Throwing a party can be incredibly stressful or completely enjoyable to plan, depending on who you ask. There’s guest lists and invites, location to pick, decorations, activities, and food to plan. Parties can seem even trickier to prepare for when you decide you want the food to be all vegan. Will anyone eat the food, and will anyone enjoy it? Is it even a good idea to have a completely vegan party when omnivores are coming? The answer to all these questions is yes, absolutely! Adhering to your ethics can be stress-free for you and delicious for your guests, we promise.
Vegan party food often overlaps with traditional party food, so many typical favorites will be there such as fruits and veggies, dips, and chips. It can be easy and rewarding to plan an all vegan party that your guests will enjoy if you make the food absolutely delicious and easily recognizable. Raw kale chips may be quite delicious, but a party catering to more picky palettes may not be the best place to serve them. Keeping the food in line with traditional party food while veganizing it is an easy way to keep everyone happy. We’ve shared a few of our favorite vegan party recipes below, as well as some tips on vegan party food to serve at any party.
Staples for any Party
Fresh cut fruit
Fresh fruit is rarely left untouched at any party. It’s sweet, delicious and regardless of your diet, almost everyone loves it! A few ideas for serving are watermelon spritzed with lime juice, assorted berries with a coconut whipped cream, fresh cut up apples with a caramel dip, or skewers with assorted fruit such as pineapple, banana, mango and strawberries.
Fresh cut veggies
Everyone loves cut veggies, especially with a good dip. Serving up peeled and cut into sticks carrots, thinly sliced red and orange bell peppers, thinly sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and raw broccoli or cauliflower is always a hit and will give guests a light, healthy and easily recognized option to enjoy.
Roasted nuts
Whether its simply dry roasted with salt nuts or a mix with spices such as Bubba’s Fine Food nut mixes, it’s always a safe bet that many of your guests will enjoy a few handfuls. Dry roasted and salted is almost always a safe bet. Nuts like pistachios, almonds and cashews are often great crowd pleasers.
Corn chips and/or potato chips
Having at least one salty, crunchy chip option is a must have for most parties. Everyone loves a good chip and won’t pay any special attention to whether they’re “vegan food”. Plain organic corn chips such as those made by Late July are a great option to have on hand to serve with a variety of dips including salsa, guacamole, and hummus. Potato chips are great just as a salty crunchy snack. And usually opting for either a plain or BBQ chip from brands such as Kettle Brand are safe bets for making guests happy.
Cheese
Vegan cheese could be seen as a risky choice. However with the availability of more gourmet nut cheeses, it is a worthwhile investment. Consider investing in delicious, quality brands such as Miyoko’s Creamery, Treeline Cheese, Parmela Creamery or Dr. Cow Cheese.
Alcohol
If you’re serving up alcohol at your party, check out our vegan wine and beer articles to help identify what brands are vegan so you feel good about your offerings and your guests will be able to enjoy some mainstream favorites.
The Recipes
We’ve rounded up a selection of our favorite vegan party recipes from around the web and have included a selection of dips, salads, desserts and more to inspire you and make your party planning easier. Some of these recipes are vegan versions of classics such as a cheese ball or pasta salad while some are more unique and sure to pique interest.
Recipe: Vegan Cheese Ball
Where to Find it: Nora Cooks
Why We Love it: Cheese balls are the ultimate party food. They look fancy, taste delicious and this vegan version looks just like the traditional. This makes it visually appealing for anyone who may be hesitant to eat “vegan food”. The flavors of this cheese ball are incredibly delicious. They're easy to switch up if you’d prefer it with different herbs such as thyme or parsley in place of dill. Just remember this needs to set for a few hours, so make it the night before to make your party day a little easier.
Recipe: Vegan Queso
Where to Find it: Plant Based Scotty
Why We Love it: Queso is the perfect party food for parties based around sporting events. But don’t let that stop you from serving it at any kind of party! This queso is super easy to make and whole foods based. This means your guests will enjoy just how delicious it is while also feeling amazing afterwards. If you prefer more of a nacho cheese flavor, blend in one red or orange bell pepper.
Recipe: Baked Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
Where to Find it: Salted Plains
Why We Love it: Spinach artichoke dip is one of those foods people just love, and its easy to see why. It’s fatty and savory with a delicious texture, what wouldn’t there be to like? This vegan version tastes better than the traditional version and is far healthier. You can prep this dish mostly the night before. This makes it perfect for those who already have a lot to do the day of the party.
Recipe: Easy Vegan Italian Pasta Salad
Where to Find it: Blissful Basil
Why We Love it: Pasta salad is always a crowd pleaser, because honestly, who doesn’t like pasta? This vegan pasta salad is loaded with veggies and flavor. It’s chock full of vibrant colors, varying textures, tangy, sweet, savory and salty flavors and will most definitely be a hit. Best of all, this delicious dish is best made at least a few hours before serving because it gets better the longer it marinades. So make it the night before and save yourself some time.
Recipe: Herbed Red Potato Salad
Where to Find it: Cookie + Kate
Why We Love it: Potato salad invokes memories of family reunions and summer picnics, it's a classic favorite. Unfortunately, traditional potato salad is loaded with unhealthy mayonnaise and is extremely rich, often leaving a heavy feeling. This potato salad is amazingly light and refreshing. By marinating the potatoes in a light herby dressing that is flavorful, it won’t leave your guests feeling sluggish afterwards.
Recipe: Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower
Where to Find it: It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
Why We Love it: While buffalo wings are usually thought of as bar food or food reserved strictly for sporting events, we promise you these can be served at any party and your guests will be incredibly grateful. These crispy buffalo cauliflower bites are relatively easy to make although they take a little extra time. All the extra effort is worth it and no one will even notice they’re eating a vegetable.
Recipe: Vegan Garlic Bread with Kale Pesto
Where to Find it: Oh My Veggies
Why We Love it: This recipe is super pretty and super easy to make, using the oh so trendy kale. We envision this recipe served at a holiday party or perhaps a celebration of sorts, alongside a vegan cheese plate. Wherever and whenever you choose to make it, be sure to make quite a bit as it is addictively delicious and will go fast!
Recipe: Easy Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Where to Find it: Veggie Society
Why We Love it: Every party needs at least one or two beverages aside from water. This is the perfect summery drink that is sure to please adults and children alike. This recipe is refreshing and sweet and comes together quite easily. We advise making a couple batches to ensure everyone gets to try this summery beverage.
Recipe: Dairy Free Muddy Buddies
Where to Find it: Real Food with Jessica
Why We Love it: Do not let this recipe fool you. It will be a hit with just as many adults as it will be with children, we promise. This classic kids favorite is easily made vegan with just a handful of ingredients and is a relatively quick and easy dessert to make. If you have anyone with peanut allergies, consider almond butter. And if there are nut allergies, tahini or sunflower seed butter are great stand-ins. This is another recipe you’ll want to make a few extra batches of as it tends to go quickly.
Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Brownies
Where to Find it: Jessica in the Kitchen
Why We Love it: Desserts are always demolished at parties, so it’s important to have a few great options, and brownies are always a good choice. These brownies are moist and fudgy and are not obviously vegan, making them perfect for even the pickiest eaters. This recipe comes together quickly and the ingredients are easy to find, making it a great dessert to make with minimal effort.