Let me introduce you to the BEST creamy Loaded Vegan Queso Dip that’s made with vegetables! 
I think “queso” is the first word I learned in Spanish. My parents made the best queso dip ever and I have great memories eating that dip. The bad news is that the base of that wonderful, creamy queso dip was Velveeta cheese. Womp. Womp.
I’m not going to lie, I grew up on Velveeta and man did I love that stuff. From mac and cheese to queso dip to straight sliced from the block, I could eat it all day (and I did).
Today, if I’m going to eat cheese, I prefer to eat the real stuff and not a “processed cheese product” filled with tons of preservatives. If it’s your thing, that’s cool, but as much as I love the taste (and texture) of that melty almost-but-not-quite-real cheese, I tend to stay away from it these days.
All of this is kind of beside the point, though, because today’s recipe is actually for a Vegan Queso Dip. No cheese or dairy at all.
Creamy texture? Yes.
Dairy? Nope.
So what’s it made from? Recently I made this simple, 10-minute vegan nacho sauce with dairy-free yogurt, but I went a different route with this Loaded Vegan Queso dip.
There’s a little bit more involved, but guys, it has VEGGIES. The base is cashews, carrots, and sweet potatoes and it’s pretty dreamy. They blend into a creamy, perfectly and naturally orange, rich dip that is spiced with my homemade taco seasoning. YUM.
This is a fake cheese I can get behind.
Add some onions, tomatoes, corn, and jalapeño peppers and you have a party-worthy dip that everyone will love.
PrintLoaded Vegan Queso Dip
This is a healthier version of traditional queso dip! Made with cashews, sweet potatoes, and carrots, this spicy dip is sure to be a hit!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours or overnight
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 medium red garnet sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels (frozen is fine)
- 1 cup quartered grape tomatoes, plus extra for garnish, if desired
- 1/4-1 cup water
Instructions
- Drain the cashews and rinse them.
- Steam the sweet potatoes and carrots until soft, about 15 minutes. Reserve the water, as you will use some of it to thin your dip to your desired consistency.
- Using a powerful blender, blend your soaked cashews, steamed vegetables, and taco seasoning. Add the reserved steaming water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dip reaches your desired consistency. I prefer about 3/4 cup water, but you can add more if you’d like it thinner or less for a thicker dip.
- In a medium skillet, cast iron if you have it, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté until just softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the jalapeño (1 for regular, 2 for extra spicy) and sauté another 2 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté about 30 seconds.
- Add the corn and tomato and cook another 2 minutes.
- Next, add the cashew vegetable mixture to the pan and stir to mix well. Cook until it is hot throughout, a few minutes more. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
Notes
*To make this Paleo-friendly, omit the corn.
Nutrition
- Calories: 162
- Sugar: 3
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
If you make this, or any Happy Healthy Mama recipe, I would love to see it! Snap a pic, share it on Instagram or Facebook, and tag me @happyhealthymama 🙂
If you’d like to save this recipe for later (helllllooo Cinco de Mayo!), here’s an image to save to your Pinterest recipe board. Holla. 
Made this yesterday for 8 non-vegans and it got a whole heap of praise.
Perfect ridiculously high-fat movie-watching snack.
Works great with a simple pico de gallo to give you something acid and fresh to counterbalance the cheesy fatty-ness.
So glad to hear this, Melissa! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Hi Maryea! I just came to say that your recipe is super delicious. I tried it yesterday and I loved it! Thank you so much for posting the recipe!
So glad to hear that, Martha! Thanks! 🙂