This vegan cheese recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes like real cheese! Made without cashews for a nut free plant based snack that the whole family will LOVE. The best vegan cheese substitute for nachos, potatoes, veggies, etc! Vegan, nut free, gluten free, whole30, and paleo.

The best nut free cheese sauce
Are you guys ready to make the BEST dairy free cheese sauce?!
I have been playing around in the kitchen for a long time trying to nail down a dairy free cheese alternative with no cashews (for all my nut free friends out there), and I finally hit the jackpot with this recipe!
One of my favorite parts? Because of the starch in the potatoes it gets this awesome drizzly texture – almost like real deal nacho cheese – for a very authentic vibe.
And I swear it even tastes like real cheese 🙌🏼
Why you’ll love this vegan cheese recipe
This vegan cheese sauce is:
- Healthy
- Easy to make
- Savory
- Irresistibly cheesy
- Made with veggies!
- Vegan / vegetarian / paleo friendly
- Nut free – made without cashews!
- Snack worthy
- SO delicious!
Vegan cheese ingredients
Okay so let’s get into the delicious details of this recipe. First things first – what is vegan cheese made of?
Different dairy free cheese recipes will be made with different ingredients. Many rely on cashews but this recipe is made without, and can be made completely nut free by opting for a nut free non dairy milk.
Here’s exactly what I used for this version – it’s the healthiest combination of ingredients!
- Carrots + potatoes – Carrots and potatoes make up the bulk of this vegan cheese. The carrots add color, volume, and a hint of sweetness, while the potatoes add volume and some starchiness to give the sauce a cheese-like texture. The starch in the potatoes also means this recipe is made without any added starch like corn starch or tapioca starch.
- Olive oil – Olive oil adds some fat for a rich texture.
- Dairy free milk – Oat milk, almond milk, and cashew milk are all delicious options. To keep this recipe nut free opt for oat milk, or another dairy free milk that works for you.
- Mustard – Mustard helps add to the savory flavor of the cheese.
- Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, and salt round out the savory notes.
- Lemon juice – Lemon juice brings a bit of acidity and brightness to this cheese sauce and helps contribute to the cheesy flavor.
- Nutritional yeast – Nutritional yeast is what REALLY brings the cheesy flavor to this recipe. Commonly used in a lot of vegan recipes for its flavor boosting super powers. Nutritional yeast has a savory, nutty, and definite “cheesy” flavor profile.
How to make vegan cheese
This easy vegan cheese sauce is made in just a few simple steps, and blended together until smooth and creamy.
Here’s the step-by-step
- Add cut carrots and Yukon gold potatoes to a medium sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until carrots and potatoes are tender.
- Drain and transfer to a blender with olive oil, non dairy milk of choice, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Season to taste with salt if needed and serve as is or heat gently on the stove, stirring frequently, until warm.
Is vegan cheese healthy?
When it’s homemade and whipped up using real food ingredients – YES! A thousand times yes.
Like all processed store bought items some versions are healthier than others, but the benefit of making vegan cheese yourself at home is that you know exactly what is in it and how it was made.
This version is made using only plant based whole foods that are FULL of nutrients!
It’s also vegan, paleo, gluten free, whole30 compatible, and easily made nut free.
What to serve this vegan cheese with
The sky is the limit!
I think that literally any way you can imagine enjoying this dairy free cheese would be delicious.
This vegan cheese would be so good with:
- Tortilla chips as a nacho cheese sauce alongside some guacamole <– YES
- Roasted potatoes
- French fries – HELLO cheesy fries!
- Broccoli, cauliflower, or another veggie
- Mac and cheese
- Tacos
- Over nachos
- ETC! (drop a comment below if you found a super delicious way to eat this cheese to we can get some inspo from you!)
How long will this vegan cheese last in the refrigerator?
This plant based cheese will keep for about 5-6 days in the refrigerator – if it lasts that long 😉
If you love this vegan cheese recipe please take 5 seconds to rate the recipe below – I would really appreciate it! 🙏🏼
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PrintVegan Cheese Recipe {vegan + gf + paleo}
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan cheese recipe is healthy, easy to make, and tastes like real cheese! Made without cashews for a nut free plant based snack that the whole family will LOVE. The best vegan cheese substitute for nachos, potatoes, veggies, etc! Vegan, gluten free, Whole30, and paleo.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups Yukon gold potato peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain unsweetened non dairy milk – cashew, oat, or almond will all work
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard or 1 teaspoon Dijon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Pinch of turmeric (for color)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- To make it spicy: add a teaspoon or two of your favorite hot sauce
Instructions
- Add cut carrots and Yukon gold potatoes to a medium sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until carrots and potatoes are tender.
- Drain and transfer to a blender with olive oil, non dairy milk of choice, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Season to taste with salt if needed and serve as is or heat gently on the stove, stirring frequently, until warm.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: sauce
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: healthy
Keywords: vegan, dairy free, plant based paleo, cheese substitute, mexican, snack, dip, sauce
PJ says
Thank You for this recipe!
★★★★★
Nyssa Tanner says
So glad you loved it! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Jenn Swanson says
Delicious! I made this today to go with our “make your own burrito bowl” dinner tonight. I think it will be a hit. It tastes yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh wonderful! I love the idea of including this in a burrito bowl dinner. Sounds very yummy! Thanks for the thoughtful comment! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Stacy says
Hi! Looks yummy! Have you tried this with sweet potatoes instead of Yukon gold potatoes?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Stacy! I haven’t tried it with sweet potatoes. It could work and will still taste delicious, but the sauce will likely not have the same consistency. The reason I chose to yukon gold potatoes is because of their starch content. When blended they help bind the sauce together in an almost stretchy way (which makes a great imitation texture of real cheese!). Sweet potatoes are not as starchy so you’d probably lose that quality in the sauce. But if you give it a try I would love to hear how it turns out for you! Happy cooking 🙂