Whether you're preparing for a party or looking to whip up an appetizer or two for game day, these delicious vegan and gluten-free appetizers are all sure to impress! Each of these nutritious recipes are easy to make and can be served as snacks as well. I hope you find a few to enjoy!
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Dips and Spreads
15-Minute Vegan 7-Layer Dip
Refried beans, vegan sour cream, cashew queso, guacamole, pico de gallo, sliced olives, and green onions all layer up to create a plant-powered multi-layer vegan dip! It's a perfect addition for Super Bowl parties or any time you need a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Grab your favorite tortilla chips to serve immediately and dig in!
15-Minute Easy Cowboy Caviar
This recipe went viral on TikTok and there's a reason everyone loves it! This easy 15-minute cowboy caviar is filled with black beans, black-eyed peas, fresh veggies and summery Southwestern flavor. I promise that one chip won't be enough...you'll be dipping until it's gone!
5-Minute Healthy Black Bean Dip
This homemade black bean dip is 100% vegan and made with canned black beans, for ease. It’s a simple, healthy appetizer option that’s ready in 5 minutes. Toss all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth—the result is a creamy, slightly spicy wholesome black bean dip or spread.
Creamy Roasted Garlic Dip
This simple creamy dip elevates just about any dish and adds a savory deliciousness that you have to experience. It pairs perfectly with veggies, crusty gluten-free bread, potato chips and pizza.
Addictive Vegan Whipped Feta
Veggies, gluten-free crackers, toast...you'll be dipping everything you can think of! This addictive vegan whipped feta dip is creamy, savory, and perfectly seasoned. One bite and you'll fall in love!
Best Vegan French Onion Dip
This creamy, savory vegan French onion dip is the perfect appetizer to make for game day, to bring to a party, or just a really tasty addition to weekday snacking. It's made with golden caramelized onions and homemade vegan sour cream for a plant-based take on the classic dip! This truly is one of my favorite appetizers.
5-Minute Avocado Spread
A smooth avocado spread is one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy ripe avocados. With very little effort and just a few minutes of your time, this plant-based dip has a creamy texture and a light, refreshing and tangy flavor. I love serving it as a spread to use on toast or crispy bread, or as a dip to serve with crackers or fresh veggies.
Strawberry Salsa
Here's a surprising salsa swap: strawberries instead of tomatoes! This strawberry salsa is sweet, spicy, and salty all in one dish, and the addition of strawberries delights everyone who tries it. It's filled with fresh produce and is our favorite summer chip dip!
Quick Vegan Queso (made with cashews)
Learn how to make vegan nacho cheese dip (or sauce) in under 20 minutes with this easy recipe. It’s made with cooked carrots, pre-soaked raw, unsalted cashew nuts, nutritional yeast, and is lightly spiced. This creamy cashew cheese sauce has many versatile uses — it’s terrific with tacos, quesadillas, and more. It’s completely addictive and tastes remarkably like the real deal.
Easy Creamy Refried Beans
Simple ingredients and a delicious spice blend make for easy creamy refried beans! Top with red onion and fresh cilantro. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips and use the rest as a side or topping for your favorite Mexican food. Bonus: kids love it too!
Quick and Easy Peach Salsa
This peach salsa really speaks for itself...it is refreshing, colorful, sweet, and juicy with a tiny bit of a kick! The whole family loves this dip and you can make it as mild or as spicy as you like.
Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)
This is a super easy and fresh pico de gallo that my family cannot get enough of! It's filled with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeño for a classic appetizer. Finish it off with a squeeze of fresh lime and enjoy a big scoop with homemade tortilla chips!
Chipotle Guacamole (Copycat)
I love guacamole. And I really love Chipotle's guacamole. They keep it simple and mash it to perfection. I had set out to replicate their recipe at home so I could enjoy their addictive guacamole anytime I want, and the result was this delicious snack made with wholesome ingredients.
Creamy Vegan Cinnamon Vanilla Fruit Dip
This is the dip my entire family is obsessed with! It's a creamy vegan cinnamon vanilla fruit dip that totally satisfies a sweet tooth while being super healthy. You only need five ingredients and some sliced fruit to start dipping!
Chips and Crackers
Homemade Crispy Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
These homemade restaurant-quality tortilla chips use a fraction of the oil by crisping them up in the air fryer. Keep it classic using just oil and salt or add some maple sugar for an addictive sweet and salty crunch! My go-to recipe for chips!
