Vegan fondue that is creamy, cheesy and so rich and decadent you won't believe it is dairy free! So easy to make with 10 simple ingredients.
We love to dip anything and everything in this vegan fondue recipe. My kids will even eat veggies they usually don't! We also get creative and dip in things like cooked pasta and sausages.
This post was originally published on November 2, 2020.
Cheese fondue is usually something you'd have to pass on when eating dairy free, but not now! This vegan version is just as good as the dairy filled kind. It's the perfect dipper for just about anything!
Ingredients
This vegan cheese fondue is the BOMB! It is warm, delicious and perfect for dipping. Fondue has always held a special place in my heart. Growing up, my family always made a fondue dinner on New Year's Day.
So I created my own version to make it dairy free, without using any nutritional yeast to keep it more similar to a Swiss cheese fondue. (If you want more of a cheddar taste try my nacho cheese sauce or the sauce in this cheese sauce recipe!) Here is what you need for the base vegan fondue:
- Cashews - make sure to use raw cashews instead of roasted! These help create the thick and creamy texture, as well as the rich taste.
- If you do not have a high speed blender you need to either soak the cashews overnight, boil for 30 minutes, or grind dry cashews in a coffee grinder.
- Potato - red potatoes, russet potatoes, or any other starchy potato will work to create the thick and goopy cheese-like texture, just don't use sweet potato. Cook the potato in the microwave or boiling it.
- If you boil the potato it will have more moisture and the sauce will be a touch thinner, but you can cook it down at the end to get it thicker.
- Dairy-free milk - Unsweetened cashew or almond milk are the best options, but any plant based milk can stand in.
- Dry white wine - this not only helps to develop the flavors, but it also keeps the boiling point lower which is ideal. If you do not want to use white wine you can substitute beer or vegetable broth.
- Onion - sweet or yellow onions are best so they don't overwhelm the other flavors.
- Garlic - do yourself and use fresh cloves for the best taste! In a pinch minced garlic will work as well.
- Lemon juice - you need some tang in there to help make the cheesy flavor, freshly squeezed is always preferred but the bottle will do.
- Sea salt - the salt brings everything together, if you need to watch your sodium intake feel free to reduce the amount or leave it out completely.
- Ground mustard - another must for the cheese taste believe it or not!
How To Make Vegan Fondue
Here are the easy steps to making this vegan fondue:
- Sauté the onion and garlic.
- Put the ingredients into a blender and blend until perfectly smooth.
- Warm in a pot or fondue pot, keep warm while eating it with all the things!
One of the key pieces for awesome fondue is keeping the cheese warm! A fondue pot is a sure-fire way to make this happen. You can also use a double boiler, but fondue pots are the bomb.
This fondue post is a perfect choice that isn't too expensive!
Vegan Cheese Fondue Dippers
Get creative with all the yummy things you can dip in fondue! Serve a mix of veggies, fruit, bread, and more. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Apples
- Asparagus
- Cherry tomatoes
- Green beans
- Brussels sprouts
- Radishes
- Baby potatoes
- Snap peas
- Pickles or other pickled foods
- Apples
- Grapes
- Pears
- Potatoes - cubed and roasted, boiled, or even French fries!
- Pretzels
- Cooked pasta
- Bread - french baguette, sourdough, or your favorite sturdy bread
- Vegan sausage
You can also drizzle this easy vegan cheese sauce over other dishes like pasta, pizza, or even vegan scrambled eggs!
Appetizers to serve with fondue
Looking for other appetizers to serve along side your fondue? Whether it's for New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, or a fun family dinner, I've got you covered with these delicious plant based options.
- Perfect Vegan Cheese and Dip Platter
- Roasted Carrot Hummus
- Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- Easy Vegan Bruschetta with Baked Polenta Rounds
- Easy Vegan Buffalo Dip
- Vegan Charcuterie Spread
- Vegan Bruschetta Cheese Ball
- Easy Vegan Poutine
- Baked Eggplant Fries
- Vegan Stuffed Jalapeños
- Baked Vegan Corn Dogs
- Gluten Free Vegan Sausage Balls
- Stuffed Mushrooms
Tips for Throwing a Fondue Party
Fondue parties are a deliciously good time. What could be better than hanging out with your friends, eating cheese and drinking wine? Not much. Make this vegan cheese fondue, chop up your favorite vegetables, apples, and bread and munch away!
- If you don't have fondue forks, you can use skewers, chopsticks, or even a regular fork.
