Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce (Dairy-free) – Plant Based RD (2024)

This nacho cashew cheese sauce is velvety smooth and full of rich umami flavor that you will want to put on everything.

Why You’ll Love This Cashew Cheese Sauce

• Full of flavor. We are getting a bunch of umami-rich flavor from a combination of nutritional yeast, green chilies and spices.
• Easy to modify. Have a nut allergy? This sauce can be modified to be made nut-free.
• Loaded with nourishing ingredients. This sauce is made with whole food ingredients, no plant-based cheese alternatives needed for this yummy sauce.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Cashews: While this sauce is made with cashews, it works equally well with nut-free options like pepitas or sunflower seeds.
• Green Chilies: I recommend the can version. Fresh chilies won’t have the same flavor we need for this sauce. This can be found in the international section of your grocery store.
• Pickled Jalapenos: You can get a jar of them to use or make them fresh yourself. The pickled flavor really helps add more flavor, so don’t skip!
• Lemon: Fresh lemon is best. If you are in a pinch, you can also use fresh lime as well.
• Nutritional Yeast: Packed with umami flavor that helps to lend more of those cheesy flavors to the sauce.
• Spices: I used a combination of smoked paprika and chili powder for both color and to add a smoky flavor to it.
• Milk: I used almond milk, but any unsweetened plant-based milk will work for this sauce.

How to Make Cashew Cheese Sauce

Place your cashews in a bowl and cover with water for at least 6-8 hours or overnight before using. For a short cut, cover the raw cashews with boiling water for 20-30 minutes to soften them.

Discard the water of the cashews and place in a high speed blender cup along with the remaining ingredients. Blend all the ingredients on high, scraping down the sides as needed until the sauce is velvety smooth.

Because of the nature of the sauce ingredients, I recommend tasting the sauce after blending and seeing if you need more salt. Add small amounts at time then blend and taste again until the sauce is how you like it. You may need between 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt, but I always start out with less and add more based on my preference.

Expert Tips

• Soak your cashews. This will help make blending so much easier and give you a more velvety sauce. If you remember to, try soaking them in the fridge overnight for at least 6-8 hours before blending.
• For a shorter soak time, place your cashews in a heat safe bowl and cover with boiling water for at least 20-30 minutes.
• Use a highspeed blender. This will ensure that everything blends up as smooth as possible.

How to Store Leftovers

Storing leftover sauce.Pour the sauce into an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 7 days.

You can freeze leftover sauce.Make sure when storing that you place it in a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge then mix really well before using. You may lose some taste, but I just recommend adding a little salt to help bring it back to life.

More Ways to Use Cashew Cheese Sauce

This is the perfect dip to entertain with, but you can use it in so many ways. Use this cheese sauce to make:

• Homemade crunchwraps
• Plant Based Quesadillas
• As a dip or filling for crispy tacos

More Homemade Condiments to Try

• Pickled Red Onions
• Charred Salsa Verde
• Homemade Tofu Cashew Cream Cheese
• Mango Pico de Gallo
• Cilantro Lime Sauce

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★Catherine

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