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This nut-free vegan Nacho Cheese is easy to make and good for you! Add it to vegan tacos, burritos, nachos, mac and cheese, and more. The possibilities are endless! Plus, it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Easy and Creamy Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce
Whether you need the perfect topping for a plate of vegan nachos, a zesty and creamy sauce for butternut squash mac ‘n cheese, or a new go-to sweet potato burrito sauce, this vegan nacho cheese sauce has you covered! The recipe comes from my book, Plant-Based on a Budget, and delivers incredibly creamy dairy-free nacho cheese using just 7 ingredients.
This vegan nacho cheese sauce recipe looks and tastes just like the real thing but is made entirely from veggies and budget-friendly ingredients. Cooked potatoes and carrots are blended with salsa and nutritional yeast (check out this nutritional yeast guide) until the sauce is so creamy. And with bold Tex-Mex flavors in every scoop, you’ll keep coming back for more!
After about 20 minutes of hands-on work, you’re free to dig into this delicious sauce with air fryer tortilla chips or pour it over vegan tacos (like these vegan fajita tacos), nachos, burritos (like this quinoa burrito), or pasta.
Looking for more cheesy vegan recipes? Check out our Vegan Tofu Ricotta Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac n’ Cheese, and Vegan Cheesy Zucchini Chips!
The Ingredients and Substitutes
What Else Could I Add?
- Smoke: A pinch of smoked paprika or a drop of liquid smoke makes it nice and smoky.
- Spicy: Blend in a pinch of cayenne pepper, pickled jalapeno slices, or freshly diced chilies.
How To Make Vegan Nacho Cheese
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
Step 1: First, fill a large pot with water and add the chopped and peeled potatoes and carrots.
Step 2: Bring the water to a boil and cook until the veggies are soft. Drain the water.
Step 3: Blend the boiled potatoes, carrots, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and salsa until smooth. Enjoy!
FAQs
Absolutely! Unlike regular store bought nacho cheese, which is loaded with preservatives, this carrot potato cheese sauce has a long list of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Plus, when making homemade vegan nacho cheese, you get to be in control of the amount of fat and sodium used, so it’s a win-win!
Only if you want that delicious ‘cheesy’ flavor! I know nutritional yeast can be hard to find sometimes, but the sauce won’t be the same without it.
Yes, you can use frozen carrots and potatoes if that’s what you already have on hand. Either let them thaw ahead of time or boil them quickly so they’re easier to blend.
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
- Peel the carrots and potatoes in advance: Otherwise, the chunks of peel will make the sauce less smooth!
- Chop the veggies uniformly: That way, they’ll boil and blend evenly.
- Try to use a high-speed blender: A powerful high-speed blender whips up creamy and smooth vegan cheese sauce in an instant! If you only have a regular blender, it should still work but you’ll need to blend for a little longer.
- Adjust the consistency: Blending in an extra splash of the reserved veggie cooking water or non-dairy milk will help thin the cheese sauce.
- Taste while blending: Remember to taste the vegan cheese sauce once or twice during the blending process. Add a little more lemon juice, salt, salsa, or nutritional yeast as needed to adjust the flavors.
Serving Suggestions
Because it comes together so easily, the nacho dip is a great fit for parties and special events! Surround the bowl with air fryer tortilla chips and crackers (like these rosemary vegan crackers) and watch as your guests gather around. Otherwise, you can serve the vegan cheese with:
- Salads and grain bowls: Like a vegan taco salad or burrito bowl, refried bean dip , garden fresh salsa or green chili salsa, fajita vegetables, and crispy pan fried tofu.
- French fries: It adds some excitement to these oven baked sweet potato fries, baked zucchini fries, carrot fries, and regular garlic baked potato wedges!
- Vegan queso: Just stir some roasted peppers and chilies into the vegan cheese dip to make vegan queso.
- Vegan tacos: Drizzle it over these cauliflower tacos, tofu tacos, or even southwestern lettuce wraps.
- Pasta: Use it as the sauce for an upgraded batch of vegan mac and cheese or vegan lasagna.
- Enchiladas: Drizzle the sauce over some steaming hot sweet potato enchiladas.
- Plant-based quesadillas: It’s the perfect dipping sauce for these vegan bean quesadillas.
Storage Instructions
Let the vegan cheese sauce cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Vegan nacho cheese sauce also freezes well! Once it’s cool, transfer it to an airtight container or Ziplock/Stasher bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow the sauce to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat the vegan cheese sauce in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds or in a small saucepan on the stove. Stir in a splash of water or non-dairy milk if needed.
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Nacho Cheese
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Ingredients
- 2 cups of peeled diced russet potatoes
- 1 cup of sliced carrots
- ½ cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- ½ cup of nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup of salsa
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and add the peeled potatoes and carrots. Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil and keep cooking for 10 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Remove from the heat and drain the water.
- In a high-powered blender, blend the boiled potatoes, carrots, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and salsa until completely smooth.
I make this over and over! It is a great base recipe that you can tailor to your liking. I really enjoy this, knowing whole foods go into it since I end up eating half of it right away, haha. So simple, which is what I like about so many of the recipes from this site.
Thank you so much for the five stars, Tara! I’m thrilled this one has earned a regular spot in your kitchen, and I love that you make it your own each time. I really appreciate you taking the time to share such kind words about my recipes.