Best Vegan Queso (Quick + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista (2024)

FAQs

Why put evaporated milk in queso? ›

Evaporated milk works best in queso because it doesn't have that excess of water and it can help your dip reach a delicate balance between super thick and too thin. (As in you're not constantly having to alternate between adding more milk and then more cheese.)

It's creamy, cheesy, indulgent, and tastes so much like the real thing! Made with cashews, nutritional yeast, diced tomatoes, and green chilies, no one will ever guess it's vegan, dairy-free, and healthy. This recipe is based on this solid 5-Ingredient Vegan Queso recipe from Nora Cooks.

To make a thinner cheese dip, you can add more milk a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. This is great scooped up with some tortilla chips, but it is also great for making nachos or burritos!

Literally Spanish for “cheese,” as in, a quesadilla—queso typically refers to a hot cheese dip that is frequently eaten with tortilla chips. Mexican and Tex Mex restaurants often feature it on their appetizer menu, having figured out that many people enjoy eating straight cheese before, during, and after a meal.

Those starch molecules thicken the sauce, while the concentrated milk proteins from the evaporated milk add that signature dairy flavor, without all the water you'd get from cream or regular milk. Translation? Smooth, shiny, perfectly emulsified cheese that doesn't clump, taste floury, or break into greasy pools.

Thus, heavy cream can easily be substituted for recipes that call for evaporated milk. How to Substitute: For 12 ounces of evaporated milk, combine 3 ounces of whole milk and 9 ounces of heavy cream.

A: Velveeta is a processed cheese which is not vegan. It's made with milk and whey, both come from cows. A great alternative is this vegan nacho cheese.

Like regular cheese, vegan cheese can be part of a healthy diet when used in moderation — but it's best to avoid highly processed options. However, not all vegan cheeses are created equally. Some versions are highly processed and have less nutritional value than others.

For dips, you'll want to use a tablespoon of cornstarch per pound of cheese, then add at least five ounces of evaporated milk. After that, you can use more evaporated milk to thin out your dip as much as you need.

If you're going thick and cheesy, use about 2 cups of cheese with ¼ cup milk alternative or water. For a thinner creamy sauce, use the same amount of cheese but add an extra ¼ cup of liquid (½ cup total).

How to keep queso from getting thick? ›

Cheese sauce can be kept from congealing by applying enough heat to keep it semi-liquid but not enough to scorch it or dry it out.

Other soft, fresh Mexican cheeses labeled "queso de frier" or "queso de parilla" (cheese for frying or grilling, respectively) can be used as a substitute if you can't find queso blanco or queso fresco. Other frying cheeses, such as paneer and halloumi, may also be used for this purpose.

Queso is a Spanish word that translates to “cheese” in English. However, when people refer to “queso” in the context of food, they are usually talking about a type of melted cheese dip that is commonly enjoyed as a snack or appetizer, particularly in Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisines.

Whether it's orange or white, queso can contain green chiles or jalapenos or both, and it may be spiced with a dash of cumin or chili powder. Some even add meat to queso, like ground beef or spicy sausage.

This old-school pantry staple brings velvety texture to soups, makes decadent desserts, prevents curdling in milk-based sauces, and even tenderizes proteins. What do Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings, Howie Dorough from the Backstreet Boys, and the evaporated milk from your grandma's pantry have in common?

Evaporated milk is often used in much the same way that half-and-half is, in custards, cakes, shakes and candies like fudge. When you have a recipe that calls for milk and you don't have fresh milk, you'll be glad you've got that can of evaporated milk in the pantry.

Cheese sauce can be kept from congealing by applying enough heat to keep it semi-liquid but not enough to scorch it or dry it out.

Making a slurry with cornstarch and cold milk is how you will thicken your queso. A traditional slurry is a 1:1 liquid to cornstarch ratio, but for our queso purposes I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of milk.