Healthy Recipes Healthy Appetizer Recipes 28 Family-Friendly Appetizers So Good, You'll Want to Eat Them for Dinner By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Instagram Website Leah Goggins is a digital fellow for EatingWell. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, she is a devotee of old movies, farmers' markets and Ina Garten's tomato sandwich with basil mayo recipe. Leah has a degree in news media and English from The University of Alabama. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 30, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos On nights when no one can agree on what to make for dinner, whip up a couple of these healthy appetizer recipes that are sure to please everyone. Each dish serves at least four, so you can make sure you'll have plenty of chicken wings, loaded veggies or air-fryer snacks on hand for your crew. Recipes like our Loaded Smashed Brussels Sprouts and Zucchini Pizza Bites are so tasty, you'll savor every bite. 01 of 28 Loaded Smashed Brussels Sprouts View Recipe Greg Dupree The sprouts in this loaded smashed Brussels sprouts recipe are cooked to crisp-tender, then crushed and baked in the oven and smothered in melted Cheddar cheese, bacon and a dollop of sour cream. Serve them as a fun side dish or a party appetizer. 02 of 28 Baked Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites View Recipe Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Jennifer Wendorf / Kay Clarke These savory muffin-like quinoa bites are low in carbs and a good source of protein--plus we love their cheesy flavor. 03 of 28 Zucchini Pizza Bites View Recipe Think of these zucchini pizza bites as a fun gluten-free alternative to bagel bites. Be sure not to overcook the zucchini or the bites may become soggy. We like the classic pepperoni topping, but feel free to experiment with your own favorites. 04 of 28 Loaded Sweet Potato Nacho Fries View Recipe Bump up the vitamin A and fiber when you swap tortilla chips for sweet potatoes in this healthy recipe. Serve as an appetizer at your next party or turn it into dinner by adding chicken, tofu, shrimp or more beans for protein. 05 of 28 Air-Fryer Jalapeño Poppers View Recipe The perfect football-party food, classic jalapeño poppers get a crispy upgrade in an air fryer. Cream cheese tempers the just-right hint of heat from the pepper and Buffalo sauce. To save time, you can stuff the peppers ahead of the party and fry them just before serving. 06 of 28 Loaded Zucchini Bites View Recipe Brie Passano These low-carb zucchini bites have all the toppings of a loaded baked potato, without the potato! Melted cheese, bacon, chives and a dollop of sour cream make these bites perfect for game day or anytime you're craving comfort food. 07 of 28 Cheesy Zucchