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Vegan Seven Layer Dip with Buffalo Refried Beans

Vegan seven layer dip with buffalo refried beans is an extra spicy take on a game day favourite appetizer. Completely free of dairy and still so creamy, flavourful, delicious.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Dairy-free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Plant-Based, Potluck, Special Diets, Sugar-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword all seasons, apple cider vinegar, avocado, Buffalo sauce, cashew sour cream, cashews, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, dairy-free, dairy-free cheese, fall, game day, garlic, gluten-free, green onions, instant pot, jalapeno, lemon, lime, miso, nutritional yeast, olives, pinto beans, potluck dishes, pulses, salsa, spring, summer, turmeric, vegetable stock, winter
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 8 cups of dip total
Author Laura Wright

Equipment

Ingredients

Instant Pot Buffalo Refried Beans

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, small dice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
  • 1 cup dry uncooked pinto beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • sea salt, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons Buffalo-style hot sauce

Cashew Sour Cream & Queso

  • 1 ¼ cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ½ cup filtered water
  • ½ cup red salsa of choice
  • 1 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon light miso
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

To Assemble The Dip

  • the Buffalo refried beans (see above)
  • 1 ½ cups your favourite guacamole
  • the cashew queso (see above)
  • 1 ½ cups red salsa
  • the cashew sour cream (see above)
  • 1 cup grape/cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup pitted black olives, sliced
  • chopped cilantro, cilantro

Instructions

  • Make the Buffalo refried beans. Set your instant pot to SAUTÉ. Pour the oil into the pot. Add the onions and sauté, stirring constantly, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and keep sautéing until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bay leaf and taco seasoning to the pot and stir. Add the beans, vegetable stock, and salt to the pot and stir. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with your spoon. Cancel the SAUTÉ function.
  • Secure the lid on top of the Instant Pot and ensure that the vent is in the SEALING position. Set the Instant pot to PRESSURE COOK (manual) on HIGH for 45 minutes. Once the 45 minutes are up, cancel the PRESSURE COOK function. Let the pressure naturally release for 25 minutes.
  • Once the pressure has released, remove the lid and stir the beans. There should be a small amount of liquid in the pot. Add the Buffalo-style hot sauce to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash the beans until you have a chunky puree. Transfer Buffalo refried beans to a bowl and let them cool.
  • Make the cashew sour cream and queso while the refried beans are cooking. Drain the cashews and place them in an upright, high-speed blender. To the blender, add the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and water. Blend the mixture on high until you have a completely smooth cream, stopping and scraping down the sides midway if necessary.
  • Reserve ¾ cup of the cashew mixture. This will be the sour cream. Place it in a sealable container and store it in the refrigerator.
  • Make the queso. To the remaining cashew mixture in the blender, add the salsa, nutritional yeast, miso, and turmeric. Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth. Check it for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Scrape this queso mixture into a sealable container and place it in the refrigerator.
  • Assemble the dip: In a dish that’s at least 8x8x2, start building the layers. Spread the Buffalo refried beans on the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Follow with the cashew sour cream. Then, spread the guacamole on top. Follow with the salsa. Then, spread the cashew queso on top. Finally, top the dip with the tomatoes, green onions, olives, and cilantro (if using). Serve the dip with tortilla chips or whatever you enjoy dipping with.

Notes

  • Instant Pot refried beans guidance from Well Plated and Cashew Queso inspiration from Hummusapien
  • To cut down on the length of this recipe, I just instruct on using your favourite recipe/store-bought version of both guacamole and red salsa.
  • My go-to recipe for guacamole (and the one I used for this dish) is from Food 52 and can be found here.
  • If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can make your favourite refried beans recipe and just mash in 3 tablespoons of Buffalo-style hot sauce. Also feel free to do this with canned refried beans! You’ll need about 2 cups total.
  • I would avoid fresh, refrigerated salsa in this recipe. The water content makes this dip somewhat oozy. You want the shelf-stable, preserved stuff in a jar!
  • You can make this up to one day ahead with these modifications: assemble all of the layers in your dish EXCEPT for the salsa, tomatoes, green onions, olives, and cilantro. The day you’re serving it, spread the salsa on top and garnish with tomatoes, green onions, olives, and cilantro.