Learn how to make Easy Vegan Refried Bean Dip with just 6 ingredients and 15 minutes! This dip is smooth, creamy and perfect for parties like the Super Bowl and is healthy, low-fat and oil-free!
Today, I’m going to show you how to make a delicious Vegan Refried Bean Dip! When I was a kid, I ate that Frito Lays bean dip with fritos so much, it was borderline obsessive, therefore, I had to create a healthy version. I absolutely love that dip. I love all beans, but something about pinto beans is just like the best bean flavor ever to me.
Well, this vegan refried bean dip is so much healthier and totally oil-free! It’s a great way to get in your Daily Dozen too! You can eat it as is, cold, or heat it up like a true refried bean dish.
With the Super Bowl coming up soon, we all gravitate toward dips and appetizers, but we all want them to be easy and quick. Party dips and appetizers don’t have to mean greasy fried junk.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN FRITO LAY BEAN DIP?
According to the label, it contains pinto beans, vinegar, corn oil, salt, maltodextrin, dried onion, sugar, jalapeno peppers, spices and natural flavors.
Therefore, not terribly unhealthy, however I don’t want the oil, maltodextrin (food additive) or “natural flavors”, thank you very much.
For my vegan version, you will need 6 simple ingredients to make:
- pinto beans
- medium heat salsa
- pickled jalapenos
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- coconut sugar (found at any grocery store, Walmart, Target, etc. right next to regular sugar)
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN REFRIED BEAN DIP
First, you will need a food processor. Secondly, you will start out by adding the drained and rinsed pinto beans to a food processor.
Add the salsa, pickled jalapeno slices, onion powder, garlic powder, coconut sugar and salt. Blend for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides a couple of times during, until completely smooth and creamy.
Taste and add more salt if needed, which will depend on your beans. If you want it spicier, add more jalapenos. If you want it true refried bean style, you can choose to heat up the mashed bean mixture in the microwave up or bake it in a dish until hot. Honestly, I just ate it straight out of the food processor. Haha.
So easy, right?! That’s it.
Get some chips and get to dipping!
Want more easy vegan party dips?
- Best Vegan Queso
- Spicy Buffalo White Bean Hummus
- Oil-free Barbecue White Bean Hummus
- Smoky Jalapeno Black Bean Dip
- Avocado Hummus
Vegan Refried Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz cans of low-sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed well (see NOTE)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) medium heat runny/smooth salsa (I used Trader Joe's)
- 5-10 pickled jalapeno slices (I used 8 and found it to be the perfect kick)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspooon coconut sugar or use white but maybe half since it's sweeter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
NOTE: If you prefer to not use canned beans, then just use 3 cups cooked pinto beans, 510g.
Instructions
- Add the drained and rinsed beans, salsa, pickled jalapeno slices, onion powder, garlic powder, coconut sugar and salt. Blend for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides a couple of times during, until completely smooth and creamy.
- Taste and add more salt if needed, which will depend on your beans. If you want it spicier, add more jalapenos.
- If you want it true refried bean style, you can choose to heat up the mashed bean mixture in the microwave a couple of minutes until hot or bake it in a dish at 325°F 15-20 minutes until hot. I honestly loved it straight out of the processor so it was like the Frito Lay bean dip.
- Serve with chips and add extra jalapenos if desired.
I made this today and put it inside a burrito with black beans, green onion, shaved lettuce and tomato and it was outstanding! This is the best refried bean recipe ever, the 8 jalapeños was just perfect. I followed the recipe exactly as you wrote it and it was just great. Hubby loved it. Thank you for creating a fabulous dip
Wonderful Lisa, so glad you loved this so much! Would you mind star rating it as well, thank you so much!
exactly as I’m planning to do tomorrow!!
I was looking for a ‘quick, cold/ready-to-serve’ Bean Dip to use as a spread in wraps…and share w/nonVegan teammates after tomorrow’s practice. I’ll have to make a milder version, but this seems perfect to go with everything I already have on-hand:
Whole wheat tortillas
**Bean Dip** schmear
Baby Spinach
Sautéed/Grilled corn (frozen)
Cucumber slices
Mini Sweet Pepper rounds
Quick-Pickled onion slices and Baby Carrot rounds
Grape Tomato halves
Mexican-Seasoned couscous (packet)
Veganaise ‘crema’ drizzle—w/ chili, cumin, coriander + garlic powders, fresh cilantro/parsley and lime/lemon juice, s+p
Thanks for the recipe✨🤘🏾
Outstanding recipe
I left out the sugar and the salt. Very yummy and easy to make.
