Ghoulish Black Bean Dip
Fun, easy, light, and tasty: this Ghoulish Black Bean Dip hits all the notes for lighter fare at your Halloween gathering. It’s got real ingredients, is simple but seasonal, and pairs well with blue corn tortilla chips.
Healthy-ish Halloween snack.
If you always feel slightly chagrined that the bulk of Halloween treats are, well, indulgent, add this to the menu for at least one bowl of balance that remains on theme. It’s our favorite black bean dip remixed in ghoulish colors and served with moody blue corn tortilla chips. (You could also use the black and orange chips sold at Target.) The end result is a super simple dip that has fresh, real ingredients yet still fits in with the spooky vibe.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
This bulleted list includes extra notes to help you shop and substitute well. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities and instructions.
- Black beans. I use canned for convenience, but you can substitute dried beans you cook yourself. You can also swap in pinto beans, kidney beans, or another type, but the dip will be less… spooky.
- Orange and green bell pepper. I like to use a whole orange pepper and about 1/2 of a green one. If you want the dip to have a little more kick, substitute all or part of the green pepper for diced jalapeno.
- Red onion, fresh cilantro, and fresh garlic. If you or someone you’re serving dislikes cilantro, leave it out or substitute Mexican oregano.
- Extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and kosher salt to taste. Do your best to use both fresh lime juice and red wine vinegar – this combination delivers the best tang and flavor. Avocado oil is a good substitute for olive oil if preferred.
For a more substantial dip that keeps to the general color scheme, add in some chopped avocado. If doing this, be sure to dice and add the avocado just prior to serving, to minimize browning.
Top Tips for Success
- Chop the pepper and onion small. You want the pieces to be roughly the size of a black bean so that the dip has a fairly even consistency.
- Be flexible with the dressing. This dressing is super flexible and easy. You can shake it together in a small jar or just drizzle the oil and vinegar directly over the black bean mixture and stir very well. If you have a few extra minutes want to take this up a notch, use the cilantro lime dressing from this Mexican bean salad recipe.
- Adjust seasoning to taste–really. It’s too easy to skip the final step of adding more lime juice or salt to taste, but this is actually important to be sure the finished dip lives up to your expectations. People really do have widely varied preferred levels of saltiness and citrus punch, and the only way to hit your zone is to test at a low level and add more. Too little salt and you’ll think the whole dip lacks in flavor; too much and it will be the only thing you taste.
Storage Details
This dip keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It’s terrific served again as a salsa or repurposed as a topping for fish or chicken tacos or stuffed with cheese into a satisfying vegetarian quesadilla.
Related Recipes
Looking for more Halloween recipe inspiration? Try these recipes next, or browse my full collection of spooky eats here.
- Ghost Taco Hand Pies
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip
- Savory Sage Pumpkin Hummus
- Spooky Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Milano Mummies
- Blackout Chocolate Buttermilk Cake
- “Spooky Hand” Halloween Cheeseboard
- Halloween Fruit and Cheese Board
- Spooky Ghost Cupcakes
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Ghoulish Black Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 orange bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 2-3 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice from 1 lime
- kosher salt to taste
- diced jalapeno or avocado optional additions
Instructions
- Add beans, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, and garlic to a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, and salt on top. (I suggest starting with 2 teaspoons lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt.) Stir well to combine.
- Sample and add salt and lime juice to taste. (I usually add an extra 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, but this really varies to preference.) Serve with tortilla chips right away, or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Notes
- Black Beans: Substitute 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked beans for 1 can if desired. (That’s roughly 1/2 cup of dried beans.) You can also substitute pinto beans, kidney beans, or another kind that you like.
- Cilantro: If you can’t or prefer not to eat cilantro, skip it or substitute Mexican oregano.
- Storage: Extra salsa keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.