smoky chipotle cashew queso! an easy vegan queso recipe made with cashews, chipotle peppers, spices, & lime juice! the perfect healthy game day snack, smoky chipotle cashew queso will be the hit of your next game day party!
pin this smoky chipotle cashew queso recipe for later!!!
well, friends. today’s the day.
today’s the day you become the most popular girl at the party.
picture this: you show up at your next potluck or football party & casually drop the dish you brought to share on the snacks table & everyone kind of oohs & ahhs & asks you about what you brought…
approximately 18 minutes later yours is the first dish to get demolished by everyone at the party. & then everyone hounds you down for the rest of the day (…or week…) for the recipe.
that recipe? smoky chipotle cashew queso. 
say hello to your new favorite party date.
easy vegan queso cheese: smoky chipotle cashew queso!
pin this smoky chipotle cashew queso recipe for later!!!
SMOKY. CHIPOTLE. CASHEW. QUESOOOOOOOOOOOO.
i really hope you read that in “you get a car” oprah voice, because that’s definitely how i’m saying it. sorry not sorry, i’m REALLY freakin’ excited to share this chipotle cashew queso recipe with you today.
i mean…
yeah. exactly.
i’ve been dreaming up this recipe ever since i couldn’t get my hands on the vegan queso that was all up in everyone’s instagram stories last summer.
so, what’s a gal to do?
she makes her own damn cashew queso, with a smoky twist!
i can’t even begin with how much i love this chipotle cashew queso. it is legitimately, mind-blowingly good. like…i made it for my new shoot assistant, karis, and her eyes literally lit up when she first tried it. & then i sent some leftovers home with her to let her family try, & they all raved about it. even chris, who was pretty skeptical of dairy-free queso at first (god bless his cheese loving soul), kept going back to it for “just one more” tortilla chip dip.
it’s THAT good.
pin this smoky chipotle cashew queso recipe for later!!!
it’s so super silky & creamy & every single bite packs a mean punch of flavor.
plus! the best part about this chipotle cashew queso is it’s made entirely with wholesome, approachable ingredients. you probably have most of them in your pantry already!
- roasted, unsalted cashews (these are my fave!)
- chipotle peppers + adobo sauce (it gives this cashew queso the best smoky kick of heat)
- taco spices!
- fresh lime juice
- water
that’s it!
i love it, especially for football parties & fall gatherings, because, as more & more of our friends & loved ones discover intolerances to dairy or some of the additives in store-bought dairy queso, i know exactly what is in my chipotle cashew queso & i can feel great about serving it to a group at a party.
&! you guessed it…chipotle cashew queso is super, super easy to make…
how to make chipotle cashew queso (step-by-step photos!):
pin this smoky chipotle cashew queso recipe for later!!!
chipotle cashew queso is so super easy to make.
all you need is…
- the below listed chipotle cashew queso ingredients
- a high-speed blender
- 5 minutes
that’s it!
you’ll want to start with really high-quality roasted, unsalted cashews. they’re the star of the show, after all! these are my favorite. they’re affordable, have great flavor, & they always taste super fresh.
pin this smoky chipotle cashew queso recipe for later!!!
next! pop them into a high-speed blender with the chipotles, adobo sauce, taco seasoning, lime juice, and some water.
i find this chipotle cashew queso to have just the right amount of smoky heat, but if you don’t like spice, you can omit the chipotles & just use the adobo sauce. i have more thoughts on that in the recipe notes below!
using a high-speed blender is really key to a smooth & creamy cashew queso. even though my food processor is usually my bff, the blades aren’t suited for breaking down the cashews into the creamy, dreamy texture we’re looking for. it’s a cashew queso tip i picked up on working with lindsay over the summer & helping her whip up a few batches of her own cashew queso recipe. the blender is key! this is the blender i own & love! 
last up? give it a whirl & whip that chipotle cashew queso into creamy perfection.
the cashews will break down very easily, though i let my chipotle cashew queso blend for 1-2 minutes to get that super silky texture i’m looking for. 
pin this smoky chipotle cashew queso recipe for later!!!
& the last thing? serve! devour! repeat!
pretty sure the only thing missing is an icy cold beer. (i mean. & guac. obviously.)
if you love this smoky cashew queso recipe, here are a few other healthy-ish recipes you have to try!
- the best guacamole ever. (period.)
- roasted butternut squash hummus
- chocolate chip banana bread bliss balls
- 3-ingredient dark chocolate superfood bark with toasted quinoa & cashews
- homemade cashew butter with coffee & chai spice
- 5-ingredient frozen yogurt bites
- all pwwb apps & snacks
be sure to follow along with me on instagram, facebook, & pinterest for more easy, modern recipes & fun!
thank you so much for reading & supporting plays well with butter. this post includes affiliate links for products i truly love & use on the reg in my own home. all opinions are always my own! should you make a purchase using one of these links, pwwb with earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps me continue to bring you great original content. ???
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smoky chipotle cashew queso
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups (serves 6-8 generously) 1x
- Category: snack, vegan recipe, dairy-free recipe
Description
an easy vegan queso recipe made with cashews, chipotle peppers, spices, & lime juice! the perfect healthy game day snack, smoky chipotle cashew queso will be the hit of your next game day party!
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted unsalted cashews
- 1–2 chipotle peppers (from a can, in adobo sauce)
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- 1–2 limes, juiced (see Recipe Notes)
- for serving: tortilla chips, cerveza!
Instructions
Add all listed ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Serve with chips & snacks & beer! DEVOUR.
Notes
- Storage: Chipotle cashew queso is best served immediately, but it will keep for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir before serving and it’ll be good to go!
- Spiciness: I don’t find this chipotle cashew queso to be especially spicy, especially since it’s so creamy & has a nice hit of lime juice to balance everything out nicely. If you don’t love spicy food, you can omit the peppers altogether. I still recommend using the adobo sauce – it’s the smoky, slightly spicy sauce that canned chipotles are packed in. You’ll get lots of smoky flavor, without too much heat.
- Lime juice: For the best control on the amount of acidity you add to your chipotle cashew queso, I suggest starting with the juice of 1 lime. Once the queso is blended, taste & see if it needs a little bit more brightness. The amount you ultimately go with will vary on the size & juiciness of the limes you use. For me, it’s usually 1 ½ limes, using limes that are juicy & medium-sized. I cut the remaining ½ into wedges for beer. ?
- This chipotle cashew queso recipe is inspired by this dairy-free queso dip, which I still haven’t been able to try due to out of stocks at my local stores, but caused me to fall in love with the idea of a vegan, dairy-free cashew queso. I also helped a client prep & shoot a similar recipe (also very delicious!), which helped me pick up on some tips for prepping cashew queso.
Tasty! I heated this up on the stove for a couple minutes before eating and it worked great. I made just half a recipe no problem. Thanks 🙂