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This Cashew Cheddar Cheese Sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients (no tapioca starch!), yet is decadent, creamy, cheesy, and packed with the perfect spice! All you need is 30 minutes to make this easy recipe.
Get ready for vegan gold my friends. Really – you’re going to want to put this Vegan Chipotle Cashew Cheddar Cheese sauce on EVERYTHING.
It’s made using whole foods and is just as versatile as our wildly popular Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, but kicked up a notch with the heat of chipotle in adobo. Pair it with your favorite Crispy Potatoes, Baked Potatoes, Tortilla Chips, or anything that needs a drizzle of creamy cheese sauce.
You won’t regret having this vegan sauce waiting for you in the fridge!
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Yukon gold potatoes: The creaminess of Yukon gold potatoes makes the best vegan cheese sauce consistency. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the potatoes at all!
- Carrots: Adds color, a hint of sweetness, and additional creaminess to the sauce.
- Raw cashews: Adds richness, creaminess, and a velvety mouthfeel that mimics the smooth texture of dairy cheese sauces. Just make sure to use raw cashews with no additives.
- Almond milk: We like to use our Homemade Almond Milk because we find it to be more creamy than store-bought varieties, but feel free to opt for your favorite unsweetened store-bought version.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds a cheesy, umami flavor and healthy dose of B vitamins without any dairy! If you’re shopping for nutritional yeast flakes for the first time, look near the spices. Our favorite brand is Bragg’s.
- Chipotle pepper in adobo: Many cashew cheddar cheese sauces are plain, but we love the added kick of a chipotle pepper! Depending on your spice preference, you may prefer more or less chipotle in adobo. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
- Fresh lemon juice: Adds a bright acidity that balances the creaminess and fats. Apple cider vinegar is a good alternative if needed.
- Spices: A simple blend of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder tie all the flavors together!
Full measurements are listed down below in the complete recipe card.
Equipment Needed
How to Make Chipotle Cashew Cheddar Cheese Sauce
- Boil the potatoes, carrots, and cashews. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes, carrots, and carrots. Simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat or until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the cashew nuts are softened.
- Transfer to a high-speed blender. Once the potatoes and carrots are easily pierced with a fork, drain the excess water and transfer the potato medley to a high-speed blender.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add in the unsweetened almond milk, nutritional yeast, chipotle pepper in adobo, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Serve. Enjoy this vegan cheese sauce while warm or at room temperature, as desired.
Serving Suggestions
What can’t you serve this cheese sauce with?! Add it to any meal that needs a savory, cheesy boost of flavor, or simply enjoy it as an easy appetizer or afternoon snack. If you need ideas, here are our favorite ways to use this creamy sauce:
- Dip your favorite tortilla chips, crackers, or veggie sticks,
- Drizzle on Twice Baked Potatoes or Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables or steamed broccoli, Nachos, Tacos, or a loaded Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme.
- Spread on a piece of toast for easy cheese sandwiches!
- Switch up our Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe and use it to make a Chipotle Cheddar-inspired pasta sauce.
- Dollop on top of Breakfast Tater Tot Nachos, Vegan Breakfast Burritos, Tofu Scramble, Breakfast Sweet Potatoes, and more!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Swap the raw cashews with 1/2 cup of Great Northern white beans or cannellini beans and use nut-free plant-based milk. Unsweetened soy milk is a great alternative.
If you’re out of gold potatoes, swap in another peeled white potato, such as russet.
A blender is best for making velvety smooth sauces and dips from scratch, but if all you have is a food processor, give it a go! It won’t be as smooth as a blender, but it will be close.
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container, such as a mason jar or glass Tupperware.
We haven’t tested it, but it would likely work well. If you’d like to give it a try, make the cheese sauce as instructed, then allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, such as a wide-mouth mason jar, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
Quick Tips
- Blend until just smooth! Because this cheese sauce contains potatoes, you don’t want to over-blend. Overdoing it will break down the starch in the potatoes and make the creamy texture more gluey and gummy.
- Keep it in a condiment bottle. If you plan on using this vegan cheddar cheese sauce as a drizzle for all your favorite savory recipes, invest in a reusable condiment bottle. It will make it real quick and easy to drizzle it on top of everything!
