No-Cook Mexican Seven-Layer Dip Cups with Lime Crema and Fresh Guacamole
Season canned refried beans, mash a quick guacamole and stir a chili-lime sour cream, then layer them in cups with drained salsa, cheese, olives and scallions. No stove or fire needed. It takes about 25 minutes and you eat it with tortilla chips.
This is the snack that disappears first at camp. Each person gets their own cup, so there's no double-dipping and no big pan to guard from the dog or the bugs.
Everything is no-cook, and most of it comes from cans and the cooler. The two things worth making fresh are the guacamole and the lime crema. They take five minutes and make the whole cup taste better.
No-Cook Mexican Seven-Layer Dip Cups with Lime Crema and Fresh Guacamole
- Prep
- 25 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- None (no-cook)
- Pack weight
- 5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- No stove
- Low water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 6 clear 12-oz reusable cups or small jars
- 3 mixing bowls
- Fork for mashing
- Spoons for layering
- Cutting board and knife
- Small strainer
- Cooler with ice
Steps
-
Season the beans
Scoop the refried beans into a bowl. Stir in ½ tsp chili powder, the cumin and 1 tbsp of the lime juice until smooth. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
-
Mix the lime crema
In a second bowl, stir the sour cream with the garlic powder, the remaining ½ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp salt and 1 tbsp lime juice. Keep it in the cooler until you build the cups.
-
Mash the guacamole
Halve and pit the avocados and scoop them into a bowl. Mash with a fork, leaving some chunks. Stir in the onion, cilantro, remaining lime juice and ½ tsp salt.
-
Drain the salsa
Spoon the salsa into a strainer and let it drip for a minute or two. Watery salsa makes soggy layers and a runny cup.
-
Layer the cups
Line up 6 clear 12-oz cups. Spoon in the beans, then guacamole, then crema, then salsa. Press each layer down gently with the back of the spoon so the layers stay neat.
-
Top and chill
Finish each cup with a pile of cheese, then olives, scallions and jalapeños if you like. Slide the cups into the cooler until you're ready to eat.
-
Serve with chips
Pull the cups out just before serving and stand a handful of chips in each one. Dip from the top down so you hit every layer.
Trail Notes
At home, mix the seasoned beans and the lime crema and pack them in sealed containers. Make the guacamole at camp so it stays green. You can build the whole cups up to 4 hours ahead if the cooler is cold.
Sour cream, cheese and guacamole need to stay at 40°F or below. Don't leave the cups out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F. Toss any leftovers that sat out.
Use hummus instead of refried beans for a milder base, or rinsed canned black beans mashed with lime. Crumbled queso fresco works in place of the shredded cheese.
Pour the salsa drippings and lime juice through a strainer and scatter the strained water well away from camp and water sources. Pack out the empty cans, avocado skins and any food scraps.
Campers ask
How do I keep guacamole from turning brown at camp?
Use plenty of lime juice and mash it as close to serving time as you can. In a layered cup, the crema on top seals the guacamole from the air.
Can I make seven-layer dip without a cooler?
Not safely with fresh dairy and guacamole. For a no-cooler version, use shelf-stable bean dip, a firm aged cheese such as cheddar, jarred salsa and chopped fresh avocado made right before eating.
How long does seven-layer dip last at a campsite?
Keep it in a cold cooler and eat it within about 24 hours. Once it's out on the table, finish it within 2 hours, or 1 hour in hot weather.
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