If you’re a buffalo sauce fan, this vegetarian buffalo dip recipe is a must try! It’s made with tempeh and has a cream cheese base with plenty of hot sauce, ranch and dill. This spicy dip is delicious with your favourite tortilla chips or veggie sticks.
Hey friends!
I love spicy food (especially food with hot sauce). Hubby even more so.
And spicy dip?
Don’t get me started.
Dips are staple in our home, especially for weekend snacking.
Today, instead of a traditional buffalo chicken dip, I’m sharing a buffalo dip without chicken, a vegetarian buffalo dip, that’s gonna knock your socks right off!
This veggie dip is made with tempeh instead of chicken and gives off a ‘ground meat’ vibe in texture.
Tempeh is made from fermented soy beans. It’s a great alternative to ground chicken, meat or pork and can often be used as a vegan or vegetarian alternative to any dish that normally calls for an animal protein.
Once you try this veggie buffalo dip, it’s sure to be on your regular snack rotation (I know it is in our home).
Hot to Make Vegetarian Buffalo Dip
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Steam or boil your tempeh to soften and then pan fry until golden, further breaking up with a masher.
- In a food processor, combine cream cheese with hot sauce, yogurt, ranch, dill, pepper and fresh lime juice and blend until combined.
- Stop to add in your cooked tempeh, celery and chives.
- Pulse to combine everything.
- Portion into a baking dish.
- Cover with plenty of shredded cheese.
- Bake until bubbly and the cheese has melted. Garnish, if you like, and dig in!
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Reheating Dip
Reheating this buffalo dip is easy peasy.
Place in an oven safe dish in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through. Time may vary, depending on how much dip you are warming up.
More Recipe Tips
Ensure your cream cheese is softened before adding to your food processor so it blends up nice and creamy.
Instead of an all cream cheese base, a little Skyr yogurt was used to cut some of the richness. You can also make this buffalo dip with Greek yogurt instead of Skyr yogurt..
Half a cup of hot sauce was used here (use your fave). If you want to reduce the spice a bit, for each tablespoon of hot sauce you reduce, replace with an equal amount of yogurt.
Instead of chives, try green onion.
Want to add even more flavour? Mix in a little crumbed blue cheese.
Speaking of cheese, for the melty cheese layer on top, just opt for a good melting cheese. Cheddar, mozzarella, provolone and Swiss are all great options. Use one or a combo of your faves.
Steaming or boiling the tempeh softens it up a bit before pan frying so it’s easier to crumble. If you want to skip steaming/boiling, that’s ok. You can break up the block of tempeh, place into your pan and further break down with a wooden spoon and/or potato masher as it cooks. You’re looking for crumbles here. Alternatively, you can grate your tempeh with a box grater before adding to the pan.
More Vegetarian Dip Recipes You May Enjoy
- Black Bean Dip – With canned black beans, chipotle and lots of toppings, this is sure to be a favourite.
- White Bean Dip – A creamy white bean base, herbs, garlic and garnish..so incredibly yummy.
- Baba Ganoush (roasted eggplant dip) – Loaded with delicious roasted eggplant, spices and tahini. Such a delicious dip with pita.
Hope you love this meatless buffalo dip as much as we do!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon,
Dawn
Make this vegetarian buffalo dip? That’s awesome! Love it if you left a comment below. Many thanks!
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Vegetarian Buffalo Dip
Ingredients
- 240 grams tempeh (approximately one (8 ounce) or 1/2 pound package)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup light cream cheese , softened (about half a 250 gram package)
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (use your favourite. I enjoy 'Frank's. Plus, more for drizzling over after baked, if you like).
- 1/3 cup Greek or Skyr yogurt
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill , depending on how much you enjoy dill (you can always add 1/2 teaspoon and add more, if you want. I love dill so I opt for the full teaspoon).
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lime , juiced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chives , minced (plus more for garnish)
- 1 stalk celery , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a combo of cheddar and mozzarella. Use a little more if you like it more cheesy).
Instructions
- Place tempeh in skillet. Add some water or veggie broth (enough to bring up to the sides of the tempeh). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes to soften the tempeh. Note: If you don't want to pre-soften the tempeh, you can skip this. Just crumble or grate tempeh into your pan and fry (further breaking up, if need be, with a spoon or masher).
- Remove from water and allow to cool enough so that you can handle. Preheat your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit at this point too, for later.
