Dairy Free Chili Con Queso Dip
This is the ultimate dairy free chili con queso dip. It comes together in a flash with canned ingredients from your pantry, and it’s the perfect dip for the upcoming football season – with plenty to feed those hungry guests! Makes about 12 servings.
Why you’ll love this dairy free chili con queso
Dairy free dips can be a tricky thing. They seem to rely on overly processed dairy free substitutes, or they’re just not close enough to the real thing to be satisfying. But, this dairy free chili con queso is different. I’ve used a blend of homemade cashew cream and canned coconut milk to create a creamy base for flavorful chili, spicy tomatoes and chiles. Other than making the cashew cream and chopping the cilantro, this recipe requires barely any prep at all.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this Mexican quinoa, and these rotisserie chicken tacos and this roasted chili corn salsa.
Searching for more Mexican inspired recipes? bbq pulled pork nachos / spicy Mexican chicken sliders / chipotle blender salsa / vegan queso
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Cashew cream – You can follow the recipe for homemade cashew cream, or if you have some already processed that would work well too.
- Coconut cream – Use full-fat coconut cream and chill in the fridge before use.
- Hormel chili – You can use any brand of canned chili that you like. If you want to make this recipe vegan, try swapping out the can of chili in this recipe for a vegan version like this one or substitute some homemade pico de gallo instead.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make dairy free chili con queso
Prep the coconut and cashew cream. Start by chilling your canned coconut milk in the fridge and making your cashew cream. You can do this step up to a few days in advance, and it will make your life a lot easier if you’re entertaining.
When you’re ready, just open the can, scoop the thick part of the coconut milk from the top of the can and measure in it with a solid measuring cup. Save the remaining coconut water for your favorite smoothie.
To make your cashew cream, place 1 cup of raw cashews in a stockpot and cover with water. Bring them to a boil and let them cook for 5 – 10 minutes. Then, remove them from heat and let them cool.
Pop them into a food processor or blender and blend them with whatever dairy-free milk you have on hand (I used cashew milk). Blend until the cashew cream is super smooth. If you need to, scrape the sides as you go. Set the cashew cream aside or refrigerate until you’re ready to make your dip.
Make the dip. When you’re ready to make your dip, heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 small can of chopped green chiles and some minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Then, add your taco seasoning, coconut cream and cashew cream.
Next you’ll add one can of chili without beans and one [drained] can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. I love using canned chili for this recipe because I don’t have any waste. One of my favorite things about using canned foods in general is our lack of waste. One can provides enough chili for the recipe. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I don’t need to make my own. It’s so easy.
Give it all a good stir, and let your dip simmer for a while over low heat. I also like to add a bit of nutritional yeast to my dip to help mimic the flavor of cheese as well as a little bit of salt to bring out the flavors.
After about 10 minutes, remove your dip from the heat and let it cool for a while. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.
Tips for making dairy free queso
- Prepare your coconut and cashew cream ahead of time.
- Use canned ingredients to make this recipe quick and easy.
- Add nutritional yeast to create a “cheesy” flavor. If you don’t have it, it’s ok to omit. The recipe will still be great.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 4- ounce can chopped green chilies
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 cup cashew cream (see notes)
- 1 cup coconut cream (see notes)
- 1 15- ounce can chili beans
- 1 10- ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies (drained)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Salt (to taste)
- 3 – 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add olive oil, chopped green chiles and minced garlic. Saute until fragrant, stirring as needed, about 1 minute.
- Add taco seasoning, coconut cream and cashew cream. Stir until smooth.
- Add chili and diced tomatoes. Stir until smooth. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add nutritional yeast and salt, to taste, and stir until smooth.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Top with fresh cilantro before serving.
Hello! This sounds awesome but if my husband knew it had coconut cream in it he would not try it. Does this at all taste like coconuts? Thanks!!
There’s no way he’s going to be able to taste it! I use a combination of the two creams to make sure that neither flavor is too prominent.
This is an insult to all Queso lovers everywhere……What is Queso without actual QUESO??????
You do realize this is a dairy free website, right? I’m sorry if the lack of queso upset you, but the title of the post literally says “dairy free”, so I don’t know what you were expecting to get.
Queso lover here and I disagree! My child has a dairy allergy and this is really good for anyone looking to omit dairy
After making the cashew cream with 1 cup of cashews and 1 cup of cashew milk, do you use the entire yield of that process or just 1 cup’s worth of the final cashew cream?
Having a Dairy allergy has been rough. I’m so excited I came across your page!!!! This Queso is AMAZING!!!!!! My family loves it and they can all eat dairy. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Wow, this is actually really good! I added quite a bit more taco seasoning to get a little more kick and flavor, but this surprisingly hits the spot for queso being dairy free! Thank you!