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    Home » Recipes » TexMex

    Tostadas with Mexican Street Corn and Beans (vegan)

    Published: Jan 26, 2023 by Abi Cowell · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases · See my privacy policy linked in footer · This blog uses cookies

    Jump to Recipe
    tostada with refried beans, dairy-free mexican street corn esquites, sour cream and cilantro on a wooden board with a lime in the background and title "vegan street corn tostadas"

    Creamy, sweet and spicy, these vegan tostadas with refried beans and Mexican street corn are delicious. Ready in 15 minutes, they're perfect for a quick weeknight meal or as part of a TexMex buffet spread for game night.

    tostada with refried beans, dairy-free mexican street corn esquites, sour cream and cilantro on a wooden board with a lime in the background

    This is recipe is a great way to use up leftover elote. Cut it off the cob and add it to a tostada!

    Starch on starch = ultimate comfort food. Serve these with a leafy green salad with maple lime balsamic dressing or side of sautéed squash or roasted cauliflower for a complete meal.

    Jump to:
    • 🧄 Ingredient notes
    • 📋 Substitutions and variations
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🥡 Make ahead and storage tips
    • 🚦 Calorie density score
    • 🗺 Cultural influences
    • 💜 More recipes you'll love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    🧄 Ingredient notes

    • Vegan sour cream - Instead of Mexican crema or mayonnaise, we're using vegan sour cream to make the street corn creamy. Use store-bought dairy-free sour cream, like Forager or Tofutti brand. Or, make your own cashew sour cream, using my recipe.
    • Vegan parmesan cheese - For a cheesy, umami flavor, we're adding some grated vegan parmesan cheese to the corn. I used my 5-minute vegan parm recipe, which uses almond flour and nutritional yeast. You could also use store-bought vegan parmesan substitute.
    • Chili lime seasoning - Look for Tajín or Trader Joe's brand of chili lime seasoning.
    • Tostada shells - Tostada shells are round, flat corn tortillas that have been fried or baked crispy, kind of like a giant tortilla chip. To make this oil-free, look for baked tostada shells with no oil in the ingredient list. Or, make your own homemade tostada shells in the oven or air fryer.
    • Refried beans - Refried pinto beans can be purchased canned or dried. Look for vegetarian, fat-free refried beans, to ensure they are vegan and not high in calories from the added oil or lard.

    📋 Substitutions and variations

    Here are some suitable substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

    • Frozen corn - instead of frozen corn kernels, you can use corn that has been cut off the cob or canned corn kernels that have been drained.
    • Vegan sour cream - use vegan mayo instead
    • Vegan parmesan cheese - instead of vegan parmesan, use nutritional yeast to make the dish cheesy
    • Chili lime seasoning - Instead of chili lime seasoning, you can use ground ancho chile pepper, ground guajillo chile pepper, chili powder, cayenne or even paprika. If using chile powders, then you'll need to add salt and extra lime juice, since those flavors will be missing.
    • Nut-free - make this nut-free by using a soy-based vegan sour cream and just using nutritional yeast instead of the parm (vegan parm is usually nut-based)
    • WFPBNO - make this whole food plant based no oil by using whole food oil-free sour cream and parmesan recipes
    • SOS-free - make this SOS-free by omitting the salt

    Switch things up with these variation ideas!

    • Spicy - add extra hot sauce to make this tostada spicier
    • Top with shredded lettuce - Add some crunch with shredded lettuce on top
    • Spice up the beans - Amp up the flavor of those canned refried beans by adding my spice mix to them

    See this vegan esquites (Mexican street corn in a cup) recipe on my website for more in depth info about this delicious dish!

    🔪 Instructions

    Step by step instructions for how to make vegan tostadas with beans and dairy-free Mexican street corn.

    Process step 1 add frozen corn to hot pan

    Heat a shallow skillet (does not need to be non-stick) over medium-high heat for 90 seconds. Then, add the frozen corn kernels to skillet and spread out across the bottom of the skillet. They will sizzle and maybe even jump or dance in the pan a little bit. This is good. Don't stir them for at least 2 minutes.

    Process step 2 allow corn to char in hot pan

    Stir the corn and then leave it to cook another 2 minutes. Do not add water or liquid to the pan. The high heat will char the corn and heat it up without having to grill it. Once your corn has browned with some little char marks and defrosted, remove the pan from the heat.

    Process step 4 add charred corn and vegan sour cream to bowl

    Transfer the corn to a bowl, along with the vegan sour cream (or vegan mayo).

    Process step 5 add vegan parmesan and chili lime to bowl with corn

    To the bowl with the corn and sour cream, add the vegan grated parmesan, lime juice, chili lime seasoning and cilantro.

    Process step 6 stir everything together and taste

    Stir everything together to coat. Taste the corn and add Cholula hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately or chill to serve cold later.

    finished canned refried beans

    Heat the refried beans in a sauce pan with a little water until hot. Cover to keep warm.

    tostada with refried pinto beans and vegan mexican street corn esquites, cilantro and vegan crema on a wooden board

    Assemble your tostadas by spreading a thin layer of refried beans on each tostada, then topping with street corn. Garnish with extra vegan sour cream and fresh cilantro.

    🧯 Food safety

    • Wash hands with soap and water before cooking
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

    The Mexican street corn and refried beans can both be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The tostada shells should be stored at room temperature in an airtight bag.

    🚦 Calorie density score

    🟡 This recipe gets a yellow light on the calorie density chart. Some of the ingredients (the tostada shells, sour cream and vegan parmesan) are higher than 600 calories per pound, so eating richer meals like this regularly may prevent you from losing body fat or may even cause you to gain weight. Learn more about calorie density from Jeff Novick, MS, RDN.

