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This Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip is super creamy and tangy with the perfect amount of spicy heat and so incredibly delicious! It’s the best appetizer or snack for sharing!
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There is a reason buffalo chicken dip is so popular for parties and game day – it’s amazingly tasty! It’s creamy, tangy, and just spicy enough without being overwhelming. It’s downright impossible to stop eating!
Thanks to this vegan version now vegetarians and plant based eaters can enjoy it, too! With all the flavors and textures of the real thing, you’re going to love this Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Cashews ~ Raw cashews are the base of many dairy-free sauce recipes because they are mild in flavor and blend up super creamy.
Do not substitute another nut.
If you are nut-free, you can try blending sunflower seeds or cooked cauliflower instead.
Yogurt ~ Unsweetened, plain dairy-free yogurt brings a cool, tangy flavor that balances the heat of the buffalo sauce and mimics the sour cream or ranch dressing that is found in traditional versions.
Buffalo sauce ~ You gotta have buffalo sauce for a buffalo dip! Be sure to check labels as not all brands may be vegan.
Love buffalo sauce? Don’t miss my Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites and Buffalo Chicken Taquitos.
Nutritional yeast ~ Nooch, as it is often referred to, offers a nutty, savory flavor that brings depth of flavor to this dish.
Onion and garlic ~ In traditional versions of this dip, onion powder and garlic powder are used. I prefer to use the real thing for better flavor and a bit of extra texture.
Poultry seasoning ~ Poultry seasoning is key to getting the vegan shreds to taste like chicken. Most poultry seasoning contains sage, thyme and marjoram. You may find a few other herbs and/or spices, like rosemary or nutmeg, in certain brands. Use your favorite.
If you can’t find poultry seasoning, you can use Italian seasoning and sage. Sage is the key herb that will give that chicken-y taste.
Improved Nature’s PRIME Shreds ~ This magical ingredient has the perfect texture to stand in for meat. And they’re so easy to use!
Why I love Improved Nature PRIME products:
- ONE ingredient
- Zero cholesterol
- High in protein and fiber
- Low in sodium and fat
- Non-GMO and preservative free
- Shelf stable in packaging for up to 4 years!
- Sustainably sourced
- Vegan and gluten free
I use Improved Nature’s PRIME Filets to make my Vegan Chicken Cutlets that look and taste like the real thing! Also, try my Vegan Jambalaya using Nature’s PRIME Chunks and my Vegan Breakfast Casserole with PRIME Bits.
Learn more about Improved Nature. Order all of Improved Nature’s plant based protein products here.
How to make the recipe
The vegan shreds (1) need to be rehydrated before using. Boil them in water (2) for 10 minutes. Rinse them well under cold water (3) and drain (4).
I like to put a heavy pot on top of the shreds in the colander (make sure the bottom of your pot is clean!) and press down to squeeze all of the water out. The more water you squeeze out, the better.
While the shreds are draining, sauté the onions over medium heat until soft and translucent (5). Add the garlic and spices and sauté until fragrant (6). Add the vegan chicken shreds (7) and stir to combine, breaking up the shreds just a bit with the back of a wooden spoon as you go (8).
They will be very easy to break – no need to cut them. But don’t break them up too much, you want to retain the texture. I broke them up into roughly halves or thirds…just so they’re not quite so long.
Place the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy (9). Pour the sauce into the skillet (10) and stir to combine (11, 12).
Pour the mixture into a baking dish (13) and bake until hot throughout (14).
Serve with baguette slices, pita chips, tortilla chips, carrots or celery sticks.
Storage and freezing
Make ahead: This dip can easily be made ahead. Follow the directions up to the point of baking. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, simply bake as instructed until hot.
Fridge: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze this dip. Transfer to a freezer safe container or plastic bag. It should keep well for up to 3 months.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Boil Improved Nature’s PRIME Shreds in vegetable broth instead of water for even more flavor.
~ Be sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the vegan chicken shreds before adding to the skillet.
~ Sauté the vegan chicken shreds in the spices until well coated.
~ Break up the vegan chicken shreds with the back of a spoon as you sauté them for easier scooping later. They will break easily, no need to cut them.
