Lacy Mae’s Kitchen

Party favorite bean dip right here! It’s always a crowd favorite when I take it to a gathering. But hey, why wait until you have an event to go to, it makes a great snack or appetizer to have on hand. Try it with your favorite vegetable chips (Terra chips can a good choice if you get the ones made with avocado or coconut oil) or use it as a veggie dip.
Why make your own bean dip from scratch when you can go grab it from the grocery store?
In my opinion, you’re eating fresh food and avoiding preservative. Plus, I have no idea how long that crusty dip has been sitting on the self.
Here is a comparison of a traditional store bought bean dip ingredients vs fresh homemade dip. Pay attention!
Traditional store bought ingredients:
- water
- pinto beans
- vinegar
- corn oil
- salt
- maltodextrin
- dried onion
- sugar
- jalapeno peppers
- spice
- chili peppers
- dried garlic
- natural flavors
Okay, I get it. What is wrong with these ingredients? You can read them all. They all seem okay to eat, right?
Well, let’s dive deep into this. Sure this is better than those processed foods that you can’t pronouns a dang thing on the ingredients list. But what about maltodextrin or corn oil, and what the heck it natural flavors?
Maltodextrin: You can’t tell me you haven’t seen this ingredient on your packaged foods because it seems to be in a lot of them these days. Maltodextrin is highly processed and it’s used as a preservative, a thickening agent, or to help improve texture in processed foods. It has no nutritional value and could be a damaging to your health. So, why would you want to eat it?
The FDA recognizes maltodextrin as a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substance. But with the amount of it in our food these days there is a good chance some are us are getting higher doses than recommended.
Maltodextrin has a high Glycemic Index which could be dangerous for people with diabetes. It also doesn’t do any good for the bacteria in the gut and can cause an imbalance by encourage the wrong type of bacterial growth.
I’m gonna stay away from it as much as possible. What about you?
Corn oil: These crops are some of the top GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) today and full of pesticides. They are highly processed at a high heat, which increases free radical formation in the oil. Free radicals cause damage to our cells and are associated with many chronic conditions and diseases.
Natural Flavors: Another tricky ingredient I see very often on ingredient lists today. Natural flavors are anything but natural and can have a combination of artificial and synthetic chemicals. Most consumers believe that if it says natural then it must be healthy. However, this is a form of healthwashing that the food industry uses to try to get you to buy their product. Pay attention next time you go to the grocery store and notice just how often you see natural flavors on those packaged food items.

Ingredients of this sweet potato black been dip.
- black beans
- garlic
- lime
- sweet potato
- olive oil
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- salt & pepper
Now, those are some ingredients I can support. Most of them come straight from your pantry or a quick grab at the grocery store. It’s real simple to throw together and it tasted way better than store bought brands.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Dip

Party favorite bean dip right here! And it makes a great snack or appetizer to have on hand too. Try it with your favorite veggie chips or fresh cut vegetables.
- 1 can black bean (drained & rinsed )
- 1 garlic clove (peeled & roughly chopped)
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 1 yam (small)
- 2-4 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 350°
Line a small baking sheet with bleach free parchment paper.
Cook yam for 20-25 minutes. You'll want to make sure that the yam is soft, almost overcooked. Let cool.
Add all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Well keep in fridge for 5-6 days
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