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    Home » Vegan Dips

    Cashew Queso

    Published: Jul 11, 2019 Updated: Aug 2, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Cashew Queso

    This cashew queso is creamy, spicy and cheesy and the best thing ever with some tortilla chips. Simple and delicious and the perfect dip.

    Cashew queso topped with sliced jalapeños and tortilla chips in a black bowl.

    This cashew queso is the perfect blend of creamy and spicy! It is so good you’ll just be screaming for more tortilla chips because you can’t get enough with this dip. 

    And when I say spicy, I do mean spicy!

    The first time we made this we made it with two tablespoons of sliced jalapeños and that just about did me in. I am a lightweight when it comes to spicy stuff though. So the next time we made it we just used one tablespoon and I thought that was perfect. 

    But if you’re more inclined towards the super spicy, then add more sliced jalapeños, that is the way to turn up the heat in this recipe. 

    Cashew queso topped with sliced jalapeños in a black bowl.

    How to make Cashew Queso

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add olive oil to a pan with chopped onions and crushed garlic and sauté until the onions are softened. 
    Chopped onions, garlic and olive oil added to pan and sautéed.
    • Add chopped tomato and sauté with the onions until the tomato is softened. 
    • Turn off the heat and set aside.
    Chopped tomato added to pan and sautéed.
    • To a blender add cashews, vegetable stock, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and sliced jalapeños and blend until smooth.
    Cashews and other ingredients added to blender and blended.
    • Then add in around ¾ of the cooked onion/tomato mix and blend that in again until smooth.
    Sautéed onion and tomato mix added to blender and blended in.
    • Pour out the blended dip into a bowl and add the rest of the cooked onion/tomato mix as well as some fresh chopped cilantro and fold in. 
    Blended mix poured into bowl, sautéed onions and tomato and fresh chopped cilantro folded in.
    • Serve with a chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeños for garnish and some tortilla chips for dipping!
    Cashew queso in a black bowl.

    Chef’s Tips

    Cashews. There is no need to soak your cashews if you have a high powered blender. If you know your blender is going to have trouble with it, then you can add the cashews to a bowl, pour over boiling water from the kettle and let them soak for 10-15 minutes just to let them soften up a little before blending. 

    Sliced jalapeños. These provide the spiciness along with a little cumin. If you don’t want it spicy at all, then leave out the jalapeños, the cumin will provide a small kick, but it will remove the heat. If you want it extra spicy then add more jalapeños.

    Use boiling water when you make up your vegetable stock. This, combined with the cooked onions/tomato mix that is blended in, allows this dip to be warm when you serve it, though it’s also just as good served cold.

    Tortilla chip dipping into a bowl of cashew queso with chopped cilantro.

    Storing and Freezing

    Keep your cashew queso stored in the fridge and enjoy within around 5 days. 

    If you think you’re going to be freezing a portion, then don’t stir in the fresh cilantro to the portion that you want to freeze. Otherwise this should freeze well, if there is any separation when thawing (which would likely be from the tomato), then just stir it up again and it should all be fine. 

    Cashew queso on a tortilla chip.

    More Vegan Dips

    1. Vegan Nacho Cheese
    2. Vegan Onion Dip
    3. Vegan Tzatziki
    4. Vegan Spinach Dip
    5. Vegan Eggplant Dip
    6. Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
    Tortilla chip topped with cashew queso.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Cashew queso in a black bowl with tortilla chips.

    Cashew Queso

    This cashew queso is creamy, spicy and cheesy and the best thing ever with some tortilla chips. Simple and delicious and the perfect dip.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Dip
    Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 165kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    Onion/Tomato Mix:

    • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Crushed Garlic
    • 1 Medium Tomato Chopped

    Queso:

    • 1 cup Raw Cashews (150g)
    • ¾ cup Vegetable Stock (180ml)
    • 1 teaspoon Crushed Garlic
    • 2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast Flakes
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
    • 1 Tablespoon Sliced Jalapeños

    Serving:

    • ½ cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add olive oil to a frying pan along with chopped onion and crushed garlic and sauté until the onions are softened.
    • Add in the tomato and sauté with the onions until the tomato is softened. Turn off the heat and set aside.
    • To a blender add the cashews, vegetable stock, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and sliced jalapeños and blend until smooth.
    • Then add in around ¾ of the cooked onion/tomato mix and blend that in again until smooth.
    • Pour out the blended dip into a bowl and add the rest of the cooked onion/tomato mix as well as some fresh chopped cilantro and fold in.
    • Serve with a little chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeños for garnish and some tortilla chips for dipping.

