Dairy-free Mexican Street Corn, Vegan

An simple Vegan and dairy free Mexican street corn (elote) recipe made with oven roasted corn covered in a satisfying dairy-free sauce made with nutritional yeast.

We have made this dairy free elote (street corn) more times than we can count over this summer! The sauce here is just SO good. It is made from a combination of mayo, lime juice, chili powder and nutritional yeast.

The nutritional yeast gives this recipe a cheesy satisfying flavor that is just right on top of grilled corn. The corn here, by the way, is baked, which is great if you don’t want to use a grill (but you can totally use a grill for this recipe if you want to!)

We like making this street corn with some grapefruit guacamole, and our dairy free 7 layer dip.

Why this recipe works

• It is simple to make! No grill needed. All you have to do is bake the corn, then make the sauce, then cover the baked corn in the sauce!
• Its a wonderful non-dairy street corn option.
• The nutritional yeast sauce is SO yummy.
• This recipe is easily made Vegan or Paleo.

Recipe ingredients

• Ears of corn– with or without husk, you’ll remove the husk prior to baking.
• Olive oil– any good quality olive oil works.
• Mayonnaise– use any kind that suits your dietary needs. ( Vegan, Paleo, etc)
• Lime juice– fresh is best
• Nutritional yeast– make sure you like the taste of your nutritional yeast. This makes ALL the difference in the world. Our personal favorite is this nutritional yeast from Anthony’s and we truly believe that this dish tastes better using this brand.
• Chili pepper– this adds some heat to the sauce.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step by step dairy free elote instructions

Step 1

Step 1- Cook the corn.

To cook the corn you can either cook it in the oven, like we did in this recipe, or use your grill.

(Make sure to remove the husks and the silk prior to cooking the corn. The husks peel back easily and then it is just a matter of removing all of the silk strings off of the corn)

To cook it in the oven, cover the ears of corn in a bit of oil and cook them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30-35 minutes. Then broil the corn for a few minutes.

If you are grilling the corn, cook them according to how you normally would with your type of grill. Time and temperature depends on your device.

If you have an air fryer, try this air fryer corn on the cob from Vegetarian Mama.

Step 2

Step 2- While the corn grills, make the dairy-free Mexican street corn sauce.

Mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, salt, pepper, chili powder and nutritional yeast.

At this point, taste the sauce and see how you like it. We personally like the ratio of ingredients in this recipe, but if you want things more spicy, add more chili powder.

If you like more lime, then add more…etc.

Step 3

Step 3– Take the corn out of the oven/ or your grill.

Step 4

Step 4- Slather the corn in the dairy-free sauce.

It tastes best to do this while the corn is still warm and then eating the corn warm.

We like sprinkling extra nutritional yeast, a bit of chili powder, and some parsley ( or cilantro) on top of the finished dish for the look of it, but also for an extra oomph of flavor.

Recipe FAQs

In an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

You can oven roast the corn in advance, and make the sauce in advance, then put it together later. Just make sure to reheat the corn in the microwave.

Yes! Just add more chili powder to the sauce.

If you love this recipe, then you will want our Dairy-free Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad.

If dairy is no issue for you, check out this Mexican Street Corn from Fool Proof Living. It looks great and has cotija cheese. YUM.