There are many different appetizers, but they tend to be based around meat and dairy. If you have vegan guests coming over, or are looking to make the switch to a plant-based diet, it can be overwhelming.
We are here to help you. We have rounded up some of our favorite delicious and easy vegan appetizers to make entertaining simple and carefree.
Easy Vegan Appetizers
Spreads and Dips
Spreads and dips make great appetizers. They are easy to make and everyone can help themselves, making serving a breeze. We recommend complimenting them with chips, toasted pittas, or crudites.
Hummus is always a simple and crowd-pleasing appetizer. For a really dramatic and striking appetizer, make a rainbow from hummus and watch your guest’s faces light up.
Use natural foods as colorings – beetroot, turmeric, avocado, and more.
This is a roasted eggplant dip flavored strongly with garlic. It is hugely popular in the Middle East, and we can see why. It only needs 8 ingredients and an hour to make.
This dish is originally from Provence in France and can be served as a dip or as a spread. It has a tendency to be quite salty, so makes a perfect accompaniment to creamy hummus.
4. Tzatziki
This is a Greek yogurt-based sauce that goes with pretty much everything.
It is flavored with cucumber, mint, garlic, and lemon juice. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and will be everyone’s favorite.
5. Pate
Vegan pate is super simple to make and will go down a treat. It can be based around vegetables or pulses, depending on your personal tastes. Mushroom pate is often a huge hit at our parties.
6. Guacamole
Guacamole is a classic Mexican dip that is beloved across America and the rest of the Western world. Avocados provide a creamy background while the chili and lime adds a kick. Serve with chips to dip in.
7. Spinach and artichoke dip
You may be surprised to learn that you can make this traditionally cheesy dip vegan through the use of cashews. This recipe only requires 9 ingredients and the dip will be ready to go in 30 minutes.
This dip is traditionally made using sour cream, cream cheese, or mayonnaise as a base. To make a vegan version, substitute this for a cashew cream cheese or vegan mayonnaise alternative.
This dip is made using only 4 ingredients. You can whip it up in under 5 minutes, making it an ideal last minute appetizer.
You can adjust the flavors to suit your palette, meaning it is a hugely versatile offering.
11. Salsa
A classic favorite, you can never go wrong with an offering of fresh and vibrant salsa. This goes with chips and all dips making it a perfect appetizer to include as part of a buffet.
12. Cowboy caviar
This dish is also referred to as Texas caviar. It is made from black eyed peas, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro.
It is then tossed in an Italian-style dressing to complete the salad.
13. 7 layer dip
This is a classic dish for game days. The 7 layers consist of refried beans, a Mexican-style cheese sauce, guacamole, pico de gallo, bell peppers, black olives, and cilantro.
It is full of protein and fiber, making it healthy as well as delicious.
14. Crab dip
Crab dip is a firm favorite among non-vegans. Now vegans do not need to get jealous thanks to this cruelty-free alternative made with hearts of palm.
The dip is flavored using dulse flakes, lemon juice, vegan cream cheese and vegan mayonnaise.
Bread
Bread is a great appetizer to serve, particularly if you have a large crowd to feed. Most people are bread fans and there is not too much work involved in making these appetizers.
If you have the time to make bread yourself, your guests will be super impressed.
15. Bruschetta
This is essentially a boujie version of toast. Popular in Italy, the crunchy bread is often topped with a tomato salsa or other fresh salads.
Sun dried tomatoes work particularly well here.
16. Flatbread
Flatbreads are super versatile and can be used as a base for whatever you like. Flatbreads can be purchased from the store, or freshly made at home in under 15 minutes.
They are ideal to serve alongside dips and spreads as a vessel.
17. Blinis
Blinis are like small, savory pancakes. They can be topped with anything, although vegan cream cheese and fake smoked salmon is the classic combination.
You can make vegan salmon easily from carrots and some marinade ingredients. There are plenty of recipes online for this.
18. Avocado toast
This is a classic breakfast and brunch dish, beloved by all. There is no reason that you cannot serve it as an appetizer. Just take care to add lemon or lime juice to the avocado to prevent it turning brown.
19. Pretzels
Soft and chewy pretzels are shockingly easy to make and will go down a treat. They can also be used as a base for spreads and dips, although it will be hard to stop yourself eating them all as they are.
You could also make pretzel bites for a finger food alternative.
20. Focaccia
A classic Italian flatbread, focaccia will solve all of the world’s problems.
We love a traditional rosemary and garlic focaccia, sprinkled with coarse sea salt while it is still warm. No one can resist!
21. Mushroom crostini
Crostini are very similar to bruschetta. The main difference is that crostini are made from a white bread baguette, whereas bruschetta is traditionally made from sourdough bread.
A herbed, sauteed mushroom topping makes this the ideal vegan appetizer.
Bites
These appetizers are great party foods. They are all small, one or two-bite finger foods that can easily be consumed while standing.
22. Cauliflower bites
These are lightly battered and deep fried cauliflower florets. We suggest adding seasoning to the batter to improve the flavor profile.
You can make a strongly flavored dip to serve alongside the bites, or make a buffalo sauce to coat the individual florets in.
23. Summer rolls
These are a Thai delicacy. They are made by rolling an assortment of fresh vegetables and protein in a translucent rice paper wrap.
These are a healthy and vibrant appetizer. They are commonly served alongside a spiced mango or peanut-based dip.
24. Chickpea nuggets
Similar to chicken nuggets, these chickpea bites are a hit with adults and kids alike. We suggest serving them with a marinara or tomato ketchup dip as they can be a little dry on their own.
