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Jackfruit has taken the plant-based world by storm, and for good reason!
Its meaty texture is ideal for creating satisfying vegetarian dishes, and this Jackfruit Buffalo Dip delivers big on flavor.
This recipe uses unripe jackfruit to craft a creamy, spicy, meatless dip that’s perfect for game day—or any day. Even picky eaters might find themselves hooked after just one bite!
What is Jackfruit?
Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that is native to South and Southeast Asia and is famous for its impressive size—it can weigh up to 80 pounds!
While ripe jackfruit is sweet and fruity, unripe jackfruit has a neutral flavor and a uniquely meaty texture, making it a go-to meat substitute for vegetarian dishes.
It is often used in savory recipes like curries, stews, and sandwiches due to its ability to absorb flavors and provide a satisfying meat-like texture. It’s perfect for recipes like this Buffalo Dip, as it absorbs flavors beautifully.
Just a quick note: jackfruit isn’t a protein source, so pair it with other protein-rich foods for a balanced meal.
The Nutritional Benefits of Jackfruit
Jackfruit has a nutrient profile similar to what you would expect from any other fruit.
It is packed with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins like A, C, and riboflavin. While it’s low in fat and protein, it provides important minerals like magnesium and potassium.
Purported benefits of including jackfruit in your diet include:
- Improved glucose control: Possibly due to it’s fiber content
- Disease Prevention: (potentially cancer, diabetes, and heart disease) – from its antioxidant compounds
- Improved immune function – from its vitamin C level
- Improve heart conditions: due to its fiber, potassium, and antioxidant content.
A quick heads-up: If you have a birch pollen allergy, jackfruit might not be for you. Always check with your doctor if you’re unsure!
What is Jackfruit Buffalo Dip?
This Jackfruit Buffalo Dip is a vegetarian twist on the classic chicken version often found at game-day gatherings.
Unripe jackfruit mimics shredded chicken when pulled apart, making it the perfect base. Combine it with cheesy, spicy ingredients, bake until bubbly, and top with optional blue cheese crumbles for extra flavor.
Serve it with whole-grain crackers and plenty of veggies for dipping—think celery, carrots, or bell peppers—for a satisfying and balanced party snack!
Recipe Overview
This creamy, spicy dip is a meatless twist on a party classic. It’s easy to customize with dietary swaps and perfect for game days or gatherings.
Quick Snapshot:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: About 12
Ingredients
- 2 cans jackfruit
- 2 cans of young jackfruit in brine (not syrup).
- Hard to find? Try Amazon, or use dried jackfruit chopped into slivers.
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- Works great with regular or reduced fat.
- 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- Sub full-fat or non-fat if needed.
- 1/2 cup Buffalo sauce
- Adjust for spice level—start low if unsure!
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- Choose sharp cheddar for the best flavor.
- 1 bundle of green onions, sliced
- save some to sprinkle on top if desired
- Seasonings and spices
- Garlic powder, dried chives, salt, pepper.
- Optional blue cheese crumbles
- Sprinkle on top for bold flavor, or skip if it’s not your style.
Preparing Jackfruit Buffalo Dip
The only slightly time-intensive step in this recipe is shredding the jackfruit, but don’t worry—it’s simple and totally worth it!
This recipe comes together quickly, just like most recipes I share here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set it to 375°F.
- Prepare the Jackfruit:
- Rinse the jackfruit in a colander.
- Shred each piece with two forks on a cutting board. Hold the tougher base with one fork and scrape the softer top to create shreds.
- For tougher bases, use the side of the fork or a knife, but feel free to discard any stubborn bits.
- Don’t worry about the seeds—they’re edible and blend seamlessly into the dip.
- Mix the Base: In your baking dish, combine room-temperature cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and buffalo sauce until smooth. This will go MUCH better if the cream cheese is not cold.
- Assemble the Dip:
- Add the shredded jackfruit, cheddar cheese, green onions, garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt.
- Stir everything together and spread evenly in the dish.
- Bake: Bake for 20–25 minutes until the dip is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Optional Broil: Switch your oven to broil for 2–3 minutes for a golden-brown top.
- Add the Finishing Touches:
- Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and reserved green onions.
- Want more Buffalo flavor? Drizzle some extra Buffalo sauce on top!
Tips for selecting, preparing, and cooking jackfruit
As mentioned, you can buy fresh, canned, dried, or frozen jackfruit.
I strongly recommend buying canned or frozen young jackfruit. Fresh jackfruit is huge, quite expensive, and is a lot to break down.
Ripe jackfruit is sweet and won’t work for this recipe.
Some grocery stores will carry canned jackfruit, especially if they have a decent Asian section. But if you can’t find it, you can find it on Amazon.
Flavor Variations and Customization
The Buffalo sauce has such a strong flavor that it’ll be hard to customize this recipe too much. You could leave out the blue cheese if you want. The dip is pretty stinkin’ good without it.
