Being vegan or lactose intolerant shouldn’t keep you from going after the things you want most in life (read: a melty, cheesy platter of nachos). Because no vegan or lactose intolerant should suffer from a lack of nachos, the creative food masterminds behind these vegan nacho recipes have come up with ways to recreate the same tastes and textures of classic nacho cheese without any of the dairy.
If you’re in the LA area and are looking for some vegan nachos to chow down on, these will definitely help satisfy any crunchy, cheesy craving you’re looking for.
1. Gracias Madre
Famous for being Beyonce’s favorite restaurant, Gracias Madre serves Mexican-styled vegan food using organic, locally sourced ingredients. What makes these nachos stand out is the soy chorizo and guacamole that are layered in between chips along with the cashew nacho cheese. The nachos are also topped with pico de gallo, black beans, salsa verde, and cilantro.
What makes these stand out: the happy hour nachos available for $6 every weekday from 3-6 pm.
2. Sage
Sage Vegan Bistro is my favorite place to get vegan pizza, and if you ever go there you’ll see why. Their jackfruit nachos are also great if you like variety in your toppings. Sage is generous with the toppings and offers a chocolatey molé sauce for an extra $1 on the side if you want an extra dimension of flavor in your nacho dish.
What makes these stand out: the cauliflower, shaved carrots, and pickled onions they top it with.
3. SunCafe
SunCafe’s Super Sun Nachos feature their house made SunChorizo alongside a plethora of toppings, including guac, which is always a plus in my book. They even offer a raw option with jicama chips if you want to avoid the usual fried tortilla chips.
What makes these stand out: the option to go half jicama, half tortilla chips.
4. Real Food Daily
Yes, the Not-Chos at Real Food Daily can be a bit pricey if you decide to get the vegan Taco Mix for an extra $3, but the portions are so big and filling that it can serve as a whole meal (unless you’re sharing with 2 or more people). Like everything else on the Real Food Daily menu, you can expect all the ingredients to be organic and 100% plant-based.
What makes these stand out: all organic ingredients.
5. Veggie Grill
Veggie Grill is great to-go, but their Mondo Nachos are a must-order if you’re dining in. The portions are also pretty big and perfect for sharing. The Chicasa Chickin’ taco mix almost melts into the vegan cheese, and the creaminess from the mashed avocados help balance out the spice from the jalapeños.
What makes these stand out: the caramelized onions, definitely.
6. Follow Your Heart
You may have seen Follow Your Heart’s line of vegan cheeses and products in your grocery store alongside the regular cheeses. Follow Your Heart’s nachos are so good they’ve even made their way to the Dodger’s Stadium, where they’re served as a dairy-free option for all the vegan and lactose-intolerant baseball fans out there.
What makes these stand out: the melted Follow Your Heart jack and cheddar cheese blend.
While a simple tortilla chip with melted cheese is usually enough to make me happy, these elevated (vegan) versions are perfect for sharing and can even stand as a meal themselves. If you’re skeptic about what vegan cheese is or how it tastes, just trust me when I say that you won’t miss the textures and taste of regular nachos because these vegan nachos surely deliver on both.