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This Vegan 7 Layer Dip is a delicious dairy-free appetizer to serve at your next party. With layers of refried beans, vegan queso, guacamole and fresh veggies, it’s loaded with flavor!
Why You’ll Love It
It’s easy to make. You can make each layer from scratch, or speed the process with the help of some convenience items. Using canned refried beans (fat-free ones are usually vegan; check the label), prepared guacamole or salsa will help things move along even faster.
It’s delicious. The creamy vegan cheese sauce, seasoned beans, and creamy guacamole all work together in this dish to provide loads of flavor in each bite. It’s perfect for game days, and general snacking.
It’s easy to customize. When you make each layer yourself, you get to control the spice level and seasoning. Skip the jalapeno for a more mild seven layer dip, or add some sliced black olives on top, if you like the extra salty addition. (Olives can be very polarizing, so I left them off this time.) Feel free to omit or add any extra layers you like.
It’s dairy-free. For those who are vegan, or don’t digest cheese well, the homemade cheese sauce is a delicious alternative. It provides creaminess, almost like a vegan sour cream, but it also adds a satisfying nacho cheese flavor. It tastes like the kind of dip you’d get at a movie theater or baseball game.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in vegan 7-layer dip?
- Refried beans
- Cashew cheese sauce
- Guacamole
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
These 7 items create a flavorful dip that you can assemble in just a matter of minutes. Even if you make everything from scratch, including the refried beans, it’s ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. Most layers take just a few minutes to stir together!
But, for the fastest prep work, you can start with a can of refried beans. Just be sure to check the package label to ensure it’s vegan, if needed. I also recommend looking for refried beans that are well-seasoned, so your dip will have plenty of flavor in each layer. (Look for more than just salt on the label.)
How to Make Vegan 7 Layer Dip
1. Make the vegan queso.
Prepare the refried beans if you are planning to make them from scratch, but if you use a can of refried beans, you can skip straight to making the dairy-free cheese sauce, instead.
In a high-speed blender, add the cashews, water, lemon juice, salt, green chilies, and jalapenos. Blend until very smooth and creamy, then set it aside.
Need a nut-free option? Try Vegan Cheese Sauce or Sweet Potato Queso instead.
2. Make the guacamole.
You can use store-bought guacamole if you prefer, but to make it from scratch, you’ll add 2 large avocados to a bowl, along with lime juice and salt.
Mash with a fork until the avocado is relatively smooth, then add in the diced tomatoes, jalapeno, and red onion. Stir again, then adjust any flavoring to taste.
3. Make the pico de gallo.
For maximum flavor, you can stir the last 4 ingredients together to make a flavorful topping. Add the remaining diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro to a medium bowl and season it with lime juice and salt. Stir well, and then set it aside.
4. Assemble.
Spread the refried beans evenly into the bottom of an 8-inch square dish. Pour the cheese sauce on top and smooth it out with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Use a spoon to distribute the guacamole as the next layer, then use a slotted spoon to add the final mixture of pico de gallo on top. If you’d like to add extra toppings, like shredded lettuce or chopped green onions, you can do that now, too.
Garnish with extra cilantro and serve with tortilla chips, for an impressive looking appetizer.
Leftover dip can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the avocado might start to brown in the guacamole layer, so this is best prepared the day you plan on serving it.
Make Ahead Tip: You can prepare the refried beans, nacho cheese sauce, and pico de gallo in advance. Just store them in separate containers in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
The guacamole layer can be made the same day you plan on serving it, for maximum freshness.
More Healthy Snack Ideas
Looking for more recipe inspiration? Try these!
- Homemade Hummus. You can whip this dip together in just 5 minutes using a blender or food processor, and it tastes better than anything you’d buy at the store.
- Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip. This warm dip has all the comfort and flavor you love, without the dairy.
- Brownie Batter Hummus. If you want a sweet option, this fiber-rich dip tastes like brownie batter. Serve with fresh fruit or graham crackers.
