I tested several versions of this pumpkin and cashew-based vegan nacho cheese sauce recipe and I’m really loving this final version. I usually serve it simply with blue corn tortilla chips, but occasionally go for the full vegan nacho experience by adding guacamole, salsa, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives, black beans, and diced onions. Give it a try if you’re looking for plant-based cheese alternatives, like this vegan liquid mozzarella, which is another one of my favorites.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Nutritional yeast gives this sauce its “cheesy” flavor. It’s often available at grocery stores and health food stores, but if you have trouble finding it locally, it’s also widely available online.
Cashews give this sauce its lusciously creamy texture without overpowering the other flavors in this recipe. I recommend using unsalted cashews. Either roasted or raw is fine. If you must use salted cashews, then you can reduce the added salt in this recipe to your taste.
Pickled jalapeños add a little zing and spiciness to this sauce, but you can omit them if you prefer a milder version.
Pumpkin puree adds body and color to this sauce. You can’t taste it though, since the other flavors in this cheese sauce overpower the pumpkin. I used canned, but homemade works too if you prefer. Or you can substitute pureed carrots or butternut squash.
How to Make Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
Start by adding the cashews to a bowl, then add enough boiling water to cover the cashews. Let soak for 1 hour, then drain and discard the soaking liquid. If you have a very powerful blender, such as a Vitamix, you can skip the step of soaking the cashews.
Next you’ll add the cashews to a blender along with the pumpkin purée, cold water, nutritional yeast, pickled jalapeños, salt, and garlic. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve warm or at room temperature with tortilla chips.
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe (Made with Pumpkin and Cashews)
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted cashews (either roasted or raw)
- boiling water (for soaking the cashews)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (I used canned)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Add 1 cup unsalted cashews to a bowl, then add enough boiling water to cover.
- Let soak for 1 hour, then drain and discard the soaking liquid.
- Add the cashews to a blender along with 1/2 cup pumpkin purée, 3/4 cup water, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 clove garlic.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If using canned pumpkin puree, be careful not to accidentally use pumpkin pie filling since the cans sometimes look similar.
- If you have a very powerful blender, such as a Vitamix, you can skip the step of soaking the cashews.
