These easy vegan cheese fries are the ultimate comfort food made without dairy! Crispy vegan french fries topped with 5-minute vegan cheese sauce, and your choice of herbs or even vegan bacon bits always hits the spot!

A top view of vegan cheese fries on a blue plate.

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Why make this recipe

These cheesy vegan fries whip up in minutes and are perfect for a homemade appetizer that feels like you are out for a night at your favorite restaurant or pub.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Vegan French Fries – any bag of frozen vegan French fries.

Vegan cheese sauce

  • Coconut Milk – a 13.5 oz can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream will make your cheese sauce rich and creamy plus 1/2 cup of water. (You can use soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or any other plant-based milk if you choose, but full-fat canned coconut milk will give you the richest and creamiest vegan cheese sauce.)
  • Nutritional Yeast Flakes – This is a yellow flaky powder that has a cheese flavor. This is a key ingredient to give it a cheesy flavor and cannot be omitted. You can read more about it in this article about nutritional yeast.
  • Tapioca Starch – For a stretch to your cheese sauce. This is also referred to as tapioca flour. If you don’t have this, you can swap it out for cornstarch, potato starch, or arrowroot, but it won’t have a stretchy texture.
  • Salt – To give it flavor.
  • Lemon Juice –  For a little tang to your cheese.
  • Paprika – For flavor and color. (The red paprika mixed with the yellow turmeric gives it a beautiful orange color!) You can also use smoked paprika for a delicious smokey flavor.
  • Garlic Powder – For flavor.
  • Turmeric – For color. (optional)
  • Spicy Brown Mustard – optional for more flavor.

Optional toppings

Helpful tools

A baking sheet to cook the fries. You can also use a deep fryer, air fryer, or a toaster oven to cook the fries.

How to make vegan cheese fries

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

Step 1 – Cook frozen fries according to package directions using the oven, air fryer, toaster oven, or deep fryer.

Step 2 – While the fries are cooking, make the vegan cheese sauce. Add a can of coconut milk, water, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, salt, lemon juice, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric, then give it a stir with a whisk until all of the starch is dissolved. (Don’t turn on the heat until the starch is fully dissolved.)

All of the ingredients for vegan cheese sauce mixed with a whisk in a sauce pan.
Add all the ingredients to the pan and stir well.
Easy vegan cheese sauce mixed and cooked in a sauce pan being stirred with a whisk.
Heat the cheese sauce until bubbly.

Step 3 – Turn the stove to medium heat and stir frequently until your cheese sauce thickens and starts to boil. Then turn down the heat to low and stir constantly for about 30 more seconds before taking off the heat.

Step 4 – Top the fries with the cheese sauce and your choice of other toppings like vegan bacon bits, chives, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, or parsley.

Vegan cheese sauce poured over French fries.

Pro Tips

  • Only pour the cheese sauce over the fries that you plan on eating in the next few minutes. The cheese sauce will make the fries soggy if it’s left to sit on the fries for a while.
  • You can also use the cheese sauce as a dipping sauce so the fries stay crispier.
A top view of a plate of French fries drizzled with vegan cheese sauce.

More vegan appetizers

Vegan cheese fries recipe

A blue plate filled with vegan cheese fries.
Diet
Gluten Free Icon
Nut Free Icon
Vegan Icon
5 from 1 rating

Vegan Cheese Fries

Yield: 8
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Cheesy vegan French fries.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 bag frozen French fries

For the cheese sauce

  • 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 1/2 tablespoon tapioca starch , (aka tapioca flour) use cornstarch if you don't have tapioca starch
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard, or yellow mustard (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Toppings (optional)

  • 2 tablespoons vegan bacon bits
  • 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, (like chives, green onions, or parsley)

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Cook frozen fries according to package directions using the oven, air fryer, toaster oven, or deep fryer.
  • While the fries are cooking, add a can of coconut milk, water, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, salt, lemon juice, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric, then give it a stir with a whisk until all of the starch is dissolved. (Don't turn on the heat until the starch is fully dissolved.)
  • Turn the stove to medium heat and stir frequently until your cheese sauce thickens and starts to boil. Then turn down the heat to low and stir constantly for about 30 more seconds before taking off the heat.
  • Top the fries with the cheese sauce and your choice of other toppings like vegan bacon bits, chives, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, or parsley.

Notes

  • Only pour the cheese sauce over the fries that you plan on eating in the next few minutes. The cheese sauce will make the fries soggy if it’s left to sit on the fries for a while.
  • You can also use the cheese sauce as a dipping sauce so the fries stay crispier.
Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 402kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 986mg, Potassium: 643mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 0.05g, Vitamin A: 104IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 3mg
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