Vegan Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Last Updated on January 16, 2022 by Annie

These crispy, skillet vegan quesadillas are beyond easy to make! Packed with a black bean filling and topped with shredded vegan cheese, pair these quesadillas with guacamole or pico de gallo for a filling vegan meal!

I am constantly looking for ways to make Tex-Mex inspired food at home. From enchiladas to nachos I have been on a quest to adapt everything to a dairy-free version I can not only feel good about eating but also feel good after eating.

These vegan black bean quesadillas feature a spiced up blend of black beans topped with a vegan shredded cheese. You can easily whip these up for an appetizer, snack, or meal! They are not only filling but also delicious!

How to Make Vegan Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Olive Oil- For cooking the onion and the black beans in the skillet.
• Onion- Adds a little flavor.
• Black Beans- The main filling in these vegan quesadillas.
• Spices- Onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt all work together as a taco seasoning blend to give the black beans just the right amount of flavor.
• Tortillas- Holds in all the bean and cheesey goodness of the quesadillas.
• Vegan cheese- I used Violife Just like Cheddar Shreds as well as the Violife Just like Colby Jack Shreds in this recipe and they both turned out deliciously!

Directions for Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Make the black bean filling: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 diced onion and cook until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Next add 1 can drained and rinsed black beans, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir together and cook to soften the black beans.

While cooking, smash the beans until they have reached your desired consistency. If you want a less chunky bean filling, remove the beans from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Remove the beans from the skillet and wipe the skillet down before making the quesadillas.

Make the quesadillas: Heat the skillet over medium heat. Butter two tortillas with vegan butter and place one tortilla in the skillet, buttered side down.

Spread 1/4 cup of the vegan black bean filling over the tortilla and top with 2 tablespoons dairy-free cheese such as Violife Just Like Cheddar Shreds. Place the second tortilla butter side up (so that it will touch the skillet when you flip it) on top of the bean and cheese filling.

Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes or until the bottom is light brown and crispy. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes covered or until the bottom is light brown and crispy.

Remove from the skillet, cut into quarters, and enjoy!

What to Serve with Vegan Quesadillas

While I love to eat these black bean quesadillas on their own, you can also serve them up with a variety of sides for dipping and topping!

• Pico de Gallo
• Guacamole
• Mexican Street Corn Dip
• Vegan 7-Layer Dip

Dairy-Free Changes to Vegan Quesadillas

Making these vegan quesadillas involves just a few steps to ensure they are truly dairy-free.

• The biggest change in this recipe is the use of Vegan cheese in place of traditional shredded cheese.
• When picking out tortillas check the ingredient label to make sure they are made without any dairy products.
• You can also make your own tortillas and have them on hand for all your quesadilla needs.

How do you get vegan cheese to melt?

One of the biggest complaints of vegan and non-dairy cheese is that it doesn’t melt as easily as a milk-based cheese. To help the cheese shreds melt in this quesadilla recipe I cover the skillet while it cooks. This traps heat inside making sure the cheese heats up enough to melt.

When I tried making these black bean and cheese quesadillas without covering the skillet during the cook time I still have crispy on the outside and warm on the inside quesadillas but the cheese didn’t properly melt into the gooey goodness you look for in a quesadilla.

Storing and Reheating

There are a number of ways you can prep these vegan black bean quesadillas and eat on them throughout the week.

• Storing the beans- Once you’ve cooked the smashed black beans you can store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Storing the quesadillas- If you go ahead and make all of the quesadillas at once I would suggest cutting them into wedges and storing for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• GOOD: Reheating in the microwave- Heat quesadilla wedges in the microwave for 30 seconds. If not heated through heat in additional 15-second increments. This method is quick but will leave your quesadillas a bit soggy.
• BETTER: Heat on the skillet- In a skillet on medium heat, heat the quesadilla wedges for about 2 minutes per side or until heated through and crispy on the outside.
• BEST: Oven reheating option- I like this option best for reheating quesadillas for a party. Pop the quesadilla wedges on a baking sheet and cook at 350°F.

Other Tex-Mex Inspired Recipes

• Turkey Enchiladas
• Crispy Oven-Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Oven-Baked Beef Tostadas

Did you make these vegan black bean and cheese quesadillas?? I would love to hear how it went! Leave a comment below or snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures!

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Print

Vegan Black Bean and Cheese Quesadilla

These easy to make vegan quesadillas are packed with a black bean filling and topped with a shredded vegan cheese, pair these quesadillas with guacamole or pico de gallo for a filling vegan meal!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Keyword Black Bean, Quesadilla, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion diced
• 1 can Black Beans 15 ounce can
• ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
• ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoon Paprika
• ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 8 Tortillas
• Vegan or Plant-Based Butter for buttering the tortillas
• Shredded Violife Cheese

Instructions

1. Make the black bean filling: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 diced onion and cook until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Next add 1 can drained and rinsed black beans, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir together and cook to soften the black beans.

3. While cooking, smash the beans until they have reached your desired consistency. If you want a less chunky bean filling, remove the beans from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

4. Remove the beans from the skillet and wipe the skillet down before making the quesadillas.

5. Make the quesadillas: Heat the skillet over medium heat. Butter two tortillas with vegan butter and place one tortilla in the skillet, buttered side down.

6. Spread 1/4 cup of the vegan black bean filling over the tortilla and top with 2 tablespoons dairy-free cheese such as Violife Just Like Cheddar Shreds. Place the second tortilla butter side up (so that it will touch the skillet when you flip it) on top of the bean and cheese filling.

7. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes or until the bottom is light brown and crispy. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes covered or until the bottom is light brown and crispy.

8. Remove from the skillet, cut into quarters, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Recipe Adapted from: Feel Good Foodie Bean and Cheese Quesadillas