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 blend or mash the beans in some way to make as smooth as possible. Then, 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
Pin this vegan nacho cheese for later:
Vegan Nacho Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 15oz can Butter Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 4oz can diced jalapenos (see notes for spice level)
- 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
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a high powered blender. *See notes if you do not have a blender.
- Blend for 5 minutes or until a thickened, creamy, well-combined sauce.
- Serve warm.
- Top with diced tomatoes and/or jalapenos to serve
- Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 7 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Your version of Vegan Nacho Cheese looks divine! I so look forward to trying this recipe. I really appreciate the fact that it is not made with cashews, or carrots and potatoes!!! I’m allergic to nuts, and I did not like any of the many carrot and potato recipes at all…so thank you for this recipe!! Also, thank you for including other beans that can be used. Lastly, I LOVE your YT channel and I’m a subscriber. One thing I know for sure is that I will always get great quality videos, and fabulous recipes from Make It Dairy Free, so thank you in advance!
OMG You’re too kind! I’m glad you are loving our channel and I hope you love this recipe!
This was so good! It’ll definitely be my go to everytime I get a craving for nacho cheese in the future. It took 5 minutes to make at the most and was inexpensive. I’m a huge fan of this recipe and recommend anyone who is pondering trying it just go for it. My non-vegan family liked it as much as I did, my mom even commented she liked it better than traditional dairy nacho cheese.
Wow that’s fantastic, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate you so much
This is THE best nacho cheese recipe!!! I have tried several that were just not very good. I love how simple it is. My son is dairy free and I am constantly looking for recipes with replacement ingredients and/or variations of his favorites that he used to have. I also love that it does NOT contain nuts as he also has a nut allergy.
Thank you so much for your sweet words and we are so happy you found something that worked for your kiddo! Have a great week!
We made this and though my two teens were wary , they loved it! They loved it so much we had it again along side jackfruit burritos tonight. The ingredients are easy to find and yes, most of the time they are in pantry. We have enough for leftovers which heat up easily and taste just as great the next day. Just awesome. Thank you!
I’m so excited to hear they loved it and that you had it again! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review! Have a great day!
delicious and SO easy!! i might’ve added a little too much nooch as it was a tad overpowering, but hey i love me some b12. i added some mustard & a splash of olive brine for a little more bite- amazing! looking forward to seeing how well it freezes. id imagine itll be great. thanks for a great pantry recipe
Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Do you have a vegan butter recipe pls?
we don’t at this time.
This is absolutely incredible!!!! My boyfriend who is new to being vegan really missed nachos and this totally hits the spot for him. I’ve made it 5 times now and everyone I give it to enjoys it so much. So much easier than soaking cashews. I don’t ever have oat flour so I use all purpose and it still turns out fabulous. Thanks for the awesome recipe, it is now a staple in my home 🙂
We’re so excited to hear that! And congrats to him on his new vegan journey! Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating, we appreciate that so much.
Flavor profile amazing
Min didn’t thicken
Thoughts
I used almond milk – maybe that’s it??
Thanks for inspiration
Transitioning and loving how i feel!
We’ve never heard of it not thickening. Any type of plant based milk works, we’ve made it with a few. You added the oat flour? What type of blender?
Mine also didn’t thicken but still tasty nonetheless. I personally used a Hamilton Beach blender.
Did you let it go for 5 mins?
Yep, set a timer and everything.
Does it work without the vegan butter? Or can something healthy be subbed in? I’m oil free. Thank you.
We haven’t tried but someone commented somewhere else and said they ddi and still loved it
Do I need to blend the beans first if I’m following stovetop directions? Or do I just add it into the pot?
Hi! Sorry for any confusion. Yes, they would be blended first
So quick to make! I like that I didn’t have to boil any cashews – everything just went straight into the blender. So easy. BIG PLUS, It tastes just like the nacho cheese (if not better) from my favorite vegan restaurant in town.
So happy to hear you liked it, we appreciate you taking time out of your day to leave a review!
Would cassava flour work as a substitute?
Yes, just may need a tad more liquid
I’m going to make this today
We hope you love it
Amazing! Both kid friendly and carnivore approved, as everyone in my household is not vegan. This recipe will now be my go to cheese sauce.Thank you so much for sharing!
We appreciate you so much for taking the time to leave a review and so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipe.
This is the first and most like the LADT recipe I will try! My family and I recently transitioned to a vegan lifestyle. My almost (wanna be picky) almost 4 year old and husband are OBSESSED with this sauce! The smell, consistency (I’m big on texture, lol),and taste are ON POINT!!! So good Bernard Family 😋😋😋
We appreciate you so much for taking the time to leave a review and so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipe.
I just finished eating this and omg this is so so so good!!!! Would highly recommend to make this (:
We appreciate you so much for taking time to leave a review, glad it was a hit!
Hello! I just made this recipe a few days ago and it was amazing! So far I’ve been eating it with rye style pretzels and it makes for a very satisfying snack. I was wondering how long it would stay good in the fridge, and even frozen- as well as the preferred method of thawing (if any)
Hi! We haven’t tried freezing, but it’s lasted 2 weeks in the fridge for us.
Absolutely incredible! Perfect consistency, great flavor. So easy to reheat and the texture remains the same even after refrigerating!
We’re thrilled you enjoyed it! We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
We love your recipes, especially this nacho cheese recipe. I have been trying to use less nuts and this version using beans was a hit even with my cheese-loving husband. Many thanks for the work that went into this recipe and sharing it with us.
We’re so happy to hear that it was a hit! We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. Have a great week.
Can it be used to make Mac and cheese?
If you like it spicy yes, or you can follow our mac and cheese recipe: https://makeitdairyfree.com/the-best-vegan-mac-and-cheese/
easy, quick to follow and delicious! my store didn’t have the jalapeños so I used green chiles canned and chiles in adobo in it’s place. mine came out a little too thick but I didn’t care, it was delicious (I probably just needed to add a bit more almond milk). I did the stove top version, I recommend blending the beans with some milk and then add them to the melted butter/flour mixture on the stove followed by all the spices/whatever’s left to add. so glad I found this recipe.
We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking time to leave a review, we appreciate it!
Absolutely the best nacho recipe, and 10 times better than traditional nacho cheese gloop! It is so smooth and creamy you almost don’t believe there’s no dairy in it. I made it exactly the way the recipe called for with the exception of green chilies instead of jalapeños because that’s what I had on hand, and it was amazing. I will make it again with jalapeños because I like a little more heat. But this is going to be perfect for broccoli and cheese and so many other dishes. Thank you for creating a nut-free vegan cheese dish! I’m highly allergic to cashews and I get so disappointed that most recipes use them.
We’re so excited to hear that you love it Bethany. We really appreciate you leaving a review and the tip about the green chilis working
Officially my favorite nacho cheese sauce, thank you!
Thanks so much for giving it a try, happy to hear it was a success!
I first saw you guys on youtube and then I went to your website. Yall are so adorable!! I was looking for a good nacho cheese for a long time. Most of the ones that I have tried call for strange ingredients such as cashews. I was wondering if navy beans or chickpeas would work in place of the butterbeans? Thank you for posting such a great recipe!!
We’re so happy you found us! Butterbeans tend to be creamier which is why we recommend but navy beans, cannellini beans or great northern would be a good replacement. Don’t recommend chickpeas.
This was absolutely delicious! I omitted the jalapenos just because I’m not a big fan of them, otherwise this was a great recipe!!!
We understand. So happy you enjoyed it still. Thanks for taking time out to leave a review, we appreciate it. Have a great day!
Came across this recipe in a Facebook post. I like that it is simple and flavorful without nuts. It is so good, I’m deleting my other “cheese” sauce recipes! I subbed green chilis for the jalapeño because that was in the pantry. The seasoning was perfect for us. Currently eating it right out the blender! Definitely going to check out your other recipes.
We’re so happy to hear it’s a hit! And glad to know we aren’t the only ones to eat it out of the blender. Thanks for taking time out of your day to leave a review, we appreciate that so much. Have a great weekend.
I put this on bread and grilled it. It was amazing!!!!!!!
We’re so excited that you loved the recipe! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment, we appreciate that so much!
Thank you! Thank you for including the measurements. There r so many u tube videos with ingredients but they don’t include measurements. Crazy! What’s the point? Do u have a good Mac n cheese recipe? I’m going to try this one tomorrow.
You’re so welcome. We do have a mac and cheese too! Here you go: https://makeitdairyfree.com/the-best-vegan-mac-and-cheese/
This was fantastic and really satisfied that craving more than the nut based sauces. I did add more nutritional yeast but it’s very tasty! Thanks for sharing!
We’re so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for leaving a review! We really appreciate it. Have a great rest of your week.
One of the best dips I have ever made!!!! Simply yumazing and so addictive!!! Better make a big batch or you won`t get any if you dont hide it in your fridge lol….I made it off the video without the exact recipe, I had to use kidney beans so my color was off and I omitted the oatmeal because I`ve becomeintolerant to oats, I even used a bit of cocnut milk because I am also intolerant to soy and the result was magic and mindblowing. I have been mostly pnatbased for a while (cant go full because of my intolerances unfortunately) and my kids are suspicious of everything I make these days but even the youngest went back for a round. After Corona is over, this dip will be the ligth of every party 😉 Thank you for this amazing recipe, it went down in my all time favorites handwritten recipe book. And as someone said, you guys are so adorable! Cute family! Much love from Germany.
We’re so happy to hear you are liking the recipe. Thanks for taking time to leave a review. Have a great week.
Amazing vegan option. Tried store bought cheese sauce substitutes and they were awful. This one tastes so good I’m certain I could ‘fool’ my non vegan family/friends. So easy too. Thanks a million for this one! You guys do great work, new follower!
We’re so happy to hear you are liking the recipe. Thanks for taking time to leave a review. Have a great week.
Hi, I never comment on recipes, but I made this today and it is FANTASTIC!!!! I only had pinto beans on hand and it was delicious! Perfect flavor complement. This will be a new staple for me 🙂 Thanks for posting this recipe!
We’re so happy to hear! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate it so much
This is the BEST queso I have ever made. I followed this recipe to a T and it turned out so freaking delicious! Easy and quick to make too which is a plus. 10/10
We’re so happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for taking time out of your day to leave a review. We really appreciate it.
Made this tonight for my partner, who can’t have dairy, and we love it!! We did the stovetop method and added some red pepper flakes since we ran out of jalapenos, and it turned out fantastic. Thank you for this godsend of a recipe!!
We’re so happy to hear it was enjoyable! Thanks for taking time out of your day to write a review, it’s much appreciated!
This is SO SO SO good…poured it over some baked potatoes and sat to myself humming (in that way when you have something yummy and you’re not gonna share, and don’t care if you seem mean…). Enjoyed every bite! Thank you…sooooo, is there a cookbook? Hugs and high fives. You’re a beautiful couple.
So happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for leaving a review! We do not currently have a cookbook
This looks really good!! Could i use tapioca starch in place of the oat flour? I have never seen oat flour at my local stores. Or could i just turn some oatmeal into oat flour? I want to make this soon! Im craving nachos! Lol!
You can totally grind up rolled (old fashioned) oats to make oat flour, in fact that’s what we do. But you could sub with any other non-gluten flour since this isn’t baked – so almond flour too. Tapioca starch may make it too “gluey” we haven’t tried yet.
Thank you for responding so quickly!!! I just found your website when i was looking for a vegan nacho cheese recipe. Im going to look at your other recipes now
awesome!
I’ve been mostly plant based, vegan for over 2 years. I’ve made a lot of cheese sauces and this one so far is my favorite for a nacho sauce. Only thing I did differently is I added a 7 oz can of drained jalapenos with carrots. My kitchen aid blender did just fine with it.
So happy that you like it! Thanks for taking time to leave a review, we really appreciate it!
I only have vanilla flavored milk. Can I use water instead of the plant milk?
