18 Best Vegan Snack Recipes [Plant-Based and Dairy-Free]

The best vegan snacks to kick your hunger to the curb. From dairy-free peanut butter cookies to zucchini chips, find your new favorite recipe today.

Why vegan snacks? Maybe you decided on a vegan lifestyle and you need your snacks to stay within those parameters. Perhaps you are serving friends or family who are vegan. Maybe you are just looking for healthier options when it comes to snacking.

Vegan snacks do not only consist of just fruits and vegetables. Are you craving chocolate? Have a desire for sweet and crunchy snacks? Looking for something savory or spicy? Maybe you want some crunch to your snacks.

Check out our list of best vegan snack recipes here. You will find everything from cookies to bruschetta, from popcorn to jalapeño poppers. Something on this list is sure to satisfy your snack cravings.

From vegan cookies to cauliflower wings, here are some of the best vegan snack recipes and ideas from around the world.

Cauliflower Wings

Cauliflower wings are the perfect plant-based party snack. This bang bang cauliflower bites recipe is roasted in a blend of hot sauce, vegan mayo, and Panko breadcrumbs, giving it a delicious balance between crispy, creamy, and spicy.

Baked Zucchini Chips

This healthier alternative to traditional potato chips is heavy on the saltiness and umami flavor while far lower in fat content. These baked zucchini chips have thinly sliced zucchini instead of potatoes, and by baking instead of frying, you cut the fattiness of this snack. Coat the zucchini slices in olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, and nutritional yeast for extra flavor before baking.

Gluten-Free Trail Mix Cookies

The best part of going out on the trail is digging into a bag of trail mix. Now you can get the same feeling at home with this healthy vegan and gluten-free trail mix cookie recipe!

Combine your favorite gluten-free flour, rolled oats, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Cream together coconut oil and sugar, add coconut milk and vanilla, then add your trail mix snacks such as chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruit. Bake the cookies immediately or save the dough for when a craving strikes!

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted chickpeas are a great way to add a plant-based source of protein to meals such as salads and wraps, but they make for good snacks on their own as well. You can customize them using any seasonings you like or use this recipe as a guide.

To make the crispiest roasted chickpeas, roast drained canned chickpeas alone for 15 minutes, then coat in olive oil and spices.

Potato Cakes

These potato cakes are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes (which don’t heat up well on their own) and prepare a plant-based snack. Just combine potatoes with rice, diced onion, grated carrots, and herbs and shape into patties. Once you fry the patties, the crispy, fluffy cakes will be a crowd-pleaser.

DIY Microwave Popcorn

No movie night is complete without popcorn, and this recipe yields movie-theater style, savory, greasy popcorn without butter or cheese. Plus, if you have a popcorn popper, you can make this snack in minutes by using it.

To make perfect vegan popcorn, first pop the corn. Then, top with melted vegan butter, salt, and nutritional yeast for a hint of cheesy flavor.

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Not much can top the flavor combination of peanut butter and chocolate, and mixing the two in the form of a protein ball recipe is the best way to do it. This recipe combines these two ingredients into an easy no-bake ball of flavor and goodness.

These peanut butter protein balls are filling thanks to their high protein content and are perfect for a sweet pick-me-up that isn’t packed with refined sugar. All-natural peanut butter serves as the tasty, healthy base for these snacks. Other ingredients include honey (or rice syrup to keep it fully vegan), salt, vanilla, shredded coconut, rolled oats, and mini chocolate chips.

Chocolate Digestive Biscuits

You don’t have to give up your favorite cookies from the grocery store after going plant-based when you can make vegan dupes at home. These chocolate-covered digestives go well with a cup of tea or on their own.

The ingredients list is short, making this a simple snack to make. All you need is flour, sweetener, baking powder, salt, vegan butter, and non-dairy milk. As the cookies are baking, make the chocolate topping by melting chocolate with coconut oil.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is the classic Italian antipasto, or appetizer. Make this vegan version for the next time you host a dinner party or just as a snack for yourself.

Bruschetta sounds fancy but is very easy to make, as shown by this easy recipe. Start by dicing tomato and mixing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, basil, and herbs. While the vegetables sit, toast slices of crusty bread, then top with the tomatoes.

