Refried Beans Recipe From Scratch With Dried Beans

My kids literally live on refried beans. In this refried beans recipe, I’m going to show you how to make them delicious and easy from scratch on a budget with dried beans!

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If you’re on a tight budget, this is a great way to get in some protein! To save even more money, I buy organic pinto beans in bulk from Azure Standard, a co-op that delivers to most of the United States.

I cook my beans in a crock pot, and use my Vitamix 5200 blender to puree them. You can also use a food processor, or mash by hand. 

Refried Beans Recipe

Step 1: Soak

Soak 2 cups pinto beans in water overnight

Step 2: Cook

Rinse beans and pour into crock pot, covering with fresh water. Cook on high until tender; in my crock pot they take about 4 hours.

Step 3: Season and Mash

Seasoning Option #1:

• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 T nacho cheese popcorn seasoning (this seasoning is gluten free and non-GMO from Azure Standard!)

Seasoning Option #2 (dairy-free):

• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 T paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Scoop 3 1/2 cups of the cooked beans into your Vitamix, along with 1 cup of the liquid they were cooked in. If the water has all been absorbed by the beans, you can add more water to the beans as you are blending them. Add seasonings of choice and blend on low, stirring with the tamper. Add more liquid if necessary to get a smooth consistency. You’ll want to add the recommended seasoning amounts for each 3 1/2 cups of beans.

If you are mashing by hand, finely chop the garlic first; otherwise it can be thrown in the blender whole with the rest of your ingredients.

That’s it! I make a large batch of refried beans every week or two. Our favorite is the nacho cheese version, yum!