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When changing over from the “Standard American Diet” to a whole food, plant-based diet, it is inevitable that you will have at least ONE thing you miss and struggle to go on without. For Jessica, that is cheese… and more specifically QUESO!
We mostly follow a whole food plant-based “SOS free” diet (no added salt, oil or sugar), so when looking for our “queso,” we wanted something that was as close to that as possible. It is very rare to find store bought products that are 100% “compliant” with those guidelines, so you have to do your best (or make it yourself at home). We weren’t up to the challenge of making our own just yet… so we set out on a mission to find the best store bought versions!
First up was Trader Joe’s Organic Cashew Fiesta Dip ($3.49). This one had the most “interesting” texture to start out. It was a very thick consistency, almost like hummus. The label says it is “delicious hot or cold,” but we did not find it all that pleasant when it was cold. However, after we heated it up, the magic happened! Watch the video above to see our reactions.
The Trader Joe’s dip is a bit high in sodium for people trying to avoid added salt, but the ingredient list is pretty clean and 30 calories for 2 tablespoons is not bad!
Trader Joe’s Cashew Queso Dip
Since the video above was recorded, the Trader Joe’s dip has been added to our weekly grocery list. Jessica likes to eat it after her dinner salad, usually spread onto a toasted Trader Joe’s mini whole wheat pita pocket. We have also started using it to top our mini veggie pizzas. It firms up just a bit when baked and adds a really nice cheesy flavor to the pizza!
Next up on our search for the best vegan, oil-free queso was the “Just Kidding Queso” from a business called Fred & Ricky’s, located in our hometown of St. Louis! Fred & Ricky’s specializes in plant based, no-oil, low sodium meals that are sold in convenient single and family size portions. They sell their products out of two local shops in St. Louis and also ship throughout the continental United States, so check out their website for details.
Since we live in St. Louis, we were able to head to one of their locations and pick up a party-sized container of the “Just Kidding Queso.” This one is most similar to the standard queso dips you’ll find in Tex-Mex restaurants or the popular Velveeta/Rotel queso you would make for a party. Except you can feel WAY better about eating this one since all of the ingredients are very simple & clean! As you can see from the label below, the Fred & Ricky’s queso also has the least amount of ingredients and lowest amount of sodium of the ones we reviewed. It is a bit pricier at $5.99 for 7.5oz or $11.99 for 15oz, but you know you are getting quality ingredients from a great company!
We love supporting a local company and Fred & Ricky’s has never disappointed! Their queso can also be frozen, which is really nice for those of us trying to portion out and limit our queso intake. The texture is very creamy and it goes really well with some homemade baked corn tortilla chips! You could definitely bring it to any party and everyone would enjoy it, even your non-vegan friends.
UPDATE: We are sad to say that Fred & Ricky’s has suspended their operations since this review was posted, so their queso is no longer available. Hopefully someday they will come back!
Our third and final queso dip was from a brand called Good Foods. We discovered it as a “special buy” at Aldi back in January. As any Aldi shopper knows, special buy products only last a few weeks at the most, so this one quickly flew off the shelves. We were able to snag a few containers before that happened, and we are so glad we did!
The Good Foods Queso Style Dip ($3.99) has a very unique flavor and it is super tasty. It does have a bit higher calorie and sodium compared to the other two, but it might be worth it for the extra flavor. You’ll also notice the higher protein count, which is always a win in our book.
Oliver’s special guest appearance! 🐶
The main issue we have with the Good Foods queso is not being able to find it! They do have a store locator on their website, but so far no St. Louis area stores carry it. They do seem to be adding more and more stores very quickly, so check your area and keep an eye out! Let us know in the comments below if you find it. They also have an oil-free Buffalo Style Dip that we are dying to try!
We hope you enjoy our thorough review of these three plant-based queso dips! Let us know in the comments below if you have tried any of these or have any suggested for more we should try. Be sure to check out the video and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more reviews, recipes and more about our weight loss journey.
Aldi has the Good Foods Queso and Buffalo Dips right now. This is the first time I’ve heard of the brand and first time trying it. Pretty good!
Hi Tim! I actually stocked up on the queso earlier this week since Aldi has it back on special buy right now! They didn’t have the buffalo one for me – I really want to try that one!