Ingredients
Bean Layer:
- 1 (15 oz.) can vegetarian refried beans (or use homemade refried beans)
Cheese Sauce:
- 1 cup unsalted cashews
- ¼ cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 (4 oz) can green chilies
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4-6 jarred jalapeno slices (optional)
Guacamole:
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ red onion , diced
- 1 roma tomato , diced
- 1 jalapeno , seeds & membrane removed, diced (optional)
Extra Toppings:
- 2 roma tomatoes , diced
- ¼ red onion , diced
- ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- In an 8-inch square pan (or similar sized dish) spread the refried beans evenly into the bottom, using the back of a spoon or spatula.
- To prepare the cheese sauce, add the cashews, water, lemon juice, green chilies, and salt into a high speed blender and blend until very smooth, about 60 seconds. If the sauce isn't blending smoothly, you can add another tablespoon of water and blend again. Pour the cheese sauce on top of the bean layer, and spread it out evenly.
- To prepare the guacamole, scoop the avocado flesh into a large bowl, along with the lime juice and salt. Use a fork to mash the avocado until it's smooth, then stir in the diced red onion, tomatoes, and jalapeno, if using. Spoon the guacamole over the cheese layer, and gently spread it out.
- Rinse & dry the bowl you just used for the guacamole, then add in the remaining diced tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno ( or omit for a less-spicy dip). Add in the lime juice and salt, and stir well. Then use a slotted spoon to distribute the veggies over the guacamole. Serve the dip right away with crunchy tortilla chips and sliced veggies, or you can store it tightly covered in the fridge for up to 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but keep in mind that it may become more watery as it sits, so this is best served the same day you make it. (See make-ahead tips in the notes below.)
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this healthy 7 layer dip, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
OMG LOOKS SO YUMMY. I recently became a vegan and I am in love with mexican food.
I am so excited to see this potato cheese sauce! I have never used nutritional yeast correctly and maybe this will make me fall in love 🙂 Would you happen to know any vegan sour cream recipes that aren’t cashew based? Im sure it would still be amazing without it on top, definitely gonna add bell peppers to the top 🙂
LOVE your site! 🙂
I’m not aware of any, but I’ll see if I can come up with one in the future! 🙂
Hi Shelby ! I make “sour cream” with silken tofu. One package tofu, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, salt to taste, and an ounce or so of plant-based milk if you need it to thin the texture (try without first. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy. <3
I just needed to comment! This recipe is SO good. I think I added too much salt 🙁 so I added a layer of sour cream on top, and it was delicious! I found that the longer it sits in the fridge (a couple days), the better it tastes. All the flavors mesh together. It’s so yummy! I (not vegan or vegetarian just trying to eat healthy) topped some wild rice with this dip, added some chicken, and it tastes even better than Chipotle or Q’doba. It is delicious, I can’t stress that enough. And the mashed potato “cheese” layer blows my mind. It tastes amazing, and you could NEVER even tell in a billion years that it’s made from potatoes. Thank you so much for all your great recipes!
I can’t wait to make this! I have made several of your recipes and ALL have been HUGE successes. Whenever my husband and I met last summer, I had been 100% 80/10/10 raw vegan and he was on the SAD diet so I had to learn to give in and we are about 80% raw vegan now and he has loved every recipe of yours that I have made. Thank you!!!
The cheese from a potato base is genius! Thank you!
Making this today! But I’m going to try it with sweet potatoes like you used in your sweet potatoe mac n’ cheese. That is a favorite of mine! I’ve told so many people about your site and we are all looking forward to your cook book! Congrats Megan!
LOVE this – pinning!
I just started following Detoxinista a few weeks ago and I am loving all the recipes, especially the sweets! I had to give up dairy, gluten and refined sugar so your recipes have been a life saver in trying to maintain a regular diet, and keep my sanity 🙂 Thank you for helping me stay passionate about food, this recipe looks delicious..I’ll have to try!
This looks delish and I’ve been craving something like this for the Super Bowl! I am bean-free and potato-free (avoiding starches to heal my gut), so I am going to try using winter squash puree instead of beans and cauliflower or cashew cream in place of the potatoes. Hope it turns out!
Your recipes are always so amazing! I can’t wait to try this, especially the cheese sauce – I’ve made cheese sauce from cashews but I never even thought of using potatoes!
XO,
Cassidy
Looks amazing – I have yet to try nutritional yeast as i have historically avoided yeast based products but i may give this a try as I would love a ‘cheesy’ flavour without the cheese!