The perfect addition to tacos, nachos or enchiladas - this Vegan Jalapeño Cream Sauce is packed full of flavor and heat.
If you have been following TSV for a while, then this Vegan Jalapeño Cream Sauce is nothing new to you.
I used it in my Black Bean Green Chili Enchiladas and my Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.
I had such a great response about the sauce itself, that I felt it was necessary to give it some spotlight on its own.
How to make Vegan Jalapeño Cream Sauce
What makes this sauce great is its simplicity, versatility and most importantly, the amazing flavor combo.
AND it doesn't require soaking cashews - I don't know about you, but getting a break from cashew-based sauces is always nice.
Instead, the creamy base of this recipe comes from vegan cream cheese.
My favorite brands of vegan cream cheese is from Trader Joe's or Kite Hill.
This sauce does pack a bunch, so if you want to tone down the spice a bit, I would remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño.
I personally LOVE spice, so I like to keep the jalapeño intact.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Vegan Jalapeño Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ red onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 jalapeño roughly chopped
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese
- ½ bunch cilantro
- ¼-1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Place a pan on the stove over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Sauté until onions begins to soften (approx. 5-7 minutes), stirring regularly.
- Add jalapeño and cream cheese to the pan and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until cream cheese is softened and everything is combined.
- Place the contents of the pan in a blender with cilantro and ¼ cup of water. Pulse until combined. Add additional water if needed and taste to adjust seasoning.
- Place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge until ready to use. Will last 5-7 days.
Nutrition
If you make this recipe be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!
Anahi
A must have staple in my fridge. Even my kid loves it and he hates anything with any sort of chiles. So good!
Rene
❤️️❤️️❤️️
Kay
Have you ever made a yummy vegan jalapeno sauce without store bought cream cheese? I live in a country where we don't have those kinds of alternative vegan products. However the recipe for green enchiladas with jalapeno sauce sounds wonderful and I have all the other ingredients. Just wondering if there was a way to make a jalapeno sauce that is almost as good?
Rene
Try out this one: https://www.thissavoryvegan.com/3-vegan-dipping-sauces/ And if you don't have vegan mayo, you can add more oil. Just whip it a little longer in the blender so that the oil thickens 🎉
Kay
Thank you! There is no store bought vegan mayo where I live. But I can make it.
Sophie
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I don’t normally cook with jalapeños so I was wondering if I need to scoop out the seeds? I’m guessing it would be too spicy if I kept them in?
Rene
It is totally up to you - if you are sensitive to spice I would remove the seeds!
Mare Dougherty
Do you have nutrition/serving info for sauce
Cira Millman
I made this last night for my dinner and yowza! It was delicious!. I love garbanzo beans to begin with so it was a no brainer I would love it. Thanks so much for your recipes. I will be 2 yrs a vegan in July and it has been a culinary adventure.
Leigh
Could I substitute the vegan cream cheese with silken tofu and just blend it with the ingredients instead of heating it up?
Rene
I don't think it will have exactly the same taste, but it will have a similar texture. You might want to add some acidity - lime juice, apple cider vinegar, etc. to get that same tangy taste that cream cheese has. Let me know how it turns out!
Leigh Grover
Thanks, will do!
Fuchi Girl
I just made this and it's delicious!
Rene
Yay - so glad you liked it!
Sam
Made this sauce with the enchilada Casserole last night - WOW. Everyone who had a bite is already ready for me to make more!! Such a delicious hit!
Rene
Yay - so glad everyone liked it!
Kaytee Louise
WOW. I just made this to go with some grilled avo tacos and it was an absolute showstopper!
Haley
Any chance this freezes well?
Julie
I made this sauce to go with the vegan enchilada dish. The sauce tastes amazing!! I love how it has a little kick to it.
Julie Herring
I made this sauce to go with the vegan enchilada dish. The sauce tastes amazing!! I love how it has a little kick to it.
Rene
Yay - so glad you liked it. It is one of my faves!
Leah
This sauce is great! How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Rene
It should last 5-7 days in the fridge - so long as your cream cheese's expiration date isn't sooner than that 🙂