Vegan Cashew Queso

This recipe is full of nutritional benefits and tastes like creamy, spicy, cheesy queso — YAAS!

It takes an hour of prep time as the raw cashews soften, but comes together in minutes.


Need a spice grinder to freshly grind all these delish spices? I’m obsessed with my FinaMill

What you need:

1 1/2 C raw, unsalted cashews
1 C boiling water (for soaking cashews)
1 1/4 C unsweetened almond or oat milk, warmed up
1 lemon juiced (about 2 Tablespoons)
1/4 small white onion
2 large garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 jalapeno, seeds removed (optional)

Pour boiling water over cashews and let soak for at least one hour.

Drain the cashews and add all ingredients to a Vitamix (or similar commercial grade blender) and blend until smooth. If texture needs to be creamier, add a couple of tablespoons of hot water and blend again. Enjoy warm with chips or veggies!

Nutrition Tip: Nutritional yeast is rich in vitamin B12, important for a healthy nervous system. It adds a delicious cheesy flavor (without any sodium) and contains a good amount of protein!