So, my original plan was to post waffles today because, if you have been keeping up with me on Instagram, you will see I’ve been making a ton of waffles. I have both a Chai Waffle recipe and a Chocolate Waffle recipe. However, I realized that several of my posts lately have all been sweet…um, oops….and due to the excitement over this recipe I shared on this Facebook post, I knew I needed to publish this one first. But don’t you worry, those Chai waffles are next. I’ve received countless waffle recipe requests since so many prefer them over pancakes. So, hold tight. 😉
This Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake was another spur-of-the-moment dinner idea that turned out incredible. Incredible. It’s truly hard to believe that this whole dish, with as delicious as it is, is only 8 ingredients (+salt and water). My daughter absolutely looovvved it. In fact, I’ve made it 3 times since I shared the teaser pic on Facebook. So many of you have been messaging asking when it is getting posted and yay, today is the day! Let me just say, it takes awhile to film a video with all the layers and prepare everything for the post, so that is why it took me several days to get it together.
We polished off this Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake in no time. Also, it’s SO easy to make. Another exciting thing? The Mexican Vegan Cheesy Sauce is made with no nutritional yeast! So many people hate nutritional yeast or are allergic, as well as many months ago I discovered it was a trigger for gout pain in my husband. Ever since then, I’ve been remaking recipes subbing out the nutritional yeast. For this recipe, I went to my #1 cheese sauce on the blog that soooo many of you say it has changed your life, the Mexican Cheese Sauce. BUT, that recipe uses a good amount of nutritional yeast. So, I had to think how to mimic that cheesy flavor without it.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I did it, lol. The shocking part is that I love this one better. It tastes even cheesier.
VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE IN 10 MINUTES
You don’t need to cook any veggies or do a million steps to make a homemade cheese sauce. This is SO easy to make and I swear, has the most real cheesy taste that I’ve tried yet to date and I’ve tried a lot of recipes. It’s simple, fast and delicious.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I don’t like long recipes with a lot of ingredients. It just flat out stresses me out and this recipe is so incredibly delicious and the fact it’s ready in under an hour and just 8 basic ingredients is kind of crazy.
To remake my original cheese sauce without the nutritional yeast, I used a good amount of dairy-free soy (or coconut) yogurt. It provided an amazing tang, wonderful body and texture and honestly, tasted better to me than with the nutritional yeast. That combined with all the natural vinegar in the salsa, makes for one delicious cheesy bite.
I don’t give two hoots if it is “real cheese” or not…when something tastes good, it tastes good. Period. No matter what. And unlike dairy cheese, this one isn’t full of cholesterol.
It will be going on nachos next! Mmmmmmm.
All you need to make this recipe is 8 simple ingredients (+the usual salt and water):
- Cashews or White beans
- Salsa
- Dairy-free Yogurt
- Cumin
- Smoked Paprika
- Black Beans
- Corn
- Corn Tortillas
I hope you all love this Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake as much as I do. Please watch the video tutorial below, as it really makes the process easier to understand when seeing the visual.
MORE VEGAN DINNER RECIPES
- Vegan Stuffed Ricotta Shells
- Barbecue Lentil Loaf
- Oil-free Zucchini Fritters
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Vegan 20 Minute Alfredo
- Vegan Chickpea Tomato Ragu
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake
Ingredients
FOR THE CHEESE (Makes 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup (150g) raw unsalted cashews (See NOTES below for subs and lower-fat option)
- 1 cup (240g) mild heat runny/not too chunky salsa (I love Trader Joe's or Sprouts Mild, you can use a medium heat if you don't mind the dish being on the spicy side, not recommended with kids)
- 3/4 cup (180g) PLAIN dairy-free yogurt (I used Silk Soy yogurt found at Kroger OR SO Delicious "Unsweetened" Plain coconut yogurt)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (75g) water
- 1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4-1 teaspoon fine salt (this will vary depending on the salsa used. Start with 3/4 and keep in mind the final taste after baked you want to stand out)
FOR THE CASSEROLE
- 9 small corn tortillas, cut into fourths
- Two 15 oz cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (240g) salsa for middle layer
- 2 cups (293g) sweet corn (I used frozen)
- Optional: Green onions for garnish
NOTE
- The yogurt CANNOT be subbed here for milk, that will RUIN the recipe. The yogurt is thick, creamy and tangy and using a milk will not only make it bland, it will make the rest of the dish watery and soggy. Follow the recipe for the correct results.