Great recipe! Easy to make, all ingredients already in my kitchen. Bringing to a family gathering, I think everyone will love it.
So glad you enjoyed it Gail!
This recipe is tasty! It came together quickly for an afternoon snack. I halved the recipe since it wasn’t for a party. Also, I didn’t have pickled jalapeños so I substituted a small can of green chilis. Still yummy!
I’m so excited to try this recipe. I love bean dip!
The recipe calls for trader joes salsa, have you ever tried using your own salsa?
Hi, no I haven’t, but I imagine it would be delicious!
We really enjoyed this recipe. Easy to make, delicious to eat and inexpensive to make. My son loved it.
PS. Coconut sugar is found in any store, if the customer takes a moment to look for it. It is normally in a bag like you’d find brown sugar, not a 5 pound bag like C&H. I did use 1/4 tsp regular sugar and it turned out fine, but you gave people that option in your recipe. I just think the person giving you a one star either was having a bad day, or one of those people that criticizes everyone. Please don’t take it to heart, your recipe is delicious.
Thank you Shirley, so glad you loved the recipe! Oh yes, I know, thank you!
Completely delicious. I’m eating a very simple fruit and veggie diet hoping to avoid having to go as far as the elemental diet due to food allergies, and this recipe has a perfect rich texture as well as taste. I added a jalapeno from our garden that we roasted on the rotisserie of our Vortex air fryer, skinned and seeded it, and then added the pickled jalapenos as well. Fantastic.
I made this today & it is divine! I did cut the recipe in 1/2 as have a small food processor. Definitely will make it again & again! It could be put on several things, used as a mayo replacement, on a baked potato, etc.
So happy to hear that!! Thanks Julie!
DELICIOUS! Thank you! My husband loves it and I do, too. It works well with black beans as well. I did add a little cumin, but that’s the only change I made.
I made the bean dip for the bean layer in Brandi’s 7 Layer Dip for Super Bowl Sunday. Flavor composition and texture were excellent. Enjoyed by WFPB peeps as well as carnivores.
I made this today using beans I cooked in an instant pot.
It’s very good. I need to add the jalapeños on top before I serve it.
Thanks.
This is another great recipe. I’ve made it several times using our homemade salsa. So, so quick, easy, tasty & healthy! Thank you!
Thank you so much Sharon!
Another winner! This is quick, easy, delicious and a great appetizer to serve non-vegan guests! I can imagine using this as a filling in tacos as well.
This was so yummy and I’m glad I had everything on hand! I pickled my own garden jalopenos for this. I’ll be making this again!
I made this today is a quick after hike snack and it worked perfectly, I did use date Sugar instead of coconut sugar and added a wee bit of cumin.
Yay!!
I make this on a weekly basis because it is AMAZING. This tastes EXACTLY like the delicious (non-vegan) refried beans you get at Mexican restaurants and it’s insane to me that it’s fat free. One of the many recipes of yours that is in my rotation. I’ve started adding it into enchiladas and also your Vegan Cheesy Mexican Tortilla bake…adds even more creaminess and flavor. Thank you Brandi!!
This is delicious! Thabk you. Question: can this be frozen? I over estimated how much to take to à party (where everyone else did too), and wonder if some can be saved for another day.
I’ve never tried freezing it so I don’t know for sure, but I think it’d be ok!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times now. It’s simple and tasty and I love that it’s vegan so everyone can enjoy it. I eat it right out of the food processor too and use leftovers to make burritos. (And I just substitute regular sugar for the coconut sugar as the recipe suggests.)
Coconut sugar is easy to find! Its in practically every store these days.
Love this recipe, its delicious!
This came out so good! I had to improvise a tiny bit based on what I had on hand, using 1 can pinto and 1 can black beans instead of 2 pinto. I added a pinch of cumin because I can’t help myself, but I don’t think it needed it actually. This recipe is awesome! I’m currently trying to not snarf it all up waiting to guests to arrive. And you’re right, it does taste like the Frito Lay bean dip, ha. I was surprised how well the pickled jalapeno enhanced the flavor without too much spice. This will be my go to bean dip for sure! Thanks for the great recipe!