food
By Katherine Gillen
•
Published Jan 10, 2023
Everyone knows the Super Bowl is really about the snacks. But if you’re vegetarian, the whole buffalo-chicken this and bacon-wrapped that ordeal can get frustrating. And, sorry, but setting out a store-bought tray of sliced veggies isn’t going to cut it. With these 30 vegetarian Super Bowl recipes, you can treat your plant-based guests to a feast of meatless snacks, like carrot pigs in a blanket, mac-and-cheese bites and loaded veggie nachos. (With any luck, they’ll forgive you for your past crudité transgressions.)
RELATED
70 Easy Super Bowl Snacks to Make on Game Day
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. 7 Layer Dip
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, no cook, vegetarian
Yes, you can use store-bought guacamole to shortcut this crowd-pleaser. Just buy an extra bag of chips—wouldn’t want to run out, would you?
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
2. Buffalo Cauliflower Nuggets
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly
You can turn cauliflower into just about anything, but this has to be one of our favorite preparations. Make half buffalo and half barbecue if you want to switch it up.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
3. Brie-Stuffed Pretzel Bites
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
With melty Brie and an easy homemade dough, we can almost guarantee these cheesy bites will be the first to disappear from your snack spread.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
4. Carrot Pigs in a Blanket
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, vegetarian
Pigs in a blanket are always a good idea, especially if you swap the usual co*cktail wieners for carrots. Serve them with a side of green goddess dressing and they’re—dare we say it?—sophisticated.
Get the recipe
Erin McDowell
5. Mini Tortillas
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Make a batch and set them out with a plethora of vegetarian-friendly toppings, like cheese, guac, roasted corn and alllll the salsa options.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
6. The Classiest Cheese Balls in the Universe
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, no cook, make ahead
Cheese balls either scream “mom’s Tupperware parties from 1989,” or they’re covered in bacon bits (or both). Zhuzh them up with modern toppings like everything bagel seasoning or dill, and you’ve got a winner.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
7. French Onion Cups
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
Just swap the beef broth for vegetable and these sophisticated bites will be vegetarian-approved.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
8. Baked Mac-and-Cheese Bites
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
They’re crispy on top yet nice and chewy on the inside, and you can serve them hot or at room temp. (Permission to make them ahead, granted.)
Get the recipe
9. Pimento Cheese Stuffed Shish*to Peppers
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Just think of these pimento-cheese-stuffed shish*to peppersasa trendy, classed-up version of jalapeño poppers. (And if you can’t find shish*to peppers in your grocery store, just use jalapeños.)
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
10. Crispy Roasted Artichokes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Serve these with an easy garlic aioli for dipping, and voilà, an appetizer that blows potato chips out of the water.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
11. Baked Gorgonzola Bites
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
If you can believe it, these pull-apart bites are made with only five ingredients and come together in less than an hour. (You can thank store-bought pizza dough for that.)
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
12. Spinach Artichoke Squares
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
We love the O.G. dip, but we’ll admit it’s a little…retro. With the magic of frozen puff pastry, you can transform it into a Super Bowl snack that’s totally modern.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
13. Baby Blooming Onions
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, vegetarian
We’re all about giving the people what they want, and the people want tiny, deep-fried onions with a creamy dipping sauce.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
14. Dairy-Free Butternut Squash ‘Fondue’
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, dairy free, gluten free, <10 ingredients
We know, we know. Fondue for vegetarians? Groundbreaking. But let’s not forget about the vegans at your game watch party. This version is just as velvety and dippable, without any dairy in sight.
Get the recipe
Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell
15. Spicy Ricotta-Stuffed Phyllo Rolls
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
Chips and salsa?Yawn. Hummus and pita? Boring. These unexpectedly elegant phyllo-cheese rolls, however, are a snack we can all get excited about.
Get the recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
16. Pull-Apart Bread with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Behold the next generation of monkey bread. Each piece of the soft, buttery dough is stuffed with a creamy mixture of caramelized onions, goat cheese andherbs.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
17. Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
When you want to fall face-first into a giant bowl of delicious dip, make this elote-inspired number with corn, lime and plenty of cotija cheese.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
18. Roasted Cauliflower Sliders
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Once your guests taste one of these meatless sliders, they won’t miss the burgers and pulled pork. Not one bit.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
19. Vegan Chili ‘Cheese’ Dip
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free
Proof that you can work magic with cashews and plant-based chorizo.
Get the recipe
Lauren Volo/Cauliflower Power
20. Cauliflower Chili
- Time Commitment: 33 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Chili is one of those meals that gets tastier after a day or two, so go ahead and make this vegetarian version ahead of your party.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
21. Roasted Poblano and Corn Guacamole
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, gluten free
It’s just the right balance of sweet, spicy and zesty—and it’s filled with delicious goodies. Since it’s winter, use thawed frozen corn in place of fresh.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
22. Easy Baked Goat Cheese Marinara Dip
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Add this cozy, Italian-inspired dip to your list of Super Bowl party must-haves (along with plenty of bread for dipping).
Get the recipe
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
Pinto beans are creamy yet sturdy enough to not dry out as you bake these nachos to bubbling perfection, and they’re the ideal stand-in for the usual ground beef.
Katherine Gillen
24. ‘Swicy’ Caramel Corn
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
If you’re a fan of sweet-and-spicy (aka swicy), you’ll go wild for this take on caramel corn. It has just enough heat to keep you coming back for another handful, and another, and another…
Get the recipe
Katherine Gillen
25. Dill Pickle Snack Mix
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead
ICYMI, pickles are having a moment. This homemade snack mix has all the briny, dilly flavor you love in a snackable form.
Get the recipe
Quentin Bacon/Go-To Dinners
26. Ina Garten’s Chipotle Cheddar Crackers
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Ina says she keeps some of this dough in freezer for last-minute slice-and-bake crackers. And if Ina does it, we’re doing it too.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
27. Vegetarian Chili
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, make ahead, beginner-friendly
All you have to do is combine the ingredients and let it simmer.
Get the recipe
Katherine Gillen
28. Sweet Potato Cheese Fries
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, gluten free
Eating cheese fries is like being swaddled in your softest, comfiest sweatshirt. This version is less deep-fried and more #healthy, but no less delicious than the original.
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
29. Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Bites
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Shots of creamy tomato soup > shots of booze. (Just us?)
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
30. Baking Sheet Quesadillas
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
“I’d love to stand at the stove and flip quesadillas all night,” said no one ever. Enter your sheet pan, which does all the hard work here.
Get the recipe
RELATED
50 Mini Super Bowl Snacks Everyone Will Crave
Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
Katherine Gillen
Senior Food Editor
Katherine Gillenis PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...
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