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    You are here: Home / Appetizers / Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip

    LAST UPDATED: August 3, 2018 • FIRST PUBLISHED: July 2, 2018

    Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Take this vegan taco dip to a party, watch your friends devour it, and then tell them it's vegan! This irresistible dip is packed with dairy-free goodness, spicy flavor, and is sure to be a hit.

    Hand Dipping a Chip into a Plate of Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip

    This is a vegan remake of a dip my mom used to make when I was growing up. We always brought it to get-togethers and inevitably some unsuspecting person would end up parking in front of it and polishing off the whole plate. Addictive stuff!

    Back then we called it "walking taco," but I'm not sure that's correct. I Googled the term and apparently "walking taco" is a taco that's designed to be portable. That doesn't really make sense here, and given it's a dip and designed to be a party snack, walking around with the whole plate would be pretty rude.

    Close Up of Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip On a Plate Topped with Bell Peppers, Olives, Scallions, and Cilantro

    I'm pretty sure the cheesy base portion of mom's walking taco dip was nothing more than a brick of cream cheese and a packet of taco seasoning. That makes it pretty easy to veganize: I basically whipped up a batch of my cashew cream cheese and threw in a bunch of spices to make a DIY taco seasoning.

    Food Processor Bowl Filled with Spiced Cashew Cheese for Making Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip

    If you're feeling lazy and would rather use a premade taco seasoning, go ahead! I'm sure it would work just fine and I'm guessing you'll need about one packet (or 2 tablespoons).

    Don't feel limited when it comes to toppings! I chose toppings that I really like and happened to have on hand, but you could use just about any veggies you like, lettuce, tomato, avocado...even throw a whole jar of salsa on top if you want!

    Collage Showing Toppings for Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip, and Hand Spreading Cashew Cheese on a Plate to Make Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip

    Tips for Making Delicious Vegan Taco Dip

    • The base can be made up to two days in advance.
    • Switch up the toppings if you like! Use your favorite veggies, or even add some shredded vegan cheese.
    • If you forget to soak your cashews, just boil them for 15 minutes.
    • Be patient when blending the base — it can take a few minutes, especially if you're not working with a high-powered blending device.

    Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip on a Plate with Chips and Water Glass in the Background

    I made a video to show you just how easy it is to make this cheesy vegan taco dip!

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Hand Dipping a Chip into a Plate of Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip
    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip

    Take this vegan taco dip to a party, watch your friends devour it, and then tell them it's vegan! This irresistible dip is packed with dairy-free goodness, spicy flavor, and sure to be a hit.

    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American, Mexican
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Soak time 4 hours
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 8
    Calories 248 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
    • 2-4 tablespoons unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon oregano
    • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 small red bell pepper, diced
    • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
    • 1 cup sliced black olives
    • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
    • ½ cup chopped scallions
    • Tortilla chips, for serving

    Instructions

    1. Place the cashews, 2 tablespoons of milk, lemon juice, chili powder, cumin, paprika, ancho chile powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.

    2. Blend the mixture until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, and adding an additional 2 tablespoons of milk if needed. This can take a few minutes, depending on how powerful your food processor is.

    3. Spread the cashew mixture onto a plate and top with peppers, olives, cilantro and scallions. 

    4. Arrange chips on the plate surrounding the dip. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    Nutrition information does not include chips.

    Nutrition Facts
    Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 248 Calories from Fat 166
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 18.4g28%
    Saturated Fat 3.5g18%
    Sodium 476mg20%
    Potassium 309mg9%
    Carbohydrates 15.9g5%
    Fiber 2.9g12%
    Sugar 3.3g4%
    Protein 6.2g12%
    Calcium 80mg8%
    Iron 3.2mg18%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Cheesy Vegan Taco Dip
    « Chipotle Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili
    Indian-Inspired Chickpea & Summer Corn Curry »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shanna says

      December 09, 2018 at 8:31 pm

      5 stars
      i just have to say i absolutely love that you do videos. it just makes everything look so easy. which is so helpful. I haven't been cooking for that many years (I'm 28) and it just helps me to SEE the recipe being done in that one minute clip. Most blogs don't do that and for a novice cooker, it really does help me. thank you

      oh and this look awesome, i'll be making this!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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