Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip

What to expect?

The classic buffalo chicken dip became so popular because of its creamy texture, simplicity of preparation, and pantry-friendly ingredients to use up leftover chicken breast.

How easy is it to make this vegan? Truth be told, it was not a breeze to come up with a vegan buffalo chicken dip recipe. The original recipe boasts dairy products like cream cheese, ranch dressing, and loads of shredded cheese, along with chicken.

In our recipe, we used a homemade, hot, piquant vegan buffalo sauce, which we also use to make vegan buffalo chicken wings and buffalo tofu. We also made a vegan cream cheese substitute using white beans inspired by our vegan eggplant parmesan recipe. Then we mixed them together with oyster mushroom shreds that mimic the texture of meat flawlessly, without a hint of mushroom flavor.

Prepare to be blown away by the vegan twist on this beloved classic. But only if you keep an open mind and redefine your expectations to embrace this healthier, more nutritious alternative. You will be pleasantly surprised by the incredible cheesiness and taste of this dip.

Ingredients

I would say the most important part to get right is what you would use instead of shredded chicken breast. I have been seeing recipes using jackfruit, shredded tofu, cauliflower florets, artichoke hearts, or store-bought plant-based chicken products. However, it seems nobody thought that the best plant-based alternative is pearl oyster mushrooms.

• Oyster mushrooms – We used pearl oysters, but you can either choose any of the 7 oyster mushroom types or seek out one of these 13 oyster mushroom substitutes. Here is where to buy them.
• Cannellini beans or white beans
• Onion
• Garlic
• Dairy-free milk – we use unsweetened almond milk or homemade cashew milk but use other plant-based milk if you need to be nut-free
• Apple cider vinegar
• Nutritional yeast
• Homemade buffalo sauce – Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, vegetable broth, cashew nuts (sunflower seeds for nut-free), white wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, maple syrup, and soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free).

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Making homemade vegan buffalo sauce

Add all ingredients (Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, vegetable broth, raw cashews (sunflower seeds for nut-free), white wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, maple syrup, and soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free) to a high-speed blender like Vitamix. Blend it until creamy and smooth.

Making vegan shredded chicken

We used our easy vegan shredded chicken recipe. Look at the below picture. Would you have guessed it is mushroom and not chicken? It looks pretty amazing, right?

1. Cut the stem of the oyster mushrooms and tear the cap into small shreds with our hands. If the stem is soft enough, you can shred them as well. Basically, you only need these 3 steps to prepare oyster mushrooms before baking.
2. Mix them with ¼ cup of homemade buffalo sauce.
3. Bake them in the oven at 425 Fahrenheit (ca. 218 °C) for 20 minutes.

Baking the buffalo dip in the oven

1. Take an oven-safe baking dish. Mix the baked shredded oyster mushroom thoroughly with the blended vegan buffalo dip. Optionally, you can add a layer of shredded vegan cheese on top.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (ca. 177 °C) and bake for 15 minutes. No longer, as the beans can thicken the dip too much and the upper layer can dry out. It should only be in the oven long enough to get it piping hot. Top it with some green onions or herbs like parsley or cilantro.

Serving ideas

• Take a sliced baguette, flatbread, or pita wedges (maybe make our flourless grain-free tortillas) and dip them in.
• Have some pita chips, crackers, or even tortilla chips with it for a quick snack.
• Fresh raw veggies like carrot sticks, cucumber, rutabaga (Oh so delicious…), celery sticks, or bell peppers, and scoop up some.
• This dip is a great addition to any party platters or grazing boards next to classic hummus or tofu cream cheese.

Equipment

You can certainly use a hand blender (immersion blender) or a regular blender. They all make a nice creamy sauce. However, if you need this sauce to be extra smooth without a single little piece to find, we recommend using a high-powered blender like Vitamix*.

Storing tips

You can store oyster mushrooms easily for up to a week in the refrigerator, or at room temperature for 1-2 days. For more tips, read our how to store oyster mushrooms article.

The baked vegan buffalo chicken dip can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. When you are ready to serve the leftovers, reheat them in the oven.

I never had to freeze it as it is usually gone by day 2. If you try to freeze the sauce, let me know how it turns out.

FAQs

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Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip

Nandor Barta

If you try this vegan buffalo chicken dip, you get to experience the meaty texture of oyster mushrooms coated in a mix of cream cheese made of cannellini beans and homemade, spicy buffalo sauce. Get ready to be amazed by this flavorful, dairy-free delight! Intrigued? Keep reading.

4.8 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Servings 10 servings

Calories 105kcal

Equipment

• our Vitamix A2300
• Regular blender
• Non-stick frying pan (10.5 inch / 26 cm)

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Vegan shredded "chicken"

• ▢ 14 oz Oyster mushrooms not king oyster, but regular
• ▢ ¼ cup Homemade Buffalo Sauce see ingredients below

Vegan hot buffalo cream cheese sauce

• ▢ 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• ▢ 1 Onion (medium)
• ▢ 2-3 cloves Garlic
• ▢ 14 oz Cannellini or White beans
• ▢ 1 cup Dairy-free milk
• ▢ 3 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
• ▢ 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ½ tsp Salt
• ▢ ⅛ tsp Pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup Homemade Buffalo Sauce

Homemade Buffalo Sauce

• ▢ ½ cup Frank's Red Hot
• ▢ ¼ cup Veggie broth
• ▢ ¼ cup Cashew nuts use sunflower seeds or nut-free
• ▢ 1 Tbsp White wine vinegar
• ▢ ¼ tsp Garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp Onion powder
• ▢ 2 tsp Maple syrup
• ▢ 1 tsp Soy sauce

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Instructions

 

Homemade Buffalo Sauce

• Add all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend them until smooth.

Making vegan shredded chicken

• Cut the stem off the mushrooms. Tear both cap and stem with your hand into shreds. Mix them with ¼ cup homemade buffalo sauce. (There is a video guide on how to do it.)
• Pre-heat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (ca. 218 °C) and bake them for 20 minutes

Making the hot buffalo cheezy sauce

• Peel and chop onion and garlic. Take a frying pan and add olive oil. Cook chopped onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until tender and soft.
• Drain and add canned cannellini beans. Mix thoroughly.
• Add dairy-free milk and stir well. Then, add apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast. Stir again and bring to boil. 
• Add the above cooked mixture with ¼ cup homemade buffalo sauce in a blender and blend them until creamy.

Mix and bake

• Take an oven-safe dish. Add the shredded oyster mushroom and the buffalo cream cheese dip from the blender and mix thoroughly with a spatula. Layer it evenly.
• Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (ca. 177 °C) and bake for 15 minutes. No longer, as the beans can thicken the dip too much and the upper layer will dry out soon. It should only be in the oven long enough to get it piping hot.

Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

Video

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 105 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 506mg22%

Potassium 484mg14%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 112IU2%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 74mg7%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

UPDATED: The original recipe was published in October 2020. It has been updated with detailed instructions and more top tips in May 2023.