If you’re looking for a simple and DELICIOUS appetizer to please a crowd then look NO FURTHER than this CHEESY Black Bean Dip! It’s easily customizable to suit your preferences and is certain to be gone quicker than it took to make it.

It’s DAY ONE of DIP WEEK where I will be posting a NEW dip recipe every single day for a week. First up is this EASY Black Bean Dip recipe that I am absolutely obsessed with. It’s easily one of my favorite dips that I’ll be posting this week which is why it’s up first. It’s seriously such a great recipe!

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I’m a sucker for toppings so I piled my dip high with chopped cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, tomatoes, cotija, and radish. For a super simple topping, I suggest piling on a bunch of pico de gallo which is my go to in a pinch. Of course, I always serve this with tortilla chips but you could also put some veggies on the side for a healthier option.

However you top it, I KNOW you’re going to love this one!

black bean dip in a cast iron. It's covered with melted cheese and topped with cherry tomatoes, sliced jalapeno, diced red onion, cotija cheese, sliced radishes, and chopped cilantro. There's a hand holding a tortilla chip up that's been dipped in the dip

Why you’ll LOVE this Creamy Black Bean Dip

There are so many reasons to love it but lets go over a few:

  • It’s CHEESY
  • It’s PACKED WITH PROTEIN and FIBER: I made this dip a little lighter by using cottage cheese and greek yogurt which both have the added benefit of boosting the protein in the recipe.
  • It’s an EASY snack or appetizer: everything gets combined in a food processor and then put in a skillet to bake for just 15 minutes.
  • It’s SURE to please a crowd (if you can bring yourself to share)
  • It’s natural GLUTEN-FREE
  • It’s PERFECT for get togethers (especially game day!)
black bean dip in a cast iron. It's covered with melted cheese and topped with cherry tomatoes, sliced jalapeno, diced red onion, cotija cheese, sliced radishes, and chopped cilantro

Ingredients in this Black Bean Dip recipe –

The ingredients are simple and easy customizable so let’s go over the main ones:

  • Canned Black Beans – I used 2 cans of black beans and reserved about 1/2 cup to fold in at the end. I really love those chunks of whole beans in my dip. HOWEVER, you could also just blend all of them in at the beginning.
  • Cottage cheese – many recipes I’ve seen use cream cheese but my recipe swaps that out for cottage cheese instead.
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream – either work great here!
  • Lime juice – we’re only using about a tablespoon but it adds a nice bit of flavor and tang to the recipe.
  • Garlic – I love using fresh garlic cloves but you could substitute them out for 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
  • Spices – we’re using some cumin and chili powder plus salt and pepper to taste
  • Cheese – this is optional but HIGHLY recommended. I put some pepper jack and cheddar cheese on top of the dip before baking it in the oven.
side shot of black bean dip in a cast iron. It's covered with melted cheese and topped with cherry tomatoes, sliced jalapeno, diced red onion, cotija cheese, sliced radishes, and chopped cilantro

How to make this easy Black Bean Dip

It’s a SUPER easy one but let’s quickly go over it!

  1. Blend the ingredients together in a food processor and blend until smooth and most of the chunks are gone. Fold in he reserved black beans.
  2. Pour the dip into an oven safe skillet or baking dish and then top with the cheese.
  3. Bake, add your favorite toppings, and serve with tortilla chips. ENJOY! You’re certain to have NO leftovers!

SO so super easy for how delicious it is.

slow up shot of black bean dip in a cast iron. It's covered with melted cheese and topped with cherry tomatoes, sliced jalapeno, diced red onion, cotija cheese, sliced radishes, and chopped cilantro. There's a tortilla chip sitting in the dip

Topping ideas

One of my favorite parts of this dip is all of the toppings I can put on it! Here are some of my favorites:

  • Fresh cilantro
  • Jalapeno
  • Tomatoes
  • Pico de gallo or salsa
  • Red onion
  • Cotija cheese
  • Bell pepper
  • Really any fresh vegetables
  • Avocado (or guacamole)

Can I make this dip vegan?

Why YES, yes you can! I suggest replace the cottage cheese AND the greek yogurt with vegan sour cream or cream cheese.

For the shredded cheese, you can either leave it off altogether OR replace with a dairy-free option!

Other appetizers to try

One Last Bite

I love to see your delicious creations and share the tastiest feedback. SO, if you make this recipe, please remember to tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I can’t wait to see you sharing this recipe!

Cheesy Black Bean Dip

If you’re looking for a simple and DELICIOUS appetizer to please a crowd then look NO FURTHER than this CHEESY Black Bean Dip!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: dip
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories:

Ingredients

  • 2 15- ounce cans of black beans rinsed and drained and divided (set aside 1/2 cup of the beans)
  • ½ cup of cottage cheese or whipped cream cheese
  • ½ cup of sour cream or greek yogurt
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • ½ teaspoon of cumin
  • ½ teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon of lime juice
  • 1 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese
  • ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Optional toppings:

  • ½ cup of diced tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup of red onion finely diced
  • 2 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons of cotija cheese
  • Tortilla chips to serve

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an oven safe skillet with cooking spray. I used a 10inch cast iron skillet. Set aside 1/2 cup of rinsed and drained black beans.
  • In a food processor or blender, combine the black beans (minus that 1/2 cup that we put aside), cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and lime juice. Blend until creamy and very few lumps of the black beans remain. Fold in the remaining black beans.
  • Pour the black beans mixture into the prepared skillet and top evenly with the pepper jack and cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted. As desired, you can turn the broiled on during the last couple of minutes but be sure to watch it closely!
  • Once out of the oven, top with desired toppings and ENJOY with tortilla chips!

Video

Notes

I really like having some whole black beans in my dip BUT you could skip this step and simply add them ALL into the food processor.
Nutritional info does not include any of the optional toppings.