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21 Great Vegan Party Food Ideas to Get You Inspired

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Last Updated: Oct 5, 2022

Veganism is a philosophy of advocating compassion by avoiding any animal products. A vegan diet consists exclusively of plant-based foods. Meat, dairy products, eggs, and even honey are excluded from a vegan diet. Veganism is growing both in popularity and visibility. If you are hosting a dinner party or bringing something to a potluck, it is good to have a few vegan party food ideas up your sleeve!

Vegan party food ideas

Vegan party food does not have to be boring. With the increase in awareness of plant-based diets, there are so many more exciting ingredients available to make interesting vegan food. 

1. Kung Pao cauliflower

Kung Pao Cauliflower on dark slate background.

If you have a tried and tested kung pao chicken recipe, swap out the chicken pieces for crispy cauliflower. Dip cauliflower florets in a batter of corn starch, water, breadcrumbs, salt, and cayenne pepper. Place on a lined baking tray and bake in an oven preheated to 425°F for about thirty minutes. Pour your kung pao sauce over the crispy, golden florets. Garnish with chopped peanuts and serve.

2. Plant-based burritos

Order ready-made burritos online for your party offering. Cut them in half or quarters and arrange them on a platter with a few sprigs of fresh coriander and a wedge of lime. 

3. Harissa cauliflower pilaf

Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil, garlic, and harissa spices. Bake the cauliflower in the oven until golden. Infuse vegetable stock with saffron, bay leaves, and more harissa. Place your rice in an oven-proof dish and pour the infused stock over it. Mix in some toasted flaked almonds, raisins, chickpeas, and cauliflower. Cover and bake at 350 °F for about thirty minutes. Garnish with pomegranate rubies and more toasted almond flakes before serving.

4. Roasted root vegetable medley

Roast a selection of root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, swede, beetroot) with olive oil, a few cloves of garlic, and a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Use the roasted garlic with olive oil and lemon juice to make a dressing for the roast vegetables. Garnish with vegan feta and some toasted sesame seeds.

5. Crispy potato bake

You can never go wrong with a well-made potato bake. Boil the potatoes until just soft. Cut them in half and place them in a baking dish. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil. Add a handful of capers and two handfuls of pitted olives. Toss everything together to mix. Place in an oven preheated to 440 °F and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

6. Quick ratatouille

Glam this dish up with a chunky, crunchy, lemony, breadcrumb topping. For the breadcrumb topping, cut sourdough bread into small cubes. Toss these cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Halfway through the vegetables cooking time, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and replace the dish in the oven. When the veg is cooked, and the crumb is golden, remove it from the oven. Sprinkle lemon zest over the top and serve.

Vegan party food for large groups

When making food for big groups, you want to choose recipes low on preparation time but big on flavor.

1. Vegan Chili 

Lobio with red beans. Traditional Georgian dish of stewed beans and walnuts close-up

Substitute your mince for lentils or autumn roots to make a satisfying chili dish. 

2. BBQ carrots

Substitute pulled pork for roasted grated carrots. Toss the roasted carrots through your BBQ sauce and use them to make burgers or nachos.

3. Red bean and rice balls

Pop a few packets of rice balls in your Instacart for when you need to make something tasty in a hurry. Serve with sweet and sour sauce on a bed of sticky rice.

4. Vegan moussaka

Moussaka is a great dish to make ahead of time. Substitute the mince in the sauce for lentils and beans to make a vegan moussaka.

5. Green bean casserole

Merge two festive season favorites by topping your green bean casserole with creamy mashed potato.

6. Sweet potato mash

For a flavorful side dish, dress your mashed sweet potatoes up with a generous drizzle of olive oil and finely chopped fresh sage leaves.

Vegan party snacks

There is more to vegan party snacks than hummus and carrot sticks!

1. Spinach pinwheels

Baked spinach pinwheel puff pastries flat lay

For the filling, mix steamed baby spinach, vegan cream cheese, dried herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Roll out a sheet of vegan puff pastry dough and smear your filling over it. Roll the pastry up. To make it easier to cut, place the filled pastry roll in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight. Slice half-inch thick slices and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400 °F.

2. Crispy cauliflower

Chop cauliflower florets, dip them in a spicy batter and deep fry them. Serve with your favorite ranch sauce. 

3. Broccoli balls

Flaxseed powder is a fantastic vegan substitute for eggs. To replace one egg, soak one tablespoon of flaxseed powder in three tablespoons of water. Combine cooked broccoli, basil, fried onion, spices, breadcrumbs, almond flour, and soaked flaxseed powder. Mix thoroughly and form into bite-sized balls. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a 400 °C oven. Serve with a dipping sauce.

4. Jalapeno poppers

Make from scratch with vegan cheese or buy ready-made began-friendly jalapeno poppers online.

5. Sweet potato fries

Sweet potato fries and sauce on blue background with long shadows in minimal style

These are super easy and satisfying to make. Cut your sweet potatoes into wedges or fingers. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with a bit of oil. Garnish with salt and pepper and bake until crispy. Mix some sriracha sauce into your ranch dressing to make a spicy dipping sauce.

6. Crispy tofu fingers

Dip tofu fingers in a batter and then in breadcrumbs before deep frying. Serve with a sweet chili sauce.

7. Beetroot hummus

Hummus is available in many colors and flavors. For a festive note, make a beetroot hummus to dip your flatbreads in.

8. Arancini

Make arancini from your leftover risotto. These are tasty with a basil pesto dip or as is!

9. Falafel

This party snack or main option can be bought or made from scratch, and it’s packed full of flavor!

Vegan party food near me

Keep things simple with an online grocery order. Choose your vegan party food ingredients from local and national retailers near you. A dedicated Instacart shopper will put your order together for you. Choose between delivery to your door or store pick-up within two hours.

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