We’ll show you how easy it is to make a vegan cheesy gordita crunch! The Taco Bell copycat recipe veganized tastes even better than the original!
Taco Bell’s cheesy gordita crunch is the perfect mash-up of the taco world. Today, we’re showing you a vegan cheesy gordita crunch so you can make it in the the comfort of your own home.
A cheesy gordita crunch is a seasoned meat mixture layered inside a crunchy taco shell with lettuce, cheese and a spicy ranch, then place inside a soft flour tortilla or flatbread and then held together with cheese.
We are taking all that and making a completely vegan version for that we know you are going to love.
Taco Bell is surprisingly one of the best major fast food restaurant chains to hit up if you are vegan.
Many of their items can be made vegan and you aren’t going to be charged a ton extra just because you make some swaps.
Since Taco Bell doesn’t have vegan nacho cheese or sour cream options, then making this at home allows us to have the full experience!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vegan cheesy gordita crunch crunchwrap Top 8 Allergen Free?
Yes!
Use a gluten free tortilla shell to start. For the vegan meat – use something that is soy and gluten free like Lightlife vegan ground meat.
As far as the nacho cheese, you just need to use a soy free vegan butter.
Can I prep vegan gordita crunch ahead of time?
We actually don’t recommend putting them together and doing this.
Feel free to prep everything like the vegan meat mixture and making the vegan nacho cheese; however, we don’t advise actually putting them together because the tostada layer will get soggy.
Does it matter what type of taco seasoning that I use?
Honestly, no. We personally love either making a homemade taco seasoning blend or the one from Trader Joe’s if buying.
If you do want a more authentic Taco Bell taste, then you may want to use the Taco Bell taco seasoning packets that are sold in stores.
Can I sub out the processed vegan meat crumbles for something more plant based?
Absolutely! We know not everyone likes vegan processed meat substitutes. Feel free to sub this out with black beans, tofu, TVP, mushrooms, and more.
Our vegan walnut taco meat is a great option if you can have nuts. If you can’t, we recommend checking out our vegan tofu taco crumbles.
Great creatives and let us see what you create!
Can I add other toppings besides what you include?
Of course. A traditional cheesy gordita crunch at Taco Bell contains cheese, lettuce, and spicy ranch. But feel free to swap out and add or omit things as desired.
Tomatoes, black beans, avocado, jalapenos, salsa, etc are just a few other ideas that you could add in to make these even better or different to suite your needs!
WHAT OTHER VEGAN MEXICAN INSPIRED TYPE DISHES SHOULD I MAKE?
If you love this easy vegan dinner recipe, you may be wondering what other ideas we have. Here are some more ideas we think you’ll love:
- Vegan Mexican Pizza (Taco Bell copycat)
- Vegan Crunchwrap Surpreme
- Vegan Instant Pot Tex Mex Rice
- Vegan Taco Casserole
- Tex Mex Vegan Tater Tot Casserole
- Vegan Walnut Meat Cheese Fries
- Vegan Southwest Egg Rolls
- Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos
Pin this vegan cheesy gordita crunch for later!
Vegan Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Ingredients
For Vegan Nacho Cheese
- 1 15oz can Butter Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 4oz can diced mild jalapenos, (use less for less spicy or use hot jalapenos for spicier flavor)
- 1 cup unsweetened dairy free milk
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 2 tbsp oat flour
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
For the gordita crunch
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz frozen vegan meatless crumbles (see post for plant based sub ideas)
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning, divided
- 8 taco size flour tortilla shells (use our homemade tortilla recipe for more authentic version)
- 8 crunchy taco shells
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup vegan cheddar cheese shreads
- vegan ranch (add sriracha to taste to make spicy)
- other optional topping, see post for ideas
Instructions
- If making our homemade tortilla recipe, we recommend that you make that recipe first, then move to the next step.
For Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Pour all ingredients into a high powered blender. Blend for 5 minutes or until a thickened, creamy, well-combined sauce. Set aside. (Note: You will not need all this for this recipe.)
For the Gordita Crunches
- Chop onions and garlic.
- Add oil to a skillet over medium low heat. Saute onions for 2-3 minutes or until softened.
- Add garlic and half of the taco seasoning. Stir together and cook for 1 minute.
- Add meatless crumbles and sprinkle remaining taco seasoning over top and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes (or according to package instructions if longer than this). Remove from heat.
- Lay a flour tortilla down. Spread nacho cheese across the entire thing.
- Inside of a crunchy shell add 1/8th of the skillet meat mixture. Top with spicy ranch, lettuce and vegan cheese shreds and any optional toppings.
- Place the crunchy shell in the middle of the soft shell. Fold up and hold until it acts as a glue.
- Repeat with remaining shells and Enjoy
Notes
Let’s see your creations!
Share to Instagram and tag us @makeitdairyfree so we can see and share it!
Loved this. was delicious! Question – how long does the extra nacho cheese last in the fridge? can it be frozen?
Never tried freezing, but it has lasted 2 weeks in our fridge
I”m going to try. I’ll report back. there’s way too much and I had to throw most of it out last time. 🙁
You could halve the batch of sauce and use the remaining can of beans in another recipe