You won’t miss the meat in this creamy vegetarian buffalo dip, made with jackfruit for the best taste and texture! There’s no chicken in this hot vegetarian dip, making it perfect for a meatless game day or party appetizer!
Vegetarian buffalo dip is the coziest hot vegetarian dip you could imagine.
There’s tons of cheese (hello, cheese is life), hot sauce, a bit of ranch dressing, and jackfruit to mimic the taste and texture of chicken. This is so easy to throw together and was a huge crowd pleaser when I made it for the super bowl.
We’ve swapped jackfruit in place of chicken before with my jackfruit tortilla soup and biscuit topped vegetarian pot pie. The texture similarities are unbelievable. I’ve served all three of these recipes to plenty of meat eaters who would have had no idea they weren’t eating chicken if I hadn’t told them.
Texture is the number one reason I love using jackfruit in this dip instead of cauliflower or beans. I can usually find a can of jackfruit in the natural foods section of my grocery store, so don’t be intimidated by this exotic fruit.
Be sure to purchase a can that’s packed in water or brine, not syrup (affiliate link to my favorite, I like Native Forest), and rinse under cold water before using in the recipe. I also press the chunks between my fingers and thumb in order to get that nice shredded chicken texture.
How to make vegetarian buffalo dip
Make sure your cream cheese is nice and soft so you can combine it with the ranch dressing and hot sauce (I like Frank’s Red Hot). I like to use a hand mixer, but a big spoon and some hard work will also do the job.
Next, mix in the jackfruit, shredded cheese, and green onions. Then, bake until hot. It’s that easy!
Can you make no chicken buffalo dip in a crockpot?
Yes! Mix everything up as instructed in the crockpot and heat on low for 1-2 hours.
Tips for customizing:
- Use more or less hot sauce to taste
- Experiment with different types of hot sauce
- Blue cheese is optional – mix it in, toss it on top after baking, the choice is yours!
- Sprinkle the top with additional shredded cheese, then broil in the last few minutes of baking for a crisp cheesy crust
- Use as a spread for a veggie sandwich
- Swap the jackfruit for cooked cauliflower or canned white beans, rinsed and drained
More vegetarian dip recipes
If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Vegetarian Buffalo Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup hot sauce
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- 14 ounces canned jackfruit in water or brine, rinsed and drained, then pressed between your fingers to break it apart
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, optional
- Celery
- Tortilla Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 1 ½ quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, hot sauce, and ranch dressing with a spoon or hand mixer until smooth.
- Add the jackfruit, cheddar cheese, green onion, and blue cheese if using and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth out. Bake 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm sprinkled with additional blue cheese and chopped green onion if desired, alongside celery and tortilla chips for dipping.
Christine M says
Made this tonight for my family as we have recently switched to vegetarian. It is great! We didn’t miss the traditional chicken in this app at all. Thanks for the recipe.
Lindsay Moe says
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Mandi Schuler says
Made this for football tonight. It was a hit!! Yummy recipe.
Emily says
I used riced cauliflower instead of jackfruit because my grocery store didn’t have it- it was a great substitute thanks for the tip. Also thanks for the tip of using it on a sandwich. Made a wrap the next day w some shredded carrots, chopped celery and smoked cheddar- it was fantastic!
Olivia says
I am using canned jackfruit from Trader Joe’s and am wondering if the 14 ounces of jackfruit is measured in brine or out of brine?
Lindsay Moe says
I’m not sure, I usually just buy a can that’s around 14 ounces. If you have a larger can it’s ok to estimate the amount based on the size, for example if your can is 30 ounces just use half of it.
Elise says
How long does it stay good for in the fridge! So yummy
Lindsay Moe says
This will stay good for about 3 days. Enjoy!
Susan Lunsford says
Hi there! All i have is the refrigerated BBQ flavored jackfruit. Would that work in this recipe???? Thanks for your help!!!
Susan
Lindsay Moe says
I think it would work if you left out the buffalo sauce and made it more of a bbq dip instead.