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    Home » Recipes » Favorites

    Vegan Refried Beans

    Published: Apr 23, 2020 · Modified: Aug 7, 2022 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

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    Refried Beans Pinterest

    Vegan Refried Beans - A delicious and healthier way to enjoy the classic Mexican dish! Made without lard or tons of fat.

    Vegan refried beans in a bowl

    Growing up in Arizona

    I've grown up loving Mexican food.

    Here in Arizona, there are literally Mexican food restaurants on just about every corner, which is completely fine by me.

    As a kid, my family and I went out for the delicious cuisine just about every weekend, and I would routinely get the same meal: Beef taco, cheese enchilada, rice, and refried beans.

    Now that I have a family of my own, we frequent a new favorite establishment, but my choices tend to be a bit healthier.

    Specifically, I like to order a fajita rice bowl, which layers Spanish rice with whole, pinto beans, grilled chicken, and vegetables.

    Vegan refried beans made with olive oil

     

    How to serve vegan refried beans

    I love this recipe because it is so easy and can be employed in so many ways, whether it's mixed in with nachos or served as a side with Homemade Tostadas and Tex Mex Rice.

    My daughters are both tortilla chip fanatics, so I'm happy to be able to give them something alongside that adds nutrition and protein, but that they still cheerfully eat.

    I prefer a chunkier texture, so I just mash the beans with my spoon until they're the consistency I like!

    If you want them smooth, just let the mixture cool a bit and pulse everything into your food processor to get it nice and creamy.

    Vegan refried beans in a bowl
    Print Recipe
    4.20 from 5 votes

    Vegan Refried Beans

    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    0 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: Beans, Grain-free, Low-fat, Sugar-free
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 114kcal
    Author: Lauren Goslin

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • ¼ red or yellow onion (about 1/2 cup), chopped fine
    • 2 large garlic cloves minced
    • 1 tsp chili powder
    • ¼ tsp cumin
    • 1 15-ounce can pinto beans (with juice)
    • ¼ tsp sea salt

    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.
    • Saute the onion for about three minutes.
    • Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin, and continue to cook the mix for another 3-4 minutes.
    • Add in the beans along with their juices and salt.
    • Cook the beans for about five minutes until softened.
    • Using the back of a spoon, smash the beans against the side of the pan until your desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher or even a food processor for this.
    • Serve as desired.

    Notes

    WW Points: 3

    Nutrition

    Sugar: 1.5g | Fiber: 6.3g | Calories: 114kcal | Fat: 4.5g | Protein: 5.3g | Carbohydrates: 17.8g

    Notes:

    You can also make your own pinto beans fresh with this Instant Pot Charro Pinto Beans recipe.

    Healthy refried beans made without lard - gluten-free

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Filed Under: Favorites, Sides & Snacks

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vic

      April 27, 2020 at 8:07 am

      Hi Lauren, I craved spicy comfort food this weekend. I did not have chili powder, so I used 1 teaspoon ground coriander and 1 teaspoon ground cayenne instead and about 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Delicious! Easy to prepare. I opted for a chunky texture - had my portion with rice, hubby had his with tortillas. Hit the spot!!! Thank you very much.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        April 28, 2020 at 9:11 am

        Thanks, Vic! The vinegar sounds like a nice addition, I bet that brought out the flavors nicely!

        Reply
    2. James Martin

      October 16, 2019 at 10:20 pm

      I just found this.
      Are you referring to Serranos? Best bean dip around lol

      Reply
    3. Jen

      August 12, 2018 at 8:33 pm

      Made this today and it was yum! I'm 6 months pregnant so I ate half all by myself!

      I added finely chopped baby bell peppers cause I need to use them up. They added a nice, suttle sweetness to the dip. I also used Cannellini beans because they were the only ones I had on hand. Still very delicious!

