These dairy-free “queso” recipes by Beci Falkenberg, a chef at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont, give you the creamy texture of cheese dip without the saturated fat.

Cashew “queso”

Cashew “queso” ingredients:

• 3/4 cup hot water

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water, covered for at least 30 minutes)

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• 1 tablespoon salsa, hot sauce or harissa (hot chili paste)

Step one

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy, adding more water as needed to blend until smooth.

Step two

Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesiness, salt to taste, paprika for smokiness, chili powder or salsa for heat, or garlic for zing.

Step three

Serve at room temperature or heat until warm.

White bean “queso”

White bean “queso” dip ingredients:

• 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup of your favorite tomato salsa, drained

• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

• Optional: chopped green onion, cilantro and/or jalapenos, for garnish

Step one

Combine all the ingredients except the lemon juice and optional garnishes in a blender or food processor, and process until very smooth.

Step two

Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. For more spice, add a little chipotle chili powder, cayenne or jalapeno pepper. If the queso is too thick, add a little water to thin.

Step three

Serve at room temperature or heat until warm, adding optional garnishes if you wish.

Check out more recipes and nutrition tips from Cancer Wellness experts.