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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
I made a video to show you just how easy it is to make this cheesy vegan taco dip!
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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.
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
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
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.
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.
Spread the cashew mixture onto a plate and top with peppers, olives, cilantro and scallions.
Arrange chips on the plate surrounding the dip. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information does not include chips.
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