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    Home » Vegan cheeses

    Creamy cauliflower queso: Nut-free vegan cheese dip

    Updated: May 16, 2024 · Published: Jan 20, 2014 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 38 Comments

    Jump to recipe Watch video
    Text overlay: Creamy cauliflower queso. Vegan. Dairy free. Vegan queso in gravy boat and inside of burrito.

    Creamy cauliflower queso is entirely nut-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It’s made with a base of cauliflower and white beans.

    Creamy cauliflower queso in gravy boat with cilantro on top.

    Of all of the recipes on Cadry’s Kitchen, the most popular is my creamy cauliflower queso. I’ve been making this queso for years.

    Unlike some heavy, weigh-you-down quesos, this one gets its creamy, velvety texture from cauliflower and Great Northern beans. (Cannellini beans will also work!) Nutritional yeast flakes and miso paste give it cheesiness and a rich depth of flavor.

    Ladled over baked fries or used as a dip, guests would never know that there’s cauliflower hidden inside of it!

    It comes together in just about 20 minutes and is so easy to make! (FYI: It also freezes and thaws well if you want to make some now and save the rest for future gatherings!)

    So that’s why I am so excited to have a new video to share with you of how to make this creamy cauliflower queso!

    You can see for yourself how simple it is to make. And I hope you’ll be inspired to get in the kitchen and try it for yourself.

    This kid-friendly queso is wonderful on tortilla chips or spread inside quesadillas. Kristy from Keepin’ It Kind used it for nacho potatoes, and River from Wing-It Vegan made a mouthwatering chili con queso.

    Chris Miller, Kristy Turner, and Jackie Sobon at Tony's Darts Away.
    Kristy smiling at Chris at Tony's Darts Away.

    And if you’re looking for more ideas of where to use the Cauliflower Queso, look no further than Vegan Yack Attack!

    When I was in Los Angeles recently, I was able to meet up with Jackie from Vegan Yack Attack, along with Chris and Kristy.

    We discussed the LA vegan food scene, and bonded over blog-talk. It was so awesome to catch up with these wonderful people.

    Chili cheese burrito with cauliflower queso on small cutting board.

    And today I’m guest posting on Vegan Yack Attack with a recipe for Southwestern Chili Cheese Burritos.

    The filling burritos are made with Spicy Southwestern Chili, a layer of quinoa, and a generous helping of Cauliflower Queso.

    While you’re there, you’ll want to check out all of Jackie’s enticing recipes!

    Chili in bowl with handle.
    Quinoa piled into bowl with cilantro on top.
    Chili cheese burrito with cauliflower queso on cutting board.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Cauliflower queso in gravy boat with cilantro on top.

    Creamy Cauliflower Queso

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 3 votes
    Unlike some heavy, weigh-you-down quesos, this one gets its creamy, velvety texture from cauliflower and Great Northern beans. Ladled over baked fries or used as a dip, guests will never know that there’s cauliflower hidden inside of it! Makes about 2 cups of queso.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 people
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
    Keyword: dip, gluten free, nut free

    Ingredients

    • ½ head cauliflower approximately 2 heaping cups, broken into florets
    • 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil divided
    • ½ small yellow onion approximately ¾ cup, diced
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • ½ cup non-dairy milk* + up to ¼ cup more if necessary
    • 1 cup Great Northern Beans drained and rinsed
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
    • 1 ½ teaspoon white miso paste
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce Trader Joe’s brand is my favorite
    • 1 Tablespoon pickled jalapeno slices
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cauliflower florets in 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and lay evenly across a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Roast cauliflower for 20 minutes, stopping once to toss for even roasting.
    • While the cauliflower is roasting, heat a skillet under medium heat, add remaining 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil to pan. Sauté onions and garlic in pan for 5 or 6 minutes, until very soft, fragrant, and translucent. (Turn heat to low if they start to stick.)
    • In a high speed blender, combine roasted cauliflower, onion and garlic mixture, and the remaining ingredients. (Be careful not to be too heavy handed with the salt since miso, hot sauce, and pickled jalapeno slices are already salty.) Blend until the queso is completely smooth and velvety. If you’d prefer a more liquidy queso, add up to ¼ cup more of non-dairy milk and blend until fully combined.