- Make sure your milk is unsweetened! Unfortunately, many plant-based milks sold in stores are labeled as unsweetened but still have an oddly sweet, perfume-like flavor. We recommend tasting your milk before adding it to the cheese sauce. If it has that artificially sweet flavor, it will ruin the savory flavor of your sauce.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes You May Enjoy:
Dips Spreads & Sauces
Vegan Nacho Cheese
Appetizers and Sides
Easy Vegan Cheese Fondue (10 Minutes)
Appetizers and Sides
6-Ingredient Cashew Mustard Cheese Dip
Oil Free
Easy Herbed Cashew Cheese Spread
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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The Best Chipotle Cashew Cheddar Cheese Sauce Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
This Cashew Cheddar Cheese Sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients (no tapioca starch!), yet is decadent, creamy, cheesy, and packed with the perfect amount of spice! All you need is 30 minutes to make this easy recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled and chopped Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Black pepper to taste, if desired
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and place the potatoes, carrots, and cashews in once boiling. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and transfer to a high-speed blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients into the blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Serve with your favorite crackers and veggies as a dip or use it as a cheese sauce over baked potatoes, french fries, steamed broccoli, etc.!
Notes
- If you have leftovers, store them in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To make this recipe nut-free, you can use 1/2 cup of great northern white beans or cannellini beans in place of the cashews, and a nut-free plant-based milk of your choice.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
Ok, I’m not vegan, however, I have friends that are. So I’ve been trying to incorporate more vegan recipes into my diet. I made this cheese sauce and it is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I think I like it better than regular cheddar cheese sauce. Ready to try it on several different dishes. Highly recommend you try this. Can the leftovers be frozen?
So happy to hear that, thank you! We haven’t tried freezing it, so it’s hard to say. Sorry about that.
Can other types of potatoes be used?
Yes, you can use any white potato 🙂
This Sauce is so good! For anyone who wonders how long it will stay good, I put it in two empty Glas jars and put the lit in while the Sauce was still hot. When I opened the Jar the lit popped and with this Method it sits in the fridge for a week now
Is the chipotle adobo in a can? Where can I find this ingredient from?
Yes it is in the can and it is in most generic grocery stores!
SO delicious! I put this sauce on roasted potatoes and it’s a keeper for sure. My non-vegan husband even liked it and suggested we put it on veggies tonight. 🙂
Is there a good substitute for the cashews in this?
You can use additional potatoes and carrots in its place. It will not be as rich but it will still be tasty!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I’m looking forward to trying it. My children are both vegan and i’m well on the way, super excited, thank you for your brilliant ideas and recipes!! MERRY Christmas with love!
Merry Christmas!
This looks so good. Can I use russet potatoes?
Yes, you can! Thank you 🙂
This is such a wonderful recipe! I found your recipe on Pinterest when Inhad a potato, carrot and luckily all the other ingredients. Fantastic! We had plant-based, extremely healthy nachos, using this scrumptious sauce with black beans, chopped, tomatoes, olives, scallions, and finely sliced red cabbage. So good. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! Just wondering if I could use a Fresh jalapeño instead of the chipotle as I want to avoid citric acid from anything from a can?
We found a recipe online for 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, it uses: Mix 1 tablespoon tomato paste (or if you must – ketchup), 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (or smoked paprika/cayenne powder mix), 1/2 teaspoon cumin, a pinch of oregano, a pinch of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Adjust these proportions to best fit your flavor and spiciness expectations. I cannot guarantee that this will result in the same flavor as I have not tested it out. Let us know how it goes!
Absolutely love love love this Chipotle cheddar cheese sauce! I can’t believe how amazingly good it tastes!
I matched all the ingredients in the recipe but ended up having extra sauce when everything was done. How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Donna, we are so glad you liked it 🙂 It will last in the refrigerator in a sealed container for about 4 days!
that’s terrific I couldn’t bear for it to go to waste! Thank you!
This is such a great recipe. It will be perfect for when I have my friends over for the weekend. Please, check out my blog at
http://www.mylifeingreens.com
This is so delicious and nutritious, we ate it all by itself, like soup!