Looking for the best vegan chili cheese dip? Look no further! This savory dip is loaded with three bean chili, seitan chorizo, and creamy cashew queso. A crowd-pleasing appetizer that everyone will love!
While I love a good vegan cheese dip as much as the next person, what makes chili cheese dip extra special is that you get so much STUFF in every bite.
Whether it’s a bit of seitan chorizo, spicy beans, or chunks of fire-roasted tomatoes, there’s reason after reason to grab another chip and go dunking. Who knows what deliciousness you’ll get with the next mouthful?
It’s a cheesy treasure hunt. And every dive is a winner.
A great way to use leftover chili
For this vegan chili cheese dip, I used leftovers from my favorite chili recipe. My vegan three bean chili is a fan favorite around here.
I’ve heard from so many readers who have made it and loved it. (One person even won a chili competition with it!)
I’ve also made this chili cheese dip with lentil chili. And it’s amazing either way!
I’m a big believer in cooking once and eating multiple times – but not by leftovers alone (although that works too). By re-purposing a dish, it feels new but with very little added effort.
Extra cheesy by way of cashew queso
This protein-packed chili comes together with cashew queso.
Now, I have a regular cashew queso recipe on the blog that I use for things like fully loaded nachos, breakfast nachos, chili cheese tater tots, and breakfast nests. However, for this one I kept things simple since the chili already has so many spices in it.
So with this vegan cheese dip, now you get the velvety creaminess of cashew queso and the added heft of three bean chili.
It’s hearty enough that a person and her spouse could make a lunch of it along with some tortilla chips… Not that I know anyone who would do that. Cough, cough.
In fact, while David is typically not a chili fan because of his dislike for tomato-based stews and pinto beans, he was ALL IN on this vegan chili cheese dip. Every time I’ve made it he’s said, “This is the best vegan cheese dip I’ve ever had.”
So you’ll have to take David’s word that this dip is perfect for summer get-togethers, games nights, or as a starter for your next Taco Tuesday with your sweetheart.
How to make this dip recipe
Blend raw cashews in a high-speed blender with nutritional yeast flakes, white miso paste, and water. (Don’t have a high speed blender? I give a couple alternatives in the recipe below.)
Then add the cashew liquid to a pot with leftover chili, seitan chorizo, and hot sauce.
Feel free to use your preferred homemade or store-bought vegan chorizo. I used Upton’s Naturals chorizo seitan, which is already pre-crumbled in the package for easy use. Just heat and eat!
Stir the pot frequently over a medium heat until the liquid reduces, and the sauce becomes thick like a gravy. It should only take about ten minutes.
Which hot sauce to use?
I seriously have a whole basket of hot sauces in the bottom of my refrigerator and vary which one I pull from depending on the intended purpose. I have hot sauces that are great for stir-fries, some for tacos, some for buffalo sauce, some that stand out in a dish, and others that just add some background heat.
Here are the three top hot sauces in my kitchen.
For this dish, I reach for Trader Joe’s jalapeño hot sauce. It has a really nice, round flavor, and a bit of heat, but not so much that you’re running for a glass of water.
Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce, though. Vary the amount of hot sauce you use depending on the type you choose or your own heat proclivities.
Just add tortilla chips and get dipping!
Put this warm & melty vegan cheese dip in a bowl along with a generous amount of tortilla chips for dunking. Or air fry some french fries and pour them over the top.
Serve with an icy cold Mexican beer (with lime, of course) or a refreshing glass of peach rooibos tea.
This chili cheese dip also works beautifully with a vegan nacho bar!
The best vegan chili cheese dip
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashew pieces*
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ cup vegan three bean chili or your favorite vegan chili
- ½ cup seitan chorizo I used Upton's Naturals seitan chorizo
- 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce Trader Joe's Jalapeno pepper hot sauce is my favorite for this dip
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, blend raw cashew pieces, water, white miso paste, and nutritional yeast flakes until smooth.
- Pour the cashew mixture into a medium-sized pot along with vegan three bean chili, crumbled seitan chorizo, 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot sauce depending on your heat preference, and up to ¼ teaspoon salt. (Depending on your chili and chorizo, you may need more or less salt, as those things vary in saltiness.) Bring the pot to a medium heat, stirring often. (The cashew mixture has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan, and so you want to prevent burning by stirring regularly.)
- Cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced, leaving a thick, velvety queso. If the mixture gets too hot and starts to bubble, lower the heat. If it gets too thick, add up to ¼ cup water.
- Serve hot with chips for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Other ways to use leftover chili:
Pour it over a vegan chili dog.
Add it to a cornmeal crust with frankfurters for a vegan chili dog pizza.
Pour it over tater tots along with non-dairy queso for vegan chili cheese tater tots.
Shell
I love the idea of cooking once and eating multiple times!
This dip looks amazing. I clicked over to revisit the chili recipe, too. Yum! I’m enjoying summer, but the chili makes me (briefly) look forward to fall.
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! It’s such a great time saver to figure out ways to re-purpose food that’s already cooked. It keeps variety while not requiring loads of extra effort. I hear you on fall food. There are some tasty treats that time of year, but I can happily wait for it!
Dianne
I’m a big fan of cooking once and eating several times, too. And this certainly looks like a delicious way to eat leftovers! I’m sure this would be a fun dip for parties, but I don’t think I’d want to share it! 🙂
Cadry
Haha! I know the feeling! This appetizer could totally feed four, but David and I didn’t have any problem finishing it off by ourselves.
Jeni M Hernandez
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to make this dip. I make chili all the time and always have some leftover. This is the perfect way to use it up!
Cadry
That’s great, Jeni! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, Cadry! This looks so decadent! I need to make it next time we have people over.
Cadry
Thanks, Becky! I think you’re going to love it!
Kristie
Hi Cadry! I’m having a hard time finding the white miso paste at any of my local stores. Do you think the flavor would really be affected if I left it out or do you have an idea for a substitution? Thanks!
Cadry
Hi, Kristie! You can definitely omit it. You may need to add a little more salt, because miso is salty. Otherwise, it adds some cheesy richness, but there’s a lot going on in this dip. It won’t be a dealbreaker. Let me know how it goes!
David
I’ve had this many times, and can testify that it is, indeed, the Best Vegan Chili Cheese Dip!”
Cadry
So glad to hear it!
Kiki
I made this after first making the three bean chili. It comes together so quickly and the payoff is big! I could not stop eating it. It’s so cheesy and flavorful. And very versatile. And a great way to get nutritional yeast into my diet. I also made Cadry’s vegan corn cakes and poured some of this over the corn cake as a different meal. Could pour it over nachos, the possibilities are endless! I am wondering if this would “keep” in a small crock pot for a potluck at work. Might have to experiment! This recipe is a keeper 100 times over!
Cadry
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it so much! In answer to your question, it will keep in a small crockpot. However, the dip is already so thick, and in a crockpot, it continues cooking, which only thickens it more. So I’d advise keeping an eye on it, and adding a splash of water to the pot as needed to thin it out. Thanks again for the great feedback!