Instructions
- First, prepare your cheese sauce by adding all of the ingredients listed under "cheese sauce" to a high-powered blender. I did not soak my cashews since I have a Vitamix, but if you do not have a strong blender, you will need to soak your cashews overnight, drain and rinse. Otherwise, your sauce will be gritty. Taste it and tell me how darn cheesy that tastes! The cheese sauce tastes insanely delicious and cheesy straight out of the blender, but gets even cheesier after it's baked! If you are just wanting to use the cheese sauce for nachos or another recipe, I would add it to the stove and heat it just to thicken it up slightly. It is delicious on nachos!
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly spray a 8 1/2 by 8 1/2 square casserole dish like ceramic or stone with nonstick spray. Layer about a 1/3 of the cheese sauce on the bottom and spread out with a spoon. REFER TO VIDEO for easy visual tutorial. Lay on top of the cheese sauce 6 of the cut tortillas per each row for 3 rows.
- Add 1 can of the beans on top of the tortillas and spread out. Add the other 1 cup of salsa and spread out over the beans. Layer 1 cup of the corn. Layer another 1/3 of the cheese sauce on top of the corn and spread out. You will notice there is only 1 layer of salsa in the middle. This is just to add another layer of flavor and moisture, it definitely didn't need 2 layers of salsa.
- Repeat the steps by adding the remaining tortillas, then the beans, corn and remaining cheese sauce. Cover everything well and top with a piece of foil gently covering the dish. This is so the cheese sauce doesn't bake up and harden too quickly. Bake with the foil on for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is getting a nice firm orange-brown look on the edges. I baked it for about 8 minutes without the foil but if you prefer the cheese to be more firm, just bake it a bit longer. Just keep in mind that the longer you bake it, the drier the top cheese layer becomes after it is removed from the oven.
- Garnish with fresh green onions. I loved the crunchy, fresh element of the green onions to the warm cheesy flavor.
- This dish reheats very well also. I just reheat leftovers in the microwave and mmmmmm, delicious.
Recipe Notes
Please note that for best results, I recommend the 100% cashew version. It is incredibly rich and delicious and only recommend the below if allergic to cashews or greatly needing to watch your fat intake.
To make this nut-free: You can sub all of the cashews with white beans, making sure to blend really well. Just PLEASE note that this is ONLY recommended if you absolutely cannot have cashews. I tested it with all beans and while it was good, it was not as rich and creamy delicious as with the cashews (obviously since beans are fat-free) and the husband said it tasted like beans, but did agree it was still good and tasty. Please keep in mind I recommend the cashew version for best results to where non-vegans will love it too.
For lower fat: I also tested a version with half white beans and half cashews and it was still very delicious.
Nutrition per square slice (based on 9): 287 calories | 9.9g fat | 9.6g protein | 43.1g carbs | 8g fiber | 8g sugar | 568mg sodium
If you make this recipe, please do not repost it in full on your site, please link to me instead giving proper credit. I work very hard to create my recipes and share them for free, so please be respectful and link properly. If you are inspired by this recipe, again, please give proper credit and do not simply post it on your site and ask before reprinting any of my recipes.
Do you think I might could sub silken tofu for the silk yogurt? I can’t get the yogurt where I live and need a substitute. It looks really good.
Hi Sam! I haven’t personally tried it but a few others have with success and noted above. You would need to add some white vinegar to it to get the tang like you would from yogurt. Maybe 1/2 to 1 tablespoon. Let me know if it works out!
Or a vegan sour cream would probably work well too.
