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Vegan Refried Bean Dip (Grain-Free)

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I’ve grown up loving Mexican food.

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Here in Arizona, there are literally Mexican food restaurants on just about every corner, which is completely fine by me. My family and I grew up going 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.

While most places serve chips and salsa at the beginning of each meal, one of the restaurants I went to as a kid would bring out a delicious, creamy bean dip with their chips, and I haven’t been able to get out of my head.

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I looked up a few copycat recipes for this particular dip and found that it contained ingredients I’m now allergic to including dairy, so, of course, I had to make my own version.

4.2 from 5 votes
Vegan Refried Beans in a bowl.
Print
Vegan Refried Bean Dip (Grain-Free)
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Enjoy this lightened up version of the classic Mexican dish!

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Beans
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 132 kcal
Author: Lauren Goslin
Ingredients
  • 1 T . olive oil
  • 1/4 red or yellow onion (about 1/2 cup), chopped fine
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 t . chili powder
  • 1/4 t . cumin
  • 1 15 oz can pinto beans (with juice)
  • 1/4 t . sea salt
  • fresh black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.
  2. Saute the onion for about three minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin, and continue to cook the mix for another 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add in the beans along with their juices, the salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.
  5. Cook the beans for about five minutes until softened.
  6. 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.
  7. Serve as desired.
Recipe Notes

Weight Watchers points (new system): 3

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Refried Bean Dip (Grain-Free)
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 132 Calories from Fat 41
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.5g 7%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Sodium 465mg 19%
Total Carbohydrates 15.6g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4.7g 19%
Sugars 1.5g
Protein 5.3g 11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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.

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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.

If you want to get the consistency of a true dip, just let the mixture cool a bit and toss everything into your food processor to get it nice and creamy. I prefer a chunkier texture, so I just mash the beans with my spoon (and I’m loathe to clean the food processor any more than necessary).

What is your favorite genre of food?

Shared with: Healthy Vegan Friday

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Jen says

    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

  2. Kurt says

    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

  3. Alice says

    January 6, 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

  4. Deborah Davis says

    April 4, 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. Katie (The Muffin Myth) says

    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

  8. Laura | My Little Gourmet says

    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. Maria Tadic says

    March 28, 2014 at 10:05 am

    This looks so good! We have a favorite place and it has a combo of a cheese dip with refried beans in it. It’s SO good. I definitely want to re create that and use this bean recipe!! Yummy!

    Reply

  12. Dana says

    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

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