    Watch how to make it

    Notes

    *If it’s important for you that this queso is nut-free, be sure to use a non-dairy milk that doesn’t include nuts. 
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 19.8mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.9mg

    More Vegan cheeses

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      Cheesy vegan udon noodles with Brussels sprouts (25-minute recipe)
    • Bowl of chunky dairy free cauliflower cheese soup.
      Vegan cauliflower cheese soup
    • Fork digging into pasta with vegan parmesan and garlic bread.
      Vegan parmesan cheese with cashews
    • Wreath platter lined with tofu cheese balls on dill & rosemary.
      Vegan cheese balls holiday wreath
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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Jessica

      January 11, 2017 at 3:38 pm

      This sounds amazing! I have a question: my mother is trying to do a completely oil-free diet for heart health, so how could I tweak this to leave out the olive oil? So glad to finally find a vegan queso that doesn’t have cashews or tahini.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 11, 2017 at 3:54 pm

        Oh, it wouldn’t be hard at all to do this oil-free! Since the cauliflower is roasted on parchment, you can just leave the oil off and it won’t stick. Just check and make sure it’s not burning, and turn it a little more often if needed. (If you’re concerned, you could even just steam the cauliflower instead.) As for the teaspoon of oil that’s used to saute the onions and garlic, use a teaspoon of water instead. Once the skillet is hot, put the teaspoon of water in it, and saute. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
      • Cadry

        January 12, 2017 at 11:12 am

        Hi again, Jessica!

        I remembered that I have another oil-free, cashew-free, and tahini-free queso on my site as well. http://cadryskitchen.com/2013/09/18/back-in-thyme-puffy-nachos-with-spicy-black-beans/

        Best of luck!

        Reply
    2. Kathryn

      February 11, 2014 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      My husband loves this stuff!! I made it to put on bean chili tacos. Super delicious.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        February 12, 2014 at 9:37 am

        I’m so glad to hear that, Kathryn! Thank you for letting me know!

        Reply
    3. thepeacepatch

      January 29, 2014 at 6:11 pm

      I’m thinking I might need to try a fusion thing…queso calzone maybe though I really want to try making stromboli. Queso might be a fun filling to play with! Thanks Cadry! 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 30, 2014 at 7:35 am

        Oh, a queso calzone sounds delicious! Let me know how your experimenting goes! One of the fun things about recipes is tweaking them to fit your vision.

        Reply
    4. Amanda

      January 22, 2014 at 10:36 am

      I love that you called nutritional yeast flakes “vegan magic dust” – it’s so true! Your recipe sounds delicious, Cadry. I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 22, 2014 at 10:39 am

        Yay! Thanks, Amanda! Sometimes I wonder what I did before I knew about nutritional yeast flakes. They make everything better! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Kale Crusaders

      January 22, 2014 at 8:50 am

      Wow, Cadry, you are a natural in front of the camera! Your video reminded me how much I used to love to watch cooking shows on TV. Ironically I wasn’t much of a cook back then. Funny how things change! Keep up the fabulous work!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 22, 2014 at 10:14 am

        What a sweet thing to say! Thank you! I used to love watching cooking shows on TV too. I sometimes flip past them when I’m at the gym now (we don’t have cable at home), and they’re fun to watch until they start cooking something grizzly.

        It’s nice to see you back again!! I look forward to more anthropomorphic food cartoons! 🙂

        Reply
    6. flickingthevs

      January 22, 2014 at 3:23 am

      I didn’t even know you had a YouTube channel – clearly I’ve been missing out!This has all of my favourite things in – awesome. One question though, we don’t have great northern beans here, reckon butter beans would do the trick?

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 22, 2014 at 10:06 am

        It would probably work with butter beans; although, I’ve never tried it. It seems like butter beans have slightly less moisture than Great Northern beans or Cannelini beans. So you might want to add a little more water, depending on how liquidy you like your queso. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    7. Herbivore Triathlete

      January 21, 2014 at 7:17 pm

      I love a good cheese sauce. I am definitely going to make this. I bet it’s good on pretty much anything. Totally jealous that you guys all got to hang out!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 22, 2014 at 10:04 am

        I hope you like it! You’ll have to let me know how it goes! It was such fun getting to reconnect with Jackie, Kristy, and Chris. They are all such incredible people. If you go to the next Vida Vegan Con, maybe we’ll all get to hang out then! 🙂

        Reply
        • Herbivore Triathlete

          January 22, 2014 at 4:07 pm

          If it’s on the West Coast chances are I won’t be there 🙁 Hopefully it will be closer to the East Coast!

