This creamy cashew queso dip is made without any processed ingredients, for an authentic tasting, full flavored, dairy free alternative to this well loved dip. SO crave worthy and made with anti-inflammatory, good-for-you ingredients! Paleo, Whole30, dairy free, vegan, gluten free.
Say it with me: QUESO QUESO QUESO! That’s right. We’re talking cheese dip today. But not just ANY cheese dip.
This creamy cashew queso dip is made with no dairy – NONE. Only simple + good-for-you plant based ingredients that make it vegan, paleo, and whole30 compliant.
I have been wanting to share a recipe for this for awhile because queso is one of those delicious snacks that has the power to make a person SO happy. Amirite?! And I think we can all agree that everybody needs more happy food in their lives.
Maybe it’s because dipping things into creamy, gooey cheesy flavored goodness is close to a spiritual experience, or maybe it’s just because it’s so damn delicious. Either way – I’M IN and I hope you are too!
Because you can have a queso party for one, but it’s a lot more fun if we all show up! 😉
Ingredients for creamy cashew queso dip
This creamy cashew queso dip is made with a few simple plant based ingredients in your high speed blender. Seriously simple and seriously delicious.
To make this recipe you will need:
- Raw cashews – This is the main ingredient in the recipe. When blended, soaked raw cashews turn into the dreamiest creamiest sauce that provides the perfect base for a recipe like this. The raw part is really important. Raw cashews surrender into a smooth sauce when blended much more easily than roasted cashews. If you only have roasted cashews on hand you CAN use them but you may want to let them soak a little bit longer before blending – also the final dip may not be quite as creamy and smooth.
- Water for blending with the cashews
- Mustard (both dry from your spice cabinet and dijon mustard work) – This ingredient sounds a bit unexpected, but since there is no actual cheese in this dip you need some serious flavor boosters to get the right flavor profile. Mustard helps aid in the “cheesy” vibe that we’re going for.
- Lime juice – For some bright zip and zing.
- Chili powder – Just a little to amp up the cheesy-mexican flavor.
- Nutritional yeast – This is where most of the “cheesy” flavor REALLY comes from in this queso dip. Commonly used in a lot of vegan recipes for it’s flavor boosting super powers. Nutritional yeast has a savory, nutty, and definitely “cheesy” flavor profile.
- Turmeric – Mostly just for color, so you could always leave it out if you don’t already have it on hand, but it does also add a little anti-inflammatory action to the mix!
- Hot sauce – You can use your favorite hot sauce, or skip it all together if you don’t want much heat in your queso. It does also help brighten up the flavor and add an extra layer of ZIP to the dip.
- Sea salt
- Your favorite salsa – Spicy, mild, or somewhere in between. This is the one ingredient that isn’t blended in with the actual dip, just stirred in at the end for some extra texture and flavor. You can skip it if you don’t have any on hand, but it really takes the queso to the next level!
- Thinly sliced green onions – for garnish! Because they’re pretty and also add some nice green bite.
Is this creamy cashew queso dip healthy?
Yes! 100% healthy. Made with no dairy and no processed ingredients, this creamy cashew queso dip is a delicious anti-inflammatory alternative to a traditional mexican cheese dip. It’s gluten free, grain free, vegan, paleo, and whole30 friendly! A total crowd pleaser.
how to make creamy cashew queso dip
This queso is so easy to make. The only planning you need to do in advance is to soak your cashews for at least an hour before starting. Everything except the salsa and green onions gets thrown into the blender and blended on high until smooth and creamy. Stir in a little bit of your favorite salsa, warm it up a bit if you like, top with green onions, and get DIPPING!
serving suggestions
You can serve this creamy cashew queso dip with your favorite chips (I always reach for a bag of Siete Foods grain free tortilla chips for a health supporting option that also tastes so amazing!), cut veggies, or even alongside your favorite tacos!
this creamy cashew queso dip is…
- 100% dairy free
- Easy to make
- Extremely flavorful
- A little spicy
- Creamy + satisfying
- Authentic tasting without being too heavy
- Perfect for dipping all the things
Enjoy friends – let’s get dipping!
