15 Vegan and Vegetarian Tailgate Party Snacks

This delicious and spicy finger food is a simple three-step recipe that your guests will love. With a creamy inside and spicy crunch on the outside, they won't last long at your party. If you're vegan, substitute the cream cheese and Cheddar cheese for their dairy-free counterparts.

Trading the carnivore lifestyle for a more plant-friendly diet often means missing the flavors associated with meat dishes, like Buffalo and BBQ sauce. These tofu wings help scratch that Buffalo chicken itch and are best served with vegan ranch dressing and celery sticks.

For many reasons, sliders are a host's best friend. Not only is it easy to make the BBQ sauce for these jackfruit sliders, but they're an easy dish to serve. "Jackfruit is very versatile and this recipe is awesome. Your BBQ sauce will make or break the recipe so use a good one! Served with coleslaw this makes a vegetarian dream sandwich and meat eaters will love it too!" —Bethalex

Use your handy air fryer to make this chili-lime-flavored snack. To amp up the flavor even more, this simple recipe includes a seasoned mayo dipping sauce.

No air fryer? Try these other recipes for sweet potato fries.

"So good... All of these ingredients wouldn't fit in our slow cooker so we put it in a big pot on the stove for about 4–5 hours and let it simmer. Delicious. Everything just melts in your mouth. And the taste! You can't even tell it doesn't have meat in it. Lovely." —MTCHYG

With all of the salty and savory dishes at your party, a fudgy dessert is the perfect item to balance your taste palate. Watch out — you might be tempted to eat a few before the party even starts. Go for the win and serve with ice cream.

Use this versatile condiment to make cheesy nachos or, queso dip, or just serve with chips, crackers, or veggies.

"So yummy! Have made these several times with butter and with a teaspoon of vanilla with the egg. Perfect. Have also added a drizzle of glaze after bars have cooled. Even better!" —sharon johnston

"Spicy little crunchy gems. Yum!! After rinsing the chickpeas I allowed them to dry for half an hour on paper towel. I think this helped in making them super crispy. Awesome snack recipe. Leftovers go great in salads!" —Buckwheat Queen

Don't shy away from getting creative when it comes to making your macaroni and cheese for these fried balls. Feel free to add Gouda or Gruyère , or any of your favorite cheese to the Cheddar. Give yourself plenty of time because the tasty mixture needs to chill before you form it into balls and freeze before frying. 

"Delicious, made for a late lunch today. Used pinto beans that I cooked in a crock pot for another recipe. This was so good and easy. Served them with chopped onion, salsa, queso, guacamole, and pickled jalapeños. My family really enjoyed. Will make again." —TammyC

Who needs to eat frozen patties when a recipe for black bean burgers like this exists? In order to make these vegan, swap out the egg for a flax egg or similar plant-based binder. These will be a great option for a slider that can be cooked in the oven, sautéed on a pan, or grilled. Serve with all the toppings you love on your burgers.

"These tasted amazing and my non-vegetarian husband loved them! Like others I did sub some of the breadcrumbs for Parmesan cheese. I also added a little ketchup and Worcestershire. I recommend baking them in the oven and not cooking them in sauce to make sure they don't fall apart. Will definitely make these again!" —Sharon Bellina

These spicy fried pickles are an easy appetizer that won't take more than 20 minutes to fry. "Excellent," says LISAMET. "After I patted the pickle slices dry I put them in flour; then egg; and then the bread crumb mixture. I then put them on a parchment paper-lined pan and put them in the freezer for a couple hours. I think that really helped the breading to stay on."

"When you're craving wings and don't want the fat — or are a vegetarian — this is a great alternative snack! I altered the recipe slightly by using panko instead of the croutons and I used ranch instead of blue cheese which was tasty as a dipping sauce as well. If you like your 'wings' spicy, I would add a little more hot sauce. I also left the cauliflower in the oven 5–10 minutes longer (or until they were golden brown). The results are very good!" —cookin'mom