25. Onion bhajis
These are traditional Indian street foods. They are essentially finely sliced onions coated in a spiced batter and deep fried.
The resultant food looks like a crispy ball of deliciousness, with a taste that’s even better.
26. Corn fritters
These are savory pancakes that can be made bite-sized. The batter is based on cornmeal and tends to have some basic seasoning. If you like the taste of corn, these are the perfect appetizers for you.
27. Falafel
These chickpea balls are a traditional Middle Eastern street food. They are overwhelmingly popular across the globe and tend to be served alongside hummus. There’s no better snack than a falafel.
28. Mini pizza
Miniature foods always taste better than their full-size counterparts. Mini pizzas are no exception. This also gives you the freedom to make pizzas with a variety of toppings, meaning that there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
29. Quiche muffins
These are like quiches, but miniature. Great vegan quiche fillings include sundried tomatoes, roasted vegetables, spinach, and mushrooms.
Blended tofu is used to form the bulk of the quiche filling in place of the eggs.
30. Sushi
Sushi is a healthy, quick, and easy appetizer to make. The most time consuming part is waiting for the rice to cook. You could even set up a sushi rolling station, which allows everyone to customize their own maki rolls.
31. Spring rolls
Similar to the summer rolls mentioned above, spring rolls are their older counterparts. These are wrapped in a thin pastry and deep fried to cook them.
These are commonly served with soy sauce and are an incredibly moreish appetizer.
32. Cauliflower arancini
These are fried rice balls, where the rice has been substituted for cauliflower. These are a low-carb alternative to traditional arancini.
33. Tofu skewers
These can be as simple or as complex as you like. We suggest marinating your tofu for a few hours before frying to sear the outside edges.
34. Sausage rolls
Everyone loves a sausage roll. With the increase in popularity of vegan meat alternatives, making your own vegan sausage rolls has never been so simple.
35. Tortilla cups
These can be made by folding a tortilla over the underside of a muffin tray and baking it in the oven for a few minutes to firm up. Fill your cups with whatever takes your fancy and serve.
36. Rosemary roasted nuts
Nuts are a very easy way to get protein as a vegan. Roasting your own nuts allows you to customize the flavor profile as well as controlling the salt content.
37. Tofu bites
These are similar to the chickpea bites above, but this time made with tofu. It offers a slightly different texture and boosts the protein content.
38. Miso glazed eggplant scallops
These are a hugely creative way to serve eggplant. Cut the eggplant into roughly 2 inch thick discs and score both sides. Soak in a miso marinade and fry off until they have caramelized before you serve them.
39. Cheese sticks
Mozzarella sticks are one of McDonald’s most popular items, and we can see why. Vegans no longer have to miss out with these amazing recipes for cheese sticks.
40. Fried ravioli
What could make pasta better, except frying it? This recipe turns pillowy ravioli into crunchy and decadent mouthfuls, with a creamy filling in the center.
41. Stuffed mushrooms
Move over stuffed peppers, stuffed mushrooms are the new kid on the block.
They are bite-sized and can be filled with whatever you like, making them a great party food.
42. Zucchini rolls
To make these, you will need to thinly slice zucchinis lengthways.
These long, thin strips are then wrapped around a filling of your choice. We suggest using a cocktail stick to hold the zucchini in place.
43. Spanakopita triangles
Spanakopita is a type of savory Greek pie made predominantly from spinach and feta cheese. You can now get vegan alternatives to feta cheese, and this is ideal to make this appetizer.
Simply make your filling then place inside filo pastry and form into triangles before baking.
44. Garlic buffalo sprouts
You’ve heard of buffalo cauliflower wings, but have you heard of buffalo sprouts? You may be surprised by how good these tiny morsels are.
45. Potato
Potatoes are a classic, beloved foodstuff. It’s so amazing that we have decided to designate an entire section to potato appetizers. Plus, they’re all super easy to make!
46. Potato skins
A classic diner food, there is no reason you cannot make potato skins at home. Load them up with your favorite toppings such as chili or chickpea tuna.
47. Sweet potato avocado tartare
To make this appetizer, you must first roast slices of sweet potato until they are tender. Top with an avocado tartare seasoned with citrus juice, mustard, and red onion.
Thinly sliced radish will complement this combination delightfully.
48. Tater tots
Fried potato in a mouth sized portion, need we say more? These are super simple to make and guaranteed to leave everyone with a huge smile across their faces.
49. Sweet potato fries
Sweet potato fries have been around for many years, and with good reason. They are a perfect sharing food. You could also make wedges instead of fries for a more satisfying mouthful.
Sharing
For easy party food, you can always opt for large bowls of sharing foods.
These are great for parties as they encourage communication and interaction between your guests.
50. Nachos
A classic as old as time, nachos will never fail to satisfy anyone as an appetizer.
They are the perfect snacking food. You could even consider making a nacho table, with lots of different toppings split up into distinctive sections.
51. Kale chips
Kale gets a bit of a bad reputation but in our opinion, this is undeserved. Roasting kale for just 5-10 minutes in a hot oven completely transforms the flavor and texture.
We suggest drizzling with oil and sprinkling liberally with seasonings before baking.
There are many different appetizers, but they tend to be based around meat and dairy. If you have vegan guests coming over, or are looking to make the switch to a plant-based diet, it can be overwhelming, which is why we've compiled a list of our favorite easy vegan appetizers below.
