Remember that amazing 5 Minute Cheez Whiz sauce I posted last week? I promised a delicious recipe coming featuring it. Here it is, the classic American Frito Pie. Easy, fast, healthy, delicious. Healthy Vegan Frito Pie.
Homemade “fritos” are much healthier and are still tasty. They are much less salty than actual Fritos and don’t really taste like fritos, but they work perfectly in this dish. I’ve been making homemade “chips” for years using pre-made tortillas and it works so well. However, feel free to use actual fritos if you like. These only take 5 minutes to whip up though.
One of my all-time favorite comfort foods is a Frito pie. However, the ones I used to get were from Sonic and full of processed garbage ingredients. I knew I had to recreate a healthy version that tasted incredible. My hubby was like “whoa!” at the first bite. He couldn’t believe how it all tasted like a frito pie. This is perfect for the kiddos too, who won’t feel like they are eating healthy.
You can add any of your favorite toppings…jalapenos, tomatoes, or my favorite..avocado.
The best part about this vegan frito pie, is that it comes together in a flash and the whole recipe, all of it, is 8 ingredients (+ salt & water). By using repeat ingredients in both the cheez sauce and the beans, it keeps the ingredient list low. Do I make it easy for you guys or what??
My 5 minute cheez whiz really takes this recipe home. It completes the dish! YUM.
I’d love to hear about it if you make this Healthy Vegan Frito Pie! Please leave feedback below after you make it, so it’s connected to the recipe. You can also tag me on Instagram with #thevegan8 so I can see your awesome creation!
Healthy Vegan "Frito" Pie
Ingredients
- "fritos" 3 tortillas of your choice (wheat, corn or gluten-free)
BEAN CHILI
- Four 15 oz cans low-sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (depending on the can of beans, this may need adjustment)
- 1 cup (240g) water
FOR THE CHEESE
Optional garnish: chopped avocado, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, etc. I only used avocado.
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Stack your tortillas and cut them into small rectangular frito shapes. Spread out evenly (don't overlap) on a sheet pan, sprinkle salt all over them and bake for 5-7 minutes or until very golden brown. Depending on the type of tortilla, the time may need to be adjusted. Set aside, they will crisp up as they cool.
- While the tortillas are baking, prepare the beans by draining and rinsing them well. Add all of the "bean chili" ingredients to a medium pot and stir well. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and turn to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, but not completely evaporated. You still want some sauce left, so it's pourable over the chips. Taste and adjust seasoning/salt if desired. Turn the heat off.
- While the beans are cooking, prepare the 5 minute cheez whiz sauce by adding the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Note: the result is thicker in a blender, and thinner in a food processor. I use a blender.
- To serve: Add some beans to individual serving bowls, layer on chips, then drizzle cheez whiz all over the top and mix up. Top with avocado, jalapenos, tomatoes or whatever desired. Add more seasonings, if desired.
The bean chili recipe was awesome! I decided to try it and was so hoping it wouldn’t be a bland or weird tasting meatless recipe. Thankfully it was delicious! Nobody cared it was meatless. Even my super picky son wolfed it down. I’d give it 3 thumbs up if I could. Admittedly, I used shredded mexican cheese and Frito chips, but still… the meatless chili recipe delivered everything I was hoping for. And this coming from a New Mexican (Albuquerque)!
Yay! So very happy to hear that everyone loved it! And yes, frito pie is all about the chili, it’s the key ingredient to a successful frito pie, so I’m happy you loved it. I’ve made it with both tortilla chips and Fritos and love it both ways.
Brandi! I absolutely love this recipe. When i dont feel like being healthy this is what i make to keep me on track! This feels like special comfort type of food. Its absolutely amazing! I use your fat free cheese sauce. I put the frito pie on top of a bed of lettuce garnish with pico and fat free cheeze and add salsa and the chips. Man it feels sooo sinful! I cannot give you enough compliments on this recipe.
Aww Joy that makes me so happy to hear that!! So thrilled you love this recipe so very much, thanks a million for the feedback!
This was incredibly delicious !! And quick and easy. My husband requested that I make this every week! I wasn’t sure if my tahini had roasted sesame seeds are not so I made your Mexican cheese sauce, it is delicious!! ?
Thank you so very much Rose, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you for the feedback so much!
Made this!!! 🙂 I have no idea what a Frito Pie is, but I think I love it! The sauce is soooooo good! I used oven-baked “fries” instead of tortillas because I was just too crazy to try this 🙂
Yay! SO happy to hear that Barbara! Frito Pies are super popular in America but are typical fast junk food made with meat and cheese. This is a much healthier version but crazy that it still tastes the same 🙂
Hi! I don’t have access to raw tahini. Can I just use regular sesame seeds instead? Thank you!?
Hi Sheri! I have only tried this using tahini, so I’m not sure how many sesame seeds you would even need to get the same flavor. And I don’t think they would ever get smooth enough. My suggestion would be to make tahini first, which you can do by processing them, but I have found when I make my own, it never gets as smooth and the taste is never as good as the raw smooth kind I purchase. But it’s worth a shot, I guess! That’s my best suggestion.
Wow, love your take on a Vegan Frito Pie. It looks so comforting and nourishing that you serve it in a bowl, you don’t probably know how much I love food in a bowl? Kidney beans are one of my favorite beans, but I love beans in general, white, black beans you named it. Your Cheez Whizz sounds so tasty but I absolutely like that includes tahini! Tahini is one of my favorite ingredients. I used it in spreads, dips, baking, cooking and for sure humus. Your photos, yes I love the avocado on top – so colorful and absolutely beautifully cut and presented. Everything avocado rocks, right? 🙂
Thank you so much Florian!! I definitely need to try your frito pie casserole next, so amazing! And yes, I’m obsessed with avocados!!
