These Easy Cheesy Vegan Quesadillas with Homemade Cheese are absolutely delicious! Made with healthy plant-based whole foods and no store-bought processed cheese and are oil-free! These have black beans, corn, green onions and lettuce for delicious flavor and texture!
CHEESY VEGAN QUESADILLAS
Ever since posting my Best Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, which has totally exploded with remakes and 5 star reviews from you guys, I’ve been wanting to try them in vegan quesadillas. Well, they are incredible!! I mean, I can’t even put into words how delicious this vegan quesadillas recipe is.
By the way, you gotta make that cheese if you haven’t. Multiple reviews stating it’s the best vegan cheese they’ve tried, better than store-bought and can’t believe how much it tastes like cheese. Most vegan quesadilla recipes call for store-bought cheese, but not these. Homemade is not only so much healthier, but oh man, it tastes a thousand times better!
Let me tell how much my hubby and daughter loved these. My daughter actually let out a few moans, haha. I did make her one without the jalapenos though, since she can’t handle the heat yet.
For these cheesy vegan quesadillas, I went with ingredients I love and thought would go great with the cheese. Black beans for good plant-based protein, corn for some sweetness, bell peppers for color and texture, green onions for delicious fresh flavor, black olives for a salty, briny bite and pickled jalapenos for a spicy kick! I carefully chose each ingredient so they would all meld together and compliment each other really well. This way, the quesadillas are well rounded in flavor.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(full amounts on recipe card below)
Each ingredient plays a key role in rounding out flavors and texture. Tangy, salty, slightly sweet from the corn, texture from the bell peppers, a kick from the jalapenos, freshness from the green onions and of course a super cheesy flavor!
- My Best Vegan Mozzarella recipe: OR you could also make it with my Easy Vegan Mexican Cheese. Both recipes only take about 10 minutes, so you really can’t go wrong. I’m sure the Mexican cheese is amazing in them, too. But I really loved this mozzarella in them.
- Black beans: Good protein and texture.
- Bell peppers: Use any you like. I love the look of colorful quesadillas, so I went with the tricolor bell peppers that you can buy prechopped in containers. Makes it super easy.
- Sweet corn: The subtle sweetness compliments the other flavors.
- Black olives: Gives a wonderful salty, briny bite.
- Pickled jalapenos: To me, these are a must for quesadillas here. Now, if your kids are sensitive to heat, omit or buy the ones that are mild. But I love pickled jalapenos not only because they provide a lovely kick, but the salty, vinegar brine flavor they bring is dynamic in these!
- Green onions: Wonderful fresh flavor they bring to the quesadillas. I’m pretty much obsessed with green onions.
- Large tortillas: 8-10 inches
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN QUESADILLAS
Step 1: First, make a batch of my homemade mozzarella cheese. Since the cheese is saucy, you will bake it briefly first. This firms it up just a bit so that it is a better texture for quesadillas and won’t ooze out all over the place. Line a 6 inch round cake pan with parchment paper (as pictured) pressing it along the sides of the pan to fit flat. Pour the blended up cheese sauce in the pan and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Let it cool and firm up before using.
Step 2: To make the quesadillas, spread a generous thick layer of the cheese on one tortilla right up close to the edge, leaving a 1/4 inch gap.
Step 3: Add all of the toppings. Spread a thin layer of cheese on another tortilla and place it on top.
Step 4: Cook the quesadilla over medium heat until well browned and flip and brown the other side.
Cool a few minutes to firm up and slice and serve!
MORE VEGAN MAIN DISHES
- Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake
- 30 Minute Vegan Mexican Chili
- Easy Vegan Zucchini Fritters
- 30 Minute Vegan Chickpea Curry
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Cheesy Vegan Quesadillas (Oil-free!)
Ingredients
- 1 batch my Homemade Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- sweet corn
- bell peppers, I used tricolor blend
- sliced black olives
- diced pickled jalapenos
- sliced fresh green onions
- 4 large tortillas (8-10 inches)
NOTE
- Each ingredient I selected plays a key role in rounding out flavors and texture. Tangy, salty, slightly sweet from the corn, texture from the bell peppers, a kick from the jalapenos, freshness from the green onions and of course a super cheesy flavor! This combo is incredible.
Instructions
- First make a batch of my Best Vegan Mozzarella Cheese.
- Since the cheese is saucy, you will bake it briefly first. This firms it up just a bit so that it is a better texture for quesadillas and won't ooze out all over the place. I tried it first without baking it and it was very messy. MUCH better after baking it. Line a 6 inch round cake pan (or a similar size baking dish) with parchment paper (as pictured) pressing it along the sides of the pan to fit flat. Pour the blended up cheese sauce in the pan and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Let it cool and firm up before using.
- To make the quesadillas, spread a generous thick layer of the cheese on one tortilla right up close to the edge, leaving a 1/4 inch gap.
