Ready to impress your guests or family like you never have before? Creating this vegan appetizer platter with hummus and cheese does not require a ton of work yet it’s simply gorgeous to look at.
No matter if you’re hosting a birthday party or one of the many holiday events throughout the year, there’s only so much time and money you want to spend on the food part.
And can we just all agree that food is one of the most important components of any get-together?
Not only can appetizer platters be gorgeous to look at, but you can also help your guests to fall in love with delicious plant-based food and try new snacks!
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From light and crunchy seasonal veggies to different types of hummus, fruity dips and all the delicious briny goodness, there’s something for everyone you can put on a vegan party platter.
You can customize this vegan appetizer to your liking and add not just hummus but also sour cream, chutney, roasted beans or anything else you love to it!
So, go get your prettiest wooden board and take notes as we go over our top tips for creating your own perfect almond cheese and hummus party platter.
Recipe overview
- The ultimate party appetizer
- Full of color, flavor & texture
- Bursting with nutrients
- Enjoyable finger food for kids & adults alike
- Featuring all the seasonal produce
- Great for discovering new foods & combos
- Works for all dietary restrictions
There really is no other recipe that requires so little effort yet impresses so much! This gorgeous platter is the perfect centerpiece for any gathering.
Try out different spreads and even cultured, artisan vegan cheeses you found at the store or ordered online!
How to make a vegan appetizer platter
Although it’s a rather simple task to put together a gorgeous hummus, veggie and cheese platter, you do need to be aware of a couple of key things!
Simple vegan platter formula
The key to a delicious appetizer platter is definitely variety. Make sure to choose from most of the following components for the best results!
- Raw vegetables
- Pickled, brined or roasted vegetables
- Bread, crackers or chips
- Different savory spreads
- One sweet spread
- Fresh or dried fruit
- Nuts or seeds
- Fresh herbs
Got one of each category? Great, here’s how you can get a pro at assembling vegan appetizer platters in no time — feel free to adapt it to your own themed or seasonal board.
1. Pick Your Produce
We recommend going for seasonal vegetables and offering a variety of colors as well as textures. This means that some vegetables like cucumber, kale or bell peppers can be offered raw while others look and taste great when roasted — think winter squash, Brussels sprouts or carrots (the latter of which can also be enjoyed raw, of course).
Here’s a simple guide to roasting vegetables either with or without oil. Choose your favorite veggies to highlight along with some new ones that you can display beautifully.
Depending on the season you’re currently in, you may not have many seasonal fruits to choose from. That’s okay, some sliced apple or tangerine works during winter — plus there’s always a fruity dip you can add to your appetizer platter.
2. Choose the Add-Ons
Remember, you need some savory dips, canned goods if possible and starchy dipping material! Choose between sliced baguette, crusty sourdough, simple crackers or toasted pita chips.
As for the dips themselves, we like to opt for a few different types of hummus — think beet or sundried tomato hummus, spinach or basil, traditional or curry-flavored hummus! Along with these, you may want to put a nut-based spread like almond ricotta or place a gorgeous nut cheese.
Anything that can be used as a great vehicle for bread or chips!
There are easy ways to make nut cheese at home (here’s a fantastic recipe for vegan aged camembert!) or simply get a store-bought one. Here are some top picks by VegNews.
Oh, and don’t forget about some fresh herbs, nuts (raw, roasted or candied) or dried fruit to garnish your hummus platter! We personally love a messy look on our appetizer board.
Crusted Almond Cheese Ball Recipe →
3. Intention & Equipment
Do you need to gather a couple of ingredients in a hurry because there will be guests at your house in 30 minutes? Perhaps just stick to a few basics (one from each category) and work with what you have on hand.
In this case, you should pick a small board that looks super cute with just a handful of different items — otherwise, your hummus, carrots and crackers will seem totally lost.
Generally, you definitely need to keep the size of your plate in mind so you don’t overload it with lots of plant-based goodness! Sure, plants are beautiful and we want to showcase that but you should make sure it doesn’t look super overcrowded.
4. Color & Texture
If you’re looking for a vegan Halloween– or St. Patrick Day-themed appetizer platter, totally go for that orange or green produce! But otherwise, it’s really pleasing to the eyes if you have a gorgeous board full of different colors and shapes.
