This Instant Pot cauliflower queso is what everyone wants me to bring to parties and cooking demos. The cauliflower is the bulk, the carrots give it color, and the cashews make it extra creamy. Serve it on baked tortillas chips, pasta, or slathered over baked potatoes.
Cauliflower Is Magic
You can make grilled cauliflower steaks, vegan cauliflower wings, and use it to make silky smooth sauces and dips.
The trick to making cauliflower sauces is to steam them just until a fork will pierce it and you can blend it in your blender. This is what keeps the cauliflower taste to a minimum.
When you overcook cauliflower the cells burst and that’s what makes it have an overwhelming smell. If you cook it until it’s just beginning to soften it tastes much milder.
Do I Have to Have All These Different Chili Powders to make Cauliflower Queso?
The short answer is no. The longer answer is you can use what ever chili powder blend or single chili powders you have on hand.
What I would do is blend everything except the chili powders first. That way you can taste as you go while you experiment with the chili powders.
I suggest starting with small amounts and moving from there. Remember you can always add more, but you can’t take it out if you added too much!
Can I Make the Instant Pot Cauliflower Queso without Nuts?
You can leave the cashews out if you are allergic or just don’t eat nuts. It just won’t be extra creamy, but it will still taste amazing!
This recipe comes from my book, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot. Be sure to get a copy for yourself!
Cauliflower Queso Recipe Variations
- skip the carrots to make a white vegan cheese sauce
- make a pasta sauce by leaving out the chili powders and stir in Italian seasonings or fresh basil
- Leave out the chili powders and add in chopped pimentos to make a pimento cheese dip
More Recipes to Try
- No Oil Vegan Instant Pot Tamales
- Plant Based Instant Pot Potato Salad: Extra Veggies and No Added Oil
- The Best Instant Pot Chai Tea Concentrate
Kathy’s Famous Spicy Instant Pot Queso
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Instant Pot
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups cauliflower florets 1 small head of cauliflower
- 1 cups thick cut carrot coins about 2 small carrots
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
For the Blender
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- liquid drained from 2 cans RO*TEL or about
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste, optional
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon jalapeno powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon guajillo chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
The Chunky Parts
- 2 – 10 oz cans diced tomatoes and green chilies drained
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 1/4 cup minced pickled jalapenos
Instructions
- Add the water to the Instant Pot liner and put a silicone or other vegetable steamer inside.
- Add the cauliflower, carrots and cashews to strainer in that order.
- Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Carefully release the pressure manually.
- Pour the cooked mixture into a strainer over the sink and drain the water.
- Add the drained mixture to your blender with the liquid drained from the cans of diced tomatoes and green chilies and blend well.
- Add the smoked paprika, salt, chili powder, ancho powder, chipotle powder, jalapeno powder, guajillo powder, and mustard powder to your blender.
- Scrape out the blender contents into mixing bowl and stir in the tomatoes and green chilis chopped cilantro if using and pickled jalepenos if using.
Jenni says
I can testify to the deliciousness of this dip! Dang!
Vaneta says
I have the cookbook and have made this recipe. This is far better than other recipes floating around the internet. My omnivore hubby likes this too. I think it is great not only as a cheese dip but on baked potatoes. Great recipe!
Brianna says
Is there a substitute for the nutritional yeast?
Kathy Hester says
If you can’t have it, you could try adding some mushroom or tomato powder. But the nutritional yeast does give it a cheese-like flavor.
Phyllis says
Do you just set the tomatoes in the Ro-tel aside? Just use the liquid? Looking forward to trying this.
Kathy Hester says
Yes, you can see me do it in the video in case that helps.
Colleen C says
I made this tonight, but as I do not like spicy hot of any degree, I only used 1 tsp of chili powder in place of all the different chili powders. To boost the flavor, I blended the green chilies in, upped the nutritional yeast a tad, then added apple cider vinegar and the juice of one lime. It was great – super quick and easy. I can see the ‘base’ of the first three ingredients being really useful, and so quick in the IP. Thanks!
Natalie says
I haven’t made this yet, but my hubby is allergic to nuts, has anyone tried this without the cashews? Is there anything that can be substituted? Thanks!
Kathy Hester says
You can leave out the nuts and you don’t need to add anything else.
Jean Owen says
Can you freeze the queso?
Kathy Hester says
I wouldn’t recommend it, just because the cauliflower smell will be stronger with a reheat.
Jen says
I am going to try this tonight but I don’t have a steamer shelf for my IP. Can I just put them into the pot with the water? Thanks,
Kathy Hester says
That will work too! I like using a steamer because when I take it out everything is drained and ready to go.
Lindsey says
I wonder if this would work with sunflower seeds instead of cashews?
Kathy Hester says
I haven’t used them so I can’t say for sure.
JoAnne says
I made it yesterday. What took me so long! So good! I like spicy and this didn’t disappoint.
Kathy Hester says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Ashley says
I just made this and it’s great! I’ve tried a lot of “cheeze” sauce recipes and this one is by far the best! Thank you for sharing it!
Audrey says
I thought i had carrots, but i was out. I threw in an orange bell pepper and cooked it with the cauliflower. I blended the pepper with the cauliflower and it tasted great, color was perfect. Eve better with the nutritional yeast and the chili. I made plain cheeze sauce and also with rotel. I cooked extra cauliflower because i plan to make an alfredo sauce later in the week. I would post a pic but i don\\\’t see where to do that on here. Thanks Kathy!
Anissa says
Kathy, can you use frozen cauliflower?
Kathy Hester says
You sure can!
Cathi says
I can’t get Rotel products here right now. How can I substitute them and not lose flavor?
Thanks Kathy
Kathy Hester says
Just add a little lime juice and some green chilies to regular diced tomatoes.