Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan queso made of? ›

This queso is comprised of raw cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, spices, water, and a little hot sauce or harissa paste blended to creamy perfection. That's it! You can make it spicier, cheesier, or more garlicky to taste — the options are endless. This would make the perfect dip for Mexican night and beyond.

For dips, you'll want to use a tablespoon of cornstarch per pound of cheese, then add at least five ounces of evaporated milk. After that, you can use more evaporated milk to thin out your dip as much as you need.

If you're going thick and cheesy, use about 2 cups of cheese with ¼ cup milk alternative or water. For a thinner creamy sauce, use the same amount of cheese but add an extra ¼ cup of liquid (½ cup total).

But, regardless of cheese choice, adding a brick of cream cheese will help stabilize your cheesy mix, binding ingredients and preventing them from separating. Most importantly, cream cheese will also keep your queso smooth.

A: Velveeta is a processed cheese which is not vegan. It's made with milk and whey, both come from cows. A great alternative is this vegan nacho cheese.

As vegan blog Wag Free Food notes, coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut cream are popular ingredients to make vegan cheese. The high-fat content of coconut makes it easier to create a creamy, decadent, cheese-like product.

Evaporated milk works best in queso because it doesn't have that excess of water and it can help your dip reach a delicate balance between super thick and too thin. (As in you're not constantly having to alternate between adding more milk and then more cheese.)

If you just melt cheese it begins to harden as soon as it starts to cool. If you want it to stay liquid you need to emulsify it with something. How do you get cheese to melt so it's soft and creamy? Sodium citrate (not citric acid), aka “sour salt” is the secret.

Cornstarch – This acts as a thickener, binding the ingredients and creating a creamy consistency. Gluten-free all-purpose flour also works. Just note that it makes the sauce a bit thicker!

Queso fresco is available at some supermarkets and at Mexican grocers. Feta cheese makes a good substitute. Opt for a mild one if you can, or soak a block of feta in fresh water to tone down its tanginess. A young ricotta salata (firm Italian cheese sold at most supermarkets) will also work.

What can you substitute for queso? ›

Monterey Jack cheese: Monterey Jack is a mild, semi-soft cheese that is similar in texture to queso blanco. It has a subtle flavor and melts well, making it a good substitute for queso blanco in recipes. Feta cheese: Feta is a tangy and crumbly cheese that is commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine.

To make a thinner cheese dip, you can add more milk a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. This is great scooped up with some tortilla chips, but it is also great for making nachos or burritos!

If you add the milk too quickly, use cold milk or simply don't whisk fast enough, you could get lumps in your sauce as bits of roux will cook and turn into small balls before they've had a chance to be smoothly blended into the milk.

Cornstarch: Helps to thicken the queso sauce mixture to a perfectly dippable consistency. If you prefer a thinner consistency, skip the cornstarch at the start–but keep it on hand in case you need to thicken it later.

Why won't my cheese melt? There are many reasons, but the biggest is the moisture content. The moisture content of the cheese has a great effect on the melting process. Cheese that contains higher amounts of fat will melt better than one that doesn't.

Like regular cheese, vegan cheese can be part of a healthy diet when used in moderation — but it's best to avoid highly processed options. However, not all vegan cheeses are created equally. Some versions are highly processed and have less nutritional value than others.

Absolutely most flavorful Vegan Queso

Can't live without it following a vegan lifestyle! Thank you! Hi there, thank you so much for your review. We are so glad you enjoy our Plant Based Queso Dip!

Classic Queso Dip: This is the basic and most common type of queso dip, made from melted cheese (such as cheddar or Monterey Jack) mixed with milk, cream, or other dairy ingredients. It's often seasoned with spices and sometimes diced tomatoes or green chilies for added flavor.

Flavour packed with onion, garlic, jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro and spices. Normally made with Velveeta, our recipe is made with real cheese...there's nothing like a good Queso dip to dunk your fried tortillas or corn chips!