Loaded Vegan Nachos with special sauce

This vegan nachos recipe is easy and delicious. It has a bed of tortilla chips, layered with chili beans, black beans seasoned to perfection, with a homemade vegan nacho cheese sauce or your favorite cheese shreds, loaded with vegan guacamole and a special sauce. These loaded vegan nachos are SO good!

There is something about football season that screams vegan nacho plate to me; anyone else?

But let's be real, I am always down for some tasty vegan nachos. 

I mean crispy tortilla chips with loaded toppings, what's not to love?

My 9-year-old claimed he could eat these perfect nachos every day for dinner; that's going a bit far.

But they are super tasty.

My 6-year-old, in his 6-year-old fashion, took one look at it and exclaimed, Ewww, I am not eating that.

His version of nachos is some chips with some vegan cheese melted on top. Sound familiar for anyone else?

I am a lover of all things Mexican food. It just gets me.

Carbs on carbs are right up my alley.

This was a fun meal to eat because we didn't even dirty any plates.

We just hovered around the sheet pan nachos, and we devoured them, saying mmm between bites.

 Fewer dishes make me a happy Mama.

What I love about these nachos is the sauce that's on them…. oh man, it's SO good.

I took a sauce recipe for elote (the Mexican corn), tweaked it a bit, and put it on the nachos.

Do not skip this step; it's crucial to blend all the flavors.

I used a simple guacamole recipe, but you can use your favorite recipe.

I also made a classic vegan nacho cheese sauce; this isn't 100% necessary. You could use vegan shredded cheese, making this process even quicker.

But if you like to make everything from scratch, make the vegan queso.

This nacho recipe is great for a nacho bar.

Vegan Nachos Recipe Q&A

Can you make the toppings ahead of time?

Yes, you can premake all the toppings but the guacamole; I would make this the day of.

How do you make your own tortilla chips?

If you want to make your own corn tortilla chips, it's pretty easy to do.

1. Take corn tortillas and cut them into usually fours depending on the chip size you want
2. Place them on a baking sheet and spray them with cooking oil *leave this out for oil-free. Sprinkle them with sea salt.
3. Bake in the oven at 400 F for 5-7 minutes, observing them, so they do not burn.

What are the best chips for nachos?

You want tortilla chips that are solid and can hold a little bit of weight. 

Nachos can get a little heavy. 

One of our favorites is Jaunitas, but there are plenty of others like; 

Santitas, Kirkland Organic Tortilla chips, Tostitos original restaurant-style, Late July, or whatever corn chips are your favorite.

Can you use different canned beans in this recipe?

If you don't want to use black beans, you can sub in your favorite bean, whether pinto beans or kidney beans.

If you don't want to use canned chili, you can use your favorite vegan chili recipe.

Can you make these nachos oil-free?

You can, just use corn tortillas to make tortilla chips and don't make the special sauce.

Are nachos gluten-free?

Yes, most nachos are gluten-free but make sure to double-check the ingredients in the canned chili.

What are the best vegan nacho toppings?

• red onion
• green onion
• refried beans
• vegan taco meat
• pico de gallo
• any of your favorite salsa
• fresh cilantro
• guacamole or just avocado
• green chiles
• green or red peppers
• hot sauce
• jalapenos

What are your favorite toppings for nachos? Let me know in the comments.

What ingredients do you need to make these delicious Vegan Game Day Nachos?

For the full recipe with ingredients, amounts check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Black beans
• Chili, canned vegan
• chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder
• vegan mayo
• vegan sour cream
• garlic
• sweet corn, canned
• black olives
• onions
• Vegan Cheese (We like Violife just like cheddar shreds) or homemade ( potatoes, carrots, cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, plant milk, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, green chilis)
• avocados
• Corn tortilla chips

How do you make vegan nachos?

Start by Preheating your oven to 400 degrees, greasing a sheet pan or baking sheet, and set aside.

Make your sauce mixture.

Take a small bowl and mix all your vegan mayo, vegan sour cream (if you don't have vegan sour cream, you could use cashew cream), chili powder, and stir, set aside.

Let's make the bean mixture.

Take your black beans, rinse and drain them in a colander, then add the canned corn.

Move those to a medium-size bowl and add the can of chili, all the seasonings, and stir. Now set aside.

Now you can make this "nacho" cheese sauce, or you can use your favorite shredded vegan cheese.

If you choose to make the vegan nacho cheese, here's how:

Boil your potatoes, carrots, and cashews. 

Boil that until soft (10-15 minutes) drain once cooked.

Take a high-speed blender or food processor and mix the remaining ingredients, plus the cooked vegetables, and blend until smooth.

How do you assemble loaded nachos?

Now take your greased pan and start with a layer of chips in a single layer.

Now add your bean mixture in a layer evenly over the chips, and then your cashew queso or vegan cheese shreds.

Cook in the oven for 7-10 minutes.

While that is cooking, make your guacamole.

Take your avocado, remove the skin, and put the remaining avocado into a small bowl.

Add the salt, onion, and garlic powder.

Take a pastry cutter and smash your avocados until smooth, stir and set aside.

Once the nachos are cooked, you can add your guacamole and drizzle your cream topping, olives, and whatever other toppings you want on your nachos.

Serve and enjoy.

How do you serve these loaded vegan nachos?

These are best served fresh out of the oven.

How do you store nachos?

Nachos all made up do not store well. The chips get soggy, and it's just not good to save. 

 It's best to only make up the amount of nachos you think your family will eat.

And then, you can store the toppings in separate airtight containers. 

The guacamole is best served fresh and not saved.

Then reheat the same way you cooked your original nachos in the oven.

Can you freeze nachos?

You can't freeze nachos all cooked up, but you can freeze the main components in a freezer airtight container for up to 3 months, then defrost and use accordingly.

Want some other vegan Mexican food recipes?

• Vegan taquitos
• Vegan Mexican rice
• Vegan Enchiladas

If you loved this recipe then give it a 5 star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook. 

General Nacho Questions-

Are nachos vegan?

Typically Nachos are not vegan as they are made up of ground beef, beans, seasoning, and dairy. The dairy and ground beef make it not vegan friendly.

What are vegan nachos made of?

Vegan nachos can be made with a mixture of beans, vegan ground beef, cashew queso, or vegan shreds. 

Are tortilla chips vegan?

Yes, I've never seen a tortilla chip that's not vegan, but I'm sure some are out there. They are typically just made with corn, oil, and salt.