This Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe is going to be your favorite pairing for chips, veggies and more! This homemade nacho cheese sauce pairs with just about anything.
What I really love about this Vegan Nacho Cheese recipe is how creamy and smooth it is. This vegan dish really does have a cheese-like texture. And I can happily say this because I’ve spent years eating a lot of different types of cheeses!
As you can tell by reading that last sentence, I don’t follow a strict vegan diet, but I am trying to find new ways to eat healthier without giving up on flavor and taste.
I’m pleased to report this is the best nacho cheese sauce vegan recipe I’ve tried. It marks off so many items on my list. I’ve tried this vegan nacho sauce several times now and I’ve never felt as though I’m actually sacrificing cheese at all.
Dare I say that I even like this vegan nacho cheese sauce recipe more than regular nacho sauce? You’ll have to be the judge of what you think once you whip up this simple homemade nacho cheese sauce.
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
Raise your hand if you’re a fan of dipping. It’s basically my favorite way to eat. I could literally dip the day away.
And with my healthy eating habits needing to kick into high gear, this vegan nacho cheese recipe is just about perfect. Not only do I love the texture of it, but it really is such a perfect consistency as well. Oh, and I get to dip of course.
Here are just a few of the great features about this homemade nacho cheese sauce:
- Not runny
- Not clumpy
- Great for dipping
- Easy to spread
- Hard to stop eating
I bet if you serve this vegan nacho sauce to even those who aren’t vegan, they’re going to agree that this is down-right delicious. With tailgating and parties on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to test out that theory!
I shared this recipe with my nutrition coach, Jill as she had not had great experiences with vegan nacho cheese sauce in the past. I’ll pass this post along to her now for her insight into what makes this homemade nacho cheese sauce so delicious, as well as some nutrition info and tips.
Hello Kitchen Divas readers!
I’m so happy to be back again and testing out some more healthy recipes with Karin and Ken! I hope many of you had a chance to try the delicious Green Smoothie recipe we talked about last time!
I have to tell you how happy I was to try THIS particular recipe! Of course I love healthy food but can be a bit of a lazy cook and don’t like to get into anything too fancy or time consuming.
Knowing how eating too much cheese makes me feel (over-full, heavy and filled with regret! HaHa!), I usually try to avoid it. Instead, I’ve tried making a variety of vegan cheese sauce recipes but sadly, I have never really liked the consistency, taste, expense or the time commitment to make it.
Until I discovered this vegan nacho cheese sauce recipe, of course.
Up until Karen introduced me to this special vegan recipe, I had given up on vegan cheese sauces. I tried this homemade nacho cheese sauce recently and have found my new FAVORITE sauce!
Honest truth!
I was blown away by the list of healthy ingredients and the incredible taste. And I think you will be too.
What is vegan nacho cheese made of?
There can actually be quite a few varieties to the recipes.
This is a gluten free and nut free vegan nacho cheese recipe. You will find many other vegan nacho sauce recipes that are made using tofu or cashews. But not everyone likes tofu and cashews are not cheap.
In addition, cashew-based vegan sauces can be time consuming, you usually have to soak them for hours! And although nuts are generally healthy fats, they are high in fat. So if you are looking to decrease some calories, a nut-based sauce is not what you are after.
Many people are allergic to nuts as well, so there’s another reason to find a new awesome nacho cheese sauce that you can serve to everyone!
So are you ready for those healthy, secret ingredients?! You’ll be just like my family and not believe me.
How to make vegan cheese sauce
Carrots and potatoes.
Yup! You read that correctly!
Carrots and potatoes are the basis for this healthier version of vegan cheese sauce.
Actually, even I had a hard time believing that these healthy ingredients could make a yummy cheesy-tasting vegan nacho sauce! I was skeptical to say the least.
I feel very happy to report as a nutrition coach, that this vegan nacho cheese sauce is not only delicious but it is actually GOOD FOR YOU too! And we all know that that combo doesn’t happen often, right?!
