24 scrumptious recipes for vegetarian-friendly appetizers

Not only is baked brie vegetarian-friendly, but it’s super simple to make. This appetizer can be served as just a baked wheel of brie cheese, as a wheel of brie inside of a puff pastry, or, if you make this version from Two Peas & Their Pod, you top the cheese with maple syrup and toasted pecans before wrapping it up.

Bhajia (or bhaji), a mess of onions tossed in spices and fried until crispy, is a popular snack originating on the Indian Subcontinent. If you like Bloomin’ Onions or Awesome Blossoms, but have never tried bhajia, you’re in for a real treat. Dish By Rish provides the recipe and some background on this classic treat.

We love the look of bruschetta: crunchy slices of baguette topped with chopped tomatoes and basil drizzled with a balsamic glaze. And we also love how easy it is to make…especially if you use pre-minced garlic and a kitchen tool to help dice the tomatoes. Natasha’s Kitchen has the full recipe.

We’re not afraid of chicken substitutes. Instead of wings, which are messy to eat anyway, try these buffalo cauliflower bites from Feel Good Foodie. Not only is the cauliflower a healthier option, but this recipe isn’t fried — it’s baked!

Don’t serve your guests the same old jarred salsa and bagged chips — get them to comment on this classic appetizer by making both at home…don’t worry, it’s easy! Start with this smooth, restaurant-style salsa recipe from Aromatic Essence and pair it with homemade tortilla chips. To make the latter, cut 20 corn tortillas into six slices each, drop each triangle into hot oil using tongs, heat for about 25 seconds per side, dry them on a paper towel, and immediately add a sprinkle of sea salt.

In the culinary world, “deviled” means something has been cooked with hot seasoning(s). The deviled eggs name is especially fitting for this particular recipe from Downshiftology, which summons the awesome power of Dijon mustard, sriracha, and cayenne pepper.

What’s the best way to use endive? You could add it to a salad or simply grill it, but we’re partial to using the endive leaves as little boats that deliver beets and goat cheese directly to your taste buds. Intrigued? Check out this recipe from A Beautiful Plate for more info.

We’ve had some good dates in our time, but the best were the goat cheese-stuffed ones. (See what we did there?) Not only does this recipe from Live Eat Learn perfectly pair salty and sweet, but it only calls for three ingredients: goat cheese, Medjool dates, and pine nuts (almonds or other nuts work, too). 

Like Joey on “Friends,” we’re fans of any fried stuff with cheese. But fancier functions call for classier cheese-based bites, which is why we adore Alain Ducasse’s Gougères recipes from Food & Wine. Instead of store-bought stuff from a tube, this hor d'oeuvre uses light, airy, from-scratch pâte à choux pastry dough, which you might know from profiteroles or éclairs. It may sound complicated, but all you really need to do is mix all the ingredients together — your oven makes the magic happen.

It’s easy to buy pre-made guac, but nothing beats the freshly prepared kind. Downshiftology has a recipe that’s billed as the best, and we agree. It’s authentic and easy, as it only requires avocados, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt.

Perfect for kids and kids at heart, mac & cheese bites are a bonafide crowd-pleaser. Before you opt for a boxed, frozen version, try making them at home with this recipe from Cooking for My Soul. You’re essentially just making mac & cheese, rolling it into tight balls, and breading and deep-frying it. The key to keeping the round shape? Chilling the mac & cheese right after it is made.

We have a few go-to meatball appetizer recipes, but we initially shelved them for the party. That changed when we stumbled upon these 30-minute vegetarian meatballs from Pinch of Yum. They’re made from quinoa, brown rice, and riced cauliflower and received rave reviews from our guests.

Your cooking appliances don’t need to be involved with every appetizer. These mixed olives from Iowa Girl Eats just go into a plastic bag with parmesan cheese, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Make them ahead of time as they stay fresh for a few days and you’ll want to let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.

Basil and garlic combine to support this yogurt dip’s unlikely star, orange. The flavor profile is profound in this recipe from Southern Living, which only requires four ingredients: Greek yogurt, a garlic clove, fresh basil, and an orange.

This hummus from Minimalist Baker is sure to grab your guests’ attention; not only does it contain beets, but it boasts that fact with a bright magenta hue. Aside from the addition of beets, this hummus is fairly straightforward, calling for just chickpeas, garlic, tahini, olive oil, and a lemon.

Straight outta South Asia (but also popular in the Middle East), samosas are potato-stuffed, deep-fried puffs that are best served with a variety of dipping sauces like mint, coriander, or tamarind chutney. These Punjabi samosas from Swasthi’s Recipes take a little time and a lot of ingredients, but you (and your guests) will be happy you made them.

Wrapping spinach, parsley, feta, and onions into individual mini pies is a painstaking process. Instead, prep your spanakopita pie-style (or casserole-style) — which is closer to the traditional Greek way — and save yourself some time. The Mediterranean Dish dishes out the details.

We’re the kind of people who will say they’re not huge fans of artichokes but then destroy an entire bowl of spinach artichoke dip. If your guests are anything like us, they’ll love this creamy, savory recipe from Cooking Classy.

Spring rolls are a versatile appetizer because you can stuff them with whatever you want. (So you can still make some with meat, if desired.) These deep-fried beauties from Dinner, Then Dessert are packed with carrots, cabbage, bamboo shoots, garlic, and a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, soy sauce, and sesame oil. To save you some work, try prepping and freezing them ahead of time, so all that’s left to do is the frying!

Someone actually brought these stuffed cherry peppers from Tasting Table to our party, and now we’re hooked because they’re as tasty as they are easy. Just mix cream cheese, ricotta, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and parsley in a bowl, and spoon that mixture into cherry peppers that come straight from the jar. The hardest part is not eating all of them yourself.

Our favorite aspect of serving stuffed mushrooms is that we don’t need to buy anything other than mushrooms to make them. As Eating Well will explain, the additional ingredients are cream cheese, parmesan cheese, panko, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil — things we always have on hand.

These bite-sized rounds from Cooking on the Front Burners also feature goat cheese and nuts (pecans, in this case), but instead of being served on bread, the toppings are added to sliced sweet potato rounds. They also include cranberries and a honey drizzle!

You may think only the fruit of a zucchini plant is edible, but the blossoms — yes, the actual flowers — are not only consumable, but tasty, too. As Christina’s Cucina explains in this recipe, you simply wash the blossoms; dredge them in a batter made from flour, milk, salt, and water; and fry them in a pan containing hot oil.

Whether you’re looking for a vegetarian-friendly appetizer, a breakfast dish, or a side, consider these zucchini fritters from Love and Lemons. If you’re going to fry something, vegetables are your best bet, and you can use avocado or olive oil to keep it a skosh healthier. (Hot tip: As the recipe suggests, the leftovers can be used on a sandwich or inside of a pita!)