This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Whether you’re following a vegan diet or need a dairy-free alternative to cheesy quesadillas, you’re going to love this dairy-free quesadilla recipe. It has all the flavor you love (honestly!) and tastes better than the version you’d get from a Mexican restaurant.
The star of this recipe is the vegan nacho cheese sauce. I developed this recipe years ago, when I was determined to make a cheese sauce that doesn’t taste like nutritional yeast. It requires just five simple ingredients and tastes like the nacho cheese that you’d get at a movie theater or baseball game.
As someone who has been developing vegan recipes for over a decade, I’m most proud of this cheese sauce. Everyone loves it; vegan or not.
Paired with sauteed black beans and veggies, it becomes a filling and flavorful main course. No one will miss the cheese! Prepare the cheese and bean mixture in advance if you’d like to assemble these quickly for lunch or dinner.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This is a recipe I come back to again and again. The flavors are amazing and it’s an easy weeknight meal that satisfies us and is healthy. I highly recommend it!” -Shay
How to Make Vegan Quesadillas
Step 1:
To prepare the black bean filling, add a drizzle of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the pepper and onion until they are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Then, add in the black beans and seasonings.
Stir briefly, then add a large handful of fresh baby spinach if you want to sneak some greens into your meal. The spinach will wilt quickly, so you’ll hardly notice it’s in there.
Once the veggies are tender, set this aside for a moment.
Step 2:
To prepare the vegan cheese sauce, add the cashews, green chilies, lemon juice, water, salt, and jalapenos to the blender, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust any flavoring, as needed.
For extra jalapeño flavor, try adding a splash of jalapeño juice (from the jar) to the cheese sauce.
Step 3:
To assemble a quesadilla, lightly grease a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Then place a large, burrito-sized tortilla in the pan. (Don’t add too much oil, or the tortilla will get soggy.) For a gluten-free quesadilla, use a gluten-free tortilla, such as an almond-flour or cassava option.
Spread the cheese sauce in a thin layer over the top of the tortilla, then add the black bean filling to only half of the tortilla.
Let the tortilla cook open like this for 2 to 3 minutes, then fold it in half to cover the beans.
Serving Tips
As soon as the quesadilla looks lightly golden on both sides, it’s ready to serve warm. Use a sturdy spatula to remove it from the pan and transfer it to a plate.
Slice into triangles and serve with your favorite sauces, such as salsa and guacamole.
Vegan Quesadilla Recipe (No Nutritional Yeast!)
Ingredients
Black Bean Filling
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , plus more for greasing the pan
- ½ red onion , chopped
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (I use Real Salt brand)
- 1 to 2 cups fresh baby spinach (I just use a large handful)
Vegan Nacho Cheese
- 1 cup cashews (not roasted or salted)
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
- 6 to 8 jarred jalapeno slices (to taste)
Quesadilla Assembly
- 4 large flour tortillas (or gluten-free, if needed)
- salsa , for serving
- guacamole , for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the black bean filling by adding the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and bell pepper until they soften, about 8 minutes. Add a splash of water, as needed, to help prevent sticking.
- While the veggies are cooking, add the vegan nacho cheese ingredients to a high-speed blender, and blend until totally smooth. You can taste and adjust any flavoring as needed. Set this aside while you finish the filling.
- When the onion and peppers are tender, add in the drained black beans, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt, and stir well. Add in the fresh spinach, and continue stirring and cooking until the spinach has wilted.
- Transfer the cooked black bean filling to a large bowl, and rinse and dry the large skillet so you can re-use it. Add a small drizzle of olive oil to the pan, and spread it around so it's lightly coated. (Don't use too much!) Add the tortilla to the pan, so it can start heating up.
- Spread a thin layer of the cheese sauce over the entire top of the tortilla, then add the black bean filling to only half of the tortilla. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the tortilla starts to look golden on the bottom.
- Fold the tortilla in half, covering the half with the black bean filling, then use a spatula to transfer the quesadilla to a plate. Cut it into triangles, and serve warm, with salsa and guacamole. Leftover filling and cheese sauce can be stored separately in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Vegan Recipes to Try
- Tofu Scramble
- Instant Pot Vegan Chili
- Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Mushroom Gravy
- Vegan Meatloaf
- Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
If you try this Vegan Quesadilla recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it. I appreciate your feedback!
Great make-ahead meal, just prep the components, then grill in a cast iron pan when I need a quick, delicious, and plant-based meal. Seriously great.
This is a recipe I come back to again and again. The flavors are amazing and it’s an easy weeknight meal that satisfies us and is healthy. I highly recommend it!
Love these! And I make the nacho cheese all the time to add on other things like baked potatoes and roasted veggies.