This healthy Mexican Vegan Refried Bean Dip is sure to be a hit at your next party! It's easy to make, has delicious homemade guacamole and vegan queso, and is great for a crowd!
As the summer approaches, I'm constantly on the hunt for healthy, crowd-pleasing recipes. When I see my family or meet up with friends, I want to be able to bring something that I know I can eat (i.e. gf/df), but that also everyone else will enjoy as well.
This coming weekend we're going a BBQ for Cinco de Mayo and I was tasked with bringing something. I first went with guac, but that felt too simple, so I started searching on Pinterest. I landed on Mexican Layer Dip and knew I needed my own twist.
This, my friends, is the most epic vegan refried bean dip of all time.
It’s got FOUR layers of awesome Mexican goodness, is totally addicting, BUT it’s still super healthy too. I’ve basically taken the traditional 7 layer dip, stripped out the junk and replaced it with fresh, vegan ingredients. (ps… don't tell your friends there’s no cheese involved – they’ll never be able to tell!)
A Healthy Mexican Layer Dip
Classic Mexican Layer dip has seven layers. But honestly, it's a little overboard for me. And olives on Mexican dips? Meh, I'll pass.
So we're taking it down to just four simple layers. And each layer packs a punch in the flavor department.
We're also making this layer dip vegan, which adds a slight twist. No cheese, no sour cream. But still absolutely fabulous!
Here are our 4 layers:
- vegan refried beans (I like these ones)
- the easiest guacamole
- vegan queso
- fresh pico de gallo
I think you get everything you need in each bite and all those extras are just unnecessary. And with each scoop, you get a huge burst of flavor and texture. It's delicious!
The Easiest Guacamole Ever
After our refried beans, it's guac time. Like pretty much every other person I know, I'm guacamole obsessed. And I love making mine at home.
If you've never made guac before, it's literally the simplest thing ever. It's just mashed avocado with some spices and lime juice and you're done.
For my homemade guacamole, here's what I use:
- avocado
- lime juice
- chili powder
- salt
I sometimes will also throw in some cilantro, cumin and garlic powder if I'm feeling fancy! It's truly that simple.
The Ultimate Vegan Queso Dip
The next layer is cheese. But not actual cheese remember because it's vegan ????
I've made a few vegan queso dips on the blog before, but the one I love with this vegan refried bean dip is actually the sauce I made for my Vegan Nacho Cheesy Kale Chips. I love it with this recipe because it's got a little kick.
I also think my vegan kimchi queso would also be good, but it needs to be cooked first and can be a little tricky texture-wise if it's served cold.
Don't feel like making your own queso? I get it. You can totally use the vegan cream cheese spread from Kite Hill as well (the jalapeno one would be so good!).
Perfect Homemade Pico De Gallo
Our final layer is the pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is just fresh salsa and it's so simple to make. It's something we make almost weekly just to have on hand. It keeps for at least a week in the fridge and makes a great snack.
For our healthy Mexican layer dip, it's the top layer. And the reason for that is it adds freshness. It completes the whole dip and gives you that bite that you really need to lighten everything up.
I use just a very basic list of ingredients to make my homemade pico de gallo:
- tomatoes
- red onion
- cilantro
- lime juice
- chili powder
- salt
It's just a simple chop of the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro, then you toss that all together with the seasonings. It's that simple as that!
How to Make Vegan Refried Bean Dip
Once you've got your individual layers together, it's all about assembly.
I personally like the order I have here, but you can totally change things up if you'd like. You can also use store bought versions of all or some of these things. Up to you!
Here's how I assemble my Mexican layers:
- warm refried beans
- vegan queso
- guacamole
- fresh pico de gallo
And for serving? Chips, chips and more CHIPS! I mean it's also good with crackers, but there's not like a good corn tortilla chip. They're my weakness, my vice and I just adore them with this dip.
So go ahead you little party animal. Whip up this fabulous dip and be the start of the show!
More Healthy Vegan Mexican Recipes
- 5-ingredient Mexican Quinoa
- Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Vegan Jackfruit Enchiladas Verdes
- Cilantro Lime Black Bean Quinoa Tacos
- Quinoa & Lentil Taco Meat
- Mango Lime Quinoa Tacos
Clean Eating Refried Bean Dip
Ingredients
for the dip:
- 1 15oz can refried beans (I used these black beans)
- 1/2 batch of my vegan queso
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- Guacamole from 1 avocado recipe below
- 1 cup fresh Pico de Gallo recipe below
for the guacalmole:
- 1 avocado
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Pinch of chili powder
- Pinch of salt
for the pico de gallo:
- 1 roma tomato chopped
- 1/2 a small red onion chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Pinch of salt + pepper
Instructions
- Add the refried beans to a small sauce pot and heat on medium low until smooth and cream (you might have to add a touch of water to get it to smooth out).
- Transfer the beans to a large bowl and smooth the layer with a spoon. Now it's time to layer the rest of the dip: add the queso, then quinoa, then guacamole and top it all with the pico.
- Serve immediately with your favorite chip or cracker!
Video
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