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        August 13, 2018 at 10:11 am

        That's great, Jen, I'm happy you enjoyed it, and your additions/changes sound delicious! 🙂

        Reply
        • Begum

          April 24, 2020 at 9:39 am

          I have spaghetti squash and will make the refried beans to have with the squash!
          Thanks for the recipe.

          Reply
    4. Kurt

      June 29, 2017 at 2:54 pm

      I LOVE the flavor of these!!! I have no idea what Alice is talking about. Maybe, if she actually followed the recipe she would be happy with the results. You have an amazing blog and this recipe is a keeper!

      Reply
    5. Alice

      January 06, 2017 at 5:55 am

      I just made this and am surprised how little flavor the.beans.have. .I often.buy canned refried beans,.no oil or.spices, and the beans have a.deep,.rich flavor. If it weren't for the additions, I wouldn't be able to taste this. I subbed 2T of dried onion for.the.fresh onion, which surely reduced the flavor, used 1 clove.of.garlic.because it tasted.garlicky enough, and3/4t of chili powder because I'm a heat wimp. It was the canned pinto beans themselves that lacked flavor. The color of the finished recipe was almost white, compared to yours. A nice brand of organic beans in water. Maybe kidney beans would work better? I added.a.half line's juice and just...almost no taste. However, I've been having chest pain so it was a healthy thing to.eat.at the moment, vegan protein and fat,.with healthy tortilla chips. so I am grateful for that. Will try to keep doctoring this. Thank you.

      Reply
    6. Deborah Davis

      April 04, 2014 at 10:20 pm

      Hi Lauren,
      I just hopped over from Healthy Vegan Fridays! I was drawn here by your delectable recipe for vegan refried bean dip. This is perfect for party time or anytime! I would serve this with some zesty flax seed crackers! Yum! All the best, Deborah

      Reply
    7. Cassie

      March 31, 2014 at 6:39 pm

      YUM I love bean dip but hate how much crap is probably in it... can't wait to try this soon!

      Reply
    8. Mary Frances @ The Sweet Tooth Life

      March 29, 2014 at 5:10 am

      I could eat Mexican every day! The hot bean dips are my favorite - tortilla chip fanatic alert! This looks delicious, Lauren!

      Reply
    9. Katie (The Muffin Myth)

      March 29, 2014 at 2:39 am

      Yum! I love the idea of a healthy bean dip. It looks soooo good. And I live in a part of the world that isn't exactly a hotbed of good Mexican food, so it's definitely a make your own situation. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        March 29, 2014 at 9:09 am

        Hah, I cracked up over the word 'hotbed'. 😀 I hope you enjoy this if you try it Katie!

        Reply
    10. Laura | My Little Gourmet

      March 28, 2014 at 11:52 pm

      You are so lucky to be surrounded by good mexican restaurants. I had no idea how much I liked mexican food until we moved to Berlin and I no longer had access to it. I miss me some carne asada! 🙂
      This bean dip looks absolutely amazing and I can't believe how healthy it is. I will definitely have to make this for Arik next time we have mexican dinner night. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
    11. Christine@ Apple of My Eye

      March 28, 2014 at 3:23 pm

      Mhmm this looks delicious! I love a big ol' bowl of beans with some chips to dip in!

      Reply
    12. Gabby @ the veggie nook

      March 28, 2014 at 2:55 pm

      YAY pinto beans! An oft-forgotten legume but one of my favs for sure 🙂

      Reply
    13. Dana

      March 28, 2014 at 8:46 am

      I am an Indian food lover. It always seems to taste better in a restaurant than cooked at home, though. Something I need to work on. Mexican is right up there, too.

      Reply
    14. stephanie

      March 28, 2014 at 7:38 am

      Looks yummy! Do you think it would work with black beans??

      Reply
      • Lauren

        March 28, 2014 at 8:12 am

        Yes! I think they'd be delicious here. 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Lauren Goslin, and I've been a food blogger for over ten years. My goal with this blog is to show you healthy, lower sugar recipes that my family and I enjoy.

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