I LOVED Buffalo Chicken Dip before I went vegan. I mean, I could probably eat the whole thing in one sitting. However, like a lot of people, I always felt guilty after eating it.
Normally, Buff Chick Dip is super fattening and high in calories. And that’s because it’s mostly just a mixture of dairy products: cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and sometimes blue cheese.
I wondered if it was possible to make a Vegan Buffalo Dip that tasted good, and if it was possible, could I actually make it healthy?
The answer is the same as with many other veganized foods: YES! 😍
I had two goals for my Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip: 1) Make it vegan and 2) Make it much less fattening and more nutritious than the regular dip.
Like so many other homemade vegan dairy products, I could go with cashews as my base. But, this still makes the dip very fattening and excludes those with nut allergies. (This can be a problem as the dip is a popular party food.)
So instead, I decided to go with tofu as my base! I’ve had a lot of success using tofu as the base for dips (like in my Vegan Tzatziki Sauce recipe), so I figured I could do it here too!
But what to use as the “chicken” replacement? During my first try at this recipe, I decided to go with nothing. But when I tried the dip, I just felt like it was missing the good texture I was used to.
You can really use anything you want as the chicken substitute. You can use store-bought vegan chicken, chickpeas, cauliflower, or any other vegetable. But after many trials, I’ve decided to make a Vegan Buffalo Dip with Jackfruit.
If you look at pulled jackfruit, it literally looks just like shredded chicken! It does have a subtle sweetness to it, but I don’t mind that in the buffalo dip because it goes nicely with the buffalo flavor.
How to Make Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you are adding a chicken substitute to the dip, you should first bake this ingredient so you have it ready to add to the dip. I’m using (and recommend) canned jackfruit.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pull the jackfruit apart with your fingers and toss it with some olive oil until it is well coated. Spread the jackfruit out evenly so that most pieces are not touching. Bake it in the oven for 5–7 minutes. *Keep an eye on it — it easily burns!
While the jackfruit is baking, blend all of the other ingredients together either in a large food processor or a blender. Feel free to give it a taste at this point and adjust the flavors to your liking! Some people like their dips hotter than others.
When the jackfruit is done baking, mix it together with the rest of the ingredients in an oven-safe dish. Bake the dip uncovered for 15 minutes.
Side note: If you plan on taking this to a party, just wait and stick it in the oven when you get there! That way it’s fresh and warm. 😋
How to Serve and Store the Dip
Everyone knows you can serve Buffalo Dip with tortilla chips, but because this is a healthier version of that, feel free to serve it with carrots, celery sticks, pita chips, or warm pita bread!
This Vegan Buffalo Dip with No Nuts will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container!
Vegan Buffalo Dip with Jackfruit
Equipment
- large food processor
Ingredients
- 1 block firm tofu 16oz
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp white miso paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for cooking jackfruit)
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- ⅔ cup buffalo sauce
- 1-½ cups canned jackfruit pulled
Instructions
For Jackfruit "Shredded Chicken"
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Rinse canned jackfruit and dry off a little with a paper towel. Pull the jackfruit apart with your fingers to get a "shredded chicken" consistency *(See notes)
- Toss the pulled jackfruit in some olive oil until well-coated. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 5–7 minutes. Do not let the jackfruit burn.
- Set aside until the other ingredients are blended.
For the Buffalo Dip
- Preheat oven to 350°F if not still preheated.
- Put all of the ingredients besides the jackfruit in a large food processor and blend thoroughly.
- Mix the buffalo dip with the cooked jackfruit and spread evenly in an oven-safe dish.
- Bake uncovered for 15–20 minutes. Serve immediately