This easy vegan nacho cheese sauce is creamy, smooth, and ready in 30 minutes. Works on the stovetop or Instant Pot. A dairy-free nacho cheese that's perfect for nachos, bowls, or anything that needs a rich, pourable finish.
This recipe is delicious drizzled over a healthy nacho bowl, and so is easy vegan cheese sauce. Or try my spreadable provolone cheese sauce.
🔍 A Quick Look: Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
- 📝 Recipe Name: Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
- 🕒 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 5
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Potatoes, carrot, cashews, jalapeño
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, dairy-free, oil-free
- ✨ Best For: Nachos, bowls, tacos, easy meals, meal prep
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: Creamy, flexible, and easy to make
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I made my favorite nacho bowl recipe a few nights ago and had this vegan nacho cheese dip in the fridge. I added fresh guacamole and tatemada salsa, and it was so, so good.
I’ve tested this sauce with and without nutritional yeast, and even swapped cashews for cauliflower; it works every time. Dip it, drizzle it, or pour it; this dairy free nacho cheese does it all.
Why This Recipe Works
This vegan nacho cheese recipe comes together with simple ingredients to create a smooth, creamy texture without dairy.
- Starchy vegetables: Potatoes and carrots blend into a naturally creamy base
- Cashews: Add richness and body without oil
- Tomatoes + jalapeño: Bring brightness, depth, and a little heat
- Spices + brine: Give that classic nacho flavor with a tangy finish
Serve this nacho cheese sauce with this quick and easy Mexican rice, potato tacos, or loaded sweet potato fries.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this dairy-free nacho cheese sauce recipe:
- Yellow potatoes or russets work too
- Vegetable base: carrot, onion, and fresh jalapeño
- Vegan bouillon cube or equivalent amount of vegetable broth
- Raw cashews: unsalted, unroasted. You can swap with white beans or steamed cauliflower for a nut-free option.
- Dairy-free milk: unsweetened oat, almond, cashew, or cashew milk.
See the recipe card for the full list and quantities.
This plant-based nacho sauce pairs perfectly with refried black beans from a can, dairy free taco dip, and vegan burritos.
How to Make Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Sauté onion, carrot, and jalapeño with a pinch of salt and water for 3-4 mins. Add garlic at the end for 1 min. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Step 2: Add potatoes, tomatoes, cashews, water or broth, and all spices (except salt, nutritional yeast, or cayenne). Pressure cook for 6 mins. Let pressure release naturally for 10 mins, then quick release any remaining.
- Step 3: Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the milk, pickled jalapeños, brine, nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Step 4: Blend until smooth and creamy.
When I'm serving a crowd or preparing make ahead vegan sauces, I like to make this along with a few other salsas, like my creamy tomatillo salsa and creamy jalapeno sauce recipe.
Tested Tips
- Use a high-speed blender: A high-powered blender gives the smoothest creamy texture.
- Leave the potato skins on: For extra fiber and nutrients. Yellow potatoes have thin skins that blend well and boost nutrition.
- Taste and adjust: Bouillon cubes and broth vary in sodium, so season to taste after blending.
Nacho cheese sauce is delicious drizzled over one pot vegan chili, 3 bean chili, and this dairy free enchilada soup.
Make it Your Way
- Roasted red peppers: Blend in 1–2 tablespoons for a smoky-sweet flavor and vibrant orange color.
- Smoked paprika or chipotle powder: Deepens flavor with a warm, smoky note .
- Dijon mustard: Adds subtle tang and complexity. Start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste.
- Tapioca starch or potato starch (optional): Add 1–2 teaspoons for a gooier, stretchier queso-style finish.
This pairs really well with something refreshing like aguas frescas, Mexican rice milk, or hibiscus lemonade.
Make it a Meal
I like to build a simple bowl with lime Mexican rice, vegan refried pinto beans, and whatever veggies I have, then pour this over the top.
Or I use it as a dip for my vegan taquitos, and other times for my crispy air fryer potato wedges with salsa tatemada.
Storage & Meal Prep
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container (a mason jar works great, too) for 4 days.
- To reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or microwave in short bursts, stirring in a splash of milk or broth if needed to thin.
- Meal prep: This nacho cheese is part of my weekly sauce rotation. I batch it with beans, rice cooker brown rice, and bowls for quick meals. And when I know I want something spicier in the mix, I also make this roasted chile de arbol salsa.
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce FAQs
Yes! If you’re using a high-speed blender, raw cashews will blend smoothly. If not, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes or overnight in cool water for a creamier texture.
Dairy free nacho cheese sauce is perfect for nachos, as it's smooth, creamy, and easy to pour. It's got more spice than regular dairy free cheese, which goes better with nachos.
Yes, for a nut-free version, white beans or steamed cauliflower work well. The texture will be slightly lighter, but still creamy.
Build a Taco Bowl
Start with a base, add your toppings, and finish it with this vegan nacho cheese sauce.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
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Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow potatoes, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
- ¼ cup diced carrot
- ⅔ cup chopped onion
- 1 fresh jalapeño, deseeded for less heat
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup raw cashews, unsalted, unroasted
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 vegan bouillon cube, omit if using broth instead of water
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños, sliced
- 1 tablespoon brine, the juice from the pickled jalapeños
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne, optional, to taste
- Optional: squeeze of lemon or lime
Instructions
Choose your method: Instant Pot or Stovetop
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set to Sauté. Add onion, carrot, and jalapeño with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute and turn off.
- Add potatoes, tomatoes, cashews, water, bouillon cube, and spices (except salt, nutritional yeast, and cayenne).
- Lock the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Pressure cook on High for 6 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release.
Stovetop Instructions
- In a medium pot, cook onion, carrot, and jalapeño with a splash of water and a pinch of salt for 3–4 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute.
- Add potatoes, tomatoes, cashews, water, bouillon cube, and spices (except salt, nutritional yeast, and cayenne). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 15–20 minutes, until tender.
Finish the sauce
- Carefully transfer everything to a blender. Add plant-based milk, pickled jalapeños, brine, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust if needed: Add cayenne for spice, a squeeze of lemon/lime for brightness, or more salt as needed. Thin with extra broth or milk if needed.
Video
Notes
- Use a high-speed blender for the smoothest, creamiest texture.
- Blend in batches if needed, and be careful ot to let the steam build up when blending.
- Nutritional yeast: If you’re out, you can skip it, this still works great without it.
- For nut-free version, swap cashews with white beans or steamed cauliflower
- Sauce thickens as it sits—just stir and thin when reheating
- Top with jalapeño slices, green chiles, or a few diced tomatoes if desired.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
So hard to stop dipping—this one’s a hit for family nights or a game day spread. And one of my favorite ways to use this is on chili cheese fries. So, so good!
Veganmom758 says
I AM IN LOVE
Julie Gaeta says
Thanks so much! ❤️