Easy Almond Flour Crackers
These easy, grain-free and vegan almond flour crackers are super simple to make and taste so much better than store-bought varieties! They have just 6 ingredients and are perfect for snacking or dipping.
Easy Homemade Seed Crackers
These homemade seed crackers are so good, you won't believe they're gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, nut-free, and oil-free! They're filled with protein, fiber and superfoods that pack nutritional punch in each bite. It's the perfect wholesome, versatile snack that is easily portable. They are made with chia seeds, hemp seeds, pepitas and sesame seeds.
Hummus
Quick and Easy Creamy Hummus
This quick and easy creamy hummus recipe can be made in just 5 minutes! It's my go-to homemade hummus and it's full of classic, zesty, and filling flavor. Enjoy dipping with fresh veggies such as red peppers or baby carrots. I often double the ingredients to make two batches at once given how much I eat it!
Easy Mediterranean Hummus (Authentic Israeli-Style)
This easy authentic hummus recipe creates the smoothest, creamiest hummus you'll ever have. By following just a few simple tips, you can ditch the way you used to make hummus and elevate it to the next level - a classic Mediterranean style that hummus dreams are made of.
Cilantro Hummus with Jalapeño
Classic hummus with a kick of spice and fresh herb? That's a party! This cilantro hummus with jalapeño is a wonderful addition to a vegan appetizer platter.
Best Ever Creamy Beet Hummus
This creamy beet hummus is bright pink and so, so fun to make and eat! It's a classic hummus recipe, but the addition of beets pairs so well with the lemon, chickpeas, and tahini that you'll be adding them into every batch you make from now on.
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus
Just when you think you've tried every kind of hummus out there! This maple roasted butternut squash hummus is filled with buttery, savory and sweet flavor and has a beautifully vibrant orange color that looks right at home on a holiday appetizer table.
Easy Zucchini "Hummus" (no chickpeas)
Hummus without chickpeas?! It's true! This easy paleo zucchini hummus is made with a bit of tahini and a whole bunch of fresh veggies for the most delicious dip you'll be eating all summer long!
Garlic Pumpkin Hummus
This autumn-inspired garlic pumpkin hummus dip is always a crowd pleaser this time of year. Adding pumpkin to hummus boosts the overall nutrition, flavor and creaminess of this classic dip!
Small Plates
Best Crispy BBQ Roasted Cauliflower
This crispy BBQ roasted cauliflower recipe takes perfectly roasted cauliflower and tosses it with a blend of sweet, spicy and smoky spices. It's an easy and flavorful appetizer by itself, but also can be paired as a side dish to pair with your favorite meal.
Easy Vegan Taquitos
A flavorful black bean and vegan cheese filling wrapped in tortillas then cooked to crispy golden perfection...these taquitos are an absolute delight. Serve with colorful toppings so everyone can make it their own. This is one of my favorite vegan appetizers!
Vegan Summer Rolls with Tahini-Based Dipping Sauce
These light and refreshing summer rolls are the quintessential summer dish. Freshly cut vegetables combined with mango, avocado and vermicelli noodles rolled together in soft rice paper and paired with a nut-free and soy-free creamy tahini-based sauce make it impossible to have just one. And with each one being fully customizable, they are perfect for cookouts and gatherings where everyone gets exactly what they want!
Crispy Harissa Tahini Cauliflower (copycat True Food Kitchen)
This surprisingly filling cauliflower dish has the perfect combination of flavors! Harissa Cauliflower with tahini, toasted pine nuts, and sweet dates combine into the perfectly crispy, spicy, nutty, and sweet dish that is a copycat of True Food Kitchen's charred cauliflower with harissa tahini. It's an instant favorite!
Quinoa and Mango Grilled Stuffed Avocado
This grilled avocado stuffed with quinoa mango salad is a fun appetizer that is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and bursting with flavor and texture. The warm, creamy grilled avocado offers mouthwatering flavor and a perfectly charred finish that pairs well with the refreshing and zesty quinoa mango salad.
Finger Foods
Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Flavorful, crispy, and satisfying buffalo cauliflower wings are the ultimate party food when it comes to game day. Add this recipe to your appetizer spread with a side of vegan ranch for an absolute classic made vegan and gluten-free (paleo too)!
Easy Vegan Zucchini Pizza Bites
This is a nutritious and delicious comfort food! Easy vegan zucchini pizza bites are the perfect weeknight bite or afternoon snack that has kids crowding around the kitchen counter. Top it with your veggies of choice, or leave it simple and classic!
Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Plug in your air fryer and get some french fries going! This crispy air fryer sweet potato fries recipe uses just a splash of oil, it's perfectly seasoned, and they come out so crispy. You'll want to make them again and again!
Grilled Sweet Potato Fries
These grilled sweet potato fries are mega crispy and incredibly flavorful on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. It's a simple appetizer or side dish that pairs well with just about anything and is incredibly addictive and satisfying.
Sweet Potato Rounds with Vegan Ricotta and Toasted Walnuts
Get ready to impress with this drool-worthy sweet and savory vegan sweet potato appetizer (or snack!) that happens to also be gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. The crunchy walnuts and pomegranate seeds match perfectly with the smooth ricotta and creamy roasted sweet potatoes for these small bites.
Actually Crispy BBQ Roasted Chickpeas
Forget chips...these crispy BBQ roasted chickpeas are even more addictive and satisfying, and they're way more nutritious! This is one of my favorite snacks, and it's totally vegan, nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, grain-free and refined sugar-free. Enjoy!
Loaded Sheet Pan Vegan Nachos
This easy sheet pan nachos recipe is loaded with colorful and nutritious fixings. Hot creamy mashed black beans, vegan taco meat and vegan nacho cheese are smothered overtop crispy tortilla chips. Everything is topped off with your favorite crisp and cold toppings: red onions, jalapeño, radishes, green onion, tomato, cilantro and lime. Serve it as a hearty appetizer to a large crowd or enjoy as an entree for a smaller gathering.
Extra Crispy Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Smash your potatoes and bake them to golden brown perfection to create this fan-favorite dish. Both crispy and salty, these fingerlings make for an addictive (and likely more nutritious) appetizer or snack!
Healthy Maple Candied Pecans
These healthy maple candied pecans provide the perfect salty-sweet combo with a satisfying crunch! The perfect finger food for any occasion as a snack or easy, mess-free appetizer.
Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots
Get ready to make everyone at your table happy with these vegan sweet potato quinoa tots. They are gluten-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free. With just a couple ingredients, these simple and flavorful tots are going to become a fast favorite!
Sweet and Salty Roasted Pepita Seeds
These roasted pumpkin seeds (also known as pepita seeds) are sweet, salty and totally addictive! They are a satisfying and nutrient-dense appetizer. I sweetened them with a touch of maple syrup to keep them refined sugar-free too!
Crispy Cauliflower Poppers
Warm, salty and "breaded" cauliflower poppers are baked to crispy perfection and dipped in a cool and creamy vegan garlic cilantro lime sauce. Instead of using traditional frying/breading methods, this recipe is oven-baked and uses ground-up pea crisps which provide a bit of plant-based protein in every bite. You're going to love this veggie-forward appetizer that is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free.
Mini Peppers Stuffed with Roasted Sweet Pepper Hummus
These mini peppers stuffed with roasted sweet pepper hummus are delicious bite-sized poppable party appetizers. This nutritious finger food is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and contains no refined sugar.
Dijon Chickpea Fritters
These crispy little fritters make for a fun appetizer or can easily be turned into a main course for a busy weeknight meal. They are great to make ahead of time if you are doing your Sunday meal prep or readying for a gathering and don't want to be cooking last minute!
I hope you enjoy these vegan and gluten-free recipes as much as I do! I am featuring the whipped feta recipe below because it is such versatile dish and is a reader favorite. Happy cooking!
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Vegan and Gluten-Free Appetizers: Addictive Whipped Feta
- Total Time: 10 minutes
Description
Addictive Vegan Whipped Feta Dip is creamy, savory, and perfectly seasoned. One bite and you'll fall in love!
Ingredients
- 1, 8 ounce package/block vegan feta cheese (I love VioLife brand and buy it at Whole Foods and Sprouts)
- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese (I love Miyoko brand or Kite Hill brand) OR substitute ⅔ cup of my homemade vegan sour cream
- 1 large juicy lemon, juiced
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus more for garnish if desired)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add all main ingredients to a 7-cup food processor and process until perfectly smooth and creamy (about 30 seconds). Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add any additional ingredients desired and make it your own! You can't go wrong with this one, I promise!
- Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil if desired (for presentation and added depth of flavor). Serve with roasted or raw veggies, crackers, chips, freshly baked pita, toast or crostini or paired with pizza, pasta, or Greek dishes. We also love it as a spread for pitas, wraps and sandwiches.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight storage container. Store in your refrigerator for up to five days.
- Prep Time: 10
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