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One of the things I’m known for during football season is my dairy-free Queso dip. All of our friends love it!
However, since that popular dip is cashew-based, I wanted to create a recipe that was nut-free and lower in calories for those who want an even healthier dairy-free alternative. Rather than relying on nuts for creaminess, this queso gets its silky texture from sweet potatoes!
When combined with Rotel-style tomatoes and green chiles, along with the right seasonings, sweet potatoes become surprisingly creamy and create a satisfying dip that is even properly combined when served with baked tortilla chips. Though it’s hard to beat my original queso dip’s flavor, my taste-testers agreed that this allergen-free alternative is a truly satisfying option. I hope you all will agree!
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Sweet Potato Queso (Dairy-free, Nut-free)
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup mashed white sweet potato
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (where to find)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (where to find)
Directions:
For this particular recipe, I used a white sweet potato, rather than the orange-fleshed variety, because I think they’re slightly less sweet. (Though, I’m guessing either would work if you want to give it a shot. You could also use a Yukon Gold potato, if you prefer.) Cut the sweet potato into chunks, then place them in a small pot fitted with a steam basket, and fill it with an inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low, steaming the potatoes until they are fork-tender. Once they potatoes are very tender, fork-mash them and measure out one cup of mashed potatoes to use for this recipe. (Reserve any extra for a curry sauce or smoothie later.)
In a high-speed blender, combine the cup of mashed sweet potato, water, salt, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice and blend until completely smooth. Warm the diced tomatoes in a small saucepan over medium heat, then pour the cheese sauce from the blender into the pan and stir well to combine.
Heat the mixture until your desired serving temperature is reached, then serve warm with your favorite chips or crudites.
Leftover sauce can be stored in a sealed container for up to a week. Reheat over the stove, or in a small crock pot, before serving again.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed white sweet potato
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 14.5 oz . can diced tomatoes with green chiles
Instructions
- For this particular recipe, I used a white sweet potato, rather than the orange-fleshed variety, because I think they're slightly less sweet. (Though, I'm guessing either would work if you want to give it a shot. You could also use a Yukon Gold potato, if you prefer.) Cut the sweet potato into chunks, then place them in a small pot fitted with a steam basket, and fill it with an inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low, steaming the potatoes until they are fork-tender. Once they potatoes are very tender, fork-mash them and measure out one cup of mashed potatoes to use for this recipe. (Reserve any extra for a curry sauce or smoothie later.)
- In a high-speed blender, combine the cup of mashed sweet potato, water, salt, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice and blend until completely smooth. Warm the diced tomatoes in a small saucepan over medium heat, then pour the cheese sauce from the blender into the pan and stir well to combine.
- Heat the mixture until your desired serving temperature is reached, then serve warm with your favorite chips or crudites.
- Leftover sauce can be stored in a sealed container for up to a week. Reheat over the stove, or in a small crock pot, before serving again.
Nutrition
Calories per cup of Queso: 117, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrates: 24g, Fiber: 5g, Protein: 5g
Notes:
- If you don’t have sweet potatoes on hand, Yukon Gold potatoes also work very well in this recipe.
- Nutritional yeast provides the “cheesy” flavor to this dip. If you can’t use it, the resulting dip will probably still taste okay without it, but it won’t be as cheese-like.
- If you’d like a slightly more authentic queso, and can tolerate cashews, I recommend making my original recipe instead. All of my taste-testers agreed that this Sweet Potato Queso is good, but the other one is even better.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite type of dip or appetizer to serve to guests?
I was googling sweet potato on your website and tried this with my leftovers. Really really good. I put it over a salsa i had instead of the canned tomatoes, My husband couldn’t stop eating it with his nachos.
Eh, this tasted nothing like queso to me or my husband. It was tasty in its own right, but definitely didn’t taste anything like cheese to me. I would add shredded chicken and call it a Mexican chicken chip dip. 🤔
This is my favorite! Making it this weekend for sure! 🙂
Hi,
Thanks for all the great information and recipes you provide on this site, I have tried a handful of them and all have turned out great. I had a question about Nutritional Yeast. Is there a difference between Nutritional Yeast and Nutritional Yeast seasoning? This recipe calls for 1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast but there is a link to Nutritional Yeast seasoning. Are they interchangeable?
Thanks so much
Yes, they’re the same thing.
Ah! A sweet potato dip. I was looking for a tomato-free alternative. Love it!
I printed this out to try, lost it, spent forever trying to find the recipe again, few, YIPPIE !
SO SO SO GOOD!!!!! I wanted to eat it with just a spoon!!!! I’ve made your cashew version too over the summer – loved it, but actually liked this one more! Was thinking…as I finished the LAST tiny little dish of leftovers (while searching for another sweet potato)…how about using a butternut squash?!? I kind of what to try it….hmm. Thanks for another yummy recipe!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve tried making vegan queso with cashews before and it just didn’t satisfy the cheese fix I needed. I tried this recipe with 2 Yukon potatoes and it turned out amazing!