This vegan refried bean recipe will blow your mind! It's not only super easy, but it's healthy and tastes amazing. You'll love my trick!

I love refried beans from our local taco shop, unfortunately my belly doesn't love them as much as I eat them. So I knew I needed my own homemade recipe!
It was surprising how easy it was to get that perfect smooth and thick texture without the use of lard. These healthy beans are so delicious and have become a huge hit in our house, I'm making them all the time! But it's no problem because if you're starting with cooked or canned beans they take only 10 minutes to make, no joke!
Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these delicious vegan refried beans. Here's what to gather:
- Cooked pinto beans
- Cumin
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Sea salt
How to Make Vegan Refried Beans
These refried beans are just too easy to make in no time! Here are the simple steps to take:
- Add the beans and other ingredients to a pot and boil.
- Add to a food processor and blend.
- Serve with everything!
Serving suggestions
These refried beans are great as a side dish for just about anything! Here are some of our favorites dishes to serve them with:
- Vegetarian Refried Bean Burrito
- Mexican Rice
- Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Mexican Coleslaw with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Jackfruit Tacos
- Vegan Birria Tacos
- Crispy Vegan Tacos
- Ultimate Vegan Mexican Nacho Burger
- Mexican Pizza
Tips and tricks
For the absolute best vegan refried beans, check out these helpful hints:
- Canned beans makes this super easy. You can also use homemade pinto beans from dried beans.
- If using homemade, save some of the cooking liquid or add broth. You may need to thicken with about ½ cup of cornstarch.
- In addition to pinto beans, try using black beans from time to time!
- Blend until you get your desired texture. In order to thin out the beans, add more cooking liquid or broth a couple tablespoons at a time.
- Add in some red or green salsa for extra flavor.
- These vegan refried beans will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- You can also freeze them! Just let the beans cool, then transfer to an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat defrosted beans in the microwave or on the stovetop. If they end up too thick just add a little broth to thin them out.
Common Questions
Yes they are! Beans are a good source of protein and fiber. Usually what makes refried beans unhealthy is the use of lard, but this vegan recipe avoids any added fat!
It depends on the beans. Some restaurants will have vegan beans but it's best to ask, since often lard is used. Your best bet is to make your own homemade vegan refried beans.
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Everything! I love using them in my simple refried bean burritos and also pairing them with Mexican Rice to serve alongside tacos like Jackfruit Tacos, Vegan Birria Tacos, or Crispy Vegan Tacos.
More Vegan Mexican Recipes
If you're like us and eat South of the border inspired food multiple times a week, you need options! Try out these plant based recipes:
- How to Cook Pinto Beans
- How to Make Black Beans
- Vegan Rice and Bean Burrito
- High Protein Mexican Fiesta Salad
- Low Fat Mexican Taco Bowl
- Vegan Queso
Easy Vegan Refried Beans Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked pinto beans , about 2 cans (15.5 ounces each)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse and drain one of the cans of beans and add to a pot. Add the second can into the pot with the juices. If you use homemade beans, save about ½ cup of juice to add to the pot. Also, add about ½ teaspoon of cornstarch to mimic the thickness.
- Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes until hot and bubbling.
- Remove from heat, and allow to cool for another 5 minutes. Then add to a food processor.
- Blend until you get a refried bean texture.
- Serve with everything!
Notes
- You can use homemade pinto beans from dried beans if you prefer, but you’ll need to save some of the juice, or sub broth if not. You may want to add about ½ teaspoon cornstarch to the homemade liquid or broth to thicken.
- Makes about 3 cups of beans, serving size is ½ cup.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Carol Bradstreet
In the upper part of the recipe, it says to add 1/2 tsp. of corn starch to the recipe. Below, in instructions for making this from dried beans, it says to use 1/2 cup of corn starch. Is this a typo?
Sophia DeSantis
It is a typo! It should be 1/2 teaspoon like it says in the main recipe. Thanks for catching that!
Paula O.
YUM! I first made Sophia’s scratch pinto beans and used them as my base in this refried beans recipe. I never thought of making homemade refried beans before. I gotta day, it was super easy and I’m soooo glad I tried it! Guess we’ll be making lots of Mexican dishes this week!
veggiesdontbite
Yay! So happy you gave it a shot!
Sarah
So good! These had the perfect texture and taste. We'll be making these again!
Ramya
will be making this and other dishes soon i never had mexican food before perfect for my after office meals sorry i took a break from commenting on your recipes as busy with work will dm you if i make all and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
veggiesdontbite
Hope you enjoy!