This 10-Minute Creamy Black Bean Dip Is My Game Day MVP

I'll be honest—I couldn't care less about football, but I love game day. I'm here for the snacks (and puns). I know nothing about the sport, usually zoning out when friends start chatting about plays, and I fully check out the minute they launch into fantasy league talk. But when it comes to snacks, I'm your first round pick. Better yet, if I can turn this sport into an excuse to host a gathering, you know I'm taking it.

This smoky, velvety riff on black bean dip adds richness and heat to your game day party starting lineup. With just five ingredients and ten minutes in the kitchen, it's easy enough for casual snacking, but bold enough to stand out on a crowded snack table. The leftovers pull double duty too—smear it on sandwiches or spoon it on tacos for an instant upgrade.

An Alternative to Hummus

I love hummus as much as the next girl, but sometimes, you've got to call an audible on your dip game. This spicy sub to the beloved chickpea-based purée is great alongside edamame avocado dip and chile con queso. Think of it as hummus's smoky cousin with extra swagger in his end-zone dance.

Key Ingredients

Canned chipotle peppers in adobo is one of my MVP ingredients, making an appearance in everything from meatballs to salad dressings, soups, and sides. They're mesquite-smoked jalapeño peppers packed in a tangy, spicy, tomato-based sauce, delivering Southwestern flavor, tangy brightness, smoky depth, and smoldering heat. 

Since most recipes use only a few peppers, I mince the extras and spoon one tablespoon (peppers + sauce) into each cavity of an ice cube tray. Once they’re frozen solid, I stash them in a zip-top bag for up to a year, so I can have pre-measured cubes of feisty flavor ready to go whenever a recipe—like this one—needs a little nudge. If you're sensitive to spice, just use less chipotle in adobo.

Sour cream brings silky richness to this dip, making it distinctly creamier than your typical bean dip. Add it towards the end of processing, after the beans and garlic are completely smooth. Over-blending can cause sour cream to break—when the food processor blades forcefully damage and denature the delicate protein structure—leaving you with a grainy or greasy dip instead of a creamy one.

How to Make My Creamy Southwestern Black Bean Dip

To make 8 to 10 servings (about 2 1/2 cups of dip), you’ll need:

Prep time: 10 minutes

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons chipotles in adobo
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1/2 lime, zested and juiced, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Olive oil and chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish, optional

In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the beans, chipotles in adobo, garlic, lime zest and juice, and salt. Process until very smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the sour cream and pulse until just incorporated, 5 to 7 pulses. Season to taste with additional salt and lime juice, as desired. 

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cilantro, if using, and serve. Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

For dippers, think beyond tortilla chips here (though I'll never turn down a sturdy one). I love salty Fritos Scoops, crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes, and jicama, empty potato skins, and even chicken taquitos for dunking. This dip is creamy enough to cling to just about anything.