Vegan White Bean Queso

Ingredient notes

My vegan queso without cashews comes together with a handful of simple ingredients. Here's what you'll need, plus my suggested substitutions. 

• Cannellini beans: These white kidney beans have a mild, nutty flavor and a creamy, tender texture. If you can't find cannellini beans, substitute with great northern beans, navy beans, butter beans, or garbanzo beans aka chickpeas.
• Nutritional yeast: Nooch, the vegan nickname for nutritional yeast, adds a cheesy nutty taste. I add it in most of my savory vegan dishes. It's totally different than active dry yeast and cannot be used as a replacement.
• Vegetable broth: Broth gives this vegan queso extra flavor but feel free to use your favorite dairy-free milk instead.
• Chipotle peppers: The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are what give this queso its signature smoky heat. I prefer using two but for a less spicy queso, only use one or leave them out completely. Alternatively, for a small kick of heat, just add a couple dashes of hot sauce.
• Lemon juice: Fresh is best! Lemon juice adds acidity and brightness, which helps balance the savory broth and smoky peppers. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be used as an alternative.
• Seasonings: Instead of using store-bought taco seasoning make your own with spices in your cabinet. Use my measurements as a guide, then season to your heart's desire. I use salt, pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.

How to make spicy vegan cheese sauce

Add white beans, nooch, veggie broth, peppers, lemon juice, and seasoning to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. It should be thick enough to coat a chip without dripping, but smooth and pourable. Once smooth and creamy, taste and adjust seasoning before serving warm or at room temp.

Variations

• Extra cheesy: Add an extra ¼ cup nutritional yeast.
• Smokier flavor: Add ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke or smoked paprika.
• Thinner sauce: Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons broth or vegan milk.
• Restaurant-style stretch: Add 1 tablespoon tapioca starch.

Make it for a crowd

This vegan white bean queso comes together in just 5 minutes in a blender. Make a double batch for parties and keep it warm in a slow cooker on low. Stir occasionally and add a splash of broth if it thickens.

Related recipes

In case you're new around here, we love queso, dips, tacos, and everything in between! My tofu queso is great as a high protein dip or sauce. This vegan skillet queso uses cashews for a velvety texture, and my dairy-free chile con queso uses potatoes and carrots as the base for an ultra-thick dip.

Drizzle your cannellini bean queso over mini sweet pepper nachos, mushroom tacos, or shredded tofu tacos. Don't forget to wash it down with a limeade margarita!

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! It's perfect for taco night, game days, or an afternoon snack. Plus, it's dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free, and nut-free. If you try it, let me know how you serve it.