    Video

    Notes

    1. Cashews. There is no need to soak your cashews first if you have a high powered blender. If you know your blender is going to have trouble with it, then you can add the cashews to a bowl, pour over boiling water from the kettle and let them soak for 10-15 minutes just to let them soften up a little before blending.
    2. Vegetable stock. Use boiling water when you make up your vegetable stock if possible.
    3. Sliced Jalapeños. The sliced jalapeños provide the spiciness and with the amount specified it is only very mildly spicy. If you want it a little hotter, add more sliced jalapeños.
    4. Storing: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and enjoy within 5 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 352IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Daniel Þórhallsson says

      May 09, 2020 at 10:30 pm

      This is awesome. Very simple to make. I ate it with doritos Sweet and spicy. Love it. Thanks.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 11, 2020 at 1:49 pm

        Ooh that sounds super yum! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Kimberly says

      May 05, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      So delicious!! Thanks for the recipe! Agree it’s not very spicy- I used two jalapeños and will probably add 4-5 next time!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 06, 2020 at 12:01 pm

        Awesome! Hahaha you’re braver than me in that case!

        Reply
    3. Chelsey says

      April 02, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      WOW! This is the third recipe I have tried from your blog in the past week. I am blown away at how delicious and creamy this dip was in the end. Cheese is one of my guilty pleasures, and with this recipe I don’t have to feel so guilty and bloated..lol! Thank you so much for creating and sharing such incredible recipes! I am willing to try anything you make!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 03, 2020 at 1:37 pm

        Thanks so much Chelsey!

        Reply
    4. Roland says

      March 01, 2020 at 12:09 am

      It is really awesome and tasty. How do I get it creamier instead of it being like a “cheese sauce” texture? Other than that it’s perfect. Thanks!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 01, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        Hi Roland, you can also try our other recipe for vegan queso which is ultra creamy! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Abby says

      February 09, 2020 at 1:02 am

      I made this tonight and it’s incredible! Had to get back on here to leave a review because I’m so happy with it and can NOT STOP eating it. Thank you for an easy and delicious vegan queso recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 10, 2020 at 12:11 pm

        Awesome Abby! So happy to hear that. Thanks for the awesome review! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Mary says

      September 01, 2019 at 3:15 am

      Is it served hot or cold? Looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        September 01, 2019 at 10:00 am

        It’s served warm. When it’s freshly made it is already warm. You can also heat it more if you want to by adding it to the pan with the remaining cooked onion/tomato before you transfer it to the serving bowl. But just be careful because cashews thicken when heated. It also can be served cold though. We usually have it warm when it’s first served but if there are leftovers then those are refrigerated and eaten cold. It’s delicious both ways.

        Reply
    7. ViviBelle says

      July 15, 2019 at 7:11 pm

      Are the jalapenos from a can? They kind of look cooked already. Would fresh jalapenos work for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 16, 2019 at 10:07 am

        They are from a jar. You could definitely use fresh. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Jackie says

      July 12, 2019 at 11:04 am

      The best dip ever!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 12, 2019 at 11:13 am

        Thanks Jackie! xo

        Reply
    9. Amber says

      July 11, 2019 at 10:40 pm

      Hello, question! People always say “onion” in an article but I really like to know which they are using is this a regular, a sweet white or red onion? Thanks.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 12, 2019 at 11:12 am

        Hi Amber, it’s a regular onion. 🙂

        Reply
    10. CMF says

      July 11, 2019 at 5:40 pm

      Alison, this recipe looks amazing. One question: how would I heat up the leftover dip without the cashews thickening?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 11, 2019 at 6:42 pm

        Thank you! You can heat it gently on the stove and add a little water to thin it out if it gets too thick.

        Reply
        • CMF says

          July 11, 2019 at 10:25 pm

          Thanks so much for the quick reply. Have a Great Day!!!

          Reply
    11. Jill says

      July 11, 2019 at 4:57 pm

      Can I use vegetable broth instead of stock?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 11, 2019 at 5:21 pm

        Yes! That will be fine! ????

        Reply

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