I have heard from a couple of people that the Aldi queso freezes well so you can buy extra and stock up to last until it is released again.
We just did a freezer test last week since they are back on special buy at Aldi 🙂 I froze it for 3 days and then thawed for 24 hours in the fridge. After it thawed, the consistency was definitely a bit less creamy… but the flavor was still spot on. So I may have gone back to Aldi and bought a FEW more 😉
I found the Good Foods Queso and Buffalo Dip at two separate Public stores here in Nashville. Do you have a Publix near you? Either way, thanks for sharing!
We don’t have Publix in St. Louis, but next time I am in a city that does I’ll definitely look for the Buffalo one! Aldi had another special buy of the Queso, and I stocked up and plan to freeze them 😀
I think almost all Publix stores carry this queso dip.
I have to find the Good Foods Queso! Dying to try it since i saw your review. Also was wondering if you have tried Jill Mckeever’s Queso recipe. I think you would find it interesting if you haven’t and you can add to it to make some pretty cheap and awesome Queso! Plus it’s about the easiest Queso recipe out there! Anyway, love your channel! https://youtu.be/bKlHFXOjkfA
We love Jill but haven’t tried it out yet! We seriously need to start testing out all of the homemade queso recipes! Thanks for sharing!
I tried Jills recipe for Queso (which just means cheese). It’s good. For me I had some digestive problems from the pimentos. I think I will jick around with it myself and try for a zesty flavor. Mine didn’t thicken like hers so may address this too. Isn’t this fun though?
I just tried the Trader Joe’s fiesta dip — it was amazing, I’m in love with it. Thanks for the awesome review.
Awesome! Love that stuff 🙂 Thanks for letting us know!
The Cashew Fiesta from Trader Joe’s is hands down phenomenal. Even my Omni partner likes it!
Thanks for the win!
Yay! That is a win 🙂
I have got to figure out how to make the Good Foods version. It almost reminds me of a creamy french dressing. I love the flavor but our local Bi-Lo sometimes has it and then sometimes doesn’t. I need it in bulk since cheese/dressing is our biggest issue in the house right now.
I would love to figure it out! We have a few in our freezer from when Aldi had it, but still can’t find it in stores locally in our area.
Loved the video – thanks!! I picked up the Trader Joe’s version and love it. Now I think it would be a very worthy challenge for the Krocks to figure out how to recreate this! ☺️ And then you could cut out the sodium or use miso (which Dr. Greger says protects from harmful effects of salt). So … I look forward to the Krocks Kueso in an upcoming video. 😉
Ha! Yes we definitely need to figure out a recipe! Thanks for watching 🙂
Good Foods is being carried in our local Food Lion stores in north central North Carolina!
Awesome! We don’t have that store here in St. Louis, but hoping they will come back to something near us soon!
I just got the cashew dip but trying to decide what to do with it!
I like to toast up a whole wheat pita and spread some on there. We’ve also used it on pizza!
Target where I live has the Good Foods dips in the Avocado Pesto, Queso, and Buffalo Style!
Awesome, I’ll have to check our Target!
The Honest Stand makes excellent whole food dips (no oil)–there’s a mild nacho and spicy nacho. They are somewhat hard to find and more expensive but delicious. The ingredients include potatoes, cashews, carrots.
Awesome, I’ll keep an eye out for those! Thanks!
Like the previous poster, my local Targets (Minnesota) have started carrying Good Foods dips, including Queso, Buffalo, Tzaziki, Avocado Pesto, and Cilantro. I am in love with the Queso and am interested to try the Avocado Pesto and Cilantro, but at $3.99/container on sale, my budget doesn’t have much flex for that. I may have to work on crafting a homemade version of the queso myself so I’ve got budget enough to splurge on the Cilantro or Pesto.
I finally got to try the Buffalo (found it at Target)! It is really good, but the price is definitely steep at $4.99!
Good Foods it at Target near me, looks like its the most reliable place to get it if you dont have a Publix near by.
Yeah!! I found it at our Target a few weeks ago!
I have not tried the others, but I do like the Trader Joe’s Fiesta Dip. I hope it is okay to share a recipe here (not my website). My family enjoys this white queso dip, it is yummy. https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/vegan-queso-blanco-mexican-white-cheese-dip/
Thanks for sharing! We will have to try that one out!