Vegan buffalo chicken dip
Creamy, spicy, and tangy, this vegan buffalo chicken dip is a fan favorite for a reason. Tender bites of vegan chicken are folded into a homemade cashew ranch, vegan cream cheese, hot sauce, and vegan blue cheese crumbles, then baked until warm and bubbly. Every scoop delivers the bold flavor of Buffalo wings in a crowd-pleasing snack.
Store-bought vegan ranch works in this dip, but the homemade version comes together quickly in the blender and gives you extra to drizzle over salads or tuck into wraps later in the week. Once the chicken and dressing are ready, simply stir everything together and let the oven do the rest.
Perfect for feeding a crowd, it’s a natural fit for game day, holiday parties, and potlucks. Serve it warm with crisp celery and carrot sticks for a crunchy contrast, plus tortilla chips for scooping up every last bite. It’s an appetizer that’s easy to bring to the table and hard to stop eating.
Preparation Time: 40 minutesIngredients
Vegan chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups shredded vegan chicken
Vegan ranch
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- juice of 1 lemon (about 2 to 3 tablespoons), plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dip
- 1 package (8 oz) vegan cream cheese, softened
- 0.5 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce or vegan buffalo sauce
- 0.5 cup vegan blue cheese crumbles, plus more for serving
For serving
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional)
- 1 Celery sticks, carrot sticks, and/or tortilla chips
Preparation
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the vegan chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegan chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Make the vegan ranch: In a blender, combine the soaked cashews, almond milk, lemon juice, garlic powder, dried dill, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside 1 cup for the dip and refrigerate the rest in an airtight container for another use.
- Chop the chicken: Transfer the cooled vegan chicken to a cutting board and coarsely chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix the dip: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 cup of ranch, vegan cream cheese, hot sauce, and vegan blue cheese crumbles until smooth. Stir in the shredded vegan chicken.
- Bake the dip: Spread the mixture into a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes, until heated through and bubbly.
- Serve: Top with more vegan blue cheese crumbles and sliced green onions, if using. Serve warm with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and tortilla chips.
Tips
- Make ahead: Assemble the dip up to 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Let it come to room temperature before baking, or add extra baking time if baking it chilled. Add the green onions and extra blue cheese crumbles just before serving.
- Storage: Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. The extra ranch dressing keeps in a separate airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or microwave in short intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through.
- Freezing: This dip is best enjoyed fresh, since cream cheese-based dips can turn grainy after freezing.
- Adjust the heat: For a milder dip, start with less hot sauce, then taste and add more before baking.
- For the creamiest texture: Soak the cashews before blending the ranch, and soften the vegan cream cheese so it mixes easily.
- Make every scoop count: Chop the vegan chicken into small, bite-sized pieces so it’s easy to scoop with chips or vegetables.
- Choose a shallow dish: A shallow 1-quart baking dish helps the dip heat evenly and gives you plenty of surface area for toppings.
- Shortcut: Use 1 cup of store-bought vegan ranch in place of the homemade dressing to save a step.
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