Grab the tortilla chips and dig into this incredible Black Bean Dip! It’s a budget-friendly party snack that blends canned black beans with simple sautéed aromatics, cilantro, and lots of fresh lime. Easy to make in less than 15 minutes.
Want to make it a party your guests will never forget? Add even more vegan party dips, like this Mexican Street Corn Dip, this Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip, and this Vegan Jalapeño Popper Dip, to the menu.
You’ll always find cans of black beans in my cupboard. They’re just one of those great pantry staples I can easily transform into a zesty black bean soup, fold into vegan enchiladas, or mash into homemade veggie burgers.
But if you want to enjoy black beans in all their glory, then you need to try my easy Black Bean Dip.
This dip is so much more than mashed black beans! It’s a creamy, crowd-pleasing appetizer or snack packed with zesty Mexican-inspired flavors. Since it takes less than 15 minutes to make in a food processor, it’s become my go-to vegan dip for everything, from healthy after-school snacks to last-minute get-togethers with friends.
Why you’ll love this dip with black beans
- For snacking & parties – Everyone loves the warm, zesty flavors in this Mexican-inspired dip! Pro tip: Top it with crumbly Vegan Feta Cheese (homemade or Violife brand is great!) as a dairy free cotija cheese dupe; it adds a salty bite that makes your friends ask for the recipe.
- Ready in 15 minutes! Quickly sautéing everyday aromatics and blending all of the ingredients in a food processor is all it takes to get this dip on the table.
- Budget-friendly – You need fewer than 10 budget-friendly ingredients to make this perfect party dip.
How to make black bean dip
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Sauté the red onion, garlic, and jalapeño peppers in a skillet until they’re softened and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
Add the black beans to a food processor along with the cooked onion/garlic/peppers, cumin, salt, lime juice, and cilantro. Process until the dip is smooth.
Transfer the dip to a serving dish and garnish it with cilantro and crumbled vegan feta (it looks just like cotija cheese!). Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Personally, I like how the jalapeño peppers give the dip just the right amount of heat—not so much that your mouth is burning, but enough to keep things interesting.
Not a fan of spicy food? Remember to scrape out the seeds and veins from the middle of the peppers first. You can also use only 1 jalapeño to lower the heat or swap the spicy peppers for 1 diced green bell pepper for almost no heat.
Sure. Soak 1.5 cups of dry black beans in water overnight, then simmer them in fresh water the next day until tender. Dry the beans well before adding them to the food processor.
You can try replacing the cilantro with fresh parsley, but the flavor profile will be pretty different. Leave it out if you really dislike it.
The leftover dip should stay fresh for 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I like snacking on the leftovers for a late-night snack, but they’re also good spread in one of my Vegan Burritos!
Easy Black Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion chopped small
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped (or 4 oz canned diced jalapeños)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for serving
- vegan cheese optional
- pickled red onions optional
Instructions
- In a small pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped red onion, garlic and jalapeño peppers and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- Add the drained and rinsed beans to a food processor. Add the cooked onion/garlic/peppers, cumin, salt, lime juice and cilantro. Process until fairly smooth. You may leave some chunky texture if you prefer.
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle some additional cilantro on top, as well as vegan cheese (I used crumbled vegan feta to resemble cotija cheese!) and pickled red onions, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover dip in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- For a less spicy dip, remove the seeds from the jalapeños. Use canned diced jalapeños to make the recipe even easier!
- Feel free to leave the cilantro out if you don’t like it.
Another excellent Nora recipe! I made for this for a potluck and it was a hit. I doubled the garlic and salt, subbed the jalapeños with 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (plus a few shakes after the first round of food processing), used the juice of three small limes instead of just 3 tbsp, and omitted the cilantro. I’m absolutely making this again, super easy and delicious and healthy!
Love this recipe! Only change is that I used serrano chiles. This is a great snack to take to work, spread on a tortilla (with or without finely shredded cabbage). Many thanks.
You are welcome, Gina! How awesome that you are loving the recipe! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and glowing review! Wishing you happy cooking!