This lusciously smooth and creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Nacho Cheese Sauce is ideal for drizzling over tacos, nachos, or scooping up with tortilla chips. Made from cashews, jarred roasted red peppers, and pickled jalapeños-- it's bursting with flavor!
I've been making this recipe for years-- I can't get enough! Its creaminess, richness, and versatility makes it perfect to serve with a variety of different dishes.
The first time I made this vegan nacho cheese sauce, I was amazed by its cheesiness, thanks to the secret ingredient: nutritional yeast.
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast commonly used as a cheese substitute due to its nutty, cheesy flavor profile.
Cashews and nutritional yeast are a match made in heaven. Cheesy, creamy goodness but without dairy!
This vegan cheese sauce recipe was originally created in early 2022 but I thought it deserved more love and new pictures. The recipe is exactly the same.
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Ingredients
This velvety cashew cheese sauce is made from a blend of cashews, jarred roasted red peppers, and pickled jalapeños.
Drizzle it over tacos, nachos, or use as a dip for tortilla chips!
Cashews: Cashews are what makes this sauce super creamy and luscious! It's crucial to soak your cashews beforehand, ensuring you get a smooth texture. No need to soak overnight, simply soak in boiling water for just 10-15 minutes.
Onions and Garlic: Mince and brown on a pan to develop flavor.
Pickled Jalapeños: Adding pickled jalapeños and a little bit of the juice makes this sauce taste like nacho cheese sauce! You can use fresh jalapeños, but you'll want to sauté them with the onions.
Roasted Red Pepper: I always have a jar of roasted red peppers in my fridge. They are so delicious and flavorful in this cashew sauce. It's a must! You can roast your own peppers but jarred is so convenient.
Lemon Juice: A small amount of an acidic ingredient balances the flavors.
Nutritional Yeast: Adds a cheesy flavor.
Spices: The spices for this vegan cheese sauce are smoked paprika, onion powder, Kosher salt, and black pepper. If you want to add some heat, you can add red pepper flakes.
See recipe card for quantities.
Helpful Equipment
This vegan cashew nacho cheese sauce recipe is straightforward and requires only a blender.
You'll need to boil water and pour over the cashews to soften them before blending.
For a velvety smooth texture, a high-quality blender is preferred.
I used my NutriBullet and it works perfect.
How to Make This Recipe
Drizzle over your favorite dishes or keep it easy by scooping it up with tortilla chips!
The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Boil water and then add the cashews and soak for 15 minutes to soften. Alternatively, soak overnight.
Step 2: Dice the onion and garlic and sauté it in a pan over medium heat until it starts to soften and get lightly browned. If using fresh jalapeño (instead of pickled), mince and sauté it with the onions and garlic.
Step 3: Add the softened cashews and onions to a high-speed blender along with the roasted red pepper, pickled jalapeños, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and water.
Step 4: Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference.
Touch the sauce and rub it between two fingers. If the sauce has texture, keep blending.
Add the cheese sauce to a pan on low heat to warm up or serve chilled as a dip with tortilla chips, drizzled on tacos, or burrito bowls. Enjoy!
Note: Not all salts are created equal and cannot be interchanged in a 1:1 ratio. When substituting table salt for kosher salt, it's crucial to reduce the amount specified in the recipe by at least half.
Substitutions & Variations
Cashews: If you need a nut-free alternative, use sunflower seeds. Some nacho cheese recipes have a mix of potatoes and carrots-- you can also try that but I would add some oil, this sauce needs fat.
Nutritional Yeast: There is no alternative to nutritional yeast in this recipe.
Lemon Juice: You can use a splash of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
Serving Ideas
This cheese is perfect for drizzling over tacos, enchiladas, and nachos or scooping up with tortilla chips.
Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this red pepper cheese sauce, but feel free to get creative!
Vegan Nachos: Pour the cheese sauce over a bed of tortilla chips, and add toppings like vegan ground beef, sliced jalapeños, black beans, salsa and guacamole.
Loaded Fries: Drizzle the cheese sauce over crispy fries and top with vegan bacon bits, green onions, and a dollop of vegan sour cream.
Quesadillas and Tacos: Spread the cheese sauce inside tortillas along with your favorite fillings. Try it in these crispy black bean tacos!
Baked Potatoes: Pour the cheese sauce over baked potatoes and top with vegan chili, diced onions, and chopped cilantro.
Stuffed Bell Peppers: Fill halved bell peppers with a mixture of cooked rice, black beans, corn, and the cheese sauce, then bake until soft.
Burger Topping: Add a generous dollop of cheese sauce to your vegan burgers for extra flavor and creaminess.
Tips & Tricks
Soak the cashews! This is crucial for achieving a smooth and creamy sauce!
One helpful tip I always follow is to test the sauce by touching it and rubbing it between two fingers. If it still has texture, continue blending until it is completely smooth.
Use jarred roasted red peppers: To save time, using jarred red peppers is super convenient and they taste great!
I recommend using pickled jalapeños: Pickled jalapeños add that classic nacho cheese flavor. Alternatively, you can use fresh but pickled is best.
Storage
When kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this vegan cashew cheese sauce can stay fresh for up to 7 days.
Alternatively, you can freeze it, and it will maintain its quality for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe tastes even better the next day!
Reheat on the stovetop over low until it's warm and thinned out. It will become thicker in the fridge.
The pickled jalapeños are what gives this cashew cheese sauce the taste of a classic nacho cheese. The red peppers add additional flavor!
Cashews and nutritional yeast are frequently used in vegan cheese sauce recipes because their combination when blended results in a luxuriously creamy and decadently rich cheese sauce.
More Dip Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Recipe
Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Nacho Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cashews soaked
- ⅓ cup Minced Yellow Onion
- 1-2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Large Roasted Red Pepper jarred
- 2-3 tablespoons Pickled Jalapeño or fresh jalapeño
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt see note
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Boil water and then add the cashews and soak for 10-15 minutes to soften. Alternatively, soak overnight.
- Dice the onion and garlic and sauté it in a pan over medium heat until it starts to soften and get lightly browned. If using fresh jalapeño (instead of pickled), mince and sauté it with the onions and garlic.
- Add the softened cashews and onions to a high-speed blender along with the roasted red pepper, pickled jalapeños, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and water. Blend until smooth.
- Touch the sauce and rub it between two fingers. If the sauce has texture, keep blending.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your preference.
- Add the cheese sauce to a pan on low heat to warm up or serve chilled as a dip with tortilla chips, drizzled on tacos, or burrito bowls. Enjoy!
Notes
Disclosure: This page contains some affiliate links. Please know that I may receive a percentage or commission from a link included on this page, at no extra cost to you. I will only ever recommend a product that I have used and believe has substantial value to my readers.
Geert Aerts says
So good! Everyone will want to be vegan!
Liv says
Yayyy! Happy you enjoyed it. It's a staple in my house!
Shannon says
Does this sauce freeze well?
Liv says
Yes!
Rachael M. says
I made this with the Cheesy Crispy Black Bean and Potato Tacos, and even by itself it was DELICIOUS! I could eat it with a spoon 🙂 would be great on just about anything.
Liv says
I make a batch of this weekly. It really is great on anything!! So happy you like it 🙂
Betsy says
I didn’t think the garlic Aioli sauce could be topped but oh my. This is so gooooood ! My husband went crazy over this and said it was out of this world !
Liv says
So glad!! It's one of my favorites as well. 🙂
Patty Watson says
This is awesome, smoky, bold flavors. There are so many ways to use this sauce. Thank you for this recipe.
Liv says
I’m so glad you enjoyed!!! Thank you for leaving a review 🙂