I just made this recipe last night and it was fantastic and really simple!! I had everything on hand except salsa, vegan yogurt, and tortillas. I totally goofed and grabbed medium instead of mild salsa, so it was a bit too hot for me, but that was my error and I know it’ll taste perfect for my wimpy taste buds when I get the right salsa. I also didn’t add the layer of salsa in the middle because it wasn’t a very big container (and by that time I realized my error). It had a great texture, and had a very comforting casserole taste. It would also be easy to customize by adding more veggies, or soy curls or something. But it was great as is! So glad I found your website:)
So happy to hear it was such a hit Dacia! Glad you were able to get the ingredients to make this!! Thank you for the lovely review!
Absolutely delicious, super easy to make and even toddler approved!! A new favorite for sure!
Thank you so much Carolyn for taking the time to leave an amazing review, I really appreciate it!
OMG!!! I only made the cheese sauce (I am using it with a recipe from a different blog) and I am in heaven! My only disappointment is that my tongue can’t reach the bottom of my Vitamix container. I have only made cheese sauces with nutritional yeast in the past and they all kind of taste the same. This recipe blows them all out of the water!! I can’t wait to make the tortilla bake. And nachos. And baked potatoes. And anything else I can think of to use this cheese sauce. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank your husband for not being able to eat nutritional yeast! (BTW..made your Hearty Italian White Bean Basil soup a few days ago. Needed a basil recipe because my basil plant was out of control. Outstanding!)
Thank you so much Nancy! I’m so happy to hear how much you love the cheese sauce!! Hahaha about your tongue not reaching the bottom, I always feel that way too! So glad to hear you loved the Italian Basil soup too, yay!
Forgot to rate the recipe when I posted my comment
This was simply amazing! That cheese sauce alone, man I could bathe in it. Already plotting what else I can make to put this cheesy goodness on. While the cheese sauce is rich and decadent, the entire dish works though. I love the simplicity of the ingredients and how quick it comes together and most of all how incredibly delicious it is. My husband and teenager had to come back for seconds, and are putting dibs on the leftovers! Definitely a winner at our dinner table!
Made this last night for my 2-year old granddaughter who cannot have dairy or gluten & her parents are new to the ‘alternative’ eating thing. She ate an entire portion on her own and then polished off half of her mother’s portion. It was definitely a hit. I loved the cheesy ooey-gooey of it – better than ‘real’ cheese. It had more flavor. The only changes I made in the recipe were I had some left over rancho domingo beans – so mixed those with the black beans to get the 2x 15 oz and was OUT of smoked paprika (how did that happen?) so subbed in a tiny bit of adobo sauce to get that smokey flavor. Will absolutely be making this again! with the smoked paprika though – 🙂
Hi! I’m excited to try this. I bought the ingredients over the weekend. But I forgot to soak the cashews yesterday. I want to make it tonight. Is there a faster way for me to soak them? Thanks!
Hi Megan! Do you have a Vitamix? If so, no need to soak. If not, some people boil the nuts in water for 30 minutes, drain and then blend. Just make sure to blend long enough until completely smooth. You don’t want gritty sauce 🙂
Hi,
will a blendec work just as well as the vitamix?
Yes it should! Just process until completely smooth.
I loved how easy the cheese sauce is to throw together! Added a splash of jalapeño brine to the cheese sauce to give it a little extra kick and some gardein beef crumbles with taco seasoning to the bake and it was delicious. I’m very happy that lunch for tomorrow is taken care of as well! Never been disappointed with a recipe on here, will be purchasing the cookbook!
I’m so glad you loved it Brenda! Thank you for the review!
This recipe is insanely delicious. I feel so naughty when I’m eating it because it’s so cheesy and creamy. I’ve just made it for a second time and it’s in the oven as I am typing here. The only change I made was to use standard wheat wraps as the corn tortillas we get in Australia often have tonnes of additives…
Haha, naughty, love it! I’m so glad you love it Josie, it’s one of our favorites!!
