Cashew Nacho Cheese

5 from 10 votes

Creamy, zesty, cashew nacho cheese is delicious for dipping and great on tacos, burritos, nachos, and more. You make it in the blender, no cooking required, and it’s so versatile!

Prep Time25

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, cheese, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican Inspired

Keyword: cashew nacho cheese

Servings:

Author: Vegan Richa

Equipment

blender

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews unroasted, unsalted, soaked in warm water for at least 15 minutes
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon yellow miso paste
1/2 cup water or more, if needed to get the creamy texture
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar of pickled jalapeños
2 tablespoons salsa or chopped tomato
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional Additions

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle chili flakes or cayenne for heat
1/8 teaspoon turmeric

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Soak the cashews, if you haven't already. Let them sit for 15 minutes in hot water, then drain.
Add the soaked and drained cashews to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, and then blend for a minute. Check the consistency of the mixture, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water, if needed. Then, blend again for 30 seconds. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then blend again for 10 seconds. Let it sit for another 2 minutes, and then blend again for half a minute or, until the mixture is nice and creamy and smooth.
Taste and adjust flavor by adding more lemon, salt, garlic, flavors or heat, and then blend in those additions. Then transfer to a serving bowl, top it with some salsa or pickled jalapeño, and serve with tortilla chips, or use the cheese sauce in tacos, wraps, over burritos, over nachos.

Video

Notes

Use the turmeric if you want your nacho cheese to look yellower, it won’t impact the flavor much.

Cashew nacho cheese is naturally gluten-free.
This is a soy-free recipe, if you use chickpea miso instead of yellow miso.
For nut-free, make my nut-free nacho cheese sauce instead.

To make this without nutritional yeast, just omit the nutritional yeast and add another teaspoon of miso.

Nutrition

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