40 Easy Gluten-Free Appetizers Everyone Will Love
Gluten-free or not, we're going to eat these up.
Got some gluten-free pals on your party invite list? Never fear, there's actually so many appetizer recipes out there that'll make everyone happy, and just happen to be naturally gluten-free, too. Planning a party is tricky enough, why stress about the appetizer spread? We've made it simple to please all of your guests—gluten-free or not—with these delicious gluten-free appetizers to feed your whole crowd (like bacon wrapped scallops, reuben pickle bites, and baked salmon sushi cups). These anything-but-restrictive dips, skewers, and bites are so delicious, they just might upstage the main meal.
When it comes to making gluten-free recipes, you're going to want to watch out for a couple ingredients that may seem harmless but actually contain gluten. Soy sauce comes in a gluten-free version, and you can use tamari in a pinch too. Tortilla chips are nearly always gluten-free, thanks to corn as a base, but make sure to check the label! Worcestershire sauce, one of the main ingredients in a homemade cocktail sauce for shrimp cocktail (another favorite gluten-free app!), is almost always gluten-free, but do look out for malt vinegar (which does contain gluten).
With these swaps in your back pocket, a whole world of other recipes opens up that you can easily make gluten-free! You just might find yourself adding some of our gluten-free dinners or gluten-free desserts to your rotation. Want even more easy appetizer ideas? Try our favorite vegan appetizers, keto appetizers, as well as our favorite last-minute appetizers.
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail With Lemon-Horseradish Aioli
This twist on a dinner party classic embraces the signature flavors of shrimp cocktail and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Typically, shrimp cocktail brings to mind a large platter of chilled shrimp and a sweet, tangy sauce.
Get the Roasted Shrimp Cocktail With Lemon-Horseradish Aioli recipe.
Cranberry Whipped Feta Dip
If you're looking for a gluten-free holiday appetizer, look no further than this dip: Fresh feta cheese is combined with herbs, garlic, and cream cheese, whipped until super-smooth, then topped with tart homemade cranberry sauce, toasted pistachios, and honey. The result is a salty, creamy, sweet, tart, and absolutely irresistible dip.
Get the Cranberry Whipped Feta Dip recipe.
Baked Salmon Sushi Cups
Making sushi at home can be intimidating, what with making sushi rice, rolling it up just right, and dealing with raw fish. With these baked salmon sushi cups, you can skip all that but still get all the flavors of your favorite roll. Baked in mini muffin tins, these also come together fast, making them perfect to serve as a bite-sized app at your next party.
Get the Baked Salmon Sushi Cups recipe.
Reuben Pickle Bites
Here at Delish, we’re all about a good reuben sandwich. Creamy dressing, corned beef, Swiss cheese… what’s not to love? In fact, the classic reuben flavors are so good, we’re constantly reinventing ways to get more of them, like our hot reuben dip and our reuben mac & cheese. Next up, these reuben pickle bites: They’re the perfect bite-size appetizer (and they come together SO fast).
Get the Reuben Pickle Bites recipe.
Caprese Bites
This is the easiest party appetizer that always wins. The only cooking required is turning your balsamic vinegar into balsamic glaze, but if you'd rather a completely hands-off version, feel free to use a store-bought glaze.
Get the Caprese Bites recipe.
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
Bacon-wrapped scallops are one of those dishes that wow guests but secretly are so easy to make (only 5 ingredients!). For best results, use big sea scallops and thin-cut, conventional bacon, but feel free to swap out the herbs for whatever you like.
Get the Bacon-Wrapped Scallops recipe.
Cranberry Brie Jalapeño Poppers
Cranberry brie bites are by far one of our favorite appetizers for the holidays, but jalapeño poppers also have place in our hearts too... So why not combine them? The spice of the jalapeño goes so well with the tart cranberries.
Get the Cranberry Brie Jalapeño Poppers recipe.
Whipped Ricotta With Olives & Roasted Red Peppers
Whipped ricotta is beyond easy to make, even though it sounds so delicate and fancy. Topping with marinated olives and roasted red peppers gives the dip a briny flavor, and the red and green makes it extra festive.
Get the Whipped Ricotta With Olives & Roasted Red Peppers recipe.
Harissa Deviled Eggs
The bite-sized party classic gets a smoky kick from harissa (Tunisian chili pepper paste) in this simple but flavorful deviled eggs recipe. Topped with crispy fried shallots and fresh cilantro, it may stray pretty far from the original, but it’s just as delicious.
Get the Harissa Deviled Eggs recipe.
Cannoli Chips & Dip
A Sicilian favorite across the globe, cannoli will always be a dreamy delicacy. In this version, the classic dessert is transformed from a creamy ricotta-filled crispy shell to a shareable party dip.
Get the Cannoli Chips & Dip recipe.
Bacon Wrapped Dates
If you're unfamiliar with dates, it's time to familiarize yourself! The date's sweetness is the perfect counterpoint to crisp, salty bacon and creamy goat cheese.
Get the Bacon Wrapped Dates recipe.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
This cauliflower is the perfect answer when everyone else is having Buffalo wings, but your more of a vegetable fan. All the Buffalo flavor you love coat these florets, which are then air-fried to perfection. It all comes together when you dip one into our perfectly creamy blue cheese dressing (but feel free to go with ranch dressing if you prefer!).
Get the Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower recipe.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you're throwing a Super Bowl party, your appetizer spread truly isn't complete without Buffalo chicken dip. If you're looking for the most hands-off version of this classic recipe, turn to your trusty slow cooker.
Get the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.
Antipasto Bites
Fresh tortellini make these the hearty bite-size appetizer of our dreams. Feel free to swap in and out your favorite ingredients (or have guests build their own from a topping bar!).
Get the Antipasto Bites recipe.
Bacon Spinach Dip
Bacon makes everything better, spinach dip included! The smoky bacon bits make it feel a little fancier, which is great for the holidays. That said, you can totally skip it. This dip has a lot going on with three different cheeses—no one will miss the meat.
Get the Bacon Spinach Dip recipe.
Muhammara
Looking for a last-minute app? Add this sweet and tangy roasted red pepper dip to your next dinner party menu. Muhammara comes together in just a few minutes using jarred roasted red peppers and a food processor.
Get the Muhammara recipe.
Bacon Guac Bombs
Bacon + guacamole = our ideal combo always. Put them in bite-sized form like these in these snack bombs, and we truly can't get enough. Homemade guacamole is rolled into pieces of bacon in these keto-friendly apps that are just as perfect for snacking on throughout the day as they are at your Super Bowl party.
Get the Bacon Guac Bombs recipe.
Caramelized Onion Dip
A party without dip is hardly a party at all, and onion dip tends to reign supreme at celebrations year-round. It’s creamy, savory, and perfectly scoop-able, so it’s no wonder it’s always the first to disappear. With this recipe, we take the classic onion dip one step further by incorporating deeply caramelized onions into the mix.
Get the Caramelized Onion Dip recipe.
Melon Prosciutto Skewers
The classic sweet and salty combination of cantaloupe and prosciutto will never go out of style. The addition of fresh basil and creamy mozzarella makes a good thing even better. If you're feeling fancy, make the balsamic glaze from scratch! We love this recipe from our balsamic-glazed carrots.
Get the Melon Prosciutto Skewers recipe.
