Tofu Queso Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut Free)
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Jump to Recipe Watch VideoThis tofu queso recipe is a creamy and flavorful sauce that is ready in 5 minutes in a blender. A rich and cheese sauce that is vegan and gluten free.
Great for nachos, burritos, or just as a party dip for tortilla chips. Blend all the ingredients together and fiesta forever!
This tofu queso recipe saved our party last weekend, and was a huge hit for everyone! It’s creamy, tasty, and perfectly spiced.
This Tofu Queso Recipe Is:
- Creamy
- Cheesy
- A Little Spicy
- Loaded with Flavor
- Bright
- Fresh
- Made in the Blender
- Vegan, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free
A Great Last Minute Vegan Dip Recipe – with Pantry Ingredients
This tofu queso recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple dip! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious meals using a few staples you can rotate.
I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep stocked. By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
What’s In Tofu Queso Dip?
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Silken Tofu
- Nutritional Yeast: not to be confused with bread baking yeast, nutritional yeast has a cheesy nutty umami flavor which is great in all kinds of dishes – I even sprinkle it on fresh popped pop corn and WOW! Also great in soups and sauces of all kinds.
- Garlic
- Jalapenos: if you don’t have fresh jalapenos, these jarred sliced jalapenos are a fantastic addition to the dip! I use these in a pinch, they’re great to keep a jar or two in the pantry.
- Vegetable Oil
- Garlic Powder: Also a major pantry staple ingredient that gets used in our house daily! I love this garlic powder and add it to a lot of recipes that I would use fresh garlic in too.
- Smoked Paprika: give an additional depth of flavor to this dish.
- Cumin: also adds a really nice flavor to this recipe – cumin has a lightly smokey flavor found in a lot of chili recipes.
- Lime Juice
Is This Vegan Queso Authentic?
For the record, in no way is this a real authentic “queso” dip. Queso means cheese in Spanish, and since this dip has no real cheese in it, I borrowed the mere concept of queso to adapt it and make it vegan. The result is a creamy, spicy, cheesy-tasting dip that is 100% plant-based, but in no way part of traditional Mexican cuisine.
If you are looking for a real cheese queso recipe, here is one I found online from a group of local Mexican restaurants by us. They vouch that it is authentic Mexican queso dip, so sharing it here!
How Do I Make Queso with Tofu?
- Add all of the below ingredients to a blender, and blend well to combine, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer sauce to a serving bowl, and top with extra paprika or cilantro for a garnish.
- Enjoy it as a dip, a sauce, or add it to your next burrito!
Other Tofu Dips and Sauces You’ll Love!
Vegan Boom Boom Sauce Recipe (Dairy Free, High Protein, Low Sodium)
Vegan Garlic Sauce For Falafel, Kebab, and Shawarma Recipe
Tofu Mayo Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, Egg Free)
Tzatziki Sauce with Tofu Recipe (Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
Tofu Sour Cream Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Share This Queso with Tofu
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Tofu Queso
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce block tofu
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 jalapeno seeded
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 lime juiced
- Paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Add all of the below ingredients to a blender, and blend well to combine, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer sauce to a serving bowl, and top with extra paprika or cilantro for a garnish.
- Enjoy it as a dip, a sauce, or add it to your next burrito!
Nutrition
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Wow! First time trying to make a dressing/dip with tofu. I’m on a high protein and very low carb diet. This is freaking fantastic!! I can say I didn’t measure, besides with my heart and it has blown me away. Sitting here eating it with some sauteed zucchini and this will be on my rotation of recipes! Thank you so much!
Hi Jeni – I’m so glad to hear that you loved it! Once you start cooking tofu different ways, you’ll be amazed at all it can do 🙂 I’d recommend trying a tofu breakfast scramble (like scrambled eggs) or our vegan boom boom sauce which is another tofu-based favorite 🙂
Thanks again for the rating and review!
– Kelly
The amount of sodium in your nutrition info is way off considering a teaspoon of salt has approximately 2300 mg. When you divide this recipe by 8 servings = 237.5 mg of sodium.
I really wanted to try this recipe but need to watch my sodium intake.
Is the oil necessary?
I love it it’s great! I added a teaspoon of salt and a bit more jalapeño and it’s awesome!
I added a tsp of salt and a tbsp of tomato paste. I’m now eating this with a spoon. OMG…my new favourite thing.
Hi Maggie! What great additions – and yes, it’s such an addicting snack, thank you for rating this one 🙂
– Kelly
First time trying vegan queso and this is really great! I love how quickly it comes together and honestly tastes delicious. I added a little salsa to the blender and used pickled Jalapeños instead of fresh. Super easy, healthy and a great queso substitute! Thanks for the recipe!
This is great! I was looking to sub cashews out for tofu because of tofus benefits. I make a ton of vegan queso and for this one I added the juice of 1 whole lemon, about a teaspoon of salt, and some smoked paprika… oh and about 1/4 cup of water. Perfecto!