Vegan Cheese Fondue

with roasted potatoes, broccoli, and toasted sourdough

Yes, fondue can be non-dairy! This vegan cheese fondue is made completely from plants using whole food pantry ingredients. The recipe accommodates just about everyone, as it is also oil-free and gluten-free, with even a nut-free option included. Nutrient-dense with both fiber and protein while lower in fat than dairy-based fondues - yesss. No worries, it's an easy recipe, too. So go ahead and get that fondue party started!

Our family has a fondue tradition on Valentine's Day. No reservations required and a fun night for all. We love that it's a complete meal, with protein, veg, and starch included. Pretty much anything you love with cheese on it can be dipped in this delicious, somewhat-stretchy cheesy sauce.

For Valentine's Day, we love pairing this with Easy Vegan Chocolate Rosemary Truffles or Easy Vegan Chocolate Orange Semifreddo.

Jump to:

• with roasted potatoes, broccoli, and toasted sourdough
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• Chocolate finisher
• Other cheesy recipes
• The Recipe
• general food safety

Ingredients and Substitutions

It may look like a long list of ingredients to you. They are simple ingredients, though, most of which you may already have on-hand in your pantry.

Yellow potatoes: Of the potato options, yellow have the best buttery consistency and flavor for this recipe.

Cannellini beans: These provide the bulk of the protein in this recipe, along with fiber, texture, and flavor. Other white beans can substitute well, too.

Onion: Any onion will do, or shallot.

Garlic: We're going to use garlic cloves with an optional addition of granulated garlic for even more flavor.

Dry white wine: To me, this is what makes fondue fondue, providing the primary flavor. While I haven't tried it, I imagine that alcohol-free wine would work well, too. Surprisingly, many wines use animal-based products in their processing. I actually purchased a de-alcoholized wine to try only to find out later that they used egg whites in the process, which I'm allergic to! To find out, you can check manufacturer websites or barnivore.com, a reference site for vegan alcohol.

Plant-based unsweetened plain milk: Really any will do. I've used oat milk here.

Veggie broth: This helps deepen the flavor, balancing the wine.

Nutritional yeast: Brings that cheesy flavor and color. Available online or at large grocery stores - check the bulk section, too.

Tapioca starch: Important for providing the stretchiness and thickness. It's possible corn starch or arrowroot powder could work, though I haven't tried yet.

Hemp hearts: Rich with a subtle nutty-pine flavor, yet these are seeds and not nuts so most people can eat them.

Almond butter or tahini: Brings a rich, creamy nuttiness. You could substitute with the same amount of additional hemp hearts if you'd like.

White pepper: The right mellow mood for this fondue (as opposed to black pepper).

Salt: The balancer. You may find you don't need it, or could substitute a squeeze of lemon if you are watching your salt intake.

Dippers

As mentioned above, choose what you like for dipping into this cheesy goodness. Crackers, apple slices, raw veggies, roasted mushrooms - all delicious.

Here are three dippers that we enjoy:

Roasted potatoes: You can make fries, rounds, or chunks, whatever you'd like. This post on making french fries can be helpful, or this one on potato slices - both focused on using the air fryer to speed up the process.

Roasted broccoli: Cheese and broccoli is such a delicious combo! Roasted brussels sprouts would be another great option.

Sourdough: You can use any bread you'd like, including gluten-free.

See recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

You'll need a knife and cutting board for the potatoes, broccoli, onion, garlic, and anything else you'll be wanting to chop. I use a separate cutting board for foods that aren't ready-to-eat, like potatoes. If using just one cutting board, I'll wash it well before cutting any foods that will be eaten raw.

We'll be using a medium-small pot (about 2 quart), which can be used to boil the potatoes, heat up the blended fondue ingredients, and even serve - otherwise, you can use a fondue pot for that.

We'll also need two baking sheets, parchment for lining, and the oven.

Plus, we will be using a blender, one that can comfortably hold more than 6 cups.

Instructions

There are a few steps involved in making vegan fondue. Fortunately, they're easy and can overlap. The roasted potatoes for dipping take the longest to cook; the fondue can be made while they're roasting.

Start by chopping and then boiling the potatoes for the fondue. Then:

For more details, see the recipe card below.

Storage

You can serve directly from the pot at your table, protecting it with a trivet. Each person can use a fork to dip their dippers, or their hands for finger foods. Alternatively, serve from a fondue pot and fondue forks.

Once cooled to nearly room temperature, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheat thoroughly to serve.

FAQ

Chocolate finisher

When serving this fondue, I like having chocolate for dessert. Try these ideas:

Other cheesy recipes

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

The Recipe

general food safety

• Wash hands and ingredients well before using
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.