I mean it would work but it would def dilute it
This turned out so good I had to come back and leave a 5 star review! Thank you for taking the time to figure this recipe out! Everyone in my house thanks you as well! The flavor is on point.This is the best cheese substitute I’ve made yet. Next time I may try to add some agar powder to make it stretchy, I’ve used it in other recipes and really like the texture of it. Thanks again!
So happy to hear that it’s a hit! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! Let us know if you try the agar!
Hi,
We can’t get nutritional yeast where we live is these a way to sub it? Or leave it out? I can’t wait to try it though!
Thanks so much!
hmm, we haven’t tried. It gives it that cheesy flavor so if you can get vegan cheese, I’d probably add more of that in there
thank you for making a nut-free cheese! we have a son with allergies, so I’m always trying to adapt things so he can enjoy our food, too!
So happy to hear it was helpful for your family!
Idk if I’ve commented on this before but it’s my favorite & go-to cheese sauce! Amazing!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review! Have a great day!
Amazon I’ve already made it a couple times. Had to tone down the heat because I’m a wimp but delicious nonetheless!
Amazing*****
So happy to hear you enjoyed it (even without the heat 😉 ). We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review! Have a great day!
Such a great recipe! Even approved by non-vegans. It looks like a lot of ingredients but it’s almost all stuff we already have around, so fast and easy. I’ve made it a handful of times already. Yum! Thank you!!
So glad to hear you are enjoying the recipe. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review! Have a great day!
This is delicious and flexible. I can’t take so much heat so i substitute salsa for the jalapenos. Very delicious! I may try to reduce the butter. But I am definitely adding this to my recipe book.
So glad to hear you are enjoying the recipe. Great idea with the salsa! We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review! Have a great day!
I couldn’t stop licking the cheese sauce off of the blender. This recipe was amazing. Thank you so much for sharing! Personally, I put a little more salt, seasoning and lemon juice since I love big flavors. I couldn’t find jalapeños at my store so I added some more cayenne. Y’all this is super easy and I made sure to have my tortilla chips ready. This maybe won’t taste exactly like Nacho Cheese by itself, but with the chips, it is banging. This is the only recipe I’m using from now on. Try it everyone!
We’re so happy to hear that! thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We really appreciate it.
The BEST nacho cheese sauce I ever had! So easy to make and to me it tastes even better than than the dairy nacho cheese sauces.
We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!
This is the second recipe that I made from you all and it was soo good as promised. It’s great actually. The flavor is incredible and just like the nacho cheese I’m used to. Mine also didn’t thicken but it’s because I didn’t drain the beans so that’s my own fault. I had to tweak it to thicken it. I ended up using probably a full cup of oat flour and about a 1/4 cup of corn starch then let is simmer on the stove after blending it all. I plan to make this again and follow the exact recipe. I even got a little cast iron serving dish to pour it in. 🙂 Thanks y’all!
Love it! Glad you got it to work out and know where you changed. Thanks for leaving a review
so delicious
Thrilled to hear that! Thanks for taking time to leave a review, we appreciate it so much
This recipe was amazing, kept us filled last night! Don’t be afraid to try this recipe, you won’t regret it!
We’re so happy to hear that! Thank you for leaving a review!
Absolutely delicious !! I have been telling everyone about this recipe! Thanks!
Sweet! Thanks for sharing the love and leaving a review
THE.BEST.CHEESE.DIP.EVER! Let me restate that: It makes manna from the gods look under rated. Not only does it mimic that creamy texture but also that “cheesy” taste. I’ve been dairy free (not voluntarily) for almost 8 years and this was the recipe I’ve been searching for everywhere. Sweet Jesus, I almost cried tasting this, plus it’s only 44 calories a serving so I can pound down all twelve and not feel guilty that was “dinner.” Thanks for the tit rockin recipe,
We are so so happy to hear it was such a success! Thank you for taking time to leave a review and enjoy all the nacho cheese !
This recipe is great! My husband declared it was his favorite cheese sauce that we have made so far! He can’t have cashews so we have been searching. Super easy to make and does not require any uncommon ingredients . You guys did it again! Thanks for all your hard work creating new goodies for us!