Easy Vegan Elotes From Scratch

It has taken me way too long to try this! Every year when corn is in season I see elote or Mexican street corn recipes all over the internet. This year, I finally created my own. Don't wait! Make this vegan elote recipe today!

Deliciously grilled
Creamy, "cheesy", spicy and limey
Ready in 30 minutes with make ahead options
And so much fun to eat!

Ingredients For This Vegan Elote Recipe

I love that this vegan elote recipe is made from scratch. The star of the show is, of course, fresh corn on the cob. Everything else can be made in just a few minutes from ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.

Traditionally, Mexican street corn is coated in mayonnaise or crema and sprinkled with cotija cheese. Then, it is dusted with chili powder and garnished with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Take a look at this elote recipe from Isabel Eats for an authentic recipe and more information about this beloved Mexican street food.

In place of the mayonnaise or crema I blend up a quick tofu based alternative with:

• Firm tofu
• Lime
• Garlic
• Apple cider vinegar
• Mustard powder
• Salt
• And unsweetened plant milk to thin it out

I essentially took my oil-free mayonnaise recipe and tweaked it to make it perfect for these vegan elotes. I made it thicker by using firmer tofu, I used lime juice instead of lemon juice and fresh garlic to boost up the flavour.

If you only have softer tofu on hand you could omit the plant milk. Alternatively, if your tofu is extra firm you might find that you need a tiny bit more plant milk to reach the right consistency. You want the mayo/crema to be spreadable but not too runny so that it sticks to the corn.

For my vegan version of "cotija cheese" I use:

• Raw cashews
• Nutritional yeast
• Salt

These three ingredients create a surprisingly "cheesy" topping that is certainly not cotija but... it does the trick!

Finally, I use:

• Ancho chili powder for the perfect bit of heat.
• Garlic chives or cilantro to garnish.
• And extra lime for serving.

Method For Vegan Elotes

A great thing about this vegan elotes recipe is that the components can all be prepared in advance.

Prepare the corn on the cob (either in advance or right before serving):

• Remove the husk and silk from your cobs of corn but leave a couple inches of stem to make handling the elotes easier.
• Either grill your cobs to cook them right before serving OR...
• Boil the cobs for 3-5 minutes in rapidly boiling water to cook.

*I don't have an outdoor grill so I like to boil the cobs of corn in advance and store them for up to a day in the refrigerator. I prepare the rest of the ingredients in advance and then grill the cobs of corn on my stovetop grill pan just before serving to warm them up.

Make the tofu mayo/crema:

• Add all of the ingredients to a blender (I use my hand blender for easier clean up).
• And blend until smooth.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grind up the vegan "cotija cheese":

• Grind ¼ cup cashews in a small food processor or nut grinder.
• Stir in nutritional yeast and salt.
• Set aside until ready to serve.

To assemble the elotes:

• Grill the corn on the cob for a few minutes on each side until nicely charred.
• Optionally, brush the cobs with plant-based butter if desired.
• Roll the cobs in the tofu mayo/crema or spread 2 tablespoon on each cob.
• Sprinkle each cob with the cashew based "cheese" to coat.
• Dust each cob with as much chili powder as you can handle.
• Garnish with chopped garlic chives or cilantro.
• And serve with fresh lime!

Recipe Cost

This vegan elotes recipe makes 8 cobs of corn and costs us around $5 Canadian when fresh sweet corn is in season.

We are lucky to have lots of farms in our area where we can get farm fresh sweet corn for as low as $0.25 per cob. The tofu based mayo/crema costs us just under $2 and the cashew based cheese costs us about 65 cents.

Let me know in the comments below if you try this vegan elotes recipe and how you like it. Make sure to tell me if you have had authentic Mexican street corn or if this is the first time you're trying this delicious creation.

Try serving these elotes alongside my Vegan Sweet Potato Tacos or how about my BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich?

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