- Depending on the size of tortillas used, your topping amounts will vary. Refer to photo for visual, but I just sprinkled an even layer of the black beans first, then some corn, bell peppers, black olives, jalapenos, green onions.
- Spread a thin layer of cheese on another tortilla and place it on top of the toppings. Press it down.
- Heat up a large nonstick pan over medium heat. I used my crepe pan. Once hot, carefully place the quesadilla on the pan. Heat 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Use a large spatula to quickly flip it over and brown the other side.
- Remove from the pan and press the edges together. The heat and cheese will help seal it some. Let sit 2-4 minutes to cool a bit and firm up before slicing.
That mozzarella reminds me of laughing cow cheese except it’s melting. WOW!! Question tho, instead of baking in the oven to harden it up a bit for quesadilla, how bout heating it in a pot?
Wow! Theses were wonderful! The “cheese” is incredible. Definitely tie go to recipe
I’m so excited to make these tomorrow ! I did just make a batch of the Alfredo sauce (which is amazing OMG!) Do you think this sauce would work well too? I just made a bit batch and want to use it in the 4 days before its not good. Im loving your easy recipes ! Thank you so much.
Hi Abigail! So glad you loved the alfredo! I do not think, though, that the alfredo will work well in a quesadilla, it’s just too runny. You can always freeze leftovers if you want with what you don’t use up! Some of my readers use the alfredo sauce for alfredo pizza, or a white lasagna!
My hubby and I loved, loved .loved this dish. It will be a regular for our weekly meals. Thank you, Brandi
So glad to hear that Barbara!
This is my fourth time to make these delicious quesadillas. My husband and I both LOVE them. I use two skillets to speed things up. The cheese is absolutely amazing, too. Now I always make a double recipe of the cheese so I’ll have some for other things, like cheese and crackers, to top spaghetti marinara or a veggie dish, bean and cheese nachos, or to just grab a quick snack with a whole grain cracker or a celery stick. I keep a bag of frozen white rice on hand so I’ll have it for the cheese recipe; actually, I make sure to have all the ingredients for the quesadillas. And thank you — your recipes are innovative, fabulous, and easy to follow. Gotta go so I can order your cookbook!
thank you so much for creating this recipe! I was so hell bent on making it that I stopped at 3 stores to get ingredients that I kept forgetting (long story but those who have kids would understand implicitly!). I started plant based 2 weeks ago and was really missing cheese! I saw your veggie quesadillas and done deal. I think I might have baked it just a hot second too long (forgot to set the timer DOH!) but it was still incredible and I can’t wait to a) eat the rest and b) make it again! I also bought white WINE vinegar and almost started crying because it was just that kind of day. Not that I recommend messing with your perfection but lets say I could’ve made worse mistakes and I’m sure it will be even MORE amazing when I use regular WHITE vinegar! Can’t wait to make all your recipes! Thank you thank you!!
This recipe is soooo delicious! My whole family loved it.
I love that the cheese is made out of real ingredients and the whole thing is oil free.
I did add a little layer of spinach for some added greens.
I made these last night. My husband & sister loved them! The cheese is amazing. I don’t even try to eat vegan store bought cheese but this is sooo good. Thanks again for another tasty recipe! I can see so many uses for the cheese!
Fantastic to hear that Sharon!
Absolutely delicious! The vegan mozzarella is amazing. My husband and I both agreed this recipe is definitely a keeper. Haha, we’ve had them for lunch the last two days.
Thank you.
By far the BEST quesadillas EVER!!!!! There are no words…. Kiddos LOVE them and husband insisted we add these to the weekly menu! Incredible flavor!
And the MOZ CHEESE!!! That needs its own review! 🤣 SOOOOO good.
Thank you so much Erin for this amazing review! I’m really happy these were such a hit!
Brandi these are absolutely LIFE-CHANGING!!! I can’t even describe how much I needed these! I’ve been holding together pretty well, but the whole COVID situation has been getting to me lately, and I REALLY needed some plant-based deliciousness! I have been scraping the pan, the blender, the bowl, everything in sight, because I didn’t want to lose a morsel! I did make one or two minor substitutions out of necessity, but it was not out of lack of faith in your recipe! You have never let me down! I didn’t have green onion or pickled jalapenos, so I used red onion and diced chipotle peppers. The smokiness from the chipotle was outstanding!! But I will try them again with the pickled jalapenos when I can get some! Thanks for saving my day! Again!
Aww you are the sweetest Heather, thank you for the awesome feedback! And chipotles sound amazing! I love love all things smoky so I bet it was so delicious!
Absolutely delicious!! The vegan mozzarella is amazing.. So tasty!! The whole family loved them. This is going to be a regular in our menu. Thank you!!
So awesome to hear that Carla!
