Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (2024)

FAQs

Why put evaporated milk in queso? ›

Evaporated milk works best in queso because it doesn't have that excess of water and it can help your dip reach a delicate balance between super thick and too thin. (As in you're not constantly having to alternate between adding more milk and then more cheese.)

It's creamy, cheesy, indulgent, and tastes so much like the real thing! Made with cashews, nutritional yeast, diced tomatoes, and green chilies, no one will ever guess it's vegan, dairy-free, and healthy. This recipe is based on this solid 5-Ingredient Vegan Queso recipe from Nora Cooks.

Thin to desired consistency.

If you would like a thinner dip, simply whisk in additional milk. For a thicker dip, stir in additional Monterrey Jack cheese.

A: Velveeta is a processed cheese which is not vegan. It's made with milk and whey, both come from cows.

Thus, heavy cream can easily be substituted for recipes that call for evaporated milk. How to Substitute: For 12 ounces of evaporated milk, combine 3 ounces of whole milk and 9 ounces of heavy cream.

Those starch molecules thicken the sauce, while the concentrated milk proteins from the evaporated milk add that signature dairy flavor, without all the water you'd get from cream or regular milk. Translation? Smooth, shiny, perfectly emulsified cheese that doesn't clump, taste floury, or break into greasy pools.

Like regular cheese, vegan cheese can be part of a healthy diet when used in moderation — but it's best to avoid highly processed options. However, not all vegan cheeses are created equally. Some versions are highly processed and have less nutritional value than others.

For a cheese dip or sauce, the addition of cornstarch serves a similar function: Starch molecules absorb water and expand, not only thickening the liquid phase of the sauce, but also physically preventing the proteins from binding into long, tangled strands and the fats from separating out and pooling.

1. All-purpose flour: You can thicken sauces with all-purpose wheat flour. For every tablespoon of cornstarch, use three tablespoons of flour. Combine raw flour with cold water in a small bowl to form a paste, then add it into the sauce as it's simmering.

Can you add milk to queso to thin it out? ›

Thin as needed: The queso will thicken as it sits. If you find it's getting too thick, whisk in a couple of tablespoons of whole milk to thin it. Serve it straight from the pan kept over low heat on your stove or transfer the queso to a slow cooker set on warm.

Sadly, Taco Bell removed their limited-time, delicious Vegan Nacho Cheese from the menu Thursday October 19th, 2023.

Wayfare Dairy Free Cheese: Ready to Spread, Melt or Dip

The Original tastes nearly spot on for Velveeta, but the ingredients are much more appealing. As promised, Wayfare Dairy Free Cheese is tasty as a cold, thick, creamy dip. It also melts with ease in the microwave for pouring on nachos or when broiled in the oven.

This old-school pantry staple brings velvety texture to soups, makes decadent desserts, prevents curdling in milk-based sauces, and even tenderizes proteins. What do Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings, Howie Dorough from the Backstreet Boys, and the evaporated milk from your grandma's pantry have in common?

Heating the milk kills lingering bacteria that can cause spoilage and also reduces its weight, making it easier to transport. Evaporated milk is slightly thicker than fresh milk and has a more opaque, slightly yellow color. And as for the taste? It tastes just like milk, just a little creamier.

Cheese sauce can be kept from congealing by applying enough heat to keep it semi-liquid but not enough to scorch it or dry it out.

Making a slurry with cornstarch and cold milk is how you will thicken your queso. A traditional slurry is a 1:1 liquid to cornstarch ratio, but for our queso purposes I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of milk.