My goodness Brandi, I put this one off thinking it’s just too simple and probably just ok. Boy was I wrong. After 3 bites hubby declared – “This is my favorite meal!” The sauce in the beans is very flavorful and the sauce on top is just divine. This will be in the regular rotation. The 2 of us ate almost the whole thing it was that good!
Thank you so much Estee for such incredible feedback! SO happy to hear it was such a hit!!
Just want to thank you for this recipe, it is very creative. I would never however suggest using GMO fritos in any recipe. That is why Mexican food is cooked and eaten at home, since 97% of corn is GMO.
Other than that I want to try this!! Kids should love it!
Hi Sue! Please see the recipe, I didn’t use actual Fritos, I made homemade “Fritos” by cutting up tortillas and baking them. I would never use actual Fritos because of the oil content.
Can i leave the tahini out or is there a substitution that’s fat free?
Hi Estee! The tahini helps enhance a cheesy flavor and make it thick, but I definitely think you could probably sub 2-4 tablespoons of pureed white beans in place of it and it would probably work well. In fact, I have been meaning to try it myself. Let me know if you make it like that, I’d love to hear!
So once again we made a Vegan 8 recipe for dinner and once again we were Amazed!! So So Delicious! We honestly follow your recipes, serve ourselves, sit down and dig in. Then we look at each other like OMG She did it again! We look forward to making more!
Thank you so much for this incredible feedback Louise! I truly love hearing that people enjoy my recipes. It makes all the effort and passion I put into them SO worth it. Thank you!
Luved the frito pie and the tastes increadable! Making this again!!
I’ve never had Frito pie. I don’t think my life will be complete until I do. Your version, of course, not the one full of crazy chemicals and preservatives! This looks so delicious, Brandi. I would definitely top it with avocado (my favourite thing too!) for that cool, creamy contrast. I really need to pick up some nutritional yeast so that i can recreate a lot of your fabulous recipes.
I can’t believe how many people have never had frito pie, it is SO yummy!
LOVED THIS! I made it last night with what I had on hand, so three cans of black beans instead of the four cans of kidney. I also went by the original Gee Whiz recipe and added the balsamic vinegar, which wasn’t necessary. (And that’s a good thing because I only had one tablespoon and, if you try it alone, you can definitely tell that it is lacking just a TINY something.)
I brought leftovers to work with me for lunch, and all I can say is THAAAANK YOU! It is so healthy and tastes even better than the Frito boats I used to rock back in high school! lol I have told my vegan friends that they need to get to making this, with Ahhhhnold Schwarzenegger-type urgency: GO! DO IT NOW!!!
Thank you so much Maryann for the wonderful feedback! I am sooo happy you loved the recipe so much, that is wonderful to hear!
I don’t think I’ve ever had Frito pie, but it looks amazing! I love how simple your recipe is, yet so hearty and indulgent looking. Yum!
Frito pie and Gee whiz are both new to me! I guess they’re American classics which haven’t made it over here. I love chili though and this looks kinda similar but perhaps even better with the cheesy sauce and crispy tortillas 🙂
Haha, yeah it’s basically American junk food, but popular and tasty. At least now I can eat it without the nausea and guilt now 🙂
I must try frito pie, I absolutely love it 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Haha, YES, get in my belly!
I made this tonight. The Gee Whiz was sooooo gooood! I used regular tahini instead of raw and it was still amazeballs. It’s my new favorite thing.
I hardly had any sauce in the chili, though. Was 10 minutes maybe too long to cook it?
Hi Meredith! So glad you loved the gee whiz so much! Yay! Well, maybe just since we all have different stovetops, it may have cooked down too quickly. You could always just remove it quicker when you like the sauce consistency, it’s mainly only needed to cook to heat up the spices and cook some water into it. Thanks so much for making it. 🙂
This looks like the perfect saturday night dinner – yum!
Thank you Lucie, it is so simple and tasty!
Love frito pie and especially when it is healthy and quick. I’m sure this is just scrumptious Brandi!
I’ve actually never had a Frito pie. I think your avocado photo is my favorite of all avocado photos! SO PURDY! I would definitely go back for seconds on this dish.
Thanks my friend! And I can’t believe you haven’t had frito pie? Whaaattt??
I’ve never had frito pie, but I’ve heard of it! Yours looks incredible! Adding it to the LONG list of recipes I need to try of yours. And I’ll have to look into that tahini – my favorite one got discontinued and I haven’t found one that I like just as much.
You are so sweet Mandy, thank you!!
I never heard of “Frito Pie” – looks totally yummy and pure comfort food. My recipe folder is getting full of your fabulous recipes Brandi!
Wow, really?! Oh gosh, it’s crazy popular here, haha. I used to eat it like crazy…very greasy and unhealthy usually…served at a lot of fast food types of restaurants. It is basically a meaty chili with frito lay chips (popular chip brand) and lots of cheese on top. My version doesn’t have any of those ingredients (except spices) but it tastes strikingly similar once it’s all put together. My hubby was quite thrilled!
It’s been way too long since I’ve had frito pie. Oh does that bring back memories. I love your vegan version, it is not lacking anything except the extra calories, fat and other unnecessary stuff. Wonderful recipe Brandi.
Thanks so much Suzanne! Yep, it pretty much hit the craving for it big time!