Plant-Based Perfection: 10 Best Vegan Party Foods

'Cheesy' Pizza Scrolls

Ingredients

• 1 package of ready-made pizza dough
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for brushing

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Roll out the pizza dough into a rectangular shape on a lightly floured surface.
3. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
4. Sprinkle the shredded vegan mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
5. Top the cheese with the chopped capsicum, sliced olives, and sliced mushrooms.
6. Season everything with the dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
7. Starting from one of the shorter ends of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly into a log.
8. Slice the log into rounds, about 4 cm thick, and arrange them on the prepared baking tray.
9. Brush the tops of the scrolls with a little bit of olive oil.
10.  Bake the scrolls for 20-25 minutes, or until they're golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
11.  Let the scrolls cool slightly before serving.

Chocolate Banana 'Ice Cream'

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• Vegan chocolate chips or nuts for topping (optional)

Method

1. Peel the bananas and slice them into coins. Place the banana slices in a sealable bag and freeze them for at least 2 hours, or until they're completely frozen.
2. Once the bananas are frozen, place them in a food processor or high-speed blender.
3. Add the cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the food processor or blender.
4. Blend everything together until it's smooth and creamy. You might need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to make sure everything gets blended.
5. At this point, you can either serve the ice cream immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or you can transfer it to a loaf pan or container and freeze it for another 2 hours for a firmer consistency.
6. If desired, sprinkle some vegan chocolate chips or nuts on top of the ice cream before serving.

Chocolate Brownies With Coconut Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Coconut Caramel:

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Method

For the Brownies:

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C and line a 20cm baking pan with baking paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
6. Bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan.

For the Coconut Caramel:

1. In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly.
2. Continue to simmer the mixture for about 15-20 minutes, or until it has reduced by half and thickened into a caramel consistency.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
4. Allow the caramel to cool for a few minutes, then pour it over the cooled brownies. Spread it out evenly with a spatula.
5. Place the brownies in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until the caramel has set.
6. Once the caramel has set, lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut them into squares.

Classic Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Method

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil.
2. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, and blend until everything is well combined and smooth.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl.
5. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top of the hummus and add the pomegranate seeds.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley.
7. Serve the hummus with pita bread, crackers, or fresh vegetables.

Crispy Potato Wedges

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Fresh parsley and dill (optional), for garnish

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C.
2. Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut them into wedges, leaving the skin on.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
4. Add the potato wedges to the bowl and toss them around until they're well coated in the seasoning mixture.
5. Arrange the potato wedges in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Bake the potato wedges for 30-35 minutes, flipping them halfway through, or until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
7. Once the potato wedges are done cooking, transfer them to a serving plate.
8. Garnish the potato wedges with fresh herbs if desired.

Crunchy Cauliflower Popcorn

Ingredients

• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Rinse the cauliflower and dry it thoroughly. Cut it into small florets, about the size of popcorn.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic powder, red chilli flakes, salt, and black pepper.
4. Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss them around until they're well coated in the seasoning mixture.
5. Spread the cauliflower florets out on the prepared baking tray in a single layer.
6. Bake the cauliflower for 20-25 minutes, or until it's crispy and golden brown, stirring halfway through.
7. Once the cauliflower is cooked, let it cool slightly before serving.

Hearty Lentil Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried green lentils
• 2 cups water
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 tbsp flaxseed meal
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil

To serve:

• Burger buns
• Lettuce, beetroot, tomato, pickles, and vegan mayo for serving

Method

1. Rinse the lentils under cold water and drain them.
2. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the lentils, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let the lentils simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until they're tender and have absorbed all the water. Let them cool.
3. While the lentils are cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot to the pan and sauté them until soft.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked lentils, sautéed vegetables, oat flour, flaxseed meal, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until well combined.
5. Form the mixture into patties.
6. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side, or until they're golden brown and crispy.
7. Serve the lentil burgers on burger buns with lettuce, beetroot, tomato, pickles, and vegan mayo.

Spicy Jackfruit Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 cans of green jackfruit in brine, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 8 small corn tortillas
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish)
• Lime wedges (for serving)

Method

1. Shred the drained jackfruit with your hands or a fork until it resembles pulled meat.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté them until soft and fragrant.
4. Add the shredded jackfruit, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir everything together.
5. Pour the vegetable broth into the pan and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes, or until the jackfruit is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
6. While the jackfruit is cooking, warm the corn tortillas in a dry pan over medium heat until they're soft and pliable.
7. To assemble the tacos, spoon some of the jackfruit mixture onto each tortilla and top it with a few slices of avocado.
8. Garnish the tacos with fresh coriander and serve them with lime wedges on the side.

Vegan Kale Fritters

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh kale leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped kale leaves, chickpea flour, garlic powder, dried parsley, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
2. Add the water to the bowl and stir everything together until well combined and you have a thick batter.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
4. Once the oil is hot, use a spoon to scoop a portion of the batter and drop it into the pan.
5. Flatten the batter slightly with a spatula to form a fritter.
6. Repeat this process until you've used all the batter, spacing the fritters out in the pan so they don't touch each other.
7. Fry the fritters for 3-4 minutes per side, or until they're golden brown and crispy.
8. Once the fritters are cooked, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess oil.
9. Serve the fritters immediately, garnished with additional chopped kale if desired.

Zesty Guacamole

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
• 1 tomato, diced 
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with a fork until they reach your desired consistency.
2. Add the onion, tomato, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno pepper and coriander to the mashed avocados and mix until combined.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to two days.