Vegan Queso Fresco

By Sophia DeSantis, Reviewed by Anjali Shah on August 29, 2025

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This amazing Vegan Queso Fresco is just as tasty as normal queso fresco but made with 4 plant-based ingredients! Just cashews, salt, water, and vinegar create this soft, crumbly cheese, perfect for Mexican-inspired dishes.

A silver knife taking a piece of cheese from a creamy cheese wheel sitting on a black plate

Everyone in my family loves cheese, but finding a vegan-friendly version is hard or very expensive. So, I did some research, put on my apron, and started making my own, with my very first creation being homemade vegan feta cheese.

Table of Contents hide

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

🍽 Serving Suggestions

🧊 Storage Directions

❓Recipe FAQs

🧀 More Vegan Cheese Recipes!

📋 Recipe Card

The key ingredient?? Cashews! These creamy nuts are perfect for vegan sauces, such as cashew cream sauce, and various cheeses. And when it was my turn to host a Mexican-themed dinner, I knew I needed a tangy, crumbly cheese topping, which led me to create this super-easy vegan queso fresco.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

My vegan queso fresco looks like the real thing and has a fresh, salty, slightly tangy taste with the perfect crumbly texture to sprinkle over Mexican dishes. It’s so yummy! For years, our taco nights felt like they were missing something, and this cheese was the missing piece! It’s a total game-changer for our plant-based meals, and my boys love sprinkling it over their tacos and quesadillas.

If you’ve seen my other vegan cheese recipes, you’ll know that soaking and draining raw cashews is the key to creating a creamy cheese-like base. Then, I simply blend them with the other ingredients until smooth and place the mixture in a cheesecloth tightly wrapped in the fridge to allow the moisture to strain. As the moisture strains, the cheese firms up, creating that perfect, crumbly texture we all love!

This vegan queso fresco has become such a staple in our house that I make a batch at the beginning of the week just for tacos, salads, and whatever else my boys decide needs a cheesy sprinkle. It’s far superior to any vegan queso fresco I have tasted from the grocery stores, and it takes minutes to prepare using four simple ingredients. I’ve even shared this recipe with my dairy-free friends, and now they can’t live without it. Whether you’re vegan or just cheese-curious, this easy homemade vegan queso fresco is guaranteed to hit the spot!

🥘 Ingredients

Here’s all you need to make this vegan queso fresco: just four simple ingredients that make a soft and crumbly cheese I love tossing on everything from tacos to salads.

Cashews: I use raw cashews because once they’re softened, they blend into a smooth base for this cheese. They’re the heart of the recipe.

Vinegar: The vinegar adds a fresh tang I always expect from queso fresco. I sometimes splash in a little more when I want it extra bright.

Water: A touch of water helps the cashews blend easily. It keeps the texture soft and creamy without changing the flavor.

Salt: Sea salt seasons everything perfectly. This ingredient is a must for me!

🔪 How To Make

It’s honestly so much easier than you might think to make vegan queso fresco at home. Let me walk you through it step by step so you can see just how simple it is.

Add the ingredients: I add the soaked cashews along with vinegar, water, and salt to my food processor.

Top view of a food processor with cashews inside of it on a dark surface

Blend: Then, I blend until smooth but with a little texture.

Top view of a food processor sitting on dark surface with a creamy mixture inside

Strain in a cloth: I scoop the blended mixture into a clean cheese cloth or tea towel and wrap it up tightly. Then, I place it in a strainer over a bowl so the extra liquid can drip out while it chills in the fridge for about 4 hours until it’s ready to serve.

Top view of a thick creamy mixture in a cheese cloth over a strainer with a blue spatula next to it

💭 Expert Tips

My #1 Secret Tip for making vegan queso fresco is to always choose the right cloth. I once grabbed a thin towel in a hurry and ended up with half the mixture seeping right through into the bowl. Ever since then, I stick with a good cheese cloth or a tightly woven tea towel, and it works perfectly every time.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Soak the cashews well: I always make sure my cashews are softened enough, either by soaking overnight or boiling for about 25 minutes.
Taste before chilling: I like to taste the mixture right after blending. If I want more tang, I’ll stir in a little extra vinegar before wrapping it in the cloth.
Control the texture: The longer I let it drain, the firmer the cheese becomes. For a softer spread, I use it sooner, and for a crumbly version, I let it chill for a full six hours.

📖 Variations

Here are four variations I’ve made in my own kitchen, all keeping the recipe simple and fun:

Spicy Queso Fresco: I stir in ½ teaspoon of chili flakes or smoked paprika before chilling. It gives just the right touch of warmth for rice bowls or beans.

Creamy Spread: I skip the draining step and use the cheese right away. It turns into a creamy spread that I love on toast or inside wraps.

Citrus Twist: I add 1 teaspoon of fresh lime juice after blending. It makes the cheese taste extra fresh and perfect with Mexican dishes.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Get ready to sprinkle my vegan queso fresco on everything. We do! We put this crumbly queso fresco on just about every Mexican dish that comes out of my kitchen. Literally! It’s the perfect finishing touch for my smoky vegetarian fajitas, adding a cool salty contrast to the warm veggies. We also scatter it over vegan black bean quesadillas right before serving for an extra burst of fresh flavor.

For sharing platters like loaded veggie nachos and Mexican corn fries, this queso fresco takes them to the next level of deliciousness. And who could forget my hubby’s favorite crispy potato tacos served with guacamole, jalapeno peppers, and crumbly queso fresco.

🧊 Storage Directions

Refrigeration: I keep the queso fresco in an airtight container in the fridge, and it stays fresh for up to five days.

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing because the texture changes too much once it thaws.

❓Recipe FAQs

Do I really need to soak the cashews?

I always soak the cashews because it makes the cheese smoother and easier to blend. If I forget, I just boil them on the stove for about 25 minutes, and they soften right up. As a busy mom, I can’t always remember to soak them overnight, so I love having that shortcut. The main thing is to get them soft enough so they blend into a creamy base.

How long should I let the cheese drain?

I usually let it drain for four to six hours in the fridge. If I want it softer, I’ll use it earlier, especially when I’m spreading it on toast or wraps. But if I’m planning to crumble it over tacos or enchiladas, I let it sit longer so it firms up. Sometimes I just make two batches, one soft and one firm, and keep them both in the fridge for the week.

Is this recipe healthy?

Yes, it’s made with just cashews, vinegar, water, and salt. I love that it’s plant based, light, and still has some protein from the cashews. As a health coach and a mom, I love serving it to my kids because it’s simple and wholesome.

Top view of a wheel of creamy cheese on a black plate next to a plate of tacos with the cheese on them

🧀 More Vegan Cheese Recipes!

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