Totally yummo!!! My kids have not really enjoyed us going vegan and tonight was the first night they licked their dinner plates clean as! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
That’s such an awesome testimony, kids are picky! Thank you so much Shan!
This dish was amazing!! I love spicy food so I added a diced jalapeno to the corn/black bean layers and it was the perfect amount of heat. This is seriously one of the top ten vegan dishes I’ve ever made!! Can’t wait to make nachos with this cheese sauce!!
Yay! So glad you loved it so much and that is some awesome feedback, thank you so much Monique!!
Just made this tonight for the first time. So creamy and cheesy! Classic comfort food for sure! My daughter even said, “this one’s a keeper!” and we can’t wait to eat the leftovers this week 🙂
Have you ever included Soycurls or TVP in this?
If so, should I add with the beans and corn mixture?
Thanks
No I haven’t since I don’t use them in my recipes, so I’m not sure. I’ve never cooked with them. This is very hearty on its own but I guess just put it in with the beans?
I tried this over the weekend and I am in love….. The “cheesy” sauce is YUM ! I can’t wait to put it on a baked potato, oh the possibilities!
I made the lower fat version 1/2 beans 1/2 cashews and thought it was fantastic! My sauce was a bit gritty because I used my food processor but, was not a problem when eating. Everybody raved about it….Vegans and non vegans. I also tried 1/2 with sauteed (in veggie broth), onions and red bell peppers, it was really good too! Thank you for the recipe! I do miss cheese…..but not anymore !
Yay! This makes me so happy to hear Cris, so glad the half bean version worked well, too! Thank you for the lovely review! Would you mind clicking the star rating as well, they are so helpful for me (you’ll have to leave a brief comment again) thank you so much!
I have never used or tried dairy-free yogurt because it is so difficult to find where I live. However, a store carries Silk brand “Plain”, but when I looked at the ingredients it has sugar (8grams per serving). Is this normal for soy-based yogurt? Is this really “plain” enough for this recipe or will this be a sweet yogurt and too sweet for this recipe? Thanks for the help.
Hi DG! That kind has a very slight sweet taste to it that I think would still work fine. I’ve used it before. Some may notice it but with all the salsa and spices I find it hard to notice. However, the So Delicious brand carries a plain unsweetened coconut one that is the best. Do you have a Sprouts or Whole Foods, I find it there.
This is the very first recipe I made from your site, and now I’m bookmarking more and more of your recipes and buying your book! I’ve tried to “go vegan” before but have felt so uninspired by a lot of recipes or been intimidated by the long, obscure ingredient lists. For this recipe, I either had everything on hand or could easily find it in my supermarket.
Best of all? My three kids and husband loved it too. It’s a keeper.
Oh, wonderful Christina! This makes me so happy to hear and wow, even better that your whole family loved it! Yay!
This has become a firm family favourite – easy to make and absolutely delicious!!
So glad to hear that Heike! Thank you so much for the feedback!
I tried the tortilla bake last night and it was delicious. My only issue was in getting the center of it to heat up enough. I ended up baking it for a total of about 15 minutes foil on and another 15 foil off which, as you mentioned, makes the sauce on top firmer. I still wasn’t able to get the center to be at a proper hot temperature. I made this in a 9 x 9 glass casserole dish. Any thoughts? Aside from only eating around the perimeter it was delicious and I can’t wait to try the leftovers. Thanks so much for a great recipe Brandi!
Hi Denise, so glad you loved it! Mine is always hot. Did you make the casserole immediately after making the cheese sauce? It was warm, right? If so, then I would just cook it covered with the foil longer so it gets thoroughly warmed through, like 20-25 minutes and then remove the foil! 🙂
Best vegan cheese sauce by far, second to none! Entire recipe is outstanding! Thank you for sharing.
Yay, thank you so much James, so happy you loved it!!
Just FABULOUS! Just the easiest recipe followed exactly! Husband LOVED it. too. Thank you for this cheese sauce — I have been cooking vegan for quite a while and that sauce is a winner. Now I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Woohoo! So very happy you loved it and your husband did, too!! Thank you for making it!
