With just a few simple ingredients, you can make this cashew cheese dip in minutes!  This rich and creamy dip is a healthy vegan alternative to dips, cheeses, spreads, and sauces made with dairy. 

An assortment of veggies and pretzels on a blue plate with vegan cashew cheese dip in the middle.

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You can flavor this cashew dip with red peppers or other veggies or make it cheesy, spicy, or smoky depending on the seasonings that you choose to add to the cashews.  This recipe is incredibly versatile, easy, and healthy!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s super easy to make!
  • This recipe only uses a few simple ingredients.
  • This dip is raw, vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free!
  • It’s the perfect dip, spread, or nacho cheese sauce for any occasion!
  • It’s a delicious way of making vegan cheese without nutritional yeast!
A colorful assortment of veggies on a blue plate with a bowl of red pepper cashew dip in the center.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Cashews – raw unsalted cashews work best.
  • Water – to soak and blend the cashews.  (Cold filtered water or hot water for faster blending).
  • Sea Salt – for flavor.
  • Red Bell Pepper – for color and flavor. (optional)  You can also use yellow or orange bell peppers.
  • Green Onion – for flavor (optional)  You can also use a small clove of garlic instead.

🔪 Helpful Tools

  • Immersion Blender – An immersion blender is my preferred tool to make this since it gets the cashews super creamy you don’t have to stop and scrape the edges.
  • High-Powered Blender – If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a blender instead.  You will have to stop every 20 seconds or so and scrap the edges until it gets blended.
A gluten-free pretzel being dipped into vegan cashew cheese dip.

🥄 How to make cashew dip

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 Soak raw cashews overnight or for at least 6 hours in cold water or use hot water instead and soak for about 30 minutes.

Step 2 Drain the soaking water.

Step 3 Add the cashews to an immersion blender container or high-powered blender.

Step 4 Add clean fresh water, salt, red pepper, and green onions. (or other herbs and spices of choice.)

Step 5 Blend for about 2 minutes until very creamy.

📖 Variations of cashew dip

  • Smokey – add 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika.  (This is my personal favorite)!
  • Spicy – add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or 1 tsp sriracha.  (You can adjust to your taste).
  • Cheesy – omit the red pepper add 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast and about 1/2 cup of cooked carrots to the cashews.
  • Herbed – add 1 tsp dried, or 1 tbsp fresh herbs to the cheese.
  • Cheese Sauce – increase the water until you obtain your desired consistency, and turn the thick cheese dip into a rich and creamy vegan cheese sauce that you can use for mac and cheese or pour over nachos.

Note:  This cashew cheese is delicious, rich, and creamy.  It gives you a cheese feel, but it’s not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s real cheese.  If you want a truly cheesy sauce, try my vegan nacho cheese sauceIt’s super close to the real deal!

A blue plate filled with cashew dip with colorful vegetable all around it.

🌟 Make this without soaking the cashews

If you are limited on time and want to make it quickly, you can still make this cashew dip.

Tips for blending cashew without soaking
  • Simply soak your cashews in hot water for about 30 minutes.
  • Don’t use boiling water so as to not “cook” the cashews, but very hot water will soften them quickly.
  • Use hot water during the blending process as well as the soaking process.
  • Blend your cashews then let them rest for about 5-10 minutes and blend again for a creamier smoother cashew dip!
A bowl filled with cashew cheese dip with a yellow pepper being dipped into it.

🥗 Serving suggestions

  • You can use this cashew cheese as a dip, sandwich spread, or in place of vegan mayo, tofu sour cream, or vegan cream cheese.
  • You can also add more water to it and turn it into a creamy sauce for pasta, nachos, or veggies.  This is how I make the base for my vegan heavy cream recipe.
  • Spread it on crackers, slather it on your favorite wrap, or spread it on your sandwich or bagel.

If you want a classic vegan cheese recipe, check out my guide on how to make vegan cheese.

🥣 More vegan dips

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Cashew dip recipe

A blue plate filled with colorful veggies with cashew cheese dip in the center.
5 from 2 rating

Easy Cashew Cheese Dip and Spread

A creamy, cheesy, dip, spread, or sauce that is made with pureed cashews.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashews, (raw unsalted)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, (1 small fresh red pepper)
  • 1 stalk green onion, (with the roots cut off)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika , (optional)

Equipment

  • immersion blender or regular blender

Instructions
 

  • Soak raw cashews overnight or for at least 6 hours in cold water or use hot water instead and soak for about 30 minutes.
  • Drain soaking water.
  • Add cashews to an immersion blender container or high powered blender.
  • Add clean fresh water, salt, red pepper, and green onions. (or other herbs and spices)
  • Blend for about 2 minutes until very creamy.

Notes

Variations of cashew cheese:
  • Smokey – add 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika.  (This is my personal favorite)!
  • Spicy – add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or 1 tsp sriracha.  (You can adjust to your taste).
  • Cheesy – omit the red pepper add 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast and about 1/2 cup of cooked carrots to the cashews.
  • Herbed – add 1 tsp dried, or 1 tbsp fresh herbs to the cheese.
  • Cheese Sauce – increase the water until you obtain your desired consistency, and turn the thick cheese dip into a rich and creamy vegan cheese sauce that you can use for mac and cheese or pour over nachos.
Tips for blending cashew sooner:
  • Simply soak your cashews in hot water for about 30 minutes.
  • Don’t use boiling water as to not “cook” the cashews, but very hot water will soften them quickly.
  • Use hot water during the blending process as well as the soaking process.
  • Blend your cashews then let it rest for about 5-10 minutes and blend again for a creamier smoother cashew dip!
Serving: 3tbsp, Calories: 93kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 149mg, Potassium: 126mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 368IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!

*This recipe was inspired by the Lion Cashew Cheese recipe in the Vegan World Fusion Cuisine cookbook from the Blossoming Lotus restaurant.