Vegan Nacho Cheese

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This is the BEST Vegan Nacho Cheese that you’ve ever tried.  Ready in just 10 minutes. Completely plant based, nut free and contains no carrots or potatoes.

Before going vegan, chips and salsa and chips and nacho cheese were my go-tos for parties, late night snacks, and more. Obviously chips and salsa is still a go, but man oh man I missed nacho cheese. Thus, vegan nacho cheese was a must make creation. 

However, I had tried making with potatoes and carrots.  I had tried making with raw cashews. And no matter what variations of those I tried, it was just meh. 

Someone recommended that I tried Wayfare’s nacho cheese and instantly I was taken back to that perfect nacho cheese and chips combo. It was absolutely delicious. 

I took a peek at the ingredients and the main ingredients were butter beans.  Intrigued, I had to try to recreate something amazing.

The result….the best vegan nacho cheese if I do say so myself. 

Now you can make it at home, easily, whenever you want and know exactly what the ingredients are that goes into the recipe.

This is so easy to make! Just 10 minutes total time.  And can be completely Top 8 Allergen Free. 

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What are the ingredients needed for dairy free nacho cheese?

This isn’t a small list of ingredients; however, most of them are spices, so don’t freak out!

• Butter beans
• Nutritional yeast
• Diced Jalapeños 
• Lemon juice
• Vegan butter
• Oat flour
• Dairy Free milk 
• Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Cumin
• Turmeric 

How to you make vegan nacho cheese?

We recommended making your vegan nacho cheese in a high powered blender.  You literally pour all the ingredients into your blender and then blend for 5 minutes.  The result is a creamy vegan nacho cheese that is already warmed. 

Can I use all-purpose flour for this vegan nacho cheese?

We have tested this recipe with oat flour and almond flour.  You could use other gluten free flours like chickpea also. 

However, if you use all-purpose flour, we recommend that you make in a skillet instead of in a blender or food processor so that the flour actually gets cooked and you eliminate the risk of salmonella.  

Do I have to use a blender?

While we think a blender is the easiest and fastest way to make this dairy free nacho cheese recipe, it isn’t the only way to make it. 

You could also use a food processor by adding all the ingredients together and blending until smooth and thickened. 

Another alternative would be to make on the stovetop using a skillet.  In order to do this, you would first need to melt the butter over medium heat and then add your flour.  If you are use all-purpose flour, this is the method you want to use. 

Whisk together the flour and butter. Then, pour in your milk and stir together.  Finally add the remaining ingredients and let cook over medium low until thickened and well combined. 

What type of beans are best?

We love butter beans for this vegan nacho cheese recipe. However, any type of white bean would work – such as Great Northern or cannellini beans.

Can I make this Top 8 Allergy Friendly Nacho Cheese?

Make sure that you are using a soy free dairy free butter like Earth Balance soy free in the red tub.  In addition, make sure that you are using a Top 8 Free milk like oat, flax, or hemp.  To be honest, we prefer using oat. 

Can I prep this ahead?

Yes!  You can prep this recipe ahead of time. It heats back up well in the microwave by warming at 30 second intervals. 

Alternative preparation method with Rotel – canned diced tomatoes and chilis:

One other note is that you could skip the diced jalapeños alone and do a can of drained Rotel or generic canned diced tomatoes and chilis instead. You are only swapping that so proceed with the rest of the ingredients.

What are ways that I can use dairy free nacho cheese?

Obviously you can just spoon it into your mouth, but you also could use tortilla chips.  Some other ideas for how to use this vegan nacho cheese are: 

• Instant Pot Vegan Tex Mex Rice
• On top of your Dairy Free Nachos
• Vegan Taco Casserole instead of the shredded cheese
• As a sauce on the best vegan black bean burger
• Vegan Chorizo Burrito Bowls
• Make tacos with our Walnut Taco Meat or Sweet Potato and Black Bean tacos
• Mix in or on top over our Jackfruit and Black Bean Enchiladas 
• Make Cheese Dogs with our Homemade Vegan Hot Dog Recipe
• Perfectly on top of our Mexican Stuffed Peppers

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