- Then, in a non-stick skillet (you can use the same skillet you cooked your tempeh in, just clear out any liquid) on medium heat, add olive oil.
- Once oil is shimmering, crumble in tempeh. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until golden, further breaking up with a potato masher or wooden spoon.
- In a food processor, combine cream cheese, hot sauce, yogurt, ranch, dill, pepper and lime juice. Cover an blend until everything is incorporated.
- Stop and uncover processor. Add in cooked tempeh, chives and celery. Pulse until combined. Don't overmix.
- Portion into a baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake for about 15 minutes or so until bubbly and the cheese has melted.Note: If you don't need the dip to be hot, instead of baking, you can certainly set your oven to broil and simply cook until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Once done, garnish with more chives, dill and a drizzle of hot sauce, if desired. Serve with your favourite tortilla chips or veggie sticks. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ensure your cream cheese is softened before adding to your food processor so it blends up nice and creamy.
- Instead of an all cream cheese base, a little Skyr yogurt was used to cut some of the richness. You can also make this buffalo dip with Greek yogurt instead of Skyr yogurt..
- Half a cup of hot sauce was used here (use your fave). If you want to reduce the spice a bit, for each tablespoon of hot sauce you reduce, replace with an equal amount of yogurt.
- Instead of chives, try green onion.
- Want to add even more flavour? Mix in a little crumbed blue cheese.
- Speaking of cheese, for the melty cheese layer on top, just opt for a good melting cheese. Cheddar, mozzarella, provolone and Swiss are all great options. Use one or a combo of your faves.
- Steaming or boiling the tempeh softens it up a bit before pan frying so it’s easier to crumble. If you want to skip steaming/boiling, that’s ok. You can break up the block of tempeh, place into your pan and further break down with a wooden spoon and/or potato masher as it cooks. You’re looking for crumbles here. Alternatively, you can grate your tempeh with a box grater before adding to the pan.
Dawn, this buffalo dip is so dreamy! So cool that you’ve used tempeh. I haven’t cooked with it before, but it would definitely fool my into thinking it was chicken!
I love spicy foods too- ESPECIALLY spicy dips! And wow- not only is this sure to be a hit with family and friends, it is simply gorgeous! We do a lot of weekend snacking too so I’m going to have to make this soon. Thank you Dawn! XO
Woo hoo! Thanks Shashi! Hope you love this one as much as we do! Have a great week 🙂 XO
I have never tried Tempeh. Thank you for introducing me to a new ingredient. I just googled about it, its so healthy and there are so many dishes I can try.
I love using it, especially in dips like this 🙂
My vegetarian 14-yr-old will LOVE this! It’s right up his alley. 🙂 ~Valentina
Yay! So happy to hear it! Thanks Valentina 🙂
Oooh I’ve never tried tempeh before but I keep hearing about it. This is making me want to try it! And loving the new website look Dawn!
Yay! Hope you enjoy! Thanks so much, Michelle 🙂
I’ve never cooked with tempeh, but this recipe looks totally amazing – I love love love a good spicy dip! And anything buffalo-flavored! I may have to give this a whirl for my vegetarian friends!
Love buffalo flavoured stuff too! Thanks Laura! Hope you all enjoy 🙂
I haven’t eaten much tempeh, but I can tell you that this dip looks wonderful! Definitely want to give this a try!
Happy to hear it! Thank you Marissa 🙂 Enjoy!
Can you believe there was once a day that I wanted nothing to do with this dip! Thankfully I’ve come to my senses…or should I say, my tastebuds did! Love this recipe! Happy week, my friend!
Happy you changed your mind 🙂 Thanks Annie! Have a great week!
So I have to admit that I don’t have any experience with tempeh. However, we do have a lot (!!) of experience with buffalo chicken dip. In fact, we’ve been known to turn that into a meal by itself. What a fun idea to create a vegetarian version of this classic dip! Hope you have a great week ahead, Dawn!
It can definitely become a whole meal! Thanks David! Have a great week too 🙂
I can easily make a meal out of dips! This sounds soooo good–and I’m all about a little spice. Have a great week, Dawn!
Me too! Thank you Kelsie! You too 🙂
I love a good dip! I love serving them at parties or having on hand for a snack. This would be perfect with tortilla chips or fresh cut veggies!
Definitely! Thanks so much!