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    Home » Vegan Cheese Recipes

    Cashew Cheese Sauce and Dip

    Published: Jul 24, 2020 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Cashew Cheese Sauce & Dip

    This creamy cashew cheese sauce and dip is easy to make in minutes with just 7 ingredients! It's also vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and soy-free too. Extremely versatile, you'll want to use it on all your favorite foods.

    Jump to Recipe
    dipping a chip into the cheese sauce in a bowl.

    "Who knew eatin' vegan could taste so good?"

    That was the slogan someone suggested I use if I ever decide to open a stand at the local farmers' market after trying this vegan cheese.

    I had actually given a sample to a friend who sells jams and salsa for his wife to try who is looking to make some dietary changes for health reasons.

    He loved it so much, he just had to share it with the vendor next to his stand.

    The two devoured just enough to be sure my friend's wife got her fair share too.

    He texted me later to tell me "the dip was the best she had in a long time."

    overhead of cashew cheese sauce in a white bowl.

    I have to admit, I was over the moon because all three of them are non-vegans.

    *Insert rejoicing hands emoji here*

    Anyway, after making my cashew mac and cheese, I decided it only made sense to make a sauce/dip version of it.

    So, I made some slight modifications to the cashew cheese in the mac and cheese recipe, mainly taking out the mustard and changing a few of the other measurements.

    And boom...this "cheesy" goodness was born!

    holding a chip with cheese sauce on it.

    How to make cashew cheese sauce - step by step

    Cover raw cashews in boiling water and allow to soak for 10 minutes. I find the easiest and quickest way to heat water is with an electric kettle.

    cashews soaking in boiling water

    You can also soak the cashews in cold water for 4-6 hours if you prefer.

    Add nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and turmeric to a high-powered blender.

    When the cashews are done soaking, drain them and add them to the blender followed by water and lemon juice.

    Blend on high until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

    cheese sauce blended in blender

    Ideas for serving

    Some things this cashew cheese is perfect for are:

    • Topping veggies, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes and veggie burgers...try it on our sweet potato black bean burgers.
    • Drizzling on grain bowls, burrito bowls or wraps
    • And of course, dipping all the things into! We love it with our air fryer frozen sweet potato fries and crispy corn tortilla chips.

    How long will it keep?

    You can store this sauce/dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    Enjoy the leftovers cold, room temperature or warm.

    Personally, I think it tastes best at room temperature or cold after being refrigerated.

    However, if you'd like to warm up the leftovers, place the desired amount in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second intervals until warm throughout, stirring in between.

    If the sauce seems too thick, you can mix in a splash of water when reheating it.

    You might also enjoy:

    • Plant-Based Mac and Cheese
    • Vegan Cheese Sauce
    • Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
    • Cashew Ricotta
    close-up of dipping a tortilla chip into cheese.
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 3 votes

    Cashew Cheese Sauce and Dip

    This creamy cashew cheese sauce and dip is easy to make in minutes with just 7 ingredients! This vegan "cheese" is gluten-free, oil-free and soy-free too. Extremely versatile, you'll want to use it on all your favorite foods.
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan
    Keyword cashews, dairy-free, gluten free, oil free, soy-free, vegan, vegan cheese
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 0 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 8
    Calories 143kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups raw cashews
    • 6 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ⅜ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅜ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 cup *filtered water, plus more if needed
    • 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

    Instructions

    • Cover cashews in boiling water and allow to **soak for 10 minutes.
    • While the cashews are soaking, add nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and turmeric to a high-powered blender. 
    • When the cashews are done soaking, drain them and add them to the blender followed by water and lemon juice. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add 1-2 tablespoons more water to thin out if needed.

    (Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

    Suggested Equipment/Tools

    Electric Kettle
    High-Powered Blender

    Notes

    *If you want the sauce/dip to be warm when serving, use hot water when blending. Personally, I think it tastes best at room temperature or cold after being refrigerated.
    **If you prefer, you can soak the cashews in cold water for 4-6 hours instead.
    Store cheese sauce/dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    Enjoy leftovers cold, room temperature or warm. To warm up the sauce/dip, place desired amount in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second intervals until warm throughout, stirring in between. If it seems too thick, you can mix in a splash of water when reheating it.
    The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 2g
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    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

    « Plant-Based Mac and Cheese
    Baked BBQ Tofu »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christie

      July 27, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      You come up with the best cheese sauces with so many different varieties! It's great because people can come to you for other options using different nuts! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe Sherri!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        July 29, 2020 at 9:21 am

        Thanks Christie! It's definitely a lot of fun experimenting with making different vegan cheeses. 🙂

        Reply

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    Sherri

    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

    Learn more about me

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