Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce: Creamy Vegan Dip Perfect for Nachos and Tacos

Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce

This nacho cashew cheese sauce is velvety smooth and rich in umami flavor, and it is built from whole food ingredients instead of a packaged plant based cheese.

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I keep a jar in the fridge for taco nights, rice bowls, and evenings when a bag of tortilla chips deserves a proper dip.

Why You’ll Love This Cashew Cheese Sauce

Three things keep this sauce on repeat in my kitchen. First, the flavor. Nutritional yeast, green chilies, and spices come together for a savory, tangy finish that reads as cheesy even though there is no dairy anywhere in the blender.

Second, it adapts. If someone at your table has a nut allergy, you can make a nut free version and still end up with something creamy. Third, the ingredient list is short and made of whole foods.

There are no plant based cheese alternatives involved, no long list of stabilizers, and no specialty shopping trip required.

It is also flexible about temperature. Serve it warm over nachos, or chilled as a dip. I have thinned leftovers with a splash of milk to make a drizzle for grain bowls, and it holds its smooth texture either way. It clings to a chip without feeling heavy, which is exactly what you want from a nacho sauce.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Every ingredient here has a job, and a few of them are worth a small detour at the store.

• Raw cashews. They give the sauce its body and its velvety finish. For a nut free version, pepitas or sunflower seeds work just as well in the same amount.
• Canned green chilies. Use the canned ones, not fresh. Fresh chilies will not deliver the same flavor, and the canned version is easy to find in the international section of most grocery stores.
• Nutritional yeast. This is where the umami and the cheesy note come from.
• Pickled jalapenos. Buy a jar or make your own. Do not skip them. Their pickled tang is a big part of why the sauce tastes finished.
• Lemon juice. Fresh lemon is best. Fresh lime works in a pinch if that is what you have.
• Smoked paprika and chili powder. Together they add both the color and the smoky warmth.
• Plant based milk. I used almond milk. Any unsweetened plant based milk will work.
• Kosher salt. You start with 1/4 tsp and adjust after blending.

One shopping tip that saved me a few laps around the store: the canned green chilies usually sit in the international aisle, near the salsas and the taco shells, not with the fresh produce. Grab them on the same trip as the pickled jalapenos and you are set for the week.

The seasonings are doing more work than they look like they are. The smoked paprika and the chili powder bring the warm color you see in the jar, and the nutritional yeast carries that savory depth. That is why the sauce tastes like a cheese sauce rather than a plain cashew cream.

If you only remember one thing, remember this: the pickled jalapenos and the canned green chilies are what make this sauce taste like nacho cheese rather than plain cashew cream.

How to Make Cashew Cheese Sauce

The method is simple, but the soaking step is what separates a silky sauce from a grainy one.

1. Soak the cashews. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with water for at least 6 to 8 hours, or overnight. If you are short on time, cover the raw cashews with boiling water and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes to soften.
2. Blend everything. Discard the soaking water and add the drained cashews to a high speed blender cup along with the remaining ingredients. Blend on high, scraping down the sides as needed, until the sauce is velvety smooth.
3. Taste and season. Because of the nature of these ingredients, taste the sauce after blending and decide whether it needs more salt. Add a small amount, blend, and taste again until it is how you like it. You may need between 1/2 tsp and 1 tsp of salt, so start with less and build up.

Take your time with the blending. Stop the machine, scrape the sides, and run it again. That extra minute is the difference between a sauce that pours and a sauce that clings to a chip.

One more thing worth saying: do not pour the soaking water into the blender. That water has done its job once the cashews are soft, and starting fresh with the measured milk keeps the sauce from tasting watered down. You can also make it ahead.

Blend the sauce, store it covered in the fridge, and pull it out when dinner is ready.

Expert Tips

Soaking does more than soften. It makes the cashews easier on the blender and gives you a smoother, more velvety result. If you plan ahead, soak the cashews in the refrigerator overnight, for at least 6 to 8 hours, before you blend. A cold soak also keeps things fresh if your kitchen runs warm.

For the faster route, place the cashews in a heat safe bowl, cover them with boiling water, and let them soak for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Drain that water before blending.

Use a high speed blender if you have one. It does the heavy lifting and gets the sauce as smooth as it can be. If your blender is on the modest side, blend longer and scrape the sides more often instead of adding extra liquid.

Finally, taste before you serve. This sauce is forgiving, and a small pinch of salt at the end often makes the smoky, tangy notes pop.

How to Store Leftovers

Pour any leftover sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 7 days. Give it a stir before each use, since it can thicken slightly as it sits.

Freezing works too. Transfer the sauce to a freezer safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then mix it very well before serving. Freezing can dull the flavor a little, so taste after thawing and add a small pinch of salt to bring it back.

I like to portion it into small jars before freezing so I can thaw just what I need for one dinner. A quick stir after thawing is all it takes to bring the texture back together.

More Ways to Use Cashew Cheese Sauce

Nachos are only the beginning. This sauce is a great dip to set out when you are entertaining, and it earns its place in homemade crunchwraps, plant based quesadillas, and crispy tacos, where it works as both a dip and a filling.

On a plain weeknight, I have also spooned it over a bowl of rice when dinner needed a lift. It is thick enough to spread and loose enough to drizzle, which is why it fits so many different plates.

More Homemade Condiments to Try

If you like keeping a few homemade sauces on hand, these are the condiments I make alongside this cashew cheese sauce:

• Pickled red onions
• Charred salsa verde
• Homemade tofu cashew cream cheese
• Mango pico de gallo
• Cilantro lime sauce

Pair the pickled red onions with tacos, spoon the salsa verde over eggs, spread the tofu cashew cream cheese on toast, and use the mango pico de gallo and the cilantro lime sauce anywhere you want brightness. A jar of each turns a simple weeknight plate into something worth sitting down for.

Ingredients

One batch makes 1 1/2 cups of sauce, and the full list is short:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 4 oz can green chilies
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapenos
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp unsweetened plant based milk, such as almond milk
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Notes

For a nut free version, replace the cashews with pepitas or sunflower seeds, and swap the plant based milk for a nut free option such as soy milk. Everything else in the recipe stays exactly the same. The sauce still blends up smooth and creamy this way, so there is no need to change the method.

Recipe details

Here is the quick summary for planning your batch.

FAQs

Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce

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• Total Time: 25 min
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups sauce 1x

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Description

Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce This nacho cashew cheese sauce is velvety smooth and rich in umami flavor, and it is built from whole food ingredients instead of a packaged plant based cheese. I keep a jar in the fridge for taco nights, rice bowls, and evenings when a bag of tortilla chips deserves a proper dip.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients
3/4 cup raw cashews
4 oz can green chilies, canned
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp pickled jalapenos
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
3 tbsp unsweetened plant based milk, I used almond milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

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Instructions

Instructions
1-Place your cashews in a bowl and: Place your cashews in a bowl and cover with water for at least 6-8 hours or overnight before using. For a short cut, cover the raw cashews with boiling water for 20-30 minutes to soften them.
2-Discard the water of the cashews and: Discard the water of the cashews and place in a high speed blender cup along with the remaining ingredients. Blend all the ingredients on high, scraping down the sides as needed until the sauce is velvety smooth.
3-Because of the nature of the sauce: Because of the nature of the sauce ingredients, I recommend tasting the sauce after blending and seeing if you need more salt. Add small amounts at time then blend and taste again until the sauce is how you like it. You may need between 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt, but I always start out with less and add more based on my preference.

• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 0 min
• Method: Blending

Keywords: Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce