Creamy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
A creamy, plant-based nacho cheese sauce made from cashews and vegetables, naturally smooth, flavorful, and vegan—perfect for dipping, drizzling over nachos, or adding to your favorite snack recipes.
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot (or small saucepan)
- 1 high-speed blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked potato
- ¼ cup cooked white or yellow onion
- ¼ cup cooked carrots
- 3 tablespoons cooked red pepper
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- ¾ cup cashews
- ¼ –½ cup liquid reserved from cooking the vegetables or vegetable broth
- ½ –¾ cup unsweetened plain cashew or almond milk
- ½ –¾ cup nacho jalapeño slices
- ¼ cup juice from nacho jalapeño slices
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Optional: ¼–½ teaspoon chili powder chipotle powder, or cayenne pepper for extra heat
- Optional garnish: extra nacho jalapeño slices
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Begin by gathering all vegetables—potato, onion, carrots, red pepper—and cashews. Peel, chop, and precook them as needed. Cooking the vegetables until soft ensures a creamy, smooth final sauce, while cashews provide a rich, velvety texture.
- Cook Vegetables: Using an Instant Pot, combine raw potato, onion, carrots, red pepper, garlic, and cashews with 2 cups of water. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes, then carefully allow the steam to release. Alternatively, place everything in a covered pot on the stovetop and simmer for 20–25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Reserve Cooking Liquid: Once the vegetables are cooked, measure and set aside about ½ cup of the cooking liquid. This liquid adds flavor and helps achieve the perfect consistency when blending the sauce. Adjust the amount depending on whether you prefer a thicker or thinner sauce.
- Combine Ingredients in Blender: Transfer the cooked garlic and cashews into a high-speed blender. Add the measured vegetables along with the reserved cooking liquid, unsweetened cashew or almond milk, jalapeño slices, jalapeño juice, and sea salt. Include optional chili powder or cayenne for additional heat.
- Blend Until Smooth: Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, with no visible chunks. Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed to ensure all ingredients are incorporated evenly, creating a luscious, cheese-like texture.
- Adjust Consistency: If the sauce is too thick, add small amounts of reserved liquid or plant milk gradually. Blend again until the desired creaminess is achieved. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or jalapeño for flavor balance.
- Serve and Store: Serve immediately as a dip or over nachos. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so if storing, keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, to restore its creamy texture. Garnish with extra jalapeño slices if desired.
Notes
- Cook vegetables until very soft to ensure a creamy, smooth texture. Cover the pot while simmering to steam them faster.
- Reserve some of the cooking liquid to adjust consistency and add extra flavor. Add gradually until desired thickness is reached.
- Adjust jalapeño slices according to spice preference, adding more for heat or fewer for mild flavor.
- Use a high-speed blender for best results; if unavailable, blend longer to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Sauce thickens as it cools; warm gently on the stovetop if it becomes too firm.
- Makes about 3 cups of sauce, with a serving size of ¼ cup.