Description
Cheesy, creamy, and satisfying, this Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip is the perfect vegan appetizer or snack. Serve this easy dip at a party.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
- 3-15 ounce cans white beans (about 4 1/2 cups altogether)(see note 1)
- 1-16 ounce block silken tofu (see note 2)
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (see note 3)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup green onions, chopped (white parts separated)
- 1 cup vegan cheese + extra for topping, optional (see note 4)
Dippers
- Celery, Carrots, Chips, Crackers, Pretzels, Etc.
Instructions
- Prep: 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).
- Drain beans: 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.
- Blend: 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.
- Pulse: 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.
- Add the rest to a baking dish: 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.
- Bake: Sprinkle on vegan cheese or panko breadcrumbs or nothing, if you prefer. Bake 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.
- Cool and enjoy: Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 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).
- Store: Refrigerate leftover vegan buffalo chicken dip in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Note 1: 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.
- Note 2: I like silken tofu 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.
- Note 3: 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.
- Note 4: 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.
- Note 5: Want to customize this recipe? Check out a few ideas I have in the article above--there’s a specific section called “How to Customize This Recipe.”
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snack, dip
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Party
Keywords: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Sugar-Free, Can Be Soy-Free, Vegan Dip, Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip