The best bean dip is so much more than refried beans slopped into a bowl. It should be rich and nuanced with a creamy texture and some interesting spice. Store bought bean dip—even if it’s canned bean dip—should still taste like the first course at a Mexican restaurant, just as tantalizing as the fresh pico de gallo and warm tortilla chips served next to it.
Here at Sporked, we’ve come to the conclusion that canned bean dip is an untapped market. Now, don’t get us wrong—there are some genuinely delicious options out there (please see our list below). Still, unless you’re searching for bean dip at your local Latin American specialty grocers, new and exciting brands can be tricky to come by. As we set out to update our bean dip ranking in a second taste test, we wanted to make a comprehensive guide to the best canned bean dip, the best black bean dip, and the best layered bean dip you can easily find at your local grocery store. And while the list may be more limited than we’d like, here’s what we found.
- Fresh Innovations Spicy Bean Dip
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Sprouts technically earned two titles in this taste test: the best spicy bean dip and the best bean dip made by a national grocery store brand. That said, in full transparency, this one actually divided the team a bit. It has a great spice level and real depth of flavor, but it also has a slightly acidic aftertaste that bothered some and went totally unnoticed by others. The acidity might just be due to the tomatillo in the dip, so unless you’re sensitive to that kind of thing, Sprouts spicy bean dip is a great option for those looking for freshly made dip with a kick of heat. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Earth Co. Organics Bean Dip with Jalapeño
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This vegan bean dip comes in a ready-to-microwave container, making it easy to serve hot. Some of the bean dips we tried were seriously bland, but this one offered a nice balance of earthy bean and salt with the mildest touch of spice on the end. There’s no real jalapeño flavor in there, so don’t get your hopes up. But it’s flavorful enough to make up for that, and that makes it some of the best bean dip, especially if you eschew animal products. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Fritos Bean Dip Original Flavor
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When you’re looking for some of the best bean dip in a can, look no further than Fritos Bean Dip. It’s a classic for a reason. It’s definitely the closest to straight-up refried beans on this list, but it has just enough seasoning to distinguish it from a plain can. “It’s so satisfying,” said managing editor Gwynedd Stuart. It really is. It’s the best bean dip to consume all by yourself in one sitting. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- A Dozen Cousins Classic Refried Pinto Beans
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Black-owned food brand A Dozen Cousins creates products inspired by Black and Latino recipes throughout the Americas, and we’ve been adamant about how much we love their selection of beans from the get-go. Their Classic Refried Pinto Bean pouches are not necessarily advertised as bean dip, but when we taste-tested them, we knew they belonged on this list of the best bean dip. These pre-seasoned refried beans are boldly spiced and distinctly taste like nice, smoky cumin. As we noted in our refried beans ranking, you must love cumin if you plan to eat these as a dip, so just keep that in mind! —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Seven Layer Bean from Albertsons
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The massive tub of Albertsons 7 layer bean dip may be intimidating in size, but it’s incredibly comforting and highly addictive on first bite. It would have easily beaten Sprouts as the best bean dip from a grocery store brand, except this is much more than a simple bean dip. It actually comes as-advertised, with all 7 layers—beans, guac, sour cream, shredded cheese, tomatoes, scallions, and black olives (yes, in that order). If you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser to bring to your next party, you seriously can’t go wrong here. My only complaint is how deep you have to dig to get a good scoop of that yummy, yummy bean dip on the bottom. (Be warned: you will get guac on your hands.) —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons
- Bush’s Black Bean Dip
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We preferred Bush’s black bean dip to Bush’s original bean dip due to its smoother texture. It’s an easy dipping dip. But it was also the best black bean dip I tried. It packs lots of good, rich black bean flavor with lots of salt (necessary). It would be particularly good as a base for a homemade seven-layer dip or a topping for nachos. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger
- Fritos Hot Bean Dip
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Look, don’t hate us: We can’t help that we’re obsessed with Fritos Hot Bean Dip. Despite its one flaw—the fact that it’s advertised as “hot” and barely contains a kick—this canned bean dip is so smooth, creamy, and balanced with all the right seasonings, you don’t even notice or care about the spice level. I’m sorry, but it’s true. You could skip the tortilla chips and eat this bean dip straight out of the can with a spoon. The Sporked team argued over who would get to take the rest of this bean dip home, and I only won out by virtue of writing this review. This is the best bean dip and you can find it pretty much anywhere. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Best Spicy
Best Vegan
Best Classic
Best Smoky
Best Layered
Best Black Bean
Best of the Best
Other bean dips we tried: Bush’s Habanero Lime, Amazon Kitchen Spiced Black Bean Dip, On the Border Southwest Bean Dip, Earth Co. Organics Organic Bean Dip with Chipotle, Earth Co. Organics Bean Dip with Habanero, Earth Co. Organics Bean Dip with Epazote, Rojo’s Classic 5 Layer Dip, Tenayo Organic Bean Dip