Sticky Backed Sesame Cauliflower

Replicate your favorite Chinese takeout flavors at home with this snack that’s delicious but also incredibly healthy thanks to the cauliflower base. The baked cauliflower is crunchy, contrasting with the sticky-sweet sauce.

To make this sticky sesame cauliflower recipe, dip cauliflower florets into a flour-and-water batter and bake. Meanwhile, make a sesame sauce by combining toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic, agave, and soy sauce. Toss the cauliflower in the sauce and top with sesame seeds.

Peanut Butter SwirlsBrookies

Brownie + Cookie = ‘Brookie’. This is the basis for these sweet treats – a vegan brownie-based cookie topped with a peanut butter swirl. Chocolate-peanut butter combinations are always a winner.

To enhance the peanut butter flavor, these cookies also use nut flour in the mixture. Easy to make, easy to bake, easy to eat, these peanut butter swirl cookies make a great addition to your snack list.

Jalapeño Poppers

Jalapeno poppers are a game-day favorite. The combination of creamy filling and spicy pepper exterior melds different flavors and textures, which pleases a giant crowd of people (although as supplies run low, it’s every person for themself). This recipe adds a vegan twist to the classic dish.

Instead of cream cheese, these vegan jalapeño poppers are filled with a cashew-based “cheese” sauce. To make the filling, you will combine soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, and plenty of spices. Blitz together in a food processor, spoon onto your peppers, and top with crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch.

Chickpea Bombay Mix

Chickpeas are a staple of vegan cooking thanks to their high protein content and rich, meaty flavor. Besides featuring in curries, sauces, and other main dishes, they can also be a delicious snack in their own right. Roasted chickpeas are a popular component in many Indian street food snacks and some companies even sell them as a snack in grocery stores.

You can make your own spice-roasted chickpea Bombay mix, start by coating garbanzo beans in olive oil, chili powder, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and coriander. Then, spread the chickpeas in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until they are crispy. 

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips

The air fryer is your secret weapon when making quick, vegan-friendly snacks that you can eat immediately or scarf down later when you need a boost. Crispy sweet potato chips are packed with salty-sweet flavor and are filling enough to fuel you until your next meal. 

Start by thinly slicing sweet potatoes into slices. Toss them in olive oil and salt for flavor. Then, add them to your air fryer basket (be sure to add only a single layer to keep them crispy, you may need to work in batches). Fry for about 10 to 12 minutes until the potatoes are crispy.

Sweet Potato Balls

Sweet potato balls are a great snack or even appetizer if you’re planning a dinner party. These small treats are packed with savory and sweet flavors. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and have some on hand any time the cravings strike.

To make sweet potato balls, start by boiling the sweet potatoes. Once they are cool, cut them into chunks. Then, add the sweet potatoes to a food processor along with sautéed shallots, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. Blitz until you get a dough, which you can bake immediately or freeze for later.

Pecan Snack Bars

Granola bars are one of the best healthy pick-me-ups. However, the store-bought versions are often packed with artificial sugars and non-vegan ingredients. By making your own snack bars packed with delicious roasted pecans, you have full control over the ingredients (and they will taste better).

To make pecan snack bars, toast the pecans to bring out their flavors. Then, combine with pecan butter, oats, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Let the bars chill overnight in a square tin, then cut into squares.

Simple Guacamole

This delicious, creamy Mexican dip is a crowd favorite at Mexican restaurants, but you don’t have to wait until you go out to eat or settle for watery grocery store versions. You can easily make your own guacamole for a vibrant, creamy dip that makes the perfect snack along with tortilla chips.

The key to perfect guacamole is the right avocadoes. Make sure that your avocados are perfectly ripe. Then, slice them in half, scoop out the flesh, and mash them. Add red onion, lime juice, salt, and pepper, then stir to combine. You can adjust the seasonings according to your preferences; some people like adding a little garlic or chopped up tomato.

Edamame

Edamame is a snack made of blanched, green soy beans. These little beans are packed with protein and fiber, making this the perfect vegan snack that helps you feel full until the next meal.

You can get prepared edamame beans or pods in the grocery store, including funkier varieties such as wasabi-coated edamame. However, if all you can find is fresh edamame, you can prepare this snack at home. All you have to do is boil fresh or frozen edamame until the pods start opening on their own, and then coat them with sea salt.