    Get your own printable calorie density chart for your refrigerator and free ebook explaining calorie density in simple terms.

    🗺 Cultural influences

    This recipe is inspired by my mixed ethnic background and heritage as a native of Houston, Texas, by my travel to Mexico and by the strong cultural influences of my friends from Mexico. See About for more information on my cultural influences and how I attribute recipes.

    💜 More recipes you'll love

    If you love this vegan tostada with beans and street corn recipe, check out these delicious plant-based TexMex recipes!

    • assorted mini tostadas topped with various vegan, meatless, vegetarian toppings of beans, ceviche, corn, crema, pickled onion, avocado and lettuce
      Mini Plant-Based Tostadas, 4 Ways
    • creamy spicy mexican-style street corn in a white bowl with cilantro sprinkled on top
      Vegan Esquites - Mexican Street Corn in a Cup with Frozen Corn
    • diced potato and onion after baking with spices on a parchment paper lined sheet pan
      Oil-free Roasted Potatoes and Onion with Cumin, Garlic and Chili Powder
    • Spicy Roasted Chili Sweet Potatoes on lined tray
      Oil-free Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes with Cumin and Chili Powder

    Love this recipe? Please rate it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below in the recipe card. And, if you make it, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook in your posted photos! I would love to see your creations. 😄

    📖 Recipe

    tostada with refried beans, dairy-free mexican street corn esquites, sour cream and cilantro on a wooden board with a lime in the background

    Tostadas with Mexican Street Corn and Beans (vegan)

    Abi Cowell
    Creamy, sweet and spicy, these vegan tostadas with refried beans and Mexican street corn are delicious. Ready in 15 minutes, they're perfect for a quick weeknight meal or as part of a TexMex buffet spread for game night.
    5 from 1 vote
    Estimated Cost: $3.50
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Dinner
    Cuisine Mexican, Plant Based
    Servings 2
    Calories 559 kcal

    Equipment

    • Skillet
    • Sauce pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     
     

    Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Off the Cob)

    • 12 ounces frozen corn kernels
    • ½ cup vegan sour cream or vegan mayo, plus extra for garnish
    • 1 tablespoon vegan grated parmesan
    • 2 teaspoons lime juice
    • 1 teaspoon chili lime seasoning Tajín or Trader Joe's chili lime
    • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped, plus extra for garnish
    • Cholula hot sauce optional but recommended
    • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper optional, to taste, if needed

    For the Tostadas

    • 4 tostada shells store-bought baked tostadas or homemade
    • 15 ounces refried beans canned, vegetarian fat-free version

    Instructions
     

    Make the Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn)

    • Heat a shallow skillet (does not need to be non-stick) over medium-high heat for 90 seconds. Then, add the frozen corn kernels to skillet and spread out across the bottom of the skillet. They will sizzle and maybe even jump or dance in the pan a little bit. This is good. Don't stir them for at least 2 minutes.
      12 ounces frozen corn kernels
    • Stir the corn and then leave it to cook another 2 minutes. Do not add water or liquid to the pan. The high heat will char the corn and heat it up without having to grill it. Once your corn has browned with some little char marks and defrosted, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the corn to a bowl.
    • To the bowl with the corn, add the vegan sour cream, vegan grated parmesan, lime juice, chili lime seasoning and cilantro. Stir everything together to coat.
      ½ cup vegan sour cream, 1 tablespoon vegan grated parmesan, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon chili lime seasoning, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
    • Taste the corn and add Cholula hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste.
      Cholula hot sauce, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Assemble the Tostadas

    • Add refried beans to a small saucepan, along with a little water to thin it out. Stir the beans together with the water, then heat over medium-low heat until hot. Cover to keep warm.
      15 ounces refried beans
    • Divide refried beans between tostada shells by spreading in a thin layer. Then, divide the Mexican street corn between the tostada shells by spooning it on top. Drizzle with vegan sour cream, fresh cilantro and hot sauce, if using.
      4 tostada shells

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tostadasCalories: 559kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 19gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1880mgPotassium: 375mgFiber: 17gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 936IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 127mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword loaded vegan tostadas, street corn tostadas, vegan mexican street corn
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Vegan TexMex Recipes

    • tostadas with beans, roasted sweet potato, red cabbage, avocado, vegan queso and cilantro on a wooden board
      How to Eat Tostadas + a Loaded Vegan Tostada Recipe
    • tostada with refried beans, sliced avocado, tofu scramble, crema and cilantro on a wooden board
      Vegan Breakfast Tostadas with Tofu Scramble, Avocado and Beans
    • Vegan Tostadas with Refried Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado and Crema with lime slices and cilantro on a wooden board
      Tostadas de Frijoles (Vegan Tostadas with Refried Beans)
    • white plate of potatoes and kale, with lime and avocado
      15-Minute Skillet Potatoes and Kale with Salsa (oil-free)

    About Abi Cowell

    Hey y'all! I’m the plant-based food blogger, recipe developer, photographer and cooking class instructor behind Very Veganish. Join me as we explore and taste incredible plant-based food, with cultural influences from around the world. You’ll find healthy comfort food vegan recipes and inspiration here. When I'm not cooking, you'll find me homeschooling my two boys, volunteering and trying to survive the Texas summers with copious glasses of iced tea.

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    Abi Cowell smiling in her kitchen

    Hi! I'm Abi, mom of two hungry boys, caregiver, plant-based food blogger and cooking instructor from Houston, Texas. I help busy women create simple & healthy vegan meals in under 30 minutes so they spend less time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. Join me as we make quick & easy vegan comfort food you and your family will love (no matter how they eat).

    More about me →

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