Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip

Name: Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups raw cashews; 1 cup water; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 cup buffalo sauce; (1) 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained (or 8 ounces vegan chicken pieces, cooked); optional 2 cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese (optional); celery sticks; carrot sticks; tortilla chips

This Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip is always a crowd-pleaser. It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with chicken wing flavors! A flexible recipe that’s easy to prep in 10 minutes.

For more vegan dips you can bring to the party, check out my Mexican Street Corn Dip, Vegan Jalapeno Popper Dip, and Vegan 7 Layer Dip recipes!

overhead view of vegan buffalo chicken dip in a large white baking dish surrounded by tortilla chips.

“Made this for the Super Bowl tonight — absolutely Delicious! This may be my go to dish for parties now. ☺️” – Shellie

If there’s a snack that’s just as perfect for the big game as my Buffalo Cauliflower Wings, it’s this Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip. Every scoop has all the flavors of buffalo wings, but in dip form! Your guests won’t even notice the chicken is missing.

What I love most about this party-ready dip is that it’s a rich and cheesy comfort food made with simple plant-based ingredients. No, there’s no vegan cream cheese to be found. The secret here is a rich cashew cream base and canned artichoke hearts (or vegan chicken), which have the same look and feel as shredded chicken.

All out of artichokes? Use store-bought chicken tenders, jackfruit, or seitan chicken instead! I’m giving you a ton of options to make this game day recipe work for you (and not the other way around). Let’s get the party started!

Why you’ll love this vegan buffalo wing dip

Game day approved – If you don’t go to the Super Bowl party for the football, go for the chickenless buffalo dip. Trust me, you won’t want to miss the deliciously creamy, spicy flavors.
Easy peasy! This dip is incredibly easy to prep in only 10 minutes. Seriously, all you have to do is blend the simple ingredients together before letting the oven do the rest!
Make it with or without “chicken” – I used canned artichoke hearts for the “chicken” in this buffalo chicken dip, but you can swap them for store-bought vegan chicken or my Vegan Seitan “Chicken” for an even meatier twist.

How to make vegan buffalo chik’n dip

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.

Blend the soaked and drained cashews, fresh water, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a high-powered blender until smooth.

the ingredients for vegan buffalo chicken dip in a blender.

blended orange vegan buffalo chicken dip in a blender.

Next, add in the buffalo sauce and artichokes or vegan chicken. Pulse to combine, but do not blend. The texture should be chunky and meaty.

vegan chicken pieces in a batch of blended vegan buffalo chicken dip in a large blender.

Pour the dip into a baking dish and bake in the oven until it’s hot and bubbly.

Garnish with green onions and serve with chopped veggies, chips, crackers, and/or crostini for dipping. Enjoy!

blended orange vegan buffalo chicken dip in a large white baking dish.

Frequently asked questions

Is buffalo sauce vegan?

Traditionally, no, buffalo sauce is not vegan because it contains butter. However, there are several brands of accidentally vegan buffalo sauce out there (I recommend using Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce for this recipe). The homemade vegan buffalo sauce from my Buffalo Cauliflower Wings recipe would also work here.

What goes well with vegan buffalo dip?

This ultra-creamy dip requires thick and sturdy dippables for scooping. I like it with carrot and celery sticks, toasted baguette slices, thick crackers, tortilla chips, and ridged potato chips best. And if you want to take the flavors up a notch, top it with sliced green onions, vegan blue cheese, and a drizzle of extra buffalo sauce.

What can I use for the vegan “chicken” in this dip?

You have a few options. The recipe calls for canned artichoke hearts packed in water because they have a “pulled chicken” quality, but frozen and thawed artichokes and canned jackfruit also work well.

If you’re not looking for a whole-food option and want a more realistic “meaty” texture and flavor, use an 8-oz bag of vegan chicken strips (I like the Daring brand best), rehydrated soy curls, or homemade seitan chicken pieces instead.

Can it be made nut-free?

I haven’t tested it, but sunflower seeds might work in place of the cashews. You could also try replacing the nuts and water with vegan cream cheese, but I’m not sure if it will work or not.

How do I store the leftovers?

The cooled leftover dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. It will reheat well in the microwave or oven. If it thickens too much in the fridge, stir in a little water to thin the texture a bit.

Does it freeze well?

I haven’t tried freezing this dip, but it should work okay. Keep it in a covered freezer-safe container, then thaw the leftovers overnight in the fridge before reheating.