Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos with Cashew Queso

Sweet potato nachos are the ultimate vegan game day recipe! This recipes pairs sweet potatoes with a refreshing and flavorful black bean salsa and spicy, creamy cashew queso that you'll want to pour on everything.

Recipe features

• Dietary-features: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free
• Drizzled with a creamy, slightly spicy cashew queso
• Topped with a delicious homemade black bean salsa (it's a lot like Texas Caviar!)
• Sweet potato nachos are perfect for family dinners or as a game day appetizer!

What you'll need

• Sweet potatoes: We are using orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to make the sweet potato nachos, not Japanese sweet potatoes or yams.
• Canola oil makes the sweet potatoes crispy, but any other neutral oil, like peanut or vegetable, will work here.
• Bell peppers: Choose red, orange or yellow for a sweeter salsa. Green will also work.
• Red onion: Yellow onion also works. Omit if you don't like raw onion.
• Grape tomatoes can be replaced with sliced cherry, Roma, or beefsteak tomatoes.
• Frozen corn: Canned corn also works. Thaw frozen corn and pat dry with a paper towel before adding to the salsa.
• Marinade: Apple cider vinegar, lime juice, agave (can be replaced with honey if that meets your dietary preferences), chili powder, and cumin to make a sweet and tangy marinade.

• Cashews: Choose raw, unsalted cashews.
• Miso: Yellow miso is best here but white will also work. Miso is usually in the refrigerated "health foods" or "plant-based" section. It can be omitted if you can't find it. Miso provides all of the salt in the queso, so adjust for salt if omitting.
• Nutritional yeast adds body and a cheesy flavor. You can usually find nutritional yeast in the health food section, by spices/seasonings or with baking ingredients.
• Corn starch helps with thickening. Arrowroot starch also works.

Step by step instructions

There are three different components to this recipe: sweet potato chips, black bean topping, cashew queso. The queso and black beans can be made while the sweet potatoes cook.

Sweet potato "nachos"

Before you begin: Wash the sweet potatoes well and pat with a paper towel to dry. Keep the skins on! Slice sweet potatoes into ¼ inch rounds.

1. Add the sliced sweet potatoes a large bowl and toss to coat with oil.
2. Layer on a lightly oiled or parchment paper lined baking sheet. You will likely need two sheet pans and will need to work in batches unless you have a convection oven.
3. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes total, flipping halfway through for even cooking. The sweet potatoes are ready when firm and crisp.

Keep a close eye on the sweet potatoes during the last 10 minutes of cooking so that they don't burn.

Black bean salsa

This can be prepared while you bake the sweet potatoes. This is adapted from my black bean salad recipe.

1. Slice and dice peppers, onion and jalapeno.
2. Make the marinade/sauce by whisking together the lime juice, apple cider vinegar and agave syrup (honey also works, depending on dietary preferences).
3. Toss the salsa ingredients and the marinade. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prefer a hot topping? Transfer the salsa to a medium sauce pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through.

Cashew queso

Making vegan queso is very similar to the process of making cashew cream.

1. To soften the cashews for blending, cover them in very hot water from a tea kettle for an hour. You can also cover them in cool water overnight.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth. This will take anywhere from 1-2 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.
3. Transfer the queso to a small sauce pot and cover. Cook over medium-low heat until warmed through. Add an extra splash of water to thin as needed.

FAQ and expert tips

• Soaking cashews: You don't need a high speed blender to make the cashew sauce. Soaking the cashews helps soften them and makes them easier to blend. Soak cashews in very hot water for an hour or in cool water overnight or up to 24 hours. The longer they soak the easier they will be to blend.
• Spiciness of cashew cheese: Start with 1 large or 2 small chipotle peppers for a lightly spicy cashew cheese. Add more if desired. Fresh jalapenos would also go well and make this extra spicy!
• Mandolin vs hand slicing: I slice the sweet potatoes with a very sharp knife because I don't have a mandolin. A mandolin definitely works best and will require less prep time but it is not required to make thin sweet potatoes.
• Red onions flavor: Red onions often have a strong "bite" to them. You can remove this bite by soaking diced onions in a bowl of cold water for at least ten minutes. The cold water pulls out most of the astringent taste, leaving you with the same old red onion flavor, without the bite.

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Update note: This recipe was originally shared April 18, 2018. It was updated on March 8, 2021 with new photos, a video and the addition of cashew queso. The base recipe remains the same.