          Reply
          • Cadry

            January 24, 2014 at 10:53 am

            I know they have been checking out Austin, Chicago, and Las Vegas, but I haven’t heard about anything on the East Coast. Regardless, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!

            Reply
            • Herbivore Triathlete

              January 24, 2014 at 2:56 pm

              Chicago would be do-able! Let’s hope for Chi-town.

              Reply
              • Cadry

                January 24, 2014 at 3:10 pm

                I’m all for that! That would be easy driving distance for me!

                Reply
                • Herbivore Triathlete

                  January 24, 2014 at 4:43 pm

                  Me too! 🙂

                  Reply
    8. Richa

      January 21, 2014 at 3:35 pm

      looks ahmazing. i might just pass this video to hubbs so he can make some goodies for the superbowl!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 22, 2014 at 9:54 am

        Good idea! This would be a terrific addition to the appetizer tray for a Super Bowl gathering.

        Reply
    9. Kristy

      January 21, 2014 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      Great video! And I don’t need to tell you how much I love your queso. 🙂

      Can we all just meet up at Tony’s again, like, tonight? We miss you guys!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 22, 2014 at 9:52 am

        Thanks, Kristy!! We miss you too! Another session at Tony’s with lots of laughter and donuts afterwards would be awesome! Hopefully it won’t be too long until we’re able to make it happen again.

        Reply
    10. Barb@ThatWasVegan?

      January 21, 2014 at 3:16 pm

      You had me at queso, but once you mentioned serving it over baked fries, I almost fell out of my chair!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 21, 2014 at 3:18 pm

        That could be dangerous in your condition! I should have posted a warning! 😉

        Reply
    11. Becky

      January 21, 2014 at 2:37 pm

      That queso looks fantastic, and nice work on the video!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 21, 2014 at 3:18 pm

        Thanks, Becky! 🙂

        Reply
    12. acookinthemaking

      January 21, 2014 at 2:04 pm

      This sounds so yummy. I’ve been thinking about cauliflower recently and this may be just the push I need to go get some!!

      I wish I could watch the video but it’s blocked at work 🙁 When I go home though I will definitely subscribe to your YouTube channel–that is too cool!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 21, 2014 at 3:20 pm

        Cauliflower is kind of amazing in the way it can be a chameleon. It’s the cashew of vegetables!

        I don’t blame your office for blocking this video. The things I do with Great Northern beans in it are pretty scandalous. 😉 Kidding! I hope you enjoy it when you get home!

        Reply
    13. cookeasyvegan

      January 21, 2014 at 12:49 pm

      Nice video, Cadry! I really love recipes that taste creamy and rich but are filled with healthy ingredients instead of fats. The recipe sounds very versatile and delicious. I have to say that the last time I made a cauliflower cheese sauce for mac ‘n’ cheese, my granddaughter wouldn’t eat it, even though I thought it tasted great. I’m definitely going to try again!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 21, 2014 at 3:23 pm

        Thanks, Andrea! I’ve had several people tell me that their kids gobbled up this queso, but I remember that your granddaughter was a tough critic! Maybe she’d be more into the cashew-based quesos. I am a big fan of both. Sometimes a queso made with cashews & hemp seeds or nutritional yeast and flour hit the spot. Other times I’m glad for something that is a little less caloric and more nutrient-dense.

        Reply
    14. theunintentionalvegan

      January 21, 2014 at 11:42 am

      This would be perfect for my Super Bowl party. I’ll definitely be whipping up a batch (or two!) – also, love the vid!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 21, 2014 at 3:24 pm

        Awesome! Let me know what you think! And I’m so glad you liked the video!

        Reply
    15. Lisa @ Je suis alimentageuse

      January 20, 2014 at 9:12 pm

      YUM. I’ve been looking for a good veg queso recipe. Cauliflower and beans?!?! Genius. Pinning and sharing over on my FB’s blog page tomorrow =)

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 21, 2014 at 3:24 pm

        Excellent! Glad to hear it, Lisa, and thank you!

        Reply
    16. Randi (laughfrodisiac)

      January 20, 2014 at 7:30 pm

      Amazing! First of all, you are too adorable. Second, I’m mad I used my head of cauliflower last night in my pizza because I need to make this asap! I love that it mixes cauli and white beans so I can make it anywhere, no real specialty ingredients needed. You rock!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 22, 2014 at 9:51 am

        Aw, thanks, Randi! I hope you like it if you decide to make it!

        Reply

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