Made the cheese sauce for grilled cheese last week, this week made it in quesadillas and once again it was a hit. Also used for lasagna 2 nights ago, it was DEVOURED! This is my favorite vegan cheese recipe yet!
Woohoo, that is awesome! Thanks so much Stephanie!
This cheese sauce is amazing for quesadillas! I was able to make mine vegan while my family had cheese with theirs, and I didn’t miss not having the “real” thing. Thanks Brandi! 🙂
Wonderful to hear Lori, thank you!
Why parchment paper?
Hi Dave, it helps the cheese to not stick. Otherwise, it would stick badly to the pan or foil.
I seldom comment on recipes, especially if I have not attempted it first. I made a batch of the cheese yesterday and I was thoroughly impressed with the flavor and texture. I followed the recipe precisely, with weighted measures, and made no substitutions. I fixed a small vegetarian pizza last night had a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch today. Thank you for the recipe.
That is wonderful to hear Jeffrey, thank you for making it!
These are outrageously good. My husband, who has celiac and has to eat gluten free had never had a quesadilla before. I was prepared to make these with corn tortillas, but then we found that Mission has some GF tortillas out and they’re quite good. So. . . we had some of the best quesadillas I have ever had, vegan or not, and my husband was delighted with his first taste of them. Believe me, it won’t be his last. One of your best recipes Brandi!
Thank you so much Colleen, really glad to hear this! And even more wonderful to hear about Mission having gluten-free ones. I saw that LaTortilla has some gluten-free ones as well that I will have to try soon. So glad y’all loved these!
Brandi, these were excellent! I shared them with my sister and she loved them too! Thank you so much!
so awesome to hear that April!
This is so good. How much corn should I use, though?
Hi Trisha, I didn’t measure, just eyeballed an amount for each quesadilla, which the amount will vary a little depending on the size, but I’d say no more than 1/4 cup. Basically just sprinkle each layer on of each ingredient.
By chance would you know the calories for this my husband is on a strict 1200 calorie diet for the next few months.
Hi Kathy, no I’m sorry I don’t since I just kind of eyeballed adding the veggies. All of the veggies are low fat and healthy, and it’s hard to put up nutrition since amounts people will add will likely vary, especially depending on the size of the tortillas used. You can get an idea of some of the main calories though from the mozzarella cheese post, which has the nutrition and calculating the calories based on which tortilla you use. There are too many variables in these to where I couldn’t put up exact nutrition stats.
Perfect timing as always, Brandi! Using BFree sweet potato GFV tortillas and leftovers from the fridge; black beans, corn, red peppers, green onion, a bit of brown rice and diced tomatoes, we slathered the tortillas with your fabulous mozzarella and fried them to a golden brown. On a whim I smeared some of your ranch dressing on the finished quesadillas and YYUUMMO!! Tomorrow I plan to use your better-than-all-the-rest 5 minute pizza sauce & mozz and fry up pizza quesadillas! Thanks, Brandi!
Yay, really happy to hear that Colleen!! And yes, pizza quesadillas are so good!!
If your looking for a hearty, tasty, super easy recipe without spending a lot of time in the kitchen, then this is a recipe for you! I have teenager daughters and they devoured these. I made the cheese first in a blender and stuck it in the fridge (the only plain yogurt I could find was cashew and I did not bake the cheese) then I prepped everything else. I ended up putting everything for the filling into a bowl and mixing it as I made extra to use for salads the next day 🙂 SO EASY!! I had no problem with the cheese, it was thick, gooey and heated very nicely.
So glad you and your teenage daughters loved these, yay! Glad it all worked for you. I much preferred these with the cheese precooked as mine was a total MESS using it not cooked first, haha.
Can you talk about what brand oil free flour tortillas you use? Hard to find here
Thanks
Hi Mandy, I used the La Tortilla large tortillas that I bought from Sprouts. They are called low carb and are made with oat fiber and whole wheat. There is a very tiny amount of oil in them and are very low fat. They were the best healthiest I could find that still tasted good. I am not a fan of gluten-free tortillas at all and feel that quesadillas aren’t very good if the tortilla is gross. This is the exact kind I used, but feel free to use whatever ones you like or order some you find online if you can’t find them in stores. https://www.latortillafactory.com/product/non-gmo-low-carb-whole-wheat-fajita-size/
I can’t wait to try this one! It’s on my radar for this week 🙂
I can’t find almond plain yogurt in my area. I used almond lemon yogurt instead and eventhough it was a bit sweet it still did the job and the cheese was good. Can’t wait to do it with the plain yogurt
So glad it turned out good! Yes, that lemon yogurt is sweetened so that would leave the cheese sweet. It doesn’t have to be almond, I listed you can use soy or coconut, etc. Sprouts and Kroger and whole foods all carry plain unsweetened yogurt.