Does vegan cheese taste like cheese?
Now this is usually the first question a non-vegan will ask when offered a vegan nacho cheese sauce. I’m sure you were thinking this too!
Well, the answer is it’s going to depend on you and your taste buds. While I don’t think it necessarily tastes like cheese, it does have a wonderful flavor and texture that you can’t deny.
My 16-year old son said it tasted pretty cheesy and looked and felt just like real nacho cheese sauce! He is definitely not a vegan and would have been brutally honest if he didn’t like it. He ate his whole bowl of vegan cheese sauce with nachos!
Depending on what type of ingredients you use in your homemade nacho cheese sauce, it’s going to have different flavors and tastes.
Some are sweet, some are spicy and if you’re using nuts then some have a nuttier flavoring too. It’s fun to try some different combinations to see what your favorite will be!
Is being vegan healthier?
If you’re going for a healthier diet, eating vegan recipes more often can be a great way to go. This is because you’re going to find yourself eating more plant-based recipes that include more vegetables, fruits and healthy legumes. These plant-based recipes are just genuinely lower in fat.
Animal products, including meat, cheese and butter, are the main dietary sources of saturated fats. Eating foods that contain these fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase your daily calories.
Vegan diets, on the other hand, tend to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds and tend to decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke. The more “bad” fats that you can cut out of your diet, the better.
Adding in a few more plant-based meals each week can help with potential heart issues, weight issues, decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes, and lower your risk for some cancers.
Many people who live a vegan lifestyle report that they have much better digestion and feel a lot better overall.
If you are like many of our readers and trying to jumpstart your healthy eating habits quickly and efficiently, adding in some vegan recipes like this delicious vegan nacho sauce can be a great start!
Ingredients Needed For Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Vegetable Oil
- Nutritional Yeast
- White Vinegar
- Salt
- Onion
- Jalapenos
- Garlic Clove
- Chipotle Chili in Adobo Sauce
- Ground Cumin
- Mustard powder
Optional Add-Ins or Substitutes
- White or yellow miso
- Dijon mustard powder
- Roasted red pepper
- Soaked, cashews (if you like and want to add some nuts)
- Garlic powder
- Lime or lemon juice (a little goes a long way!)
- Apple cider vinegar (swap for white vinegar)
- Black pepper
- You can substitute Yukon Gold potatoes as some people prefer their texture
- Smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric if you want to boost the color of your sauce
- Sriracha chili sauce (I used this to substitute for the jalapenos as I had none)
- Tapioca or arrowroot flour—about 1 1/2 tsp if you want a stretchy sauce. You could also use about 1 tsp cornstarch if you want it a little thicker. Cornstarch will not make it stretchy though.
- Chili powder—I used about 1/2 tsp to substitute for the chipotle chili in adobo sauce.
- Tomato paste—a little bit of this added to the sauce can add a hint of flavor
- Mild or medium salsa—add to the blender for a different flavor hit
- Soy sauce—just a splash for a slightly different flavor
Experiment and have fun with this nacho cheese sauce recipe! Everyone has slightly different taste preferences, so use this how to make nacho cheese sauce tutorial as your base and then individualize it to become your new family favorite too!
Vegan Nacho Sauce Tip
My family and I prefer smooth sauces, so I ended up tossing the sautéed, spiced onions and garlic into the blender with the already blended potato/carrot mixture and pulsed for a few seconds to blend out the lumps. Again, it’s all up to you and what you prefer!
How To Reheat Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
If you find that you have some vegan nacho sauce left over, lucky you! All you have to do to reheat vegan nacho cheese sauce is to pop it in the microwave and reheat in 30-second bursts.
Just be certain that you’re stirring your nacho cheese sauce between each microwave burst so you’re getting rid of the lumps or cold spots in the sauce.
You can also reheat in a saucepan on the stove by using low heat and whisking as well.
Fun Ways To Eat This Nut-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce
You can literally use this cheese sauce with anything! Here are some simple ideas for homemade nacho cheese sauce pairings.
