Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip

Cheesy, creamy, and satisfying, this Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip is the perfect vegan appetizer or snack. Serve this quick and easy dip at a party or enjoy it at home with some chips and/or veggies.

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Hey Internet, it’s been a while since I posted an appetizer. This particular one is super fun so I’m excited to share it with you today.

There’s nothing stuck up or snooty about this easy to make vegan buffalo dip. It’s savory, cheesy, creamy, and it has a good kick from that Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.

One thing I love about this dip is that it is easy to control the heat. Add less hot sauce if you’re not into spice. Add more if you can’t get enough.

If you like things really hot, you can add chopped jalapenos to this too.

The other thing I love about this recipe is that you can customize the filling.

I’ve used white beans as the base, but you could use jackfruit -- try my vegan shredded chicken or you could use soy curls. Or seitan. Or even super firm tofu.

This recipe features a mixture of white navy beans and Great Northern beans. Either works fine.

I love the meatiness of a Great Northern bean, and the navy beans blend really well.

I like to have 3 cans of beans in this recipe: one gets completely pureed, one gets lightly pulsed/chopped up, and one is mixed in whole (the Great Northern beans) so you have a very texturally interesting but thick and “meaty” dip.

This is a pretty forgiving recipe. You just want the mixture to be kind of thick and it’ll be a great dip no matter what.

Ready to make this thing?

What You’ll Need

• White beans: I used a mixture of white navy beans and Great Northern beans. The navy beans blend really well and the Great Northern beans are almost “meaty” so they’re nice kept whole in the last step. Chickpeas or butter beans would also work really well here. You could easily substitute jackfruit, soy curls, seitan, super firm tofu, or a store-bought chicken alternative.
• Silken tofu: More silky (get it?) than regular tofu, silken tofu is tofu that hasn’t been curdled. It’s perfectly safe to eat--it still gets cooked down, but it is smooth so it really lends itself well to being blended. I like it in this recipe because it takes the place of the cream cheese and makes the recipe creamy without adding a ton of fat. If you prefer, substitute a thick cashew cream or vegan sour cream.
• Frank’s: It wouldn’t really be a buffalo __ recipe without Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, am I right?
• Nutritional yeast: Since we aren’t using any cream cheese, I wanted to get a cheesiness while also thickening the recipe. Nutritional yeast is perfect for this. For those of you who hate nutritional yeast, I wouldn’t say the flavor is very strong in this recipe. But you can leave it out if you prefer.
• Spices: I used garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and smoked paprika to flavor the dip. The smoked paprika is really nice because it adds just a little hint of smokiness that you might get if you were using meat.
• Green onions: Chop up a bunch of green onions and use the white, firmer parts in the body of our vegan buffalo dip. They add a great little crunch and some good flavor. We can use the thinner green parts on top as a garnish AFTER the dip is baked (otherwise they wilt).
• Vegan cheese: This is totally optional and it works without it, I tested it. But I love adding some vegan shredded cheese straight into the dip + more on top. I used a blend of vegan mozzarella and cheddar. You can make one of my homemade vegan cheeses or you can use something store-bought.

How to Make Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191 degrees Celsius) and lightly grease a 8x8 baking dish (or line with parchment paper if oil-free; canned coconut milk also works).
• Start by draining 3 cans of beans--but keep them separate! I like to rinse mine because I’m already adding salt to the dip.
• To a food processor (you can use a blender instead, try not to overblend in the next few steps--it’s nice to keep texture in this dish), add the first can of beans (I used white navy beans in this step), the silken tofu (after draining it), hot sauce, nutritional yeast, and spices. Blend until mostly smooth.
• Add the next can of beans (I used another can of white navy beans in this step) and just pulse it a few times to break the beans but not pulverize them.
• Scrape the mixture into your baking dish and then add the remaining can of beans (I used a can of Great Northern beans in this step because they’re a little more “meaty”), white parts of the green onions, and the vegan shredded cheese (if using. Reserve a bit of the cheese for sprinkling on top). Mix through with a spoon or spatula and flatten the top.
• Sprinkle on vegan cheese or panko breadcrumbs or nothing, if you prefer. Place uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes. If your vegan cheese isn’t melting, you can try turning up the heat (I would go to 400F/205C… or use the broiler if you have one) for up to 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes to thicken and cool a bit. Enjoy with chips (we used unsalted tortilla chips), carrots, celery, or whatever else you like. Pretzels would be nice here too, or you could dunk bread in it or even use it as a sandwich filling (it’s substantial enough).
• Refrigerate leftover vegan buffalo chicken dip in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

How to Customize This Recipe

This is a new section I’m starting to incorporate. Lots of readers will share additions or substitutions to my recipes and I love to see it!

I’ll add my favorites here when you tell me about them, but for now here’s a few ideas on how you could customize this dip.

• Add a drizzle of vegan ranch dressing to the top--it’s really easy to make at home!
• Cube up some avocado and sprinkle that on top.
• Slice or dice up some jalapenos and mix them into this for extra spiciness.
• Try a different hot sauce--why not try sriracha or sweet chili sauce to mix it up?
• Use vegan chicken as the base--why not tear up some store bought vegan chicken nuggets or patties or give my jackfruit vegan shredded chicken a try?
• Add some olives--I’d use black olives in this.
• Chop up some fresh herbs like parsley and dill and serve those on top.
• Add a note of tanginess with a squeeze of lemon or a little vinegar (a little goes a long way).
• Add a crunchy topping like panko bread crumbs right before baking.
• Mix in some thawed frozen corn for a pop of sweetness and more texture.
• Dice up a white or sweet onion and mix that through before baking. It will get softened by the oven but will still add more flavor and a bit of crunch to the filling.

More Vegan Appetizers You’ll Love

If you like this vegan buffalo dip, I’m sure you’ll also like:

• Vegan Pigs in a Blanket
• Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
• Teriyaki Cauliflower Wings
• Vegan Crab Rangoon
• Vegan Pierogi with Potato and Leek
• Bang Bang Tofu
• Vegan Ceviche
• Vegan Kale Artichoke Dip (spinach works too)

Anything Else?

As always, I hope you love this recipe--I know I do, and Mr. Zardyplants does too.

This vegan buffalo chicken dip is:

• Cheesy
• Spicy
• Creamy
• Savory
• Lush
• Cozy
• Satisfying
• Perfect for serving to guests
• And oh so delicious!

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 Liz

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