Vegan Rotel Dip (dairy-free nacho cheese without cashews)

Silky, rich potato carrot cheese sauce mixed with spicy Rotel becomes a tasty vegan rotel dip. You and your family will love this dairy-free nacho cheese without cashews with tortilla chips.

Game day, movie night, game night, any night is an excuse to make queso, y'all.

This dairy-free rotel dip is whole food plant based (WFPB), oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free and nut-free (if you use a plant-based milk with no nuts), so it's allergy friendly.

🧄 Very useful ingredient notes

This vegan rotel dip is made with potatoes and carrots as the base!

• Rotel - a brand name popular in America for their canned petite diced tomatoes with spicy green chiles. It adds instant flavor and heat to this nacho cheese dip. You can buy it in mild or original (spicier) versions. Look for this in the canned vegetable aisle by the canned tomatoes. If they don't have Rotel brand, get the store-brand.
• Potatoes - Use russet or gold potatoes and be sure to peel them. Humble and nutritious potatoes make this sauce so thick and silky, thanks to their starchiness. It really is amazing. If you've never tried a potato/carrot based cheese sauce, give it a try! It's not going to taste exactly like Velveeta, but it looks the part, behaves like meltable cheese and tastes great.
• Carrots - Gives the cheese sauce color and a little bit of sweetness.
• Milk - Use a plain, unflavored, unsweetened almond milk, soy milk or cashew milk for this recipe.
• Nutritional yeast - Makes the nacho cheese sauce taste cheesy.
• Ground turmeric - Gives the cheese sauce color. Don't overdo it or add too much, as it will give the sauce a bitter flavor.

📋 Substitutions and variations

Here are some substitutions you can try for this recipe:

• Rotel - use off-brand or store-brand petite diced tomatoes with spicy green chiles instead of the Rotel brand. (Aldi's version is half the price and just as good!) Rotel is basically petite diced tomatoes with spicy green chiles and a few seasonings. So, you can also substitute mild, medium or spicy tomato salsa for Rotel in the recipe. Another option is canned chopped green chiles or jalapeños (canned, pickled, fresh raw or roasted) instead.
• Potatoes - Up to ½ of the potatoes can be substituted with cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen) in this recipe. The more cauliflower you use, the less thick and starchy the cheese sauce will be.
• Onion - Instead of using fresh onion, you can use frozen onion. Or, if you're in a pinch, use ½ teaspoon onion powder (add it straight to the blender). Do not use red/purple onion, it will make the cheese sauce change colors.
• Garlic - Instead of fresh garlic cloves, use jarred 2 teaspoons minced or crushed garlic (add it straight to the blender). Or, if you're in a pinch, use ½ teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic.
• Lemon juice - Instead of lemon juice, use 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or white wine vinegar.

Want to switch up the flavors? Here are some variations to try with this recipe:

• Taco Seasoning - Mix in one packet (or 1-2 tablespoons) of taco seasoning to the cheese sauce instead of the Rotel.
• Jalapeños - Blend in ¼ cup of canned jalapeños when blending the cheese sauce. Or, mix in diced raw, roasted or sautéed jalapeños and onions instead of the Rotel
• Vegan Chorizo Queso - This variation is not oil-free, unless you have homemade oil-free vegan chorizo. Heat 1 cup of vegan chorizo crumbles in a skillet or small saucepan until hot, stirring regularly. Reduce heat and carefully pour cheese sauce into pan and stir. Bring to a simmer. Enjoy your vegan chorizo nacho cheese dip.

🔪 Instructions

Step-by-step instructions for how to make vegan nacho cheese. This dairy-free rotel dip is super fast if you already have some prepared vegan cheese sauce sitting in the refrigerator. But, if not, it's easy to make.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions

• Rotel Dip and Chips - Devour this spicy vegan queso with tortilla chips as a dip or appetizer.
• Kid-friendly queso - My kids love it, so if you're making it for kids that are not able to handle spicy food, I would recommend getting the mild version of Rotel.
• Pair with homemade oil-free tortilla chips - If you're looking for an oil-free, fat-free option for tortilla chips, you can bake your own in about 20 minutes! Here's my recipe for homemade baked tortilla chips.
• Sauce for enchiladas, flautas, taquitos or tacos
• Make Loaded Vegan Nachos
• Pour over a homemade plant-based burrito bowl
• Drizzle over tostadas

🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

We comfortably keep this vegan queso stored in an airtight container or mason jar in our refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze vegan nacho cheese? Yes! You can freeze this vegan nacho cheese for up to 3 months.

To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Or, you can defrost it in the microwave using your defrost setting. Once it's thawed, place it in a small saucepan over medium low heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until it becomes smooth again, all the ice crystals have dissolved and it's bubbly.

❓ FAQ

🗺 Cultural influences

This recipe is inspired by my background as a native of Houston, Texas, where TexMex cuisine is abundant, authentic and celebrated. It's a vegan take on Velveeta and Rotel Dip.

What is the difference between Rotel dip and chile con queso?

Rotel dip is typically made of 2 ingredients: Velveeta cheese and a can of Rotel.

Chile con queso is made of other types of cheese, along with onions, green chiles (jalapeño, serrano, etc.) and cilantro. It may or may not have tomato, spices, ground meat or chorizo.

Both are eaten throughout Texas. But, you'll find chile con queso at restaurants, whereas Rotel dip is often made at home when there's a family gathering or party. It's easy to make in a Crockpot or slow cooker and is always a hit.

If you're at a restaurant and they're serving a velveeta-based Rotel dip, you should seriously consider whether you should be eating there.

See About for more information on my cultural influences and how I attribute recipes.

📖 Recipe