This easy vegan quesadilla recipe with refried beans and non-dairy cheese makes lunch a breeze. Plus, it’s made with just 3 ingredients and ready to eat in 8 minutes!
With a simple spread of refried pinto beans and vegan cheese on toasted tortillas, it’s a fast & filling lunch that truly satisfies.
Vegan quesadillas are one of my favorite go-to dishes whenever I need an easy lunch or dinner in a hurry. They’re so simple to make, really fast, and always tasty.
Plus, I’m a fan of any food that lends itself to dipping in salsa, splashing on hot sauce, piling on avocado, and loading up on jalapeño pepper slices.
It’s an interactive appetizer or main course that really elevates the fun.
These 3-ingredient, dairy-free quesadillas are filled with homemade vegan refried beans and non-dairy cheese inside of toasted tortillas. So good & always a crowd-pleaser!
In this post:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Tortillas: I like to use 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas. However, feel free to use flour or corn tortillas of any size for this recipe.
Just keep in mind that the amount of filling you need will vary, depending on the size of your tortilla and how thickly you apply the fillings.
Refried beans: I like to use homemade refried pinto beans, but refried black beans are also great here.
If you’re in a time crunch, canned vegetarian refried beans are a good timesaver. (Be sure to read the label. Non-vegetarian refried beans may contain lard.)
Non-dairy cheese: Vegan Mexican-style shreds from Trader Joe’s or non-dairy cheddar are my preferred options.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Put a tortilla slathered with refried beans and a sprinkling of shredded non-dairy cheese onto a warm, dry skillet.
2. Sandwich it with a second tortilla. Cook on a medium heat until it’s nice and brown on one side. Flip the quesadilla with a spatula, and brown the other side.
3. Remove the quesadilla from the skillet. Cut it into triangles with a knife or kitchen shears.
4. Enjoy the vegan quesadilla on its own. Or serve it with your choice of guacamole, avocado, roasted tomato salsa, jalapeño pepper slices, pickled onions, cilantro, vegan sour cream, and/or hot sauce.
Make it your own
You can make this easy appetizer your own by tweaking the ingredients.
Vary the beans
If you like, replace refried pinto beans with any of the following:
- Refried black beans
- Chipotle black bean dip
- Easy hummus recipe (omit the cheese)
- Buffalo hummus with non-dairy blue cheese
- Sun-dried tomato hummus with non-dairy mozzarella (or omit the cheese)
- Kalamata olive hummus with vegan feta (or omit the cheese)
Not a fan of beans? Leave them off and add more non-dairy cheese to fill out the quesadillas.
Vary the cheese
For this vegan quesadilla recipe, there are loads of dairy-free cheese options to choose from. Try them with Mexican-style shreds, cheddar, pepperjack, or mozzarella.
Or if you prefer, leave off the cheese! They’re still delicious with refried beans alone.
Amp up the fillings & toppings
You can bulk up your quesadilla by adding more fillings or toppings.
Fill them up with:
- Chopped bell pepper
- Diced onion
- Grilled zucchini
- Fried plantains
- Fajita vegetables
Or once they’re finished, top them or dip them in:
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Roasted tomato salsa
- Tomatillo salsa
- Pineapple salsa
- Peach salsa
- Vegan sour cream
- Pickled red onions
- Quick pickled jalapenos
- Cilantro
Using alternative bean fillings? Try these filling ideas instead:
- For plain or olive hummus quesadillas: add grilled artichoke hearts and serve dolmas on the side
- For buffalo hummus quesadillas: Add sliced green onions
- For sun-dried tomato hummus quesadillas: Add thin slices of mushrooms or vegan pepperoni
Vary the size
Not hungry enough for two tortillas? Make a quesadilla with one tortilla instead.
Simply slather on refried beans, add a sprinkling of dairy-free cheese, and fold the tortilla in half. Then toast it on each side in a skillet.
Serving ideas
These tempting dairy-free quesadillas are delicious on their own. Or they can be an appetizer or side dish alongside one of these tasty options:
Storage instructions
Vegan quesadillas are best hot & fresh out of the skillet while the tortillas are still crisp.
However, if you happen to have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3 or 4 days.
Warm them in a dry skillet, air fryer, or microwave.
FAQ
Yes, you can make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free tortillas.
The best non-dairy cheese for vegan quesadillas are shreds that melt well. Try a vegan cheddar or Mexican-style blend.
For a kick of heat, add sliced jalapeños, several shakes of hot sauce, or serve with a spicy salsa for dipping.
Absolutely! It’s no problem if you’d prefer to skip the cheese. The refried beans have plenty of flavor and creamy texture on their own. You could also add some extra veggies, sliced avocado, or guacamole to amp up the richness.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Vegan quesadilla recipe with refried beans
Ingredients
- 2 tortillas 8-inch
- ¼ cup vegan refried beans or more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon grated non-dairy cheddar cheese or more to taste
Instructions
- Bring skillet to a medium heat. Slather tortilla with refried beans. Top with a sprinkling of non-dairy cheddar cheese. Add the remaining tortilla, and place into warm skillet.
- Cook quesadilla on one side, until it is nice and toasty brown. This will take about 3 minutes. Then flip it and cook about two minutes more, until toasty brown on the other side.
- Remove from skillet and cut into triangles.
- Serve on its own, or with your choice of guacamole, avocado, salsa, hot sauce, vegan sour cream, and/or jalapeno pepper slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Photos, recipe, and content updated February 22, 2025. Originally posted August 12, 2019.
Gay Adkins
Most everything you post looks delicious . Vegan foods are easy to digest . It is a very healthy diet as well . Thank you for all your delicious ideas .
Shell
Yum! I need to make a batch of your vegan refried beans and give this recipe a try! Only recently did I discover my love for refried beans. I missed out for way too long!
Cadry
I’m glad you’re making up for lost time. I hope you enjoy the quesadillas!