Vegan Guide to Party Food
As a vegan or vegetarian, theres nothing worse than showing up to a party, only to find that there is absolutely nothing that you can actually eat. There’s a few ways to fix this: eat before the party, tell the host that you need special foods prepared for you, or bring your own array of delicious vegan and vegetarian friendly snacks! Now if you are the one hosting the party, you can go wild! Make an all vegan buffet for you and your party guests, create yummy snacks and go crazy with some custom party decorations!
Before planning food for any party, it is important to ask all of your guests if they have any food limitations or allergies. A lot of vegan foods are made with soy, and that is a very common allergen. Also watch out for things like nuts and gluten. It is fairly easy to modify any recipe to be gluten, soy and nut free, you just have to know what you’re looking for when you make a trip to the grocery store. I would suggest skipping the standard grocery store and trying out a more specialized establishment such as Whole Foods, Sprouts or any other store that is friendly toward food preferences, moral beliefs and intolerances.
Let’s start with dessert first!
S’mores
One crowd favorite that you can almost NEVER find vegan is s’mores. It’s always quite a disappointment when everyone is having fun, sitting around the campfire and eating that classic, gooey delicacy and you’re are left out, just staring at everyone enjoying their tasty treats. S’mores are actually very easy to make vegan, seeing as they are only made with three ingredients. Whole Foods actually carries some delicious vegan marshmallows called Dandies.
These do however contain soy, so make sure all of your guests can eat them! There are many other brands of vegan marshmallows, so feel free to pick and choose what’s best for your party!
Now it is pretty tricky to find graham crackers that don’t contain honey, but luckily, Annie’s brand has cinnamon grahams that are perfect for adding a little excitement to the mix. Lastly, chocolate. It is actually very easy to find vegan chocolate. Sometimes you can even find it at pharmacy stores or gas stations! There are hundreds of different brands, however, my favorite happens to be Endangered Species. Each one is inspired by a different endangered animal, and they are all gluten free!
Don’t be afraid to go crazy with your s’mores. buy a variety of chocolates and mix and match!
Waffles
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t like waffles. What’s not to love? The only trick with this Vegan waffle recipe is you kind of need a waffle press for it to work. you could always use the batter for pancakes though! Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts all have a wide variety of vegan toppings to put on your waffles, but I would suggest keeping it simple with some yummy berries. If you'd like to spice it up with some whipped cream, there are plenty of delicious recipes made with all different kinds of ingredients.
Here’s a really great waffle recipe from a great website called lovingitvegan.com
You can’t forget the whipped cream! And this recipe is amazing.
Now this wouldn’t be a party without decorations, would it? These adorable waffle themed decorations are the perfect addition to your party!
Sprinkle some fun confetti on the Buffett table, chairs, couch and even the floor. Theres no wrong way to do it!
Snack Time
Nothing says “party” like pizza, right? This isn’t just any pizza, this is personalized bagel mini pizzas! Go out and purchase a couple different kinds of bagels. if you can find freshly baked artisan bagels, even better. Just make sure they don't contain eggs, milk, cheese or any other non vegan ingredients. It’s fairly easy to find vegan bagels. If you can’t get to a bakery in time, try Thomas or Cobblestone brand. They aren't cheap but oh-so delicious. It’s a little bit more of a challenge to find gluten free bagels, but try the frozen gluten free section at Whole Foods. Next, get some of your favorite pasta or pizza sauce in a jar ( you can make it too, this is just a little easier). It’s easy to find tomato sauce that’s vegan friendly, just watch out for the cheesy kind. Now, on to the vegan cheese. My favorite brand is Chao, a coconut based cheese, but there are many kinds ranging from nut cheese to soy cheese. If you are feeling really daring, try this delicious cashew cheese recipe from wallflowerkitchen.com I have tried it myself, and let me tell you, it is incredible.
The rest is up to you! Sauté some yummy veggies like mushrooms, onions, peppers and garlic, or even buy some vegan meats like this pepperoni from veganessentials.com
The possibilities are endless!
What’s more vegan than a big ‘ol bowl of fruit? Nothing. That’s what. Why not make a huge, healthy fruit salad for the gang? Try some fruits that you normally wouldn’t think to use. Maybe go for a tropical theme and use fruits like pineapple, mango, papaya and banana. Be daring and explore the local asian food market. Try out foreign fruits like guava, dragon fruit and asian pears. Keep it interesting and make it fun with some fruity decor like this hanging garland!
And there you have it, an extremely limited guide to vegan party food. These are just some simple suggestions to get you started. Get out of your comfort zone, don’t be afraid to try new recipes and post importantly, have fun!
-Anna Makar
- Party At Your Door Staff
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