- Add to nachos
- Put on top of a baked potato or baked sweet potato (SOOO yummy!)
- Delicious on cooked broccoli or cauliflower (or any veggie! Such a great way to get your family to eat more veggies!)
- Use it as a dip for fresh veggies (so good!!!)
- Add to veggie burgers to add a cheesy flavor
- Drizzle over home-made soup
- Add to an omelette or scrambled eggs (one of my favorite ways to use leftover vegan cheese sauce!)
- Delicious on rice or even quinoa
- Spread some on garlic toast or just regular toast
- Add to Layered Dips
- Spread on homemade biscuits
- Add to macaroni and cheese
- Add to any pasta dish to make it amazing! Great way to cheer up leftovers!
- Use as a dip for pretzels or crackers
- Add to fish tacos (yes, I said fish tacos! Try it, you might just love it!)
- Use in place of shredded cheese for quesadillas
- You could even use this as a kind of vegan cheese fondue for dipping Granny Smith apple slices, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, carrot sticks or bread cubes (try sourdough or French bread)
- Layer over sweet potato fries for a vegan version of poutine
And the list could easily go and on. Whatever you want to eat with this cheese sauce, you can! I dare you to not eat the leftovers with a spoon!! Not that I’ve ever done that 😉 I may have had several spoonfuls when taste testing…
Storage Tips For Leftover Nacho Cheese Sauce
The main thing to keep in mind with leftovers is that you need to put this in an airtight container and keep it stored in the fridge for later. If you’re curious about whether or not you can freeze this cheese sauce, you can but just know that after you thaw it, it might have a different texture. The taste will still be the same but the texture might be a tad bit different.
Since this simple vegan cheese recipe is certain to have a bit of spice, you can alter the recipe a bit to leave out some of the heat if you want. That’s just another perk of making this tasty cheese sauce, you can make it as spicy or mild as you want.
And once you learn how to make nacho cheese sauce and feel confident to start testing variations, you can start adding in more chopped jalapenos for a bit of a kick.
The other option is to let your guests add in their own chilis to make it as spicy as they want. That way so that it doesn’t make the entire bowl too hot for others to enjoy!
Have fun making and eating this delicious Vegan Cheese Sauce. It’s certain to become your new favorite dip!
I hope you are enjoying these Kick Your Health Habits into High Gear yummy recipes and health tips from me, Jill Moreash, your healthy nutrition coach from ActionsSpeakLouder.ca.
If you are looking for some more help with your NUTRITION and healthy lifestyle habits, please check out my nutrition website HERE. If you are looking for some help with your FITNESS, either getting started or getting back into shape, check out my website ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER Fitness and Nutrition. We are currently offering a free trial of our ONLINE, twice a week, All Abilities ChairFit / Low Impact Fitness Class on Zoom. Click HERE to contact me to register for a link. I’d love to help you get stronger, healthier and find your best YOU!
Here’s to a happy, healthier, safe new year!!
More Easy Recipes
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/3 cup carrot, peeled, cut up into 1/2 inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- ⅓ cup minced jalapenos
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon powdered mustard
Instructions
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
- Bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add potatoes and carrot and cook until tender, about 12 minutes; drain in colander.
- Combine cooked vegetables, ⅓ cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and salt in blender.
- Pulse until chopped and combined, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. (You will need to stop processing to scrape down sides of blender jar several times for mixture to come together.) Process mixture on high speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and poblano and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotle, cumin, and mustard and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; remove from heat.
- Stir processed potato mixture into onion-poblano mixture in saucepan and bring to brief simmer over medium heat to heat through.
- Transfer to bowl and serve immediately.
- Enjoy every bite!
- To rewarm cooled nacho dip, microwave, covered, in 30-second bursts, whisking at each interval and thinning with water as needed, or rewarm on the stovetop, whisking occasionally, and thinning with water as needed. Serve with corn chips or crudités.
Notes
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