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Easy Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 99 reviews
  • Author: anna
  • Total Time: 10 minutes plus 6-8 hours soaking time or 30 minutes quick soak
  • Yield: About 1 ½ cups sauce 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This easy Nacho Cashew Cheese Sauce is a creamy, dairy-free alternative perfect for nachos, dips, or drizzling over your favorite dishes. Made with soaked raw cashews, green chilies, and flavorful spices, this velvety sauce combines tangy, smoky, and spicy notes for an irresistible vegan cheese experience.

Ingredients

Scale

Cashew Base

  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened plant based milk (almond milk recommended)

Flavorings & Spices

  • 4 oz can of green chilies
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp pickled jalapenos
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt plus additional to taste

Instructions

  1. Soak the Cashews: Place raw cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let them soak for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight to soften. Alternatively, for a quicker method, cover the cashews with boiling water and let them soften for 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. Blend Ingredients: Drain and discard the soaking water. Transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender along with green chilies, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, pickled jalapenos, smoked paprika, chili powder, plant-based milk, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend on high speed until the sauce is smooth and velvety, scraping down the sides as needed.
  3. Adjust Seasoning: Taste the sauce and add additional salt in small increments, blending after each addition, until it reaches your preferred level of saltiness. Typically, between 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of salt is needed.

Notes

  • Soaking cashews overnight results in a creamier sauce, but the quick soak method works well if short on time.
  • Use a high-speed blender for the smoothest texture.
  • Adjust the amount of jalapenos for more or less heat to suit your taste.
  • This sauce works great as a dip, drizzle for nachos, or a cheese substitute in many recipes.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus soaking time)
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Sauce/Dip
  • Method: Blending
  • Cuisine: Vegan/American Fusion

Keywords: nacho cheese sauce, cashew cheese sauce, vegan nacho sauce, dairy-free cheese, plant-based cheese sauce, cashew dip, vegan cheese sauce

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Find it online: https://recipiana.com/easy-nacho-cashew-cheese-sauce-recipe/