Print
Creamy Cashew Queso Dip {paleo + vegan + whole30}
- Total Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Yield: about 6 servings 1x
Description
This creamy cashew queso dip is made with ZERO processed ingredients for an authentic tasting, full flavored, dairy free alternative to this well loved dip. SO crave worthy and made with anti-inflammatory, good-for-you ingredients! Vegan + whole30 compliant.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in just boiled water for at least an hour
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons just boiled water + a little more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard OR 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional – for color)
- about 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce – (for a whole30 / paleo friendly recipe read your hot sauce ingredients!)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons of your favorite salsa
- thinly sliced green onions to garnish
Instructions
- Soak raw cashews for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
- Drain and rinse cashews and add to blender along with just boiled water, mustard, lime juice, chili powder, nutritional yeast, turmeric powder, hot sauce, and sea salt.
- Blend on high for a minute or two, until very smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add more boiling water a little at a time until it blends smoothly, but is still quite thick.
- Once fully blended, transfer to a bowl and stir in salsa. Taste and add more salt or hot sauce if desired.
- Top with thinly sliced green onions and a little extra salsa and serve warm with chips or veggies for dipping!
- Will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
Kathy says
Delicious. Can i put in the freezer?
Thank you
Greetings from quebec canada
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Kathy! So glad you loved it! Yes you should be able to freeze it, though you may want to re-blend it before serving depending on how long it’s stored. Happy cooking! – Nyssa
Andrea says
Making a double batch for a birthday party this weekend. Thanks for the added feature to increase the batch size. I’ve fooled queso lovers before with this recipe. It’s the best! Thanks Nyssa!
★★★★★
Nyssa Tanner says
Aw yess! Doesn’t this queso makes the best party food!? So happy you’ve found the batch size increase feature helpful and that you continue coming back to this recipe! xo, Nyssa
Christine S. says
This is absolutely delicious! I cannot get enough of it! I dipped cauliflower in it, Siete chips and I even put it on my morning eggs. Thank you so much for creating a queso dip that is not only healthy but also surpasses my taste bud expectations!
★★★★★
Nyssa Tanner says
Woohoo!! I’m so happy you’re enjoying this queso. It holds a special place in our kitchen. Love the idea of dipping cauliflower in it and eating with your morning eggs. I’ll be trying that for sure! Thanks for the note Christine!
Val says
Is this served hot, chilled, or room temp?
Nyssa Tanner says
Really any way you like! It’s honestly good all those ways. If you’re warming it up before serving just make sure to stir it regularly as warming so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Same can be said if you’re warming it in the microwave – warm it in 20-30 second increments and stir in between until desired temperature is reached!
Plaga says
The world’s absolute best vegan queso!! Hands down!! So easy and so delicious!!
★★★★★
Nyssa Tanner says
Woohoo! Cashew queso always wins at our house, too! 🙂
Jill says
Made this recipe for the first time tonight. My boyfriend and I just went plant-based and are loving all the options on your site. Where can I find the nutritional information for this recipe?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Jill! Oh that makes me so happy that you’ve found some recipes you love to help with your transition to plant based eating 🙂 I am slowly adding nutrition information to older recipes on my site, and I just added the details for this one! Just scroll all the way down below the recipe card and you’ll find it there. Thanks for the note!
Tricia says
I have made this recipe so many times and prefer it to real queso or nacho cheese; super easy, delicious, spicy, and good for you! I eat it with dehydrated cabbage chips and feel so (not) guilty snacking…… yum!
★★★★★
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh my gosh YESS!! This comment just made my day ☺️ so happy you found + love this queso as much as we do honestly it’s our go to over regular queso as well! I’ve never tried cabbage chips but I’m so intrigued. Do you make them yourself?
Thanks for the comment!
Tricia says
Hey Nyssa! So funny, I’m just now seeing your response to this (since I made this dip yet again last night for a Galentine’s Day wine fest!) but yes, I do make the cabbage chips myself; super easy- just like kale chips. Little olive oil, salt and pepper and a dehydrator. I cut out some of the thicker ribs cuz they can get chewy – but such a great snack. I love your blog, btw, and found you via the Katrinas in San Francisco! Stay rad and keep making amazing things that I can copy!!! Cheers!
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh my gosh YES! Love everything about this message 🙂 Thanks for the thoughtful response. I love love kale chips and will have to try cabbage chips soon. Galentine’s day wine fest sounds divine.. going to have to replicate with my girlfriends next year for sure! Thank you so much for the sweet note and please reach out anytime with questions or comments! Love connecting the dots with mutual friends!! <3