Creamy Vegan Queso

4.50 from 10 votes

My Creamy Vegan Queso is a crowd-pleaser that I can’t wait to serve at every party. In just 30 minutes, it’s ready to drizzle, dip, and devour with all my favorite snacks. Made with wholesome, dairy-free ingredients, it’s the perfect blend of creamy, cheesy, and tangy and everyone loves it.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Regular Blender

Ingredients

1 cup cooked potato , about 1 medium sized potato (see note)
4 cloves garlic , roasted (add up to 4 more for extra garlic flavor)
3/4 cup raw cashews , see note
1 1/2 cups veggie broth (use low sodium to keep the salt low)
1 cup unsweetened cashew milk (almond would work too)
4 ounces chopped mild chiles (one small can)
1/2 cup jarred mild pickled jalapenos , divided
1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno juice (juice from slices above)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt (see note)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place all ingredients except for 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add last 1/4 cup jalapenos and pulse until chopped. You can also just add them at the beginning but I liked the flavor of some chopped jalapenos in the dip.
Pour the liquid into a pot and heat over medium low heat on stove until it reduces and gets nice and thick and gooey. Depending on your stove, you may need to up the heat to get it to thicken nicely, even bring it to a boil then reduce the heat.
Stir frequently to prevent sticking. It took about 10 minutes for me to get the right consistency but you can make it however you prefer it.
Serve with everything!

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for making the creamiest, dreamiest vegan queso every single time is to soak the cashews or blend them into a fine powder first. Trust me, I’ve made this more times than I can count, and I’ve learned that if your blender isn’t super powerful, the cashews need a little extra love to get perfectly smooth. I either soak them overnight, boil them for 30 minutes, or grind them into a powder with a coffee grinder, whatever works best for my schedule. The result? A queso so velvety and rich, you’d never guess it’s dairy-free!
Cooking the potato: You can boil, microwave, or bake it, but if you boil it, expect a little extra moisture. Just let the dip cook longer to thicken up perfectly.
Choosing the right potato: I use red potatoes, but any starchy kind works, just skip the sweet ones! They’ll change the flavor too much.
Broth matters: I go for a veggie broth without tomato to keep the flavors balanced. You can use water instead, but you might need a little extra salt.
Keep it hot: This queso is best served warm and melty! I keep it in a slow cooker on low so it stays the perfect texture (just don’t crank it up to high, or it might burn!)

Nutrition