OMG WHAT IS THIS?!!!🤤 This dish has completely blown my mind, and Im Mexican!😅 I cant believe I haven’t made it any sooner! It was delicious, I loved that I didnt even have to use Nutritional yeast for cheese! And just like everyone else, my kids(3&10) loved it so much they actually asked for seconds!!!! Like, omg wow!!! Thank you thank you Brandi for sharing this delicious recipe, it will now be added to our weekly menu!
Did I miss the temperature you cooked it at?
Yes, it’s listed under step 2.
Insanely good. I’ve made this several times already and it’s back on my dinner schedule this week. My almost 18 year old has gotten incredibly picky and more often won’t eat my vegan meals anymore. This one he chows down like you’ve never seen. He ends up polishing his plate well before us. I’ve used this cheese sauce over nachos as well. I pity anyone that hasn’t tried this dish 😁
That is so awesome to hear!!
I LOVE this sauce!! I can’t eat nutritional yeast either / causes a tummy ache. 🙂
This is so good. My favorite way to eat now is without corn and adding in a layer of black bean dip (black beans processed with a little salsa and cumin) and also adding in a layer of your almond ricotta. It is so rich and amazing. LOVE. sometimes topped with some guacamole.
I look forward to it every week now.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I’m so happy to hear that Kristina, thank you so much for the review! The almond ricotta sounds amazing too!
This taco bake was PHENOMENAL!! I absolutely loved it as did my daughter who is a very picky eater. She had 3 servings at dinner (small ones)… My husband who is a meat eater when we go out to dinner, loved this meal and said its a keeper! Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes.
So wonderful to hear this! Thank you for the review!
So easy and delicious! It’s been a long time since I’ve had King Ranch Chicken Casserole, but I feel like this is a great plant-based version! So yummy! Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world!
Oh yay, I’m so glad you loved it!
I’ve made this a couple of times and really like it! I only had 1 can of black beans last time I made it so I added some pinto beans. I also added a can of green chilies and more scallions. (Love my onions!) I had to cook it a tad bit longer due to the added juice from the chilies but it worked out great. Thanks for such a tasty recipe!!
So happy it was a hit Shree, sounds so good with the chiles!
Awesome sauce!!!!
I used 3/4 cup tofu, well drained after measuring, plus the 1 TBLS apple cider vinegar. Only need 3/4 tsp salt and I used fresh cooked flour tortillas. Two layers of 2 tortillas each. Very yummy!
So happy you loved this Dana! Homemade tortillas sound so delicious!
That was extra firm tofu…sorry
I made this last night using a different nacho cheese sauce recipe. It was really good although I felt it needed a slightly larger dish. I don’t think I could have fit everything in the 85×85 that you suggested. I also didn’t think in would take only 20-25 min to warm up. Sure enough, it took about 35 min to get it jut pleasantly warm…..I would have left it longer but everyone was standing around waiting! Overall it was a great tasting dish….a knock-out-of-the-park recipe! Thank you.
Hi Janet, glad you enjoyed it! The main part of this recipe is my cheese sauce, which is what everybody loves so much about this recipe and it’s what really makes the dish, so I would definitely try that too! 🙂 And the 8×8 dish I use works perfectly, which you can see in the photos it fits just fine. It’s the same dish I use everytime I make it. If you used a different sauce then that may have affected how it filled up the pan you used. Mine is always done in the time listed too, but of course, ovens can always vary. I also make it right after making the cheese sauce in my vitamix, so that means the cheese sauce is already warm, which is part of it too.
This recipe looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you!
This is absolutely outstanding!! The sauce is to die for— I saved some to dip chips in. The cheese sauce recipe alone makes our new Vitamix totally worth the money that we paid 🙂 This is so good that I’m going to be putting it in our regular rotation of recipes! Thank you so much for a delicious meal that even my picky kiddos like!
Yay, glad to hear that Carrie! So happy you loved it so much! I use this cheese sauce on SO many things, it is our favorite cheese sauce!
