Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce is made with plant-based milk, tapioca flour, and nutritional yeast and has absolutely no nuts in it. Thick, creamy, and cheezy.
The perfect vegan nacho ‘cheese’ substitute.

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Table Of Contents
It is a very easy and quick alternative to real nacho cheese. I enjoy eating this cheese at our Tuesday Taco nights and nachos! You’ll need just 10 minutes to whip up this sauce.
Using various sauces is an excellent way to amp up any bland-tasting dish. Over time I've shared with you my popular Enchilada Sauce, Marinara Sauce, and White Sauce. Check out our Condiments recipe list to get more inspired.
How to make Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan.
Using a whisk, warm over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and serve immediately as it will thicken even more later.
- For more flavors add 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard.
- The sauce will thicken even more after you remove it from heat. Simply add more milk of your choice to the saucepan and reheat it when you’re ready to serve again.
How to Store and Reheat Vegan Nacho Cheese?
Store the vegan nacho cheese sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It can be reheated on the stovetop over medium heat (just add milk) or in the microwave.
What does vegan nacho cheese taste like?
It has velvety smooth and stretchy texture, tangy and sharp flavor and definitely tastes cheesy. This isn’t the kind of cheese sauce you’re going to use on a pizza though. It’s perfect to go with nachos, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, over steamed/cooked veggies, drizzle over baked potatoes.
All vegan cheeses will taste different from the real ones and will never be the same. That being said, this vegan nacho cheese does actually have a similar texture and is a great alternative to ‘’real’’ cheeses.
Does nutritional yeast actually taste like cheese?
Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is somewhat similar to the sharp taste of real cheeses. The more you add it to the recipe the more cheesy-like flavor you’ll get.
Also combining it with garlic or/and onion powder, makes a great alternative to the real cheese sauce.
Easy Vegan Sauces
By the way, we have a great collection of different sauces, condiments, and dips.
Vegan Dinner Recipes
- Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Kale Tacos (Vegan)
- Vegan Meat Tacos
- Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Easy Taco Dinner Party Board (with 2 different taco recipes)
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This recipe is adapted from Ela Vegan.
Recipe
Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoon tapioca flour
- ¾ cup coconut milk (unsweetened or almond milk)
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- Garnish with fresh or pickled jalapenos. (Optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan.
- Using a whisk, warm over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and serve immediately as it will thicken even more later.
NOTES
- For more flavors add 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard.
- The sauce will thicken even more after you remove it from heat. Simply add more milk of your choice to the saucepan and reheat it when you’re ready to serve again.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
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