This simple vegan nacho cheese without nuts is made with potatoes, carrots, nutritional yeast, and spices. It’s thick, cheesy, and great for dipping or drizzling over tortilla chips!
This versatile vegan nacho cheese has endless options!
It’s perfect as a chip dip; mix in your favorite chunky salsa, spice it up with jalapeño, drizzle on steamed vegetables, or a loaded baked potato!
I love this vegan nacho cheese sauce recipe because I always have all the ingredients on hand. So even for those nights when I lack creativity, and our stock is low, I can whip this together. It’s perfect with chips, but I love this vegan queso over steamed broccoli and cauliflower. It’s also an easy cheese sauce for your vegan mac and cheese.
💗 Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Nut-Free
- Hidden veggies!
- Oil-Free
- Stretchy, stringy, gooey texture
- Versatile (use as a dip with chips, pour over veggies, and more!)
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Yukon Gold Potatoes: I prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes because they have a naturally creamy texture.
Carrots: Peeled and chopped into chunks.
Unsweetened Almond Milk: You can use any unsweetened dairy-free milk. Be sure the dairy-free milk is not flavored with vanilla.
Nutritional Yeast: Gives this nacho cheese sauce a “cheesy” flavor. Add more or less to taste.
Tapioca Powder: Helps to create a stretchy texture to the cheese sauce.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Gives the sauce a bit of tang and acidity.
Spices: The key to this recipe is all of the added spices. You’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and salt.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Nacho Cheese
Step 1: Add peeled and cubed potatoes and diced carrots to boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until fork-tender. Do not overcook the potatoes, as they will become starchy and affect the consistency of the sauce.
Step 2: Reserve ¼ cup of the boiling water. Drain the rest of the water.
Step 3: In a high-speed blender, combine the drained and cooked potatoes and carrots, ¼ cup of the reserved water, and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
Step 4: Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat stirring consistently until bubbly and heated through. The sauce will take on a creamy and stretchy consistency as it is heated.
Step 5: Drizzle on top of your tortilla chips for your vegan nachos, or use as a dip for steamed vegetables.
💭 Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. They will become starchy and create a thicker sauce.
- I find the carrots need a little more time than the potatoes to cook, so I’ll remove the potatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon a few minutes before draining the carrots.
- Don’t forget to reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water before draining the potatoes and carrots. If you forget to reserve the water, add an additional ¼ cup of dairy-free milk.
- Use a high-speed blender for best results. You can also use a food processor if you don’t have a blender.
- After blending, heat the sauce on medium until the sauce begins to bubble. It will become thicker and stretchier as it warms.
❓ Recipe FAQS
This vegan nacho cheese sauce is made with a base of vegetables, including potatoes and carrots. Other nacho cheese sauces are made with cashews. This vegan and nut-free version is perfect for those with a nut allergy. It still comes out creamy and delicious, thanks to the potatoes!
The regular nacho cheese sauce served at Taco Bell is not vegan as of 2021. However, there are vegan options that can be substituted at Taco Bell that are made from Daiya cheese, a vegan cheese substitute.
It has an umami flavor similar to cheese and the orange color associated with cheese sauce. While it has a “cheesy” flavor, it does not taste precisely like melted cheese sauce.
💪 Health Benefits of Vegan Nacho Cheese
Low in Calories and Fat-Made with vegetables, dairy-free milk, and no oil or nuts, this sauce is low in calories and fat.
Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients-Potatoes and carrots are full of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins C and B6, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, and pantothenic acid.
High in Fiber and Low in Cholesterol-Unlike dairy cheese, this vegan nacho cheese sauce is high in fiber and does not contain any cholesterol. It’s a heart-healthy option.
Whole Food Plant-Based Ingredients-This vegan cheese sauce uses all whole food natural ingredients. Unlike dairy-free cheese bought at the grocery store, there aren’t any preservatives or processed ingredients.
📖 Make it Spicy
If you like your nacho cheese spicy, no problem! Add 1 teaspoon of jalapeño peppers to your sauce for more heat. You can also increase the chili pepper or add some red pepper flakes or cayenne to kick it up a notch!
👩🏻🍳 How to Serve
- Serve with tortilla chips or make nachos.
- Pour over steamed veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower.
- Make a loaded baked potato with broccoli, cheese sauce, and salsa.
- Create a spicy jalapeño dip by stirring in your favorite chunky salsa and sliced jalapeño peppers.
- Make a Vegan Mac and Cheese with this sauce.
- Serve with tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.
❄️ How to Store and Keep
Keep the sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will keep for 2-3 days after preparation. You can also freeze this sauce. If you freeze, allow the sauce to thaw completely before reheating it on the stove.
You can make this vegan cheese sauce ahead of time. As it is refrigerated, it will become thicker and a little lumpy. To reheat, transfer to a small pot. Add a little bit of dairy-free milk to thin it out. Cook on low, stirring continuously. It will thin as it heats. If it’s not as thin as you like, add more dairy-free milk until it reaches the perfect consistency.
😋 More Vegan Cheese Recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and cubed
- ½ cup carrots diced
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or other unsweetened dairy free milk
- ¼ cup reserved water from boiling vegetables
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoon tapioca flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Boil peeled and cubed potatoes and diced carrots in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the vegetables. Do not over cook the potatoes as they will become starchy and effect the consistency of the sauce.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the boiling water. Drain the rest of the water.
- In a high speed blender combine drained and cooked potatoes and carrots, ¼ cup of reserved water, and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
- Nacho cheese sauce may be hot enough to eat immediately. If not, pour into pan and stir consistently until bubbly and heated through. The sauce will take on a creamy and stretchy consistency as it is heated.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. They will become starchy and create a thicker sauce.
- I find the carrots need a little more time than the potatoes to cook, so I’ll remove the potatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon a few minutes before draining the carrots.
- Don’t forget to reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water prior to draining the potatoes and carrots. If you do forget, you can add an additional ¼ cup of dairy-free milk.
- Use a high-speed blender for best results. If you don’t have a blender you can also use a food processor.
- After blending heat on medium until the sauce begins to bubble. It will become thicker and stretchier as it heats.
- To reheat transfer to a pan, add a little more dairy-free milk, and heat on low stirring continuously.
- Will keep refrigerated for 2-3 days.
Ursula Marion Pohlman
Thank you for sharing. One quick question if we may…can we omit the milk. Perhaps use more potato water instead.? What do you think? Thank you doo[ much.
Alison Corey
Hi! I would recommend using a dairy free milk if possible. It will result in a creamier texture. However, you could try subbing it for additional potato water. It will likely just have a slightly different consistency.
Genevieve
This vegan nacho sauce sounds amazing and super easy to make!
Andrea Metlika
I want to put this on everything! It sounds so good!
Jenn
I don’t need a chip, just give me a spoon to dip into this fabulous nacho cheese sauce! Yum!
Haley D. Williams
So easy to make in a blender! Delicious
Toni
My family loved it! Such a healthy comforting meal!
Randi Tisdall
This looks so delicious! I love it when you create a meal with things you have on hand already- those are happy days! Thanks for sharing:)