This took almost an our to bake through for me…weird, as my oven is usually pretty spot on. My 8.5″ square dish was also almost overflowing, to the point that I had to leave out some of the ingredients. I don’t care, though; it’s AMAZING. The best vegan cheese sauce I’ve ever tried, hands down. Thank you for sharing your culinary wizardry!
Can we sub cashew butter for the raw cashews in the cheese sauce?
Yes, use the same gram weight amount (which would be 1/2 cup + 1 heaped tablespoon) and make sure it’s a raw cashew butter without added oils, otherwise the flavor will be completely different and bake differently.
Thank you for the recipe. It was very good. My husband (who eats meat) says he wants this every week. He didn’t even smother it in hot sauce like he does most Mexican meals.
I have a weird question. The corn tortillas I bought were thick and the package said uncooked. They were fresh but had an off putting smell. Should I have cooked the uncooked corn tortillas prior to baking them?
Hi Shannon! Glad it was such a hit! Yes, you want to use cooked corn tortillas for this. I buy ready-made corn tortillas.
Weird question, but do you think I could use corn tortilla chips for this? I don’t have any regular tortillas on hand and I want to make this today 🙂
You can try it but it may make the dish overly salty! And the chips soggy.
This was the first recipe I tried in your cookbook. It was really good, even my non compliant husband liked it. It would be a good side dish for anyone, no matter what they eat.
So wonderful to hear that Kathi, thank you so much for buying my book!
OMG woman!! I finally made this tonight and i cannot get over the sauce!!!! This is so flavorful and so quick…I think I’ve got to make a huge batch of this sauce for…anything! Thank you for your hard work, as usual!
haha thank you so much Eva!! So glad you loved it!
I know I am echoing nearly every other comment here, but wow, this was an amazing recipe. I am living on a small island in Panama and we have one small boutique store that sells Tofutti sour cream as the only dairy alternative around. I used that instead of the yogurt and I am just stunned at how amazing this is. I added a bit of chipotle and just the tiniest amount of rice vinegar (some tang where the yogurt would have provided this). Next time I will add some sauteed peppers and onions but other than that–DON’T MESS WITH THIS!
This was so sweet, so thrilled you loved this Keara! Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
I have been vegan for quite a while but never, ever make any recipes. Everything I cook is spur of the moment with whatever I have on hand. Recipes are usually complicated, involve way too many ingredients and require too much time to prepare and cook. So, I was thrilled when I found you on IG and started following you. I can deal with 8 ingredients! I made this recipe and my boyfriend (vegetarian) loved it!!! So, I wanted to thank you for your site and your recipes – this was truly delicious and I look forward to making more of your creations. Thanks again!
What a lovely message, thank you so much Natalee! I’m so happy you found my blog and made and loved this recipe!! Thank you for letting me know!
Looks amazing. Is this dish freezer friendly?
Hi! I’ve never tried freezing this so I honestly don’t know! I would think it’d be ok wrapped tightly and reheated on low in the oven, but I’ve never tried it personally.
Thanks
This dish works fine with freezing too
Sooooo…I made this tonight for dinner. Am I allowed to say “SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!”? This was so tasty, I’m ecstatic there are leftovers. I was skeptical about the “cheese” sauce, but you totally made me a believer with this recipe! 🙌
Haha that’s so amazing to hear John!! Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
I am happy i found this. I made it tonight and was hoping it would be good. It was excellent. I have a tip if it is too spicy put a tiny bit of lime juice on the plate. Lime cuts the spicy down. That is what I did today I bought the medium instead of spicy since I am latin thinking we could handle the extra. My husband and daughter put crushed tortilla chips on his . He said it was like a dip to him. I put finely cut onions and lime juice on mine.
I am posting to correct my mistake since there is no edit. I meant I bought medium instead of mild. I also wanted to say the lime cuts the spice down. Sorry for all the mistakes.
My husband said he liked putting it on the tortilla chips like a dip the best.
I’m so happy y’all enjoyed it Carmen, thank you so much for the review!!