- As you dip, try to scrape the bottom and stir it up a little bit as your bring the food out. This will help to prevent the fondue from sticking to the bottom.
- Some say the order of eating should start with bread, then veggies, then everything else, but we like to eat whatever whenever!
- Avoid eating the food straight off the fondue fork, nobody likes a double dipper! Instead, transfer the dipped food to your plate and use another fork to take bites.
Prep Ahead and Storage Tips
Whether you are hosting a party or heading out to a potluck with your vegan fondue cheese, it's easy to make this ahead of time.
- Follow the instructions up until blending, then pour it into an airtight container.
- If you are eating it within a couple hours, keep on the counter top until ready to warm it up and eat.
- If you won't be eating it soon, put it in the fridge and take out about 30 minutes before you are ready to eat it so it returns to room temp. Then simply warm and serve!
- Vegan fondue will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- This vegan cheese fondue recipe also freezes really well. You just need to let it defrost to room temp, then whisk as you warm it to get back the consistency!
Common Questions
No, BUT there are a ton of really great vegan options out there. Vegan alternatives have come a long way in recent years and there are some great vegan cheese options out there.
Nope, unless it's a vegan variety! But naturally, gruyere cheese is not dairy free. Always make sure you read the ingredient labels so make sure.
There are so many great dairy free options out there, even ideas of things to sub! You can buy a dairy free cheese brand at your grocery store, use hummus or avocado instead, or make homemade vegan cheese! Some of our favorites are this Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, Ultimate Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce, or my Sharp White Cheese Sauce.
This depends on the vegetable. Potatoes, yes. Tomatoes, no. But others like broccoli, carrots, asparagus or cauliflower it can go either way. I like to quickly blanch mine, but not fully cook them.
Absolutely! Fondue is actually a great way to get kids to try new things. Allow your kids to each choose a dipper they want to contribute to the fondue. You can then set out all the different options and encourage them to try at least one new thing.
I don't ever believe in forcing food on kids, nor do I think allowing emotion to be part of eating is healthy for their mind. But there are ways to encourage them to try new things such as showing them by example, talking about the different benefits each type of food has, etc.
More Vegan Cheese Recipes
Get all the flavors of your favorite cheese but without the dairy! Try these plant based recipes:
The Best Vegan Cheese Fondue
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews , see note
- ¾ cup cooked potato , about 1 medium potato (see note)
- ¾ cup unsweetened cashew or almond milk
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup chopped sweet or yellow onion , about ½ a small onion
- 1 clove garlic , chopped
- Drizzle of oil or broth (if oil free) to sauté
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
Instructions
- If you need to cook the potato, you can microwave it or put it in a pot over the stove and cook covered for about 20 – 25 minutes. If you do this it will have more moisture and the sauce will be a touch thinner but you can cook it down at the end to get it thicker if you prefer. You can also put the cashews in to boil instead of soaking them overnight if you don't have a high speed blender.
- Sauté the chopped onion and garlic with a drizzle of oil or broth until browned. About 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and cook until slightly reduced. You still want liquid, just want it to reduce a touch, about ¼ max. Should take 3-5 minutes.
- Put the onion/garlic/wine mix along with the rest of the ingredients (make sure to measure out the potato) into a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth.
- You can pour into a fondue or regular pot and serve with any dippers you want. If you want the cheese thicker, cook it a bit in a regular pot on the stove over low heat.
Notes
- I used red potatoes but any starchy potato will work, just don’t use sweet.
- If you are not using a high speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder. You can also boil them with the potato and onion.
- If you have an Instant Pot, put the raw potato, onion and cashews inside with 2 cups water. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow the steam to release.
- Serving size is ¼ cup.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Karolyn Kolker
Substitute for wine?
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Karolyn, I would just use broth. The flavor won't be as rich as the wine really gives a great flavor but broth will work as well.
Lindsay
Can you leave out the dry white wine??
veggiesdontbite
Hi Lindsay! yes, you definitely can, replace with broth. The flavor will change however since it is a wine based fondue type cheese.
regs
Wow, I love that cheesy thing!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much!
Daunn
This looks so good! Have you ever put it on cooked penne noodles with veggies? I immediately wanted to do that with this! I feel in my heart that it would be delicious if there were left overs 😍
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Daunn! I have used this in many ways including over pasta and it's great!!
Chelsee
This looks incredible! I cannot wait to try.
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!
Sue
Sophia, this is genius! Can't wait to try it! Thanks for your hard work and creativity.
veggiesdontbite
Awe thanks Sue!! Hope you enjoy!