The sign of a good party often lies in the array of food on offer. From the food, at the party, you can really get a sense of how much effort the host has put in and just how well-prepared they are.
It’s fair to say that the first thing we look for at any party is food. The food simply has to be good or it can put a real dampener on the event. There’s nothing worse than attending a party on an empty stomach, expecting a variety of delicious foods, to then be disappointed when there are few options available.
The best parties will have delicious appetizers as well as your main meal. The perfect finger food is ideal for those early arriving guests, a conservation starter, and most importantly the best thing to show how much time, thought and effort you have put into your party.
Having said that when it comes to serving your appetizers you shouldn’t have to settle for mediocre, bland food. Whether you’re hosting the party of the year or a small family/friends gathering, you want appetizers that are going to wow and impress your guests.
To help you out we have put together a list of 40+ party-perfect vegan appetizers. Every appetizer on this list is well worth trying if you want to blow your guests away. Each appetizer is 100% vegan, looks fantastic, and tastes even better.
Let’s get straight into the list!
Beetroot Hummus
You will want to dip everything in this easy-to-make beetroot hummus. This creamy, vibrant dish is perfect smothered on top of crackers or when dipped into with your favorite slices of vegetable or breadsticks.
This party-pleasing appetizer looks amazing thanks to the beetroot’s red color. This helps it stand out at your party and get your guests talking. The light and quick-to-make hummus is a suitable starter to get your guests hyped up for the main event.
Vegan Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites
These vegan Nashville, hot cauliflower bites are flavorful, spicy, and most importantly delicious. Served with a vegan ranch dip, they are perfect for any party. The heat from the cayenne pepper and hot sauce is complimented beautifully by the cooling dips you choose to make.
If you don’t want to risk the bites being too hot for guests simply reduce the amount of hot sauce and cayenne pepper used when making the appetizer. You could even leave the hot sauce out and let your guests add whatever hot sauce they want.
No-Nead Italian Foccacia
If you’re looking for a quick and easy focaccia appetizer then this is the one for you. This delicious garlicky focaccia is ready in only an hour and is completely mess-free. You don’t need to read or mix the dough to create a tasty treat for the party.
If you really want to impress your guests serve the focaccia with some sundried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese. Your guests will leave begging you for the recipe.
Sweet Potato Avocado Tartare
Avocado is all the rage at the moment, so be sure to include it in your party food. This light dish is a fun and festive appetizer, packed with flavor. The tangy, nutty avocado tartare tops thinly sliced roasted sweet potatoes in what is a wonderful-looking appetizer.
This yummy take on tuna tartare not only tastes incredible it also looks fantastic. The vibrant, and cute finger food will impress your guests who will come back wanting more.
Vegan Pate
Bring some Mediterranean flavors to your party with this vegan pate that everyone will love. This spreadable bowl of tastiness goes perfectly with freshly baked, crusty bread, topped with some fresh herbs. This appetizer is perfect for everyone at your party whether they are vegan or not.
Nacho Cheesy Kale Chips
These baked to perfection kale chips are tossed in a healthy nutritional yeast to create a delicious and inviting bowl of chips. Everyone has a weakness for a bowl of chips. Make these ones if you want to provide your guests, with a healthy, vegan alternative to the normally high-in-fat junk snack.
Green Pea and Coconut Spread
The green pea and coconut spread is a super easy-to-make spread that comes with heavenly flavors. The sweet peas combined with the coconut, garlic, fresh mint, basil, and strawberries are a taste sensation. Served on fresh crusty bread, what is there not to like about this colorful appetizer?
Summer Rolls with Dipping Sauce
Vegan summer rolls with a refreshing mango dipping sauce are the perfect appetizer for those warm summer months. By baking the tofu to perfection with plenty of seasoning and filling it with all of your favorite vegetables, you take something that can be quite bland, and turn it into a flavorful masterpiece.
Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bites with Siracha Aioli
Broccoli quinoa bites are hearty, flavorful appetizers and totally snack-worthy. Inspired by vegan hashbrowns this small and tasty appetizer is also perfect for the little ones attending the party. Simply leave the sriracha aioli out, but be warned they will demand more!
Chickpeas Shawarma Dip
This chickpea shawarma dip appetizer is the perfect party pleaser. The colorful, creamy dish is packed with flavor and goodness. Thie middle-eastern and Mediterranean appetizers are best served with pita bread and your favorite vegetables. Guests will be drawn to this dish thanks to its taste and color so consider making a fair amount.
Vegan Caprese Pizza
There are not many things better than a crispy pizza dough with homemade cashew mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil. This light appetizer, topped with fresh sundried tomatoes will have your friends and family racing to grab another one before they all run out. The zesty garlic pizza takes just 30-minutes to make and looks amazing.
Mini-Shallot Bhajis & Minted Yogurt
Bring a taste of India to your party with these bite-size bhajis and cooling minted yogurt. The small light and crispy bites are super addictive and easy to eat.
Ready in just 25-minutes you have to give them a try. You might need to make a lot though because they will be a big hit with your guests.
