Vegan Homemade Refried Beans

if you’re not making refried beans from scratch, you are missing out!

this page contains affiliate links. if you choose to purchase from one of my links, i receive a small commission at not additional cost to you.

Ingredients – Part 1:
4 cups dry pinto beans
1 whole onion
4 cloves garlic, whole
2-3 large bay leafs
2T salt

Tools:
– Instant Pot, this one is a 6qt – I use an 8qt because I have other recipes I make in larger batches
– Immersion blender – I like this one because it has protection on the bottom to keep it from scratching pans

Put all the ingredients in the Instant Pot and select Pressure Cook on normal for 35 minutes. You can also press the Bean/Chili setting.

Allow to Natural Release (don’t touch it) for as long as you can, at least an hour. (See below for a quicker cook option.)

Ingredients – Part 2:
3T dairy free butter
1 medium onion, diced
2t minced garlic
3/4t chili powder
1/2t cumin
1/2t garlic salt

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Put the onion in the butter and let cook until brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Stir in the seasonings, then transfer the mixture to the instant pot. Turn the pot on Saute Mode and use the immersion blender to puree the beans, onions, and garlic. You can leave it a little chunky with larger bean pieces or you can make it very thin.

This makes about 10 cups of refried beans. I recommend cutting it in half unless you’re cooking for a large group. I also love using the leftovers to make frozen bean burritos for a quick, easy lunch.

Notes:

Quick Cook Option: You can soak the beans overnight in plain water – use at least 2x as much water as the beans will grow. Dump that water out and use fresh water for the pressure cooking step. This will reduce how gassy the beans are. If you do choose to pre-soak, reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes and pressure release after 30 minutes. You will also want to drain almost all of the liquid out of the beans before using the immersion blender or the beans will be too thin and taste watered down.

Enjoy!