This buffalo dip is 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!
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Vegetarian buffalo dip is the coziest hot vegetarian dip you could imagine.
There’s tons of cheese, 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 cooked without chicken and instead using jackfruit 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.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Hot sauce
- Ranch dressing
- Jackfruit
- Cheddar cheese
- Green onion
- Blue cheese
How to make vegetarian buffalo dip
- 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 a greased 1 ½ quart baking dish and smooth out. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350ºF 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.
Top tips
Buffalo chicken dip without chicken
Texture is the number one reason I love using jackfruit in this dip instead of cauliflower or beans. The strands of the fruit really do look and feel like chicken.
Soften the cream cheese
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.
Shredded vs block cheese
Shredding your own cheese will always give you the best melting consistency. However, pre-shredded cheese will also work, and you may not even notice the difference. It is up to you which you choose to use.
How to prepare jackfruit
If using jackfruit canned in brine, rinse and drain the jackfruit in a colander before proceeding with the recipe. This will remove most of the brine. Then, use your fingers to break the fruit apart and separate it into meat-like strands.
If using fresh jackfruit, check out this post on how to prepare jackfruit. It is a little more complicated than opening a can, but I always support the use of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The best things to eat with buffalo dip
I enjoy this vegetarian dip with celery sticks and tortilla chips, but it would also be great on a slice of crusty bread, sweet mini peppers, carrot sticks, in a wrap, or on top of a baked potato.
How to store
Keep any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow it to cool completely before refrigerating. I do not recommend freezing this dip as I don’t think the texture would hold up.
Tips for customizing vegetarian buffalo chicken dip
- 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
FAQ
Jackfruit is a large tree fruit. The fruit itself is actually made up of thousands of flowers, which peel apart and offer a similar texture to meat.
Jackfruit is slightly sweet, but when mixed with other flavors this can be hidden fairly easily. I recommend purchasing jackfruit canned in brine (not syrup), which can be found in the natural and organic section of most grocery stores.
Not all blue cheese is vegetarian. It depends on the variety and the brand. I recommend looking for a cheese made with vegetable rennet instead of animal rennet.
Yes! Mix everything up as instructed in the crockpot and heat on low for 1-2 hours. If letting the dip sit out for a few hours, turn the heat to warm after cooking.
More vegetarian dip recipes
- Taco Dip
- Easy Mango Avocado Salsa
- Avocado Chimichurri Chip Dip
- Spicy Honey Mustard Avocado Dip
- Whipped Feta Dip
- White Bean Dip
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.
Nancy says
Your dip looks delectable! Thanks so much for linking to my jackfruit post. 🙂