Vegan Nacho Cheese
This vegan nacho cheese sauce is creamy, cheesy, and absolutely irresistible. It comes together in about 30 minutes with 10 simple ingredients. It’s super easy to make and totally versatile.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked
- 2 cups water divided
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender add the soaked cashews and remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup of water.
- Blend on medium-high speed until the cashews are smooth and creamy. Periodically stop the blender and scrape down the sides as needed so no cashew chunks get left behind.
- Pour the blended cheese into a medium saucepan. Then, add the reserved 1 cup of water to the blender and swish it around to clean the cheese off of the sides. Pour the water into the saucepan.
- Heat over medium-low, whisking constantly, until the cheese sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
- Serve warm as a dip or sauce.
Notes
- Use the optional smoked paprika for a slightly smoky flavored cheese.
- For spicy nacho cheese, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or jalapeños before blending.
- If the cheese sauce is too thick, add water to thin it out to your desired consistency.
- If the cheese sauce is too thin, mix 1 teaspoon of tapioca starch with 1 Tablespoon of water. Slowly pour about a teaspoon at a time of the slurry into the cheese sauce until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Transfer any leftover vegan cheese sauce to an airtight container. Store the cheese in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
- Reheat any leftovers in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the cheese is heated throughout, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 180mg | Sugar: 1g