These vegan refried beans are incredibly flavorful and go so well with red or brown rice, tortillas, and a side of salsa. If you’ve never tried making your own refried beans, this is the time! You won’t believe how rich and creamy your beans will be. Your family and friends will be begging for more!
The night before you want to make the recipe, place the dry beans into a large bowl and cover with cool water until the level reaches 2 inches above the beans. Let sit at least 8 hours or overnight.
Drain the bean water and rinse the soaked beans thoroughly.
By Slow Cooker
Plug in your slow cooker and add the rinsed beans to the pot.
Pour in 4 cups of vegetable broth and add in spices. Mix well.
If you’d like a shorter cooking time, place the temperature on HIGH and cook for 3-4 hours covered. If you don’t mind waiting a little longer, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (or overnight).
When the beans are done, you can either keep the beans as they are or drain any excess liquid before mashing the beans. It depends on how smooth and creamy, thick and chunky you would like the texture. I like to keep some liquid (around ½ cup) in with the beans before blending or mashing them for a smoother texture.
By Stovetop
Place the rinsed beans back in the pot and add the vegetable broth and the chipotle powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Allow it to simmer gently for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and add additional broth if necessary to ensure the beans remain submerged.
Once the beans are fully cooked and tender, use a potato masher or immersion blender to achieve the desired consistency. If the beans are too thick, you can add more vegetable broth as needed.
Notes
If you don’t have pre-made or homemade vegetable broth, feel free to use 2 teaspoons of vegetable bouillon paste mixed with 4 cups of water instead.
Vary the amount of spices to your taste, adding more spices if you like your beans with tons of flavor or less if you'd like the beans to be more bland.
Add a few drops of Cholula Hot Sauce for extra spiciness when the beans are done.