Name: Vegan Buffalo Chickpea + Jackfruit Quesadillas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: quesadillas
Ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews; 1 cup salsa; ½ cup nutritional yeast; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup water; 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 3 cups chopped onion; 15.5 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1 can jackfruit, drained and hard corners cut off; ½ tablespoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground pepper; 1 cup buffalo sauce; 8 tortillas; ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped

This is a side view of a stack of quesadilla sliced. The quesadilla has chickpeas, jackfruit, and little pieces of cilantro. The stack is topped with a queso. The stack of quesadilla pieces are on a white plate on a white surface with a white background. — Vegan quesadillas are loaded with chickpeas, jackfruit and buffalo sauce. Add some dairy free queso and cilantro for the perfect vegan dinner!

Vegan quesadillas are such a fun option for any weeknight dinner! They’re loaded with flavor and are pretty simple to whip together.

What I love about these quesadillas is they are loved by both meat eaters and non meat eaters making them the perfect family meal. They’re hearty, filling, and loaded with flavor.

I’m giving you lots of fun ways to customize these quesadillas whether it’s sub in a different bean, or opting for some loaded nachos instead quesadillas.

If you love easy vegan or meatless meals, try these Vegan Scrambled Eggs, Scallion Pancakes, and these Vegan Lentil Bolognese.

Why You’ll Love These Vegan Quesadillas

Simple to make
Packed with veggies
Nutritious and wholesome
Hearty and filling
Easy to customize
Lots of flavor!

This is an overhead image of a white plate with quesadilla just cut into triangles. A knife is leaning on the plate to the right. A small bowl of queso with a spoon sticking out is to the top right corner of the image. The quesadilla is topped with cilantro leaves, some chopped. The plate sits on a light beige surface with a green and white striped tea towel to the bottom left of the image and a small bowl of cilantro to the bottom of the image.

This is a side view looking onto a white plate. On the plate is cut triangles of a quesadilla with chickpeas and jackfruit. A small bowl of queso is on the plate with a spoon sticking out of it. The plate sits on a light tan surface with a small bowl of cilantro blurred in the background.

Dairy Free Cashew Queso Ingredients

Raw Cashews. It’s important to use raw cashews here because they make for a creamier queso. Roasted and/or salted cashews could make for a chunkier texture.

Salsa. This is goin to give this queso lots of delicious flavor!

Nutritional Yeast. This is going to give the queso lots of cheesy flavor!

Cumin. Adds the perfect flavor to these quesdaillas!

Salt. Always a smidge of salt needed.

Water. To make it super creamy and really brings together the ingredients.

Vegan Quesadilla Recipe Ingredients

Avocado Oil. I love using avocado oil but you can use any of your favorite oils like olive oil, or refined coconut oil. Vegan butter also works!

Onion. Mm, adds so much delicious flavor!

Chickpeas. Love me some hearty chickpeas. You can sub in another bean if you prefer!

Jackfruit. I always go for canned, quartered jackfruit in water. You’re going to drain it and cut the hard corners off.

Spices. I’m talking some ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and ground pepper for all that flavor!

Buffalo Sauce. I love me some buffalo sauce and I feel like it gives these quesadillas such a fun vibe. If you don’t want it, you can leave it out and just use some queso to help the mixture come together.

Tortillas. Whatever kind you like! I love using Mission brand low carb wraps but you can use corn, almond flour tortillas, or whatever kind you like!

Cilantro. I’m always sprinkling cilantro on top but you can leave it out if you’re not a cilantro person.

This is an overhead image of all the ingredients needed to make vegan quesadillas. The ingredients sit on a white surface.

This is an overhead image of a blender with blended queso in it. The blender sits on a light white/beige surface with some raw cashews sprinkled around it.

How to Make These Chickpea Vegan Quesadillas

Place the queso ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 10 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Add the chickpeas, jackfruit. Cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper to the pan.

Sauté for another 10 minutes, using your spatula to break up the jackfruit.

Add the buffalo sauce to the pan and stir for another 3 minutes.

Place one tortilla in a pan over medium heat. Spread about ¼ cup queso on the tortilla, ⅓ – ½ cup of the jackfruit/chickpea mixture. Add a tablespoon of cilantro on top of the mixture and top with a second tortilla.

Cook for 2 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and slice into six triangles.

Continue this to create 4 quesadillas.

Ways to Make these Your Own!

Smash the chickpeas. If you’re feeling like the chickpeas are a little too round and rolly and falling out of the quesadilla, smash them down a little bit to make a mixture that’s stays put a little better.

Swap the bean. I’m using chickpeas here but you can sub in a different bean. Black beans is such a fun option!

Try sweet potato! Instead of the jackfruit or chickpeas, try some roasted sweet potato cubes! It’s such a sweet contrast to the buffalo sauce.

Make these into nachos. Load up a plate or bowl with your favorite tortilla chips and top them with the jackfruit chickpea mixture, queso and cilantro! Mm so good!

This is an overhead image of a white plate with quesadilla triangles on it. The plate has a small bowl of queso with a spoon sticking out. The quesadilla is topped with cilantro. The plate sits on a light beige surface with a green and white striped tea towel to the bottom left of the image and a small bowl of cilantro to the bottom of the image.

How to Store Leftover Vegan Quesadillas

These quesadillas are best stored before they are assembled. Store the queso in one container, the chickpea and jackfruit mixture in another container, and the tortillas by themselves.

Storing them after they are assembled could make for a soggy quesadilla when you’re ready to reheat them.

More Vegan Dinners to Try

GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free