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    Home » Appetizers

    The BEST vegan chili cheese dip

    Published: Jun 26, 2018 · Modified: Mar 13, 2023 by Cadry Nelson
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text overlay: The BEST vegan chili cheese dip. Tortilla chip with cheese sauce on top.

    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.

    It’s a crowd-pleasing appetizer that everyone will love!

    Tortilla chip with cashew queso and chives.

    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.

    Tortilla chip dipping into bowl of cashew cheese dip.

    For this vegan chili cheese dip, I use leftovers from my favorite chili recipe. My vegan three bean chili is beloved around here.

    But you can use any vegan chili that you like. (Even canned chili!)

    It comes together with creamy cashew cheese sauce. That’s what gives this decadent sauce body and flavor.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Standard blender instructions
    • Serving ideas
    • Make it your own
    • Storing & reheating
    • More vegan dips
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

    Raw cashews: Raw cashews give this sauce creamy thickness. Look for it near other nuts at the grocery store.

    White miso paste: This fermented soybean paste adds salt and umami. Look for it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. It’s often near the tofu.

    Nutritional yeast flakes: This vegan pantry staple adds cheesiness to this dip.

    I often buy it at Trader Joe’s. You can also find it in some natural grocery store bulk bins, or near alternative flours.

    (Read more about it in this post explaining what is nutritional yeast.)

    Vegan chili: This recipe is a great way to repurpose leftover 3 bean chili.

    It can easily be replaced with whatever chili you have on hand, even canned chili.

    Seitan chorizo: This meatless chorizo adds bite, protein, and spice.

    Look for it with other vegan meats in the refrigerated section. I usually buy Upton’s Naturals chorizo.

    Hot sauce: Hot sauce adds kick to this flavorful dip. Add more, less, or omit completely, depending on your heat preferences.

    Red jalapeno pepper sauce is my favorite here.

    Salt: A little salt brings it all together.

    Because the miso paste, hot sauce, and chorizo are salty, remember to adjust to your own tastes.

    Step by step instructions

    Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

    Cashews, water, miso paste, and nutritional yeast in Vitamix blender pitcher.

    Blend the following in a high speed blender:

    • Raw cashews
    • Nutritional yeast flakes
    • White miso paste
    • Water
    Add vegan chorizo to dairy free cheese sauce in pot.

    Then add the cashew liquid to a pot with the following:

    • Leftover chili
    • Seitan chorizo
    • Hot sauce
    Hot sauce being added to vegan cheese sauce in pot.

    Stir the pot frequently over a medium heat until the liquid reduces.

    The sauce will become thick like a gravy.

    Spatula stirring chili cheese sauce.

    It should only take about ten minutes.

    Then it’s ready to serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

    Standard blender instructions

    If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll need to soften the raw cashews before blending.

    You have three options for this workaround.

    Choose ONE of the following:

    1. Soak raw cashews in water for several hours. Then drain & continue with the recipe as written.
    2. Grind dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder. Then add them to your standard blender along with the other blender ingredients.
    3. Cover raw cashews in hot water for 10 to 30 minutes to soften them. Then drain and continue with the recipe as written.

    Serving ideas

    Vegan chili cheese dip in white bowl by beer and tortilla chips.

    This melty vegan cheese dip goes well with tortilla chips or baked fries for dunking.

    It also works beautifully as part of a vegan nacho bar!

    Finally, you could serve this dairy free cheese dip with any of these main courses:

    • Vegan refried bean tostadas
    • Vegan lentil tacos
    • Tempeh tacos
    • Vegan taco salad
    • Chickpea tacos

    Make it your own

    Vegan chili cheese dip in bowl on table with tortilla chips.

    You can make this mouthwatering dip your own by varying the ingredients.

    Vary the type of chili

    Instead of 3 bean chili, replace with:

    • Lentil chili
    • Meatless chili with Soy Curls
    • You could even use canned vegetarian chili!

    Vary the vegan meat

    Vegan chorizo adds toothsome bite & protein. But it can easily be replaced with a different type of meatless chorizo, or a different plant-based meat altogether.

    Use any of the following:

    • Seitan-style chorizo
    • Soyrizo
    • Impossible burger (Brown in a skillet before adding)
    • Beefless crumbles

    Omit miso paste

    Miso adds cheesy umami and salt.

    However, if you’d prefer to leave it out, add a pinch of salt, if necessary.

    Storing & reheating

    Store vegan chili cheese dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 4 days.

    Note that the dip will thicken in the refrigerator. So when reheating, you may need to add up to ¼ cup of water to bring it back to the right thickness.

    Reheat in a pot on the stove on a low medium heat, or in the microwave. Remember to stir often.

    This dip also freezes well in a freezer-proof container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

    Simply move it to the refrigerator to thaw before reheating.

    More vegan dips

    Keep the party going with even more delicious vegan dips.

    • Vegan 7 layer dip
    • Vegan baba ganoush
    • 6-ingredient guacamole
    • Dill pickle hummus
    Tortilla chip dipping into dairy-free chili cheese dip.

    📖 Recipe

    Bowl of vegan chili cheese dip on table with beer and tortilla chips.

    The BEST vegan chili cheese dip

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 7 votes
    You're going to want to look for any excuse to add this vegan chili cheese dip to your food line-up. "Friends, it's time for an emergency game of Uno. Mommy needs cheese dip."
    Packed with three bean chili, seitan chorizo, and creamy cashew queso, you'll have no problem polishing off this dip with every last tortilla chip in the bag. Don't say I didn't warn you!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
    Keyword: dairy free, dip
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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 use Upton's Naturals seitan chorizo
    • 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce or to taste
    • 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

    *If you’re not using a high speed blender, you’ll need to soak the raw cashews in water for a few hours to soften them. Drain and continue the recipe as follows. Or if you need queso in a hurry, grind the dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder until they become a flour. Add them to your regular blender and make the recipe as follows.
    This dip will thicken in the refrigerator. So if you’re making it ahead of a party or gathering to re-heat later, you may want to add up to ¼ cup of water either while making the cashew queso initially or when reheating.
    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 4 days. Reheat in a pot on the stove over a low medium heat, or in the microwave, stirring often.
    It can also be frozen in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2.7mg

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

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    1. Kiki

      December 17, 2019 at 8:52 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 19, 2019 at 1:46 pm

        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!

        Reply
    2. David

      March 08, 2019 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve had this many times, and can testify that it is, indeed, the Best Vegan Chili Cheese Dip!”

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 19, 2019 at 1:43 pm

        So glad to hear it!

        Reply
    3. Kristie

      September 23, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        September 23, 2018 at 12:30 pm

        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!

        Reply
    4. Becky Striepe

      July 02, 2018 at 8:48 am

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh, Cadry! This looks so decadent! I need to make it next time we have people over.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        July 03, 2018 at 10:23 am

        Thanks, Becky! I think you’re going to love it!

        Reply
    5. Jeni M Hernandez

      June 28, 2018 at 10:06 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 29, 2018 at 10:06 am

        That’s great, Jeni! I hope you love it as much as I do.

        Reply
    6. Dianne

      June 27, 2018 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      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! 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 29, 2018 at 10:06 am

        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.

        Reply
    7. Shell

      June 26, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 27, 2018 at 9:45 am

        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!

        Reply

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