Creamy vegan and perfect for fall. This easy stovetop Vegan Pumpkin Queso is cozy, warm, delicious, and perfect for using up leftover pumpkin puree.
Looking for ways to use up the leftover pumpkin puree after all the pumpkin pie? This quick and easy creamy queso dip is just that. Pumpkin season is one of our favourites, but it can be a pain when there is just a small amount of pumpkin puree left and you don’t know how to use it up before it goes bad. Say goodbye to the days of spoiled pumpkin puree in the back of your fridge.
The best part? You can scale up or down depending on how many people you’re serving or how much pumpkin puree you need to use up. Simple create a roux like your making any other cheese sauce, then whisk in all your ingredients until you get a smooth and creamy sauce. Yes, it’s that simple.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Quick and easy to make.
- Perfect for using up pumpkin puree leftovers.
- Great for a crowd or your next fall dinner party.
Top tips for making Vegan Pumpkin Queso:
- Shallots should be a small mince. Because this is a dip, the shallots should not too be too noticeable in the end. We suggest mincing the shallots as small as you can or processing into a paste so that they add flavour without adding chunks.
- Use a neutral tasting non-dairy milk. We like to use soy milk for recipes like this because it has a great thickness and the flavour does not overpower the rest of the ingredients.
- Adjust seasoning to taste. We recommend starting with our recipe, but understand the taste is subjective. If you taste the dip and you want a little more of one of the seasonings, go ahead and add a little bit more.
- Whisk until creamy and smooth. Use a whisk to evenly heat the ingredients and mix together until smooth and creamy over the heat.
- Serve immediately. This dip is best served warm. Once warm, pour into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips and veggies.
Ingredient Notes:
- Vegan Butter – We use Becel Plant Based Butter for our recipes, but you can use any other vegan butter brand.
- Shallot – If you don’t have shallots you can replace this with spanish or white onion.
- All-Purpose Flour – We use our unbleached store brand all-purpose flour, in this case the No Name brand from No Frills. You can also use cornstarch, but may need to use less of it.
- Non-Dairy Milk – We use soy milk as it’s the most neutral in flavour, but you can use any non-dairy milk.
- Vegan Shredded Cheese – We use a vegan cheddar for this recipe, any brand should work.
- Pumpkin Puree – You can use leftover from the can or homemade pumpkin puree. This recipe would also likely work with sweet potato puree.
- Seasonings – The amounts our to our liking. If you need to adjust the seasonings do so 1/4 tsp at a time.
- Pickled Jalapeno – We get our pickled jalapeno at any big grocery store. Get a good one, because you’ll be using both the brine and the jalapeños.
Other vegan dips you’ll love:
- Easy Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Vegan 7 Layer Dip
- 5 Minute Fire Roasted Salsa
- Vegan Pizza Dip
- Vegan Mediterranean 7 Layer Dip
How to make Vegan Pumpkin Queso:
Vegan Creamy Pumpkin Queso
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp diced pickled jalapeno
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeno brine
Instructions
- Warm a saucepan with vegan butter over medium heat. Once melted add diced shallots and minced garlic. Sautéed, stirring often, until the onions have softened. Add all-purpose flour and stir to form a roux – cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
- Whisk in the pumpkin purée, then the non-dairy milk until creamy and smooth. Add in the smoked paprika, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, and salt until well incorporated.
- Stir in the shredded cheese until fully melted, then add the diced pickled jalapeño and brine.
- Serve immediately with some crispy tortilla chips and veggies.