Here are some potential variations to consider:
- White Bean Buffalo Dip: Replace the cream cheese with 1 can of white beans (such as cannellini or great northern beans) pureed with a bit of water or broth. You may need to add a little more Greek yogurt or a drizzle of olive oil to keep the creamy texture.
- Buffalo Chickpea Dip: Replace jackfruit with 2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and slightly smashed with a fork
- Spinach Artichoke Buffalo Dip: Keep the jackfruit and add 1 cup of chopped spinach and ½ cup of diced artichoke hearts for a veggie-packed twist. Replace the cheddar with mozzarella for a creamier texture.
- Southwestern Black Bean Buffalo Dip: Swap jackfruit for mashed black beans and add ½ cup of corn and diced green chilies. Use pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar.
- Mediterranean Buffalo Dip: Replace the buffalo sauce with harissa, swap cheddar for mozzarella, and blue cheese for feta. Keep the jackfruit and add diced sun-dried tomatoes and olives for a Mediterranean flair.
- BBQ Jackfruit Dip: Swap the buffalo sauce for your favorite BBQ sauce. Add smoked paprika for depth and top with diced red onions before baking.
Special Dietary Considerations
This Buffalo Jackfruit Dip is vegetarian, egg-free, and gluten-free as it is written. Except for dairy, it is also free of all major allergens.
I haven’t tested it with vegan cheeses, but I think it would work well. You should be able to find vegan cream cheese, vegan shredded cheddar cheese, and vegan yogurt to replace all of the dairy versions in this recipe.
Picky Eaters: If you have a lot of spice-averse individuals, you can leave the buffalo sauce out. This will create a mild cheddar cheese dip. You can always have buffalo dip nearby for those who want to add it.
Alternative Cooking Method
For an easier, hands-off approach, you can make this dip in your slow cooker.
Simply combine all ingredients (except the toppings) in the slow cooker, mix well, and cook on high for 1-2 hours. Once it’s hot and bubbly, sprinkle the toppings on and serve.
This method keeps the dip warm throughout the party!
What to serve with Jackfruit Buffalo Dip
To serve Jackfruit Buffalo Dip, you can stick with the classic Buffalo pairing of carrot and celery sticks.
You could also offer a variety of fresh veggies like bell pepper strips, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower to switch things up.
For more hearty options, pair it with corn chips, pita, or whole-grain crackers to complement the dip’s creamy texture and bold flavor.
Vegetarian Jackfruit Buffalo Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cans Young Jackfruit in brine or water Don't buy jackfruit in syrup for this recipe!
- 8 oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup Buffalo sauce
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt 2% fat
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- 1 bundle Green onions whites and greens sliced, reserve some for garnish
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Blue cheese crumbles for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F
Prepare the Jackfruit
- Rinse and drain canned jackfruit.
- Shred the jackfruit by hand. Some pieces will have tougher "bases" that may require a knife. If you come across any seeds, that's okay! They are completely edible and can stay. However, if you're worried about the texture you can remove them to snack on later.
Assemble the Dip and Bake
- Place the cream cheese, buffalo sauce, and Greek yogurt in an oven safe dish and mix until smooth. No need to dirty a separate bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the reserved green onions and the blue cheese crumbles and mix well.
- Smooth the top and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and the cheddar cheese has started to brown.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining green onions and blue cheese crumbles
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How to store Buffalo Jackfruit Dip
To store Buffalo Jackfruit Dip, transfer leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The quality remains intact during this period.
For longer storage, you can freeze the dip for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the oven before serving for the best texture and flavor.
What to do with Leftovers
Manage to hold back some leftovers after your get-together? Think outside the box to enjoy this dip for a little bit longer!
- Quesadilla filling: heat in the microwave for 30 minutes. Then put on 1/2 half a tortilla, fold over, and heat on both sides.
- Breakfast toast: spread heated dip on toast, then top with an egg cooked to your preference.
- Sandwich Spread: Use it as a filling for wraps, sandwiches, or sliders. Add fresh lettuce or pickles for crunch.
- Baked Potatoes: Spoon the dip over baked potatoes for a hearty snack.
- Stuffed Veggies: Fill halved bell peppers or zucchini boats with the dip and bake.
- Flatbread Pizza: Spread the dip over flatbread, top with shredded cheese, and bake for a quick buffalo pizza.
- Buffalo Nachos: Layer the dip on tortilla chips, then bake with extra cheese.
Final Thoughts
I hope this Jackfruit Buffalo Dip without chicken becomes a go-to in your party food rotation.
It’s easy to make, flavorful, and sure to please any crowd.
I’d love to hear how it turns out—drop a comment or tag me on social media.
Have leftover Greek yogurt? Make an easy, yummy fruit dip!
Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian, mom, wife, and vegetarian in North Texas. She has dedicated Dietitian Jenn to be a source of information, ideas, and inspiration for people like her, vegetarians that live with people with different dietary beliefs and/or needs in a multivore household.