Easy Baked Buffalo Chickpea Dip (vegan)
Elevate your appetizer game with this Easy Baked Buffalo Chickpea Dip. Creamy, rich, savory, cheesy, and spicy, this recipe is a proven crowd-pleaser for vegans and omnivores alike! So simple to make using just 7 ingredients…and you would never guess that it is made from whole foods to boot! It may just be your new go-to potluck dish.
Disclosure: I only recommend products I use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Inspiration for this recipe
Last holiday season I made this Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip using cauliflower from Veggies Don’t Bite. It was a huge hit at my cocktail party, and I knew we would make it again. And while we loved the cauliflower, this year I was looking something a bit firmer in texture to add to my vegan buffalo dip.
Some quick research showed me that folks were looking for chickpeas in their buffalo dip…and so, I set off to create a chickpea creation inspired by last year’s find. This dip is similar in rich, creamy flavor from the cashews and potatoes, but with chickpeas replacing cauliflower and white beans for a heartier bite.
Ingredients
- chickpeas: the “meat” of this recipe, chickpeas add the texture to this dip
- raw cashews: they bring the decadent cheese-like creaminess
- potato: adds more creaminess without the additional added fat of more nuts
- yellow onion: adds sweetness and subtle oniony flavor
- plant milk: besides creaminess, the milk helps make the dip less dense and silky; I use almond milk because I find it is has the least specific taste (cashew milk would also work particularly well)
- vegan buffalo sauce: adds the spice and tang that makes this dip so addictive! Can use store bought (I like Frank’s brand) or homemade.
- garlic: because…garlic!
Substitutions
White beans make a wonderful substitution for chickpeas; they are creamier in texture both when blended and added whole.
Or roasted cauliflower or vegan chicken are also delicious substitutes for the chickpeas if you’re looking for a meatier texture for more of a vegan buffalo chicken dip. Be sure to cook them before adding to the dip mixture at the same step you added the 1 1/2 can of chickpeas.
Step by Step Instructions
- Boil potato and onion.
- Blend together.
- Pour into baking dish.
- Add chickpeas.
- Mix chickpeas in.
- Bake.
- Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, bread, celery, or carrots.
Serving Suggestions
Serve buffalo chickpea dip with your favorite dipper, like:
- tortilla chips
- celery sticks
- carrot sticks
- fresh bread
- crackers
Got leftovers? Try adding this vegan buffalo dip to:
- pasta
- baked potatoes
- on a burger
- over fries
Equipment Needed
The only special equipment needed is a high speed blender. If you don’t have one a standard blender or food processor will suffice. Be sure to soak the cashews in advance for as long as you can (overnight).
If you love this vegan appetizer recipe, you may also like:
- Ah-Mazing Vegan Stuffed Artichoke
- Vegan Sushi Bake with Sriracha Tofu
- Vegan Spinach Artichoke Puffy Pastry Wreath
- Easy Creamy Vegan Kale and White Bean Dip
I look forward to hearing what you think about this easy vegan buffalo dip recipe; please rate and review below once you try it!
Cheers!
–Jenn
Easy Baked Buffalo Chickpea Dip (vegan)
Equipment
- high speed blender see notes above recipe card for alternatives
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas drained, divided
- 1 russet potato medium size
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked, see note below
- 1/2 cup plant milk (I use almond milk) you may possibly want to add another 1-3 tablespoons, see instructions below
- 1/2- 3/4 cup vegan buffalo sauce like Frank's brand
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- If quick soaking cashews (see note below), boil water. Pour over raw cashews and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Boil water in medium pot. Dice potato and onion and boil until soft/cooked. Drain.
- Add 1/2 can of chickpeas and all other ingredients (starting with 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce) into high speed blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a tad bit more liquid to blend smoothly depending on how soft your cashews are and how powerful your blender is…just add 1 tablespoon at a time of plant milk until you reach desired consistency.
- Taste mixture. Decide if you want additional buffalo sauce to make it spicier, keeping in mind that the additional chickpeas added in next step will temper (lessen) the spice a bit. Add 1/8 cup at a time, blend again, and taste.
- Pour mixture into baking dish (approx. 8×8 inch dish). Pour remaining 1 1/2 cans chickpeas into dish and mix them in. Use wet paper towel to clean lip of baking dish as needed.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until the top browns slightly and gets firm on top.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with tortilla chips, crackers, bread, celery, or carrots.
Notes
Nutrition
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