Think broccoli florets next to carrot sticks, seeded crackers and a smooth cashew dip next to plump tomatoes — and don’t forget to top your hummus with some seeds, spices or chickpeas!
Little details like these can make even a simple appetizer platter look much more appealing. So, scatter around some berries or fresh herbs and layer chopped veggies on crackers!
5. Offer Different Flavors
If you think that two specific foods don’t go together, well you might be wrong — have you actually tried red pepper jelly on a celery stick topped with sesame seeds? Sure, we’ve all tried peanut butter on apple slices but now’s the time to go beyond that.
Being able to switch between salty, sweet, savory and tangy keeps things interesting and you ensure that each guest finds a new favorite combo.
As long as you offer some crusty bread alongside all of these exciting flavors to balance out the extremes, everything goes.
Vegan platter ideas
- Radicchio
- Seasonal berries
- Sea buckthorn
- Canned artichoke
- Tortilla chips
- Naan bread
- Avocado
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Marinated mushrooms
- Cornichons
- Baked sweet potato fries
- Lemon wedges
- Endive leaves
- Kale leaves
- Edible flowers
- Sugar snap peas
- Asparagus spears
- Vegan feta cheese
- English cucumber
- Sliced bell pepper
- Fennel
- Melon
- Dried fruit
- Roasted chickpeas
- Walnuts
Remember, the more color and texture, the better! When it comes to items such as carrots or tomatoes, you can try to get them in all kinds of different shades so your appetizer platter feels even more special.
Apart from adding all of the vegan hummus (again, multiple colors are gorgeous), here’s what else you can place in the center.
Our Favorite Dips
- Fresh tomato salsa
- Jam or chutney
- Garlic yogurt sauce
- Walnut or mushroom paté
- Tofu ranch dip
- Basil pesto
As you can see, you can make your vegan appetizer platter as seasonal and budget-friendly as you like!
Start with those items you definitely want to showcase, then just see how much room there’s left on your tray or board and whether you need some more color for the hummus platter.
By the way, leftovers from these appetizer arrangements make for a fantastic lunch the next day!
We hope you enjoyed our little guide to making your own vegan cheese and hummus platter — no need to feel overwhelmed, you cannot really mess this up.
More vegan recipes
Did you make your own vegan appetizer platter? Share with us in the comments below, make sure to rate this recipe and Pin it here.
Ingredients
- Carrot sticks orange & purple
- Cherry tomatoes
- Radishes
- Raw broccoli
- Celery stalks
- Pickled red onion
- Grapes
- Apple slices
- Figs
- Pomegranate
- Winter squash
- Crackers
- Toasted pita strips
- Pecans
- Olives
- Fresh rosemary
- Mango chutney
- Hummus 2-3 varieties
- Vegan cheese ball
Instructions
- Wash, chop and roast your winter squash on a baking sheet for around 20 minutes on 400 °F (200 °C). You can leave it plain or season with salt, pepper, thyme and maple syrup.
- In the meantime, wash and chop the broccoli, celery, carrots, radishes and tomatoes. Arrange them in a nice pattern towards the edges of your appetizer platter. Prepare your seasonal fruit the same way.
- Open your canned goods and put them in small bowls. Different varieties of hummus (store-bought or homemade), olives and chutney or jam are good choices.
- Add your vegan cheese to the middle of the board, this is going to be the star!
- Grab some packs of crackers and other dippable baked goods and fill in the spots that are left on the party platter.
- Decorate with some nuts and fresh herbs or spices.
Notes
- Any leftovers make for a great lunch on the next day!
- Wooden boards, no matter their shape, look lovely if you want to make your own vegan appetizer platter! Baking trays also work, though.
- You can prepare most of the items on your hummus platter in advance so you just need to assemble the board within 10 minutes or so.
- This colorful appetizer platter can also be brought to any party or potluck to share with everyone!
Your photos are always so beautifully stylized and this platter is just gorgeous! Great ideas for arranging all those beautiful fruits and veges. I enjoy following your blog.
thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! we really appreciate it :)
Gorgeous. Healthy. Beautiful. Nutritious.
Where is the recipe for the cheese ball? Thanks!
on the blog tomorrow hopefully! thanks for your interest :)
I just want to Thank You for creating such a beautiful board!
I will be ready for any occasion!