Recipe Roundup

53 Vegetarian Appetizers to Please Every Party Guest

From easy snacks to fancy hors d’oeuvres, these meat-free starters will appeal to every palate.

By Joe Sevier and The Editors of Epicurious

November 6, 2023

A plate of roasted mushrooms stuffed with seasoned bread crumbs.

The appetizers you choose for a vegetarian dinner party set the tone for the evening. Perhaps it’s a casual just-friends night, and store-bought hummus and pita chips are fine. But give those vegetarian hors d’oeuvres a little more attention, and the night will instantly feel special—even if you choose easy appetizers like 2-ingredient grilled edamame or a simple homemade dip. Below, you’ll find a few of our go-to vegetarian appetizer ideas, including crispy fritters, savory cheese puffs, stuffed mushrooms, and more. Call your friends; there are plenty of snacks to go around.

Head this way for more of our best vegetarian dinner recipes →

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
1/53
Cheesy Samosa Puffs
For the ultimate in crispy, cheesy vegetarian appetizers, grab some store-bought puff pastry and fill it with cheddar and spiced potatoes before baking until golden brown. Serve with ketchup, green chutney, or both.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Styling by Joseph De Leo
2/53
Deviled Eggs
Intimidated by this retro classic? This Gourmet recipe is the key to success. Add extra flavor with smoked paprika, pickled shallots, a little harissa, or your favorite spice blend. Top with capers and crunchy fried onions if you like.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini
3/53
Crudités With Chile-Lime Salt
Vegetarian hors d’oeuvres don’t get much simpler than a veggie tray, but your version will definitely beat any store-bought dip. Here, a zesty spiced salt wakes up any sliced raw fruit or vegetable. This recipe calls for cucumbers, oranges, radishes, and jicama, but you can throw in others as well.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
4/53
Cheddar and Herb Gougères
Once you know how to make pâte à choux, you’ll have endless options for vegetarian starters and snacks. These airy cheese puffs are flavored with sharp cheddar and dill, but you can play with a wide array of options. Feel free to pipe the gougères and freeze them for a future soirée.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
5/53
Vegetarian Buffalo “Meatballs” With Blue Cheese Dip
Forget about hot wings—these spicy bites combine white beans and mushrooms for a meatless take on a favorite party snack. They’re ready in just 35 minutes.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
6/53
Figs-in-a-Blanket With Goat Cheese
Wrap spicy honey-glazed figs and creamy goat cheese in puff pastry for this fun vegetarian play on pigs-in-a-blanket. We like the bright tartness of chèvre here, but feel free to substitute any vegetarian-friendly cheese you prefer.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
7/53
Stuffed Mushrooms
These hot and crunchy bites never fail. But be sure to use a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan for folks who avoid animal rennet.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
8/53
Polenta Bites With Wild Mushrooms and Fontina
Store-bought tubes of polenta are the ultimate appetizer shortcut: just slice and toast in the oven, top with sautéed wild mushrooms and a sprinkle of grated Fontina, then bake again until melty.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
9/53
Chaat Masala Mixed Nuts With Cornflakes
These tangy, spicy nibbles get extra crunch from the cornflakes, and extra heat from a flurry of cayenne. You can prep them a week before serving.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
10/53
Warmed Spiced Olives
Got ten minutes to make an easy vegetarian appetizer? Then you can pull together this warm, richly-spiced bowl of olives mixed with lemon zest, bay leaves, oil, and Aleppo-style pepper.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
11/53
Homemade Cheese Spread With Garlic and Herbs
Here’s a DIY version of flavored, spreadable Gournay cheese. You’ll just need cream cheese, parsley leaves, chives, and unsalted butter. It’s great on little toasts or crackers.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele
12/53
Buffalo Cauliflower
We always recommend these spicy bites to anyone looking for vegetarian appetizer recipes. Just add celery sticks on the side.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
13/53
Panisses With Sage Leaves and Lemon
These fry-like chickpea fritters are best enjoyed hot, while their centers still have a custardy texture. We like to add a final touch: lemon wedges and sage leaves quickly fried in oil.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
14/53
Creamy Avocado Dip With Scallions
With a mix of caramelized and fresh scallions, plus avocado and yogurt, this dip has a taste and texture somewhere between onion dip and guacamole.
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Following stints at StarChefs and Saveur, Joe joined Epicurious in 2016 where he’s written about how to make the very best biscuits, the singularity of third-culture cooking, and the ultimate cream cheese frosting. Currently, he works across both BA and Epi as the senior SEO editor for cooking stories, which ... Read More

Senior SEO Editor, Cooking

The Epicurious editorial team develops original recipes, and publishes stories about cooking better, faster, and more creatively, sustainably, and affordably. See our full masthead, here. ... Read More