Easy Healthy Black Bean Dip Recipe is made with simple, fresh ingredients for the ultimate flavor! Black Bean Dip can be served warm or cold with tortilla chips or veggies. This is the best easy bean dip recipe and it’s even better than refried beans because it adds fresh veggies! This vegan dip is made without lard so it’s a healthy Mexican spread to serve alongside your south-of-the-border dishes!
Image this. It’s a Thursday. I’m proceeding along like every other Thursday in my life when I realize at the last minute…I’ve got a thing tonight! I mean a THING! You know what I mean? Like something where I’m supposed to show up? With food!
That requires some fast thinking because I can’t take just anything. I’m a food blogger! It’s gotta be good!
So, my favorite dish to take to parties is this easy black bean appetizer. With less than 10 ingredients, I’m serving up this healthy and fresh-tasting dip in NO time!
If you’re into easy vegan dips, check out my Vegan Queso Dip or my Vegetarian Pepperoni Pizza Dip.
What is black bean dip?
To me, the best dip are loaded black bean dip recipes. I mean, loaded with all the veggies, flavors, and even toppings!
Think of this like a refried black bean dip without the frying!
It’s a little freaky…that moment when it hits me. What’s in my kitchen!
But I’ve got several easy vegan dip recipes I’ve already shared on this site (and more to come) and so my freak-out moments are no more!
How to Make Black Bean Dip
It’s so fun to make a healthy Black Bean Dip at home.
Add the following to a food processor:
- onion — peeled and chopped
- jalapeños — seeded and chopped
- garlic — peeled and chopped
- red and/or yellow bell peppers — seeds removed, chopped
- black beans (drained)
- spices
- cherry tomatoes
- cilantro
Pulse this this several times until the ingredients are combined. Pour it into your microwave-safe serving dish and then microwave in one-minute increments, stirring in between each, for up to four minutes total.
Then add lime juice and chopped cilantro and stir. And “!ahí está! (That’s my interpretation of a Spanish version of Voila!)
Everyone loves to talk about refried beans, but I say leave out the frying and the lard that comes along with it. In case you’re not sure what lard really is, it’s animal fat. Who wants to eat that!
But making this bean dip from scratch is best because it’s chockfull of fresh ingredients that begs for one chip after another! Delicioso!
What to eat with homemade bean dip?
We love serving up a plate full of tortilla chips with this simple dip. You can also serve it alongside Spanish Quinoa and any of your favorite Mexican recipes.
For example, this black bean chip dip would taste great next to this Vegan Enchiladas recipe!
This is a Low Carb Vegan Recipe
Looking for more low carb vegan recipes? This healthy bean dip is for you! It’s questionable whether or not you could have this on a keto diet, although it adds fiber and protein which is important.
I’ve seen keto described as anywhere between 20 – 50g of carbs per day. If you’re on the upper limit, this dip can definitely be a part of your daily eats.
Here’s the nutritional estimate for each serving:
Calories: 122 Carbs: 22g Protein: 7g Fiber: 7g Net Carbs: 15g
Expert Tips
Use these tips and tips to make this black bean dip perfect every time:
- I used canned black beans, but you can substitute 2 cups of home-cooked whole black beans
- Always be very careful when handling raw jalapeños! I love these tips on how to cook with jalapeños without getting burned. I always wear gloves and discard the seeds directly into the trash (rather than having them on the counter or a cutting board).
- Add 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen corn or other fresh veggies
- I serve this warm, but it can also be served as a cold refried bean dip. However, served warm, imagine vegan cheese melted over the top of warm black bean dip!
- Add 1/2 cup of vegan sour cream for a creamy black bean dip
- Transform this into a spicy bean dip by adding a tablespoon or two of sriracha
- I add raw veggies to this dip recipe, but you can cook those veggies first for a more subtle flavor. Simply add them to a skillet with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes
- It may be surprising to see that I’ve added cocoa powder to this recipe. Interestingly enough, cocoa powder on its own is actually savory. I love the color and and subtle flavor it adds, but you can leave it out if you’re not ready for savory chocolate
- Ground cumin can be an acquired taste, but I love it. Feel free to add more or less based on your taste preference
- The same goes for cilantro — some people hate it. If you have folks who hate cilantro, simply have it chopped up on the side for folks to add if they so choose. Or you can replace the cilantro with chopped parsley
- Add some vegan sour cream to make a creamy version
- Add some smoke sauce or smoked paprika to create a smoky flavor
I hope you love this recipe as we do! Have you tried it? Be sure and leave a comment and a rating of this recipe below and then take a quick photo and share it with me using #namelymarly on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!
Black Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeds removed, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic peeled, chopped
- ¼ cup yellow or red bell pepper chopped
- 3 – 4 cherry tomatoes sliced
- 2 15 oz cans black beans drained
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder*
- 2 – 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 – 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add the chopped onion, chopped jalapeño, garlic, bell pepper, black beans and water to a food processor bowl. Pulse a few times, pushing down contents that go up the sides. Add the cumin and cocoa powder and pulse again until smooth.
- Place in a microwave-safe container and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the microwave and allow to cool for a minute.
- Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Add more lime juice and/or water to achieve a thinner consistency if necessary.
- Garnish with more chopped cherry tomatoes. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Enjoy!
Hi, if you don’t use microwaves, would you know how long to cook this on a stove top? Is the purpose just to “warm” it or is it to actually soften and cook some of the ingredients?
Hi Nancy! If you don’t want to use a microwave, I would simply transfer the dip to a sauce pan over medium to medium low heat and bring to a simmer for about 3 – 5 minutes. That not only warms up the mixture but cooks the onion and garlic as well. Hope you love this dip!
This would be great to sit and watch a tennis match with! Or even a football game! This looks so good. I’ll see if frank wants to try it with me!