35 Best Vegan Appetizers

Who says you need meat or dairy to have a good time? These easy vegan appetizers are fun and flavorful. You won't be able to get enough of them!

These easy vegan appetizers prove how fun plant-based eating can be! As I compiled this list over the weekend, I found myself itching to make each one of these vegan appetizer recipes. They’re colorful, bold, and bright, the kind of food that makes you want to reach out and try it…and then go back for another bite. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or someone who eats everything, you’re going to love these vegan appetizers! They range from creamy dips to refreshing salsas, from pretzels to spring rolls to bruschetta and beyond. Over the years, we’ve made them for parties, date nights, cookouts,…

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Steamed Dumplings

This steamed dumplings recipe is one of our favorite cooking projects! Thanks to kimchi and shiitakes, the filling is spicy, savory, and delicious.

Over the years, Jack and I have made so many steamed dumplings together. Like all our favorite cooking projects (sushi, bao buns), steamed dumplings have a simple division of tasks. I make the filling, and Jack makes the dumplings. Then, we eat! If you’re looking for a fun activity for a weekend, a date-night-in, or even New Year’s Eve, I hope you try this steamed dumplings recipe. It’s a blast to make, and it’s not at all complicated (thanks, store bought wonton wrappers!). Best of all, it’s delicious. The filling is spicy and savory, with a refreshing gingery kick. I…

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Almond Butter Cookies

These almond butter cookies have crumbly edges, tender middles, and a sweet, nutty flavor. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt takes them over the top!

This almond butter cookies recipe was a happy accident. The first time I made it, I had one of my I-need-a-cookie-and-I-need-it-now cravings, and I headed to the kitchen to see what I could do about it. I found all the ingredients to my vegan peanut butter cookie recipe – sugar, flour, baking powder, you know the drill. All the ingredients, that is, except for one: peanut butter! Would almond butter work in its place? YES! As soon as I tried these cookies, I wondered, “Why haven’t I been making almond butter cookies all along?” They have crumbly edges, thick, tender…

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Roasted Vegetables

Learn how to make the BEST oven roasted vegetables! I'm sharing an easy recipe + tips to help you cook tender, flavorful roasted veggies every time.

Roasted Vegetables

Welcome to roasted vegetables 101! Below, I’m sharing my go-to roasted vegetables recipe, plus tips and tricks to help you cook them perfectly every time. Of all the different ways to cook vegetables, roasting is my favorite. I love it because… It’s easy. You can make perfect roasted veggies in under 30 minutes. It works with a variety of vegetables. You can roast bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and more. It’s delicious. Roasting vegetables in a hot oven brings out their natural sweetness. They come out tender and flavorful with crisp, caramelized edges. They’re so tasty that I often eat them straight…

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17 Easy Cookie Recipes

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these easy cookie recipes! With sugar cookies, chocolate chip, oatmeal, and more, you're sure to find something you love.

I am not the kind of person who plans to make cookie recipes in advance. I don’t set aside time to brown butter or temper chocolate. And quite frankly, chilling dough for 24, 48, or 72 (72, seriously?) hours is completely out of the question. When I make cookie recipes, it’s because I’m craving cookies. Not tomorrow, not in 4 hours, but now.  For that reason, I’ve developed a slew of easy cookie recipes over the years. Some are chocolatey, some are buttery, others are nutty, oat-y, or spiced. Below, you’ll find 17 of my favorites. Whether you’re looking to round…

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Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

This sautéed broccoli rabe recipe is a simple, elegant dinner side dish. Garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice brighten the tender bitter greens.

Broccoli rabe has to be one of my favorite green vegetables. Despite its name, it’s actually more closely related to turnips than to broccoli, and it has a distinctive bitter, peppery flavor to show for it. I featured it in the Sides section of my second cookbook, Love & Lemons Every Day, but I recently realized that there are no broccoli rabe recipes on the blog. How on earth did that happen? This sautéed broccoli rabe recipe is here to set things right. It’s super simple—a vibrant, nutrient-packed side dish that you can toss together on any night of the…

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French Onion Dip

This homemade French onion dip puts the store bought kind to shame! Creamy, tangy, and packed with umami flavor, it's sure to vanish in minutes.

For me, there’s almost nothing more nostalgic than French onion dip and ridged potato chips. They take me right back to the holiday parties of my childhood, where store bought tubs of French onion dip had a permanent spot on the snack table. When my sister and I were growing up, my mom always served us healthy, homemade food, so that French onion dip was a real treat. I’d shovel down as much of it as I could, relishing every bite of the creamy dip with the salty chips. This year, I finally got around to developing my own French…

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Honey Mustard Dressing

So long, store bought salad dressing! This honey mustard dressing recipe is easy to make, and it's packed with irresistible sweet and tangy flavor.

This homemade honey mustard dressing is like magic. Whenever I have it on hand, I eat salads like crazy, just to taste its sweet, tangy, spicy flavor. If I’m out of greens, I use it as a dipping sauce, dunking sliced bell peppers until I don’t have any dressing left. If you’re someone who’s trying to eat more veggies, make this honey mustard dressing recipe. You’ll find yourself tossing together salads and snacking on carrot sticks left and right! Unlike many store bought honey mustard salad dressings, this one is totally dairy-free. Its smooth, lightly creamy texture comes from emulsified…

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What are Leeks? (And How to Cook Them)

Leeks add sweet, oniony flavor to soups, stews, pastas, and more! Read on to learn how to cut and cook them, and find some of my favorite leek recipes.

Ever heard of potato leek soup? I thought so! But how often do you cook leeks in other recipes? Have you tried them in pasta, stuffing, or risotto? Have you eaten them on their own? If I had my way, we’d all be eating leeks way more often. They’re incredibly versatile, adding unique, sweet, and mild onion flavor to a huge range of dishes. To spread the leek love, I’m sharing my go-to methods for how to cut, clean, and cook leeks below, as well as my favorite leek recipes. If you have a leek in your fridge right now,…

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Sautéed Broccoli

Learn how to sauté broccoli like a pro! This easy sautéed broccoli recipe is a light, healthy side dish or delicious addition to pastas, bowls, and more.

I’ll say it: I don’t cook sautéed broccoli often enough. I don’t know why, but whenever I have broccoli on hand, my first impulse is to roast it. But a few weeks back, I was making this butternut squash pasta for dinner, and I needed a quick and easy side dish to pair with it. I chopped up a bunch of broccoli and cooked it on the stove with lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. The broccoli florets came out vibrant green and tender, while the stalks kept a nice al dente bite. It was so simple, flavorful, and refreshing…

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Vegan Frosting

This vegan frosting recipe is perfect for cakes, bars, cookies, and more! With just 4 ingredients, it's sweet, creamy, tangy, and super easy to make.

The next time you need to dress up cookies, bars, or cake, make this vegan frosting recipe! Made with just 4 ingredients, it’s an easy way to turn everyday baked goods into special occasion treats. Want to transform a simple carrot cake into a birthday-worthy layer cake? Make this vegan frosting! Wish that your muffins were a little more like cupcakes? This vegan frosting can help with that too. This recipe is my plant-based riff on classic cream cheese frosting, so its flavor is rich, sweet, and tangy. I especially love it on my vegan carrot cake and pumpkin bars,…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.