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.
Slicing sweet potatoes very thinly and baking them at 400F turns them into crispy sweet potato chips that are perfect for nachos! While I love classic veggie nachos, this sweet potato version of nachos is so delicious.
The roasted sweet potato chips are topped with black bean salsa and homemade vegan cashew queso. This recipe is great for dinner or as an appetizer!
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Why this recipe works
- Dairy-free queso: The homemade cashew sauce is my go to vegan queso! It takes just a few minutes to blend up in a blender or food processor, and it takes these sweet potato nachos to the next level.
- Balanced flavors: The sweet potatoes are balanced out with zesty, refreshing black bean salsa and creamy cashew cheese.
- Make in advance: The black bean salsa is adapted from my black bean corn salsa recipe. It can be made a few days in advance, and it also works great as a standalone recipe.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: Choose 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.
- 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, and cashew queso. The vegan queso and black beans can be made while the sweet potatoes cook.
Before you begin: Wash the sweet potatoes well and pat with a paper towel to dry. Keep the skins on! Slice sweet potatoes into very thin pieces, a little under ¼ inch rounds. The thinner the sweet potatoes, the crispier the nachos.
- Add the sliced sweet potatoes to a large bowl and toss to coat with oil.
- Layer the sliced sweet potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. This helps to prevent the sweet potato chips from sticking to the sheet pan. You will likely need two sheet pans and will need to work in batches unless you have a convection oven.
- Bake at 400F 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. If the sweet potatoes are starting to burn but aren't completely tender, reduce the heat ot 375F.
Cassidy's 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.
FAQ
There are a few things that can cause this. Make sure the sweet potatoes are completely dry before coating them thoroughly in oil. Don't overcrowd sweet potatoes on the pan and make sure no pieces are overlapping.
You can also check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer to make sure that it's truly the temperature it says it is (it's surprising how often oven temps are wrong!). When in doubt, just bake them longer.
Definitely! When the nachos are just about ready, remove them from the oven and sprinkle with your favorite cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Storage tips
- Leftovers: Store components separately in the fridge. Cover and keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days for best quality.
- How to reheat: I recommend storing the sweet potatoes alone or they won't reheat well. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, or until firmed up. Reheat the queso on the stove.
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Vegan Sweet Potato Nachos
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Nachos
- 2 large sweet potatoes sliced into ¼" rounds
- ¼ cup canola oil see note #1
Black Bean Salsa
- 2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons agave syrup or honey
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 medium yellow and orange bell peppers diced
- ½ medium red onion diced
- 1 small jalapeno diced (optional)
- ½ cup frozen sweet corn thawed
- 8 ounces grape tomatoes quartered (equivalent to one small carton)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Spicy Cashew Queso
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews soaked in hot water for 1 hour (see note #2)
- 2 small chipotle peppers from one can chipotles in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from one can chipotles in adobo sauce
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice from one large lemon
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon yellow miso
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
Serving
- 5 lime wedges
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 medium avocado diced
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. You will likely need two sheet pans and will need to work in batches unless you have a convection oven.
- Wash the sweet potatoes well and pat to dry. Keep the skins on! Slice sweet potatoes into ¼ inch rounds using a very sharp knife or mandolin.
- Add the sliced sweet potatoes a large bowl and toss to coat with oil. You can also just coat them directly on the sheet pan.
- Layer on a lightly oiled or parchment paper lined baking sheet. The sweet potatoes should not be overlapping. 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 them during the last 10 minutes of cooking so that they don't burn.
Black Bean Salsa
- Make the marinade/sauce in a small bowl by whisking together the lime juice, apple cider vinegar and agave syrup.
- Add the salsa ingredients to a large bowl: black beans, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, corn, tomatoes. Drizzle the marinade onto the salsa and sprinkle with cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cashew Queso
- Drain water off of the soaked cashews. Roughly chop the chipotle peppers.
- Add all ingredients to a blender: cashews, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso, onion powder, garlic powder, corn starch. Blend until very smooth. This will take anywhere from 1-2 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.
- Transfer the queso to a small sauce pot and cover with a lid. Cook over medium-low heat until warmed through. Add an extra splash of water to thin as needed.
Serving
- Place sweet potato nachos in a large serving dish or on individual plates. Serve black bean salsa from a slotted spoon (this will drain off the excess liquid) and drizzle with cashew queso. Top with fresh chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and diced avocado. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Canola oil makes the sweet potatoes crispy, but any other neutral oil, like olive oil or vegetable, will work here.
- 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 (I use my tea kettle) or in cool water overnight or up to 24 hours. The longer they are soaked the easier they will be to blend.
- Black bean salsa: Prefer a warm salsa? Transfer the salsa to a medium sauce pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through.
- Storage: Store components separately. Cover and keep refrigerate for up to 3-4 days for best quality.
Nutrition
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.
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