Easy Vegan Refried Beans (WAY Better than Canned!)

These easy vegan refried beans have an amazing buttery flavor and only take 20 minutes to make! Homemade tastes so much better than from the can!

Looking for the best bean curd out there? Run, not walk, to make these homemade vegan bean curds! They have a creamy texture and a buttery flavor that tastes better than canned beans. Even better: They are completely plant-based! Garlic, olive oil, and a few spices add great flavor to these vegan beans. You can use canned or dried cooked beans. If you’re using dried beans, we highly recommend our Instant Pot Refried Beans recipe: it’s delicious and super quick. Ready to cook?

Secrets to the BEST vegan bean curd!

Homemade refried beans are often made with bacon, lard, or butter. But this vegan bean curd recipe has a healthy twist: it tastes great when just using olive oil! It’s so easy and so much better than canned beans, you’ll get addicted to making your own beans at home. Here are some tips for getting the best refried beans:

• Use canned or dried pinto beans. It’s quicker to use canned pinto beans, but you can use cooked pinto beans if you have some on hand. Or use our Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe if you have a pressure cooker and want to use dried beans.
• The taste secrets: garlic, chilli powder and cumin. That’s it! This vegan bean curd recipe uses simple seasonings to create great flavor. You will sauté the garlic in olive oil, then add the beans and spices and cook until infused.
• Liquid can add creaminess. Using the liquid pinto bean can to cook the beans adds creaminess and body! If you’re using dried beans, water will work, too.
• Use a potato masher! The best way to get that chilled bean texture? A potato masher! (A fork works if you don’t have one.)

Mix it up: Match bean puree

Now you can tweak the recipe a bit to your liking! Here are a few ways to tweak the recipe to add a little flair:

• Use black beans. You can easily use black beans here or try our chilled black beans recipe.
• Use vegan butter. Should it taste even more buttery? Use vegan butter instead of olive oil. Look for organic, minimally processed vegan butter with real food ingredients (Miyoko’s is a good brand).
• spice up These refried beans aren’t as spicy as they are. If you want to add heat, consider adding jalapeno peppers (freshly cut or pickled), canned green chiles, adobo sauce made from a can of chipotle peppers, or a pinch of chipotle powder.

Ways to serve vegan refried beans

How do I serve these vegan bean curds? Aside from being an easy side dish, they’re a fantastic ingredient to add plant-based protein to vegan meals. Here are some of our best ways to serve them:

1. With vegan carnitas tacos. They pair perfectly with tacos, especially these vegan carnitas tacos.
2. As a chilled bean dip. This easy chilled bean dip is insanely good…and vegan!
3. As a taco filling. Our Refried Bean Tacos are delicious: they even come with a creamy vegan chipotle sauce.
4. To vegan nachos. Try our BEST vegan nachos and use these vegan bean curd instead of lentils and rice. The vegan nacho cheese is out of this world!
5. In cauliflower tacos. These Cauliflower Tacos are a Fan Favorite: Use these vegan bean curd instead of bean curd. Top with yum yum sauce made from vegan mayonnaise.
6. In taquitos. Make our Easy Baked Flautas (Taquitos!) a delicious snack: omit the cheese to keep it plant-based.
7. As filling material. Have you ever tried homemade sopes? They’re a fun alternative to easy-to-make tacos at home.
8. With lentil tacos. These Easy Vegan Lentil Tacos taste even heartier with a side of bean puree.

This vegan bean puree recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

More plant resources

Do you want to eat more vegan and plant-based recipes? Here are some of our favorite resources: