You only need two ingredients to make this creamy, nut-free vegan queso recipe. No blender, no cashews, and it's ready in six minutes!
Table of Contents
Y'all, before we get to the 6-minute vegan queso recipe, I do what to throw one caveat out there: this recipe uses the microwave. (Please, don't yell at me!)
But good news!
If you don't like to use the microwave, you can make this cashew-free vegan queso on the stovetop in a small saucepan. Just heat over low heat, stirring constantly.
Either way, this dip is quick, easy, creamy, dreamy queso perfection.
If you love cheesy snacks, also check out my recipe for vegan Cheez-Its!
Recipe notes
You truly only need two ingredients to make this queso:
- a package of vegan cheese slices or shreds (Choose a brand that melts well!)
- half a can of tomatoes with green chiles
That's it!
If you're using slices, you're going to treat the stack of cheese slices like a single block of cheese here. Grab a knife, and slice the "block" into on-inch cubes.
Place the vegan cheese cubes or shreds into a microwave-safe glass dish.
Then, add the tomatoes and green chiles from the can. No need to stir. Just dump them right on there, then stick the bowl in the microwave.
Cubes melt more slowly than shreds. For cubes, microwave your queso on high for three minutes, and give it a good stir. If you're using shreds, start with one minute.
Depending on the power of your microwave and the type of cheese you used, your vegan queso may be done now.
It's finished cooking when you have a smooth, creamy mix after stirring. There may be some lumps in your finished queso before you stir. They will melt down after a few seconds of stirring.
If your queso needs more time, just stick the bowl back into the microwave for an additional minute, and stir again. Repeat the one-minute-then-stir situation until the queso turns smooth with stirring.
What vegan cheese to use?
It's crucial that you choose a vegan cheese that melts, whether you go with a block or with shreds.
I've made this queso many times with different vegan cheeses, and it works well with:
- Chao slices - the photos here are of Chao Creamy Original, though the tomato variety also works well.
- Daiya shreds - cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or their Mexican-style shreds all work
- Violife cheddar shreds
- So Delicious mozzarella shreds
How to serve it
Serve your vegan queso anywhere you'd use dairy queso! Here are some ideas:
- with chips for dipping
- poured over a plate of vegan nachos
- on top of vegan taquitos
- poured over stacked enchiladas
- as a topping for tacos
- as a baked potato topping
Anywhere you can use some melty, cheesy goodness, this queso is here for you!
How to store, and reheat it
Leftover queso will keep in an airtight container in your refrigerator for three to five days. To reheat, just pop it into the microwave, one minute at a time and stirring in between, until it's nice and creamy again.
I do not recommend freezing this queso. Every vegan cheese is different, and I just can't vouch for how they'll behave after freezing.
📖 Recipe
Nut-Free Vegan Queso Recipe
Equipment
- microwave
Ingredients
- 1 7-ounce package meltable vegan cheese see note
- 1 cup diced tomatoes and green chiles undrained (about half of a 15 ounce can)
Instructions
- Put cheese and tomatoes into a small microwave-safe bowl.
- If you're using a cut up block of vegan cheese, Microwave on high for 3 minutes, and stir. Keep microwaving in 1-minute increments, stirring well each time. Your cheese will be fully melted before it looks fully melted. Before deciding to pop the dip back in, try breaking up the chunks of cheese with your spoon. They might just need a little bit of help to combine into the queso.
- If you're using shreds, microwave on high for 1 minute, and stir. Keep microwaving in 30-second increments, stirring well each time. Your cheese will be fully melted before it looks fully melted. Before deciding to pop the dip back in, try breaking up the chunks of cheese with your spoon. They might just need a little bit of help to combine into the queso.
📝 Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
As long as the vegan cheese block/shreds you chooses is nut-free, so is this recipe! No cashews, almonds, or other nuts of any kind.
Make sure that the vegan cheese you are using is gluten-free, and you're good to go.
Yeah, we can! As long as the queso is made with non-dairy cheese, vegans can eat creamy, delicious cheese dip.
It isn't. Velveeta contains milk ingredients, so it's not vegan. Luckily, there are plenty of non-dairy cheeses out there that work in this recipe!
Nope! You can either make this in the microwave or in a small pan on the stovetop.
Renee
I was a little nervous about how this would taste and it was surprisingly delicious and so easy!
Becky Striepe
I'm so glad you gave it a try! Thank you for coming back to leave a review, Renee!
Jill Anderson
OMG BECKY! LOOK AT HER QUESO! ITS LIKE SO GOOD! ?????
Just whipped this up in the microwave. I am loving it! I also added a ts of garlic powder, onion powder and cumin. Thank you for posting this bomb recipe!
Becky Striepe
Jill, I laughed so hard at this comment! I'm so glad to hear you loved the queso, too!
Penny
Made this recently and it reminds me of the easy queso I used to make with Velveeta before going vegan, in the best way! So easy & delicious, thanks!
Becky Striepe
I'm delighted to hear it, Penny! Thank you for taking the time to come back and rate and comment!
Jami
Amazing!
Becky Striepe
Love to hear it! :D
Lykia
I know that this is an older post, but I tried this last night and it was amazing! Recently I realized that dairy is no good for me and have been looking for a dairy free cheese that doesn't taste like wood chips or Elmer's Glue. This cheese was recommended to me be a friend, who is vegan, and then I lucked out to find this awesome recipe. It was perfect! As someone who has recently had dairy based queso and cheese, I can honestly say that this does taste like cheese and further more it tasted like real queso. I wasn't missing anything by using this substitution. Thanks for this post!!!