~ If you don’t have a high speed blender, make sure to soak the cashews for several hours, or even overnight, to ensure they blend up smooth and creamy.
~ Don’t be shy with the buffalo sauce. Once it gets mixed with the cashews, yogurt, milk, and lemon juice, it will mellow out a bit.
~ On the other hand, if you are very sensitive to spicy heat, start with just ½ cup of buffalo sauce, taste and add more if desired.
~ Personally, I don’t think it needs it, but if you want an extra “cheesy” dip, stir in ½ – 1 cup of your favorite vegan shredded cheese.
FAQs
Buffalo Chicken Dip is a creamy appetizer dip with the flavors of hot wing sauce. Traditional recipes with chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and cheese, are far from being vegan.
My recipe for Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip has all the same flavors and textures you love and crave, but is completely dairy free and vegan!
Most brands are vegan, but be sure to check labels just to be sure.
Yes! This is the perfect make-ahead party snack. Follow the directions up to the point of baking. Wrap the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, follow the baking directions until hot throughout.
My favorite way to scoop up this dip is with thin slices of baguette that have been crisped up in the oven. It’s also great with crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread, carrots and celery.
More vegan dip recipes
- The Best Guacamole
- Roasted Carrot Hummus
- Mexican Bean Dip
- Vegan French Onion Dip
- Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Dip
- Homemade Vegan Queso Dip
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Don’t forget to order Improved Nature products today, so high protein, easy vegan meals are always at your fingertips!
Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Improved Nature PRIME Shreds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 1 cup unsweetened, plain dairy free yogurt
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce
- ¾ cup unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk
- 2 green onions diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the cashews in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Let them soak while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the Improved Nature PRIME Shreds and boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Press as much liquid out of the shreds as possible. I like to place a heavy pot on top the shreds in the colander and press down with force. You can also squeeze out the liquid using clean hands. Let sit in the colander continuing to drain while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and poultry seasoning, stir and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the well drained vegan chicken shreds and stir well to coat. Sauté for several minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and pour them in a blender. Add the yogurt, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, buffalo sauce, and non-dairy milk. Blend well until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet with the shreds and stir well to combine.
- Pour the mixture into an 8×8 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until hot throughout.
- Sprinkle green onions over the top.
- Serve hot with baguette slices, tortilla chips, pita chips, carrots or celery sticks.
Notes
Prep/Storage/Freezing This dip can easily be made ahead. Follow the directions up to the point of baking. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, simply bake as instructed until hot. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze this dip. Transfer to a freezer safe container or plastic bag. It should keep well for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Stacey
What is buffalo sauce, and where do you find it??
Jenn Sebestyen
It’s a kind of hot sauce. Frank’s Red Hot makes a great one! It’s my favorite, but Tabasco also makes a buffalo sauce. Any grocery or big box store should carry it.
Ramya
Will be making this soon can i use mushrooms instead as i cant find improved nature prime shreds as am in Singapore i never had vegan buffalo chicken dip before sorry for early comment as am in Singapore will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Ramya. Mushrooms wouldn’t be the right flavor profile. Can you get soy curls there? Any brand will work…rehydrate them according to the package directions and chop them to size if they are bigger. If you don’t have access to those, I would suggest canned chopped artichokes, rinsed and drained well before adding to the recipe.
Lexy Ehler
I made this dip with shredded oyster mushrooms, it was really good!
Jenn Sebestyen
That sounds like a great choice! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Lexy!
Meredith
This looks amazing!! I bought Butler’s soy curls in bulk and I have to use them up – do you think I could substitute those for the Prime shreds? 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Meredith. Yes, those will work great! Just follow the directions on that package for rehydrating them. I’m not sure what size Butler soy curls are…you might want to chop them a bit if they are thicker so they more resemble the size of shredded chicken. Please let me know how it turns out!
Samantha
You read my mind. I was just wanting to make a vegetarian chicken wing dip and here you are with this delicious must-try recipe right now. I’ve never tried Nature Prime Shreds, but boy do those look good. I also never thought about dipping bread into one and now I’m going to look for these now.
Jenn Sebestyen
I mean, I would lick it straight off a spoon, too. Ha! But, yeah, crispy baguette slices are amazing with it! Let me know if you give it a try.