Thai Corn Fritters
Thai Corn Fritters make an excellent starter at any party. Inexpensive to make, they look and taste magnificent. Dipped in some sweet chili dip you will find yourself fighting guests to get the last one. The light bites made out of mushrooms and corn only take one hour to make.
Cauliflower Wings With Garlic & Herb Dip
Cauliflower wings are a great vegan alternative to chicken wings. The cauliflower gets a soft and meaty texture once roasted.
Once roasted with herbs and spices you are left with delicious crispy golden-colored cauliflower bites. The garlic dip compliments itself wonderfully with the spicy taste of the wings.
Garlic & Herb Almond Cheese Spread
This healthy, creamy almond spread is loaded with flavor. The quick and easy-to-make appetizer only takes 10-minutes to make and goes perfectly well when spread on crackers or used as a veggie dip. Impress your guests with this wonderful alternative spread.
Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries are becoming more and more popular, so why not try them at your next party? The crisp orange fries pack a punch when flavored using garlic, salt, and paprika. Perfect fries can be produced every time if made in an air fryer. Healthier than normal fries and most definitely better tasting, what is there not to like?
Green Pea Hummus and Spring Meze
Made with lemon, peas, and chickpeas this appetizer is one of the most colorful dishes on this list. The beautifully arranged hummus and spring meze look and taste unbelievably good. Best spread on Ryvita this appetizer is the perfect centerpiece to any party buffet.
Artichoke Cups
The small, elegant artichoke cups are inviting and perfect for holiday gatherings and parties. The scrumptious savory filling sits inside tiny phyllo shells before being baked in the oven. They are delicious, light, and crispy. What more could you ask for?
Seedy and Cheesy Tuiles
If you’re looking for crispy, cheesy chips bursting with flavor then you are in the right place. This thin and crispy tuile is made with pine nuts and seeds on top. They are best served with fresh salsa, hummus, or other cold dips. This is another addictive appetizer so expect your party guests to get through a lot of it.
Baked Zucchini Fries
This plant-based, oil-free appetizer is an excellent alternative to normal fries. Crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, these fries are guaranteed to be a big hit at family gatherings and parties.
All you need to make this wonderful appetizer is zucchini, breadcrumbs, flour, milk, and your seasonings. Season the dish with salt, chili powder, paprika, and pepper if you want to make the best-tasting fries.
Air Fried Okra
This appetizer is a soul-classic turned vegan. Fried okra is made using the wet and dry batter to get that perfect crisp crunch. The tasty dish is healthier than normal frying thanks to the oil-free frying in the air fryer. The crispy okra goes brilliantly well with a vegan remoulade sauce or alongside another appetizer you have made like your potato salad.
Falafel
Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, falafel is a hugely popular vegan appetizer, so you need to make a good one for your party. Delicately spiced with fresh herbs, these falafels are the perfect balance of texture and flavor. You won’t be able to stop eating them, just like your guests!
Mini Crispy Eggplant Pizzas
Parmesan crusted, and baked to perfection, this eggplant pizza recipe makes a beautiful crispy appetizer ideal for your party. The vegan and gluten-free pizza is irresistible and only needs 10 ingredients to make. Impress your friends with a unique take on something adored by everyone with this colorful, flavorsome pizza.
Hummus Quesadillas
These quesadillas are easy to make, made with hummus instead of cheese. Filled with olives and spinach they look and taste absolutely amazing. If that’s not enough the quesadillas are packed with chickpeas and tahini making them rich in protein and nice and healthy.
Veg Lollipop
A veg lollipop is a bite-size veggie ball, breaded in panko crumbs. The healthy no-cheese appetizer is quick and easy to make and will leave your guests desperate for more.
The delicious lollipops are the perfect party finger food thanks to the way the lollipops are placed on skewers. Guests can easily take the food with them and enjoy it as they talk and meet other guests.
Mini Bruschetta Tarts With Dijon Cashew Cream
Perfect for entertaining these luscious bruschetta tarts are a delight to serve and eat. The flaky filo cups are filled with beautifully creamy dijon cashew cream. Placed on top of each tartare are fresh tomatoes and herbs just to complete an already spectacular tasting appetizer.
Georgian Eggplant Rolls
This delightfully simple eggplant rolls complete any table of party food. Filled with a delicious walnut filling and carefully chosen spices, in just one hour you will have the perfect vegan appetizer to treat your tastebuds with. They go great at a Christmas party when served with some mulled wine.
Broccoli Tots
This green super vegetable provides your guests with a healthier alternative to the famous tater tots. The healthy appetizer can be shallowly fried or baked until crispy to make the best tots possible. If you want to take your tots to the next level why not add some processed cheese to the recipe? Your guests will love a crispy, cheesy tot at your party.
Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeno poppers are the perfect finger food for your cocktail party or family get-together. This appetizer brings a little more spice to the party. The crisp, golden poppers are filled with a creamy cashew filling to compliment the heat from the jalapenos.
This appetizer is perfect for those guests who like a bit of heat. Quick and easy to make, there really is no reason the poppers can’t be one of the biggest hits at your next event.
Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
This super creamy, tangy buffalo chicken dip combines the perfect amount of spices and flavors to create an incredibly tasting dip. The impossible-to-stop eating appetizer is versatile and can be made for any party or occasion.
Made using green onions, cashews, garlic, buffalo sauce, and other ingredients this dip is amazing for dipping your tasty crusty bread, fresh vegetable sticks, or spreading on crackers.
Herby Potato Salad
Sometimes simpler appetizers can be the best. This herby potato salad is super easy to make in a batch giving your guests something else to tuck into.
Just because this appetizer is simple to make doesn’t mean it shouldn’t pack a punch. Using freshly cut herbs and seasoned using garlic, salt, mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar this appetizer can taste phenomenal and impress your guests easily.
Potato Cakes
Staying on the theme of potatoes, these potato cakes served with a green spicy cilantro dip are simply divine. This spicy, flavor-packed appetizer is the perfect dish for any occasion. Bring the addictive, popular Indian street food appetizer to your party if you want to get guests talking about just how good your food is.
Seekh Kabab
This tasty appetizer is loaded with all your favorite veggies. The healthy skewers are pan-fried or baked to make them perfectly crispy on the outside and delightfully soft in the middle. Easily made at home the veggie kebabs can be made in advance and in batches to ensure your guests always have something to enjoy.
Air Fryer Apple Wedges
A sweeter more unique way of impressing guests at your party is by making these gorgeous apple wedges. Using savory breadcrumbs, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and an air fryer you can make a delicious tasting appetizer that will intrigue your guests. Served with a variety of dips this is a light, tasty dish that can be served at any event.
Bombay Potatoes
If you like spicy food then this could be the appetizer for you. Baby potatoes cooked with aromatic spices in a one-pot dish. They are perfect to serve alongside other appetizers or as a side dish. You can make this appetizer in 20-minutes on the stovetop adding as much or as little spice as you like.
Pizza Pinwheels
Pizza pinwheels are classic finger food at any party, so why can’t they be at your party too? Using flaky puff pastry prepare the pizza bites with olives, mushrooms, and peppers if you want to provide your guests with a taste sensation. Easily made in batches this appetizer is perfect for any occasion.
White Bean Kale Salad With Tahini Dressing
Your guests will love this refreshing, tasty white bean kale salad, so be sure to make it for your next party. In just 30-minutes you can make a salad to die for.
This salad is made using lemon herb, white beans, and garlic croutons and is served with the nutty, bitter flavors of a fantastic tahini dressing. This appetizer can be eaten throughout the night on its own or with the main courses.
Chicken Nuggets
Vegan chicken nuggets are a great dish to make for the little ones or big kids at your party. These healthy tofu-filled nuggets are high in protein and have the texture of a normal chicken nugget (perfect for your guests that aren’t vegan). The nuggets are gold and crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle.
Cauliflower Hash Browns
Cauliflower hash browns are an excellent healthier alternative appetizer to potato hash browns. Served with a variety of dips this low-carb, baked appetizer is ideal for your party guests who are following a diet but still want to enjoy the food. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika to attain the best results.
Buffalo Chickpea Meatballs
Another super healthy appetizer for your party guests is this chickpea meatball recipe. Drizzled with some ranch or blue cheese dressing the meatballs go perfectly on their own or are served with another appetizer. The buffalo sauce adds that lovely bit of heat to the two-bite meatballs and the cooling dressings blend with it beautifully.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are perfect for your next party. Filled with pecans, sundried tomatoes, and spinach, and topped with a citrus-basil dressing, this appetizer is delicious and easy to make. The mushrooms can be prepared earlier and then baked just before serving to ensure your guests have a warm bite to eat.
Soya Chunks Kababs
These high-protein soya chunk kababs are a quick and healthy appetizer. They can be shaped into bite-sized tots or larger patties. The versatile food can be used in any way you feel. You might want to use it as a meat substitute or simply create a brilliantly seasoned veggie patty.
Once seasoned the tasty treats can be pan-fried or shallow-fried until they are golden and crispy. Serve the kababs with a cooling dip or salad for the best impact at your party.
Conclusion
Appetizers should be easy to make and fast to put together whilst also packing a bunch, and impressing your guests. Your appetizers will be served first so they need to be done well to set the tone for the night ahead. If done well your appetizers can take the party to the next level.
One handy thing about appetizers and something we definitely recommend you do is how they can be prepared before the party. Most appetizers can be made in advance of the party. Then when the party comes along all you need to do is finish some of the dishes off by baking, frying them, or simply making it look good on the plate.
Every appetizer on this list is 100% vegan with some even being gluten-free. There is a huge amount of variety in this list of food that is so easy to make and looks/tastes incredible. Have a good look through the list and think about what your guests would like. Once you have narrowed the list down enjoy making some awesome appetizers.
It is also worth noting that recipes don’t have to be completely followed. Rules are there to be broken, right? The appetizers on the list are versatile so feel free to experiment with them a little bit. You might want to season a dish with something else you like, add or take away some spiciness, or even completely make it your own by using different ingredients altogether.
Good luck! We are sure your next party will be the party of the year.