Becky Striepe
I am so glad to hear that!! Enjoy the queso, and thank you for taking the time to come back and leave such a thoughtful comment!
Nicole OShea
Also try bio life cheese!
Nicole OShea
VIO LIFE , sorry
Becky Striepe
Yesss! I love their shreds! Great suggestion.
Chantel Winfree
Love the review . I have been looking to try a vegan cheese just didn't know where to start. I am not vegan but I love having the option to chose a vegan meal over all else. Great blog
Becky Striepe
Thank you! I'm glad it was helpful. It's still by far our favorite vegan slices. I even shred it up sometimes for ultra-creamy vegan mac and cheese!
Shade
I love this stuff! I made the quesadillas - and have tried the grilled cheese!!
Being vegan is so much easier with Field Roast!
Becky Striepe
These are hands-down my favorite slices, for sure!
Dee
The original creamy works great in grilled cheese! I found the best way to get it to melt 100% to dripping cheesey grilled cheese is to cooknit low and slow and with a lid or make a foil tent. If I try to cool it too fast it does not melt as well.
Becky Striepe
Ooh, I'll have to try doing it with a lid! I've started popping the sandwich into the microwave for 30ish seconds to start the cheese melting, then grilling.
Sheena B
OMG, OMG!! Ok so I love queso but since switching to a plant based diet I just couldn’t find any good vegan cheese! Some of the other cheese were good on sandwiches but I hated the way they melted. Then I was really craving some queso so I looked on Pinterest and came across your recipe! I always saw this brand in my local Winn Dixie but always turned my nose up to it for some reason but when I saw your recipe I instantly recognized the packaging. So I gave it a try. I was shook! This stuff is the truth! I can’t wait to try this in other recipes, thank you so much!!!
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, this makes my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate and comment, and enjoy your queso! :D
Monika
Trying the coconut pepper one tonight.... You are right, one slice just doesn't do. ;). I like this a lot and we're going to try the quesadilla recipe. The one downside to Chao is the lack of real nutrients (no vitamins, minerals, protein, etc) though I wonder if the probiotic content is high. Probably?
Anyhow, what a fun treat!
Linda York
So okay, my husband and I just polished off the ENTIRE BOWL OF THIS STUFF and it's AMAZING!!!! It even got him thinking we could make this and mix it with some Banza Chickpea Rotini Pasta for a zippy mac and cheeze. You could even add some vegan chili for a chili mac, etc. etc. OH MY GOODNESS!! Thank you so much for this inspiration, Becky!!!
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, I am loving all of these ideas! Let me know what you end up making!
Linda York
I just stumbled across this recipe today on Pinterest. I actually have the Coconut Herb and Tomato Cayenne in my frig right now. This evening for dinner we had a simple grilled cheese sandwich with the Tomato Cayenne. Delicious!! But tomorrow, I am going to the store to buy the Original and a can of Ro-Tel and make this recipe!! Who knew?? This cheese is a staple in our house. We don't think there's a better cheese on the market!!
Becky Striepe
It's our fave for sure!
Mike
I know this is an old post, but this recipe is life changing for me. I am such a huge fan of queso and since switching to plant-based foods, has been a part of my life left sorely unfilled. I've tried a ton of recipes ranging from potato and carrot, tofu, cashew based, daiya, and others...and none have lived up to my expectations. They were all okay, but I'd never crave it and it was more of me forcing myself to want to like it...opposed to actually liking it.
This is different. This is like heaven. I've made your exact version a few times and love it. This last time I played around with it a bit and figured I'd share for others to try as well. I added some additional diced jalapenos, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and crushed reds. I also like my queso a bit runny so I added a splash of coconut milk to thin it out.
Overall, thank you for the inspiration...I can say I will make this every week until I exceed Chao's production capacity.
Becky Striepe
Mike, this comment is a day-maker! I'm so glad you found this recipe helpful and appreciate you sharing your variations! Thank you so much!
Katherine B
Ahh I just tried the creamy original flavor today and I looved it! Even my dairy-loving mom loved it. Said it tastes like mozzarella. (I don't quite remember tbh.) I made a grilled cheese, too, and it melted so much that it was dripping down when I cut my sandwich in half!
Becky Striepe
I'm so glad that she liked it! Your comment is making me want to go directly to the store for more, so I can make another grilled cheese!
Ellen Lederman
Where in Atlanta/which WF did you get these at?
Ellen Lederman
Hi Becky,
Just found your blog, thanks to Vegan Richa. I'm also in Atlanta. Whgere did you get the cheese slices? Whole Foods in Duluth/Johns Creek didn't have them...
Becky Striepe
Welcome, Ellen! I found them at the Whole Foods on Ponce.
Alina @ Vegan Runner Eats
Thank you for the review, Becky! Can't wait to try these sometime soon!
Becky Striepe
You are so welcome. It was a grueling testing process! :D
Cadry
Oh, you've got me so excited to try these! Field Roast hasn't let me down yet. How great would a grilled cheese and tomato soup lunch be? I'm going to be near a Whole Foods in the next few days. If they stock them, I'll definitely pick up a package or two! Thanks for the review and awesome looking recipe.
Becky Striepe
I'm with you on Field Roast. They so such a good job with all things vegan!