Impress everyone with these easy healthy appetizers! These recipes are packed with flavor and wholesome ingredients, perfect for parties, gatherings, or snacking.
It’s hard to find great appetizer recipes: ones that have flavors guests will love and are easy to make while juggling cooking the main meal. So if you’re also looking for healthy appetizer recipes, and it’s triply difficult!
What does healthy mean when it comes to appetizers? We’re cookbook authors and experts in the Mediterranean diet style of eating and living, a diet that’s been called one of the healthiest in the world. To us, healthy appetizers fit into this style of eating. Here, we’ve put together the best healthy appetizer recipes that get the most rave reviews when they make them for parties.
What does healthy mean?
The Mediterranean diet has been called one of the best diets in the world according to US News and World Report. This way of eating and living derives from the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, like Italy and Greece. It’s not a strict diet, but more a set of guidelines.
We’ve been eating this way for over a decade and can confirm: we’ve never felt better! Here’s how the Mayo Clinic defines the Mediterranean diet:
- Whole grains like oats, quinoa, barley, and so forth. Prioritize whole wheat or whole grain bread.
- Fruits and vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Yogurt in moderation
- Milk and natural or light cheeses in moderation, like cottage cheese, ricotta and goat cheese (per the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic)
- Eggs in moderation (1 egg per day)
- Olive oil (instead of butter)
- Fish and some poultry
- Limited red meat and added sugars
And now, our top healthy appetizer recipes!
To us, healthy is not so much about calorie-counting. It’s eating whole foods with lots of nutrients, heavy on the vegetables. Many of the recipes below are made with nutrient-rich ingredients and are gluten-free appetizers, vegan appetizers, or vegetarian appetizers. All of them are delicious and total crowd pleasers!
Here’s a recipe that’s ideal for parties and entertaining in any season: Hummus Dip! Spread hummus on a platter or in a bowl, then top with cool cucumber, tomatoes, olives, artichokes and feta cheese. Each bite is a burst of tangy, bright and creamy flavor! Serve with pita bread, pita chips, or crackers.
This healthy vegetarian buffalo chicken dip is a lighter spin using chickpeas to make an irresistibly creamy, spicy appetizer! Everyone who tries it raves about this one—it’s perfect for a table of game day snacks or party finger food.
No joke, we think this spin on everyone’s favorite dip is better than the real thing. Meet vegan spinach artichoke dip, the snack that no one will believe is plant-based! It’s easy to whip up and requires no special dairy substitutes, just a few regular ingredients. Creamy and bursting with flavor, it will make a splash at your next party!
Next up in our healthy appetizer recipes: bean dip! This refried bean dip is seriously tasty and has no cheese, a healthy version of cheesy Mexican dip without the extra calories. You can use our homemade Instant Pot refried beans, homemade refried beans, or canned as the base. Top it with salsa fresca and it's a healthy spin on a bean dip that's seriously satisfying.
This simple combination of sweetened yogurt, almonds and apple slices is so refreshing and delicious, it’s hard to stop sneaking bites. It’s really just loaded apple slices, but it’s all in the branding, right? Load it up with the healthy toppings of your choice.
This baked goat cheese appetizer recipe is a total crowd pleaser! Every time we serve it, people literally cannot stop eating it. It features a tangy homemade marinara sauce, simmered until perfectly flavored, then baked with creamy, tangy goat cheese. Dip in crostini or crusty bread, and it's to die for. It's one of the most popular healthy appetizers on our website.
Here's a fun healthy appetizer idea: a good salsa! Salsa made with corn is zingy and bright, with sweet pops from the kernels and a zingy flavoring of lime, cilantro and cumin. Use it for dipping tortilla chips, or spoon it onto tacos, into burritos and more! You can make it when sweet corn is in season, or use canned out of season.
This easy healthy appetizer recipe comes together in just 5 minutes! This one is a seriously quick go-to that works for last minute party appetizers. Simply mix together plain yogurt, cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup, and it comes together into the tastiest fruit dip imaginable! You'll never need to buy that overly sugary store-bought dip again.
A fan favorite healthy appetizer recipe: sweet potato rounds! This one's almost like a bruschetta that swaps in roasted sweet potatoes for bread. You'll top those roasted potato rounds with everything a loaded baked potato would love: sour cream, cheese, green onion, and a dollop of hot sauce. The flavor loaded into one bite is unreal! We make these often and guests gobble them down quickly.
Here's a fun healthy appetizer that's a spin on the standard guacamole: this creamy Avocado Dip! Dip a chip into this luxuriously creamy, intensely savory magic sauce and pow! The meld of avocado, lime, cilantro and cumin is like a heightened version of your favorite guac. Even better: unlike guacamole, it magically stays green in the refrigerator for days!
Chocolate hummus? That's what our guests wonder, and then they try it and become instant believers. This sweet version of hummus is made with cocoa powder, chickpeas, and maple syrup. It turns into the best dark chocolate-y dip for strawberries, green apple slices and pretzels. (oh, the sweet and salty combo!). It's like a healthy spin on a fruit dip recipe, but tastes even better.
Here's an old school appetizer recipe that never goes out of style: shrimp cocktail! It might not be first on your list of healthy appetizers, but did you know shrimp is a relatively low calorie food? 1 medium shrimp is only 7 calories, and 1 jumbo shrimp is 14 calories. Not to mention that shrimp are packed with nutrients and lean protein! Combine that with tomato-based cocktail sauce, also relatively low calorie, and you've got a pretty darn good-for-you appetizer.
Want a great healthy appetizer trick? This peanut butter dip! It’s just 4 ingredients and surprisingly tastes like frosting. How is this so good, yet so simple? It works for any occasion: a quick snack for kids, a family party, or a big snacks table.
Healthy appetizers should always be easy to whip up, we think! Here’s a trick that works for anytime and season: this Blueberry Goat Cheese appetizer! Imagine: a glossy, sweet tart blueberry sauce draped over a warm log of goat cheese, punctuated with pops of fresh herbs. Serve it on crackers or crostini, and no one will be able to stop dipping
This healthy appetizer recipe is 100% green veggies, and people can't get enough of it! Every time we serve this one, someone asks for the recipe. When we tell them it's just green peas, cilantro, and salsa verde, they don't believe it! Here's a great way to eat your green veggies: on top of tortilla chips.
Here’s a tasty dip with a party vibe: Texas caviar (aka cowboy caviar)! It was invented in Texas and then spread all over the US. This combo of black eyed peas, veggies, and vinaigrette dressing works both as a chip dip or healthy side dish. This recipe has loads of colorful veggies, cilantro, and jalapeños, and a zingy dressing with the perfect flavor.
Looking for a fun healthy appetizer idea? Try Fruit Skewers! Everything tastes better on a stick, right? This is a simple concept that’s more like an idea than a recipe: but it makes everyone go crazy for pure, fresh fruit. Use whatever fruits you like and if desired, serve with our favorite 3 ingredient fruit dip!
There’s nothing we love more than a recipe that’s ultra simple and delivers on flavor. Meet this 5-ingredient Cottage Cheese Dip! It tastes like that good old ranch dip but it’s made with this healthy low-calorie, high protein cheese! All you need are a few seasonings from your pantry to make this into a stellar party dip.
Here’s a healthy appetizer that we’re head over heels with: caponata! What’s caponata, you ask? This Sicilian specialty is an appetizer and a side dish, essentially a sweet and sour ratatouille with cooked eggplant, tomatoes and onion. It’s often spread on crusty bread as an appetizer or antipasti. It’s so full of tangy, garlicky flavor that once you’ve taken one bite, you’ll likely want to devour the entire serving dish!
And last up in our best appetizer recipes: baked falafel! This baked falafel with canned chickpeas is a spin on classic falafel that distills the traditional flavors into a shortcut that's simple to whip up as a vegan appetizer! Bake up these tasty balls of savory, herby goodness and dunk them into dips like hummus or cilantro sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! This post includes recipes that are gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Be sure to check the recipe notes for ingredient substitutions to cater to specific dietary needs.
Yes! Many healthy appetizers are perfect for prepping in advance. Try making loaded hummus dip, avocado dip, corn salsa, fruit dip, or marinated olives the day before your gathering.
Grilled shrimp skewers with a zesty marinade are light and flavorful. Edamame pods are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. Or, try this cucumber and smoked salmon appetizer!
More appetizer recipes
Love party appetizers? Here are a few more fun collections of party hits:
- Try our 50 Top Appetizer Recipes
- Go for 40 Fun Party Food Ideas or 35 Finger Food Ideas
- Try Gluten Free Appetizers, Vegan Appetizers or Vegetarian Appetizers
- Make our top Dip Recipes
