oil so baking tortillas are a must for me right now. I was fortunate enough to have found a pack at Whole Foods in the freezer section that had no wonky ingredients and they worked perfectly. The sauce…love love. I made it with a few adjustments like adding cayenne pepper, chilli powder, and paprika along with the ones you listed. It had a nice flavor, but to add a twist to it, I added black beans, guacamole verde, chunky salsa, and fresh cut onions to top it and to made it into a “cheesy” black bean dip. Added lemon juice and sea salt to the tortilla chips before baking for crisp. Had a big plate of salad with NO DRESSING and ate everything with my fingers, it was delicious and so filling. Will most definitely be making this again!! Thank you very much for this recipe!!
So glad you loved it Geneka, thank you so much for your kind comment!
OMG!!! just made this to put on top of nachos….amazing!!!! so easy to make too
Yay! Thank you Lizzette, glad you loved it!
Thanks for this yummy recipe. I followed it exactly as written except as it was on the stove I added a small can of diced green chilies just for the heck of it. My husband, who hates anything “meatless” or “vegan” dipped a tortilla chip into it, cursed loudly and said he could eat the whole bowl! We love it!
Haha, love it Laura!! So funny! So glad you both loved it and green chiles sound really yummy!
I have to say I was skeptical…I’ve tried faux cheese sauce before and haven’t liked them. I was happily surprised to taste this recipe! Sooo good!! I can’t wait to try it over my jackfruit nachos this weekend!! Thank you for my new go-to “cheese” sauce!
So very happy you loved this cheese Christine, thank you so much for the feedback!
I want to make this for a party, but do you have any suggestions of how I can keep it warm without over cooking it and having it get crusty??? TIA!!
Hi Kelly, I have never tried keeping it warm like that, I just heat it up and then serve it up in a bowl and stir it a few times while it sits. Like with regular cheese it will form than thin skin at top as it sits, but a quick stir fixes it right up. As far as keeping it warm, it would have to be a really, really low heat because otherwise I would imagine it would continue to cook it and with cashews, that as I’m sure you know will just continue to make it thicker and crust up the bottom. Maybe just a warming plate would work?? Not sure, let me know if you try something!
Wow!!!! I printed out your “cheese” recipe weeks ago and have been too nervous to make it…. I’m not that confident in the kitchen…. yestetday I finally made your sauce for our enchiladas! Why oh why did I wait sooooo LONG!!!! It waz ah-mazing and super easy to make! For those of you like me putting off attempting NEW recipes, don’t wait ANY longer…. just go and make it!
Thanks Brandi for a delicious recipe…. one that even my NON-vegan husband enjoyed!!! I didn’t change a thing and it turned out super YUMMY!
Yay Brenda! This is like the best feedback ever! Thank you so very much for making it and leaving your awesome review, it really made my day!
Hi – can this be made without the salsa?
Hi Nancy, no that is a large portion of the recipe and what gives a big portion of the liquid and taste that helps it taste so cheesy. It won’t taste nearly the same without it. Salsas can be found at any grocery store.
Love, Love, Love this Mexican Cheese Sauce! It was so quick and easy to make! I couldn’t keep my finger or spoon out of it and wanted to eat the entire batch! I made the Mexican Black Bean Cheesy casserole and used this cheese sauce! I will be making it every week for awhile! My family loves it! Thank you so much for all the time you take for creating so many delicious recipes!
Yay!! So happy to hear that Jeanette! Thank you so much for the lovely review!!
I make many recipes on your site and always have success. Why didn’t I come to your site first when I was looking for a cheese sauce for a 7 layer dip???? I went through two other recipes that 1) Did not taste good and 2) Were not this easy. I made this in my NutriBullet and did not soak the cashews and it came out perfect. THANK YOU for another tasty and easy recipe!
Very, very good. I made this with the Mexican bowl — it was very attractive, and the whole family ate everything in their bowls. I call that a win. Thank you!
That’s awesome, thank you so much for the review Thera! Great that the whole family ate it all up!
Just have to comment again because it’s so good and I Love how EASY this is to make! Easiest and tastiest cheeze sauce ever. HANDS DOWN! My only problem…..I keep forgetting to double the recipe because we just can’t stop eating it and one batch isn’t enough for my family of 5! Lol
Thank you so much Samantha for this awesome review, love hearing that!! I really appreciate it! Haha, yes double it for sure! Would you mind star rating it if you get a chance? Thank you!
This sauce is so delicious. I make it weekly and the whole family enjoys.
That makes me so happy to hear, thank you Erin!
Delish and amazing!! I am always looking for a cheesy sauce or home made cheese that is GOOD. This is it!!
I made vegan tacos with walnut mushroom chorizo and this sauce with red cabbage, cilantro and avocado. They were GREAT. My hubby and I-don’t-like-your-vegan-food daughter had seconds!!!
It was all about the queso.
You are a wizard.
S
Oh yay! So excited to hear that Sue! So glad everybody loved it! Thank you for the awesome review! Would you mind star rating the recipe as well, I would really appreciate it! You have to leave a comment to do so, thank you!
Easy and excellent! Will be in heavy rotation in my (lazy) vegan household. I also added a LOT of black pepper. YUM!
SO awesome to hear Chenell!
HI and many thanks for your website and work, much appreciated.
Forgive me my ignorance but I’m not imaginative in the kitchen.
I’m from, and live in the uk. When you say salsa for this recipe what
can I do for this here?
Thank you.
Another recipe score from you!! I made this last night, and we had it again tonight for Sunday night leftovers 😀. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used Newman’s own mild salsa. Truly easy peasey and yummy. Thank you!
So glad to hear that Lisa!
Ah-maz-ing. Make it all the time. If I do decide to post it somewhere online I will definitely link you! Thank you!
Yay! Wonderful feedback Roanne, thank you!
I was thinking of using this on top of a casserole. Will this cheese crisp up nicely to form a nice crust if placed under the broiler for a couple of minutes on top of my mexican quinoa casserole?
Hi Jen, yes it should brown along the edges and firm up since it is cashew based!
Looks like I’m 3 years late, but had to gush because it’s so delicious! I added 2 extra tablespoons of nutritional yeast, and used 3 teaspoons of cumin. I add the water slowly so the cashews breakdown better. The whole family loves this…they simply eat it with chips. My new obsession is eating this on top of seasoned black beans & diced tomatoes (cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper…all to taste)….it takes all of 10 minutes to make and I’m told it tastes like chili…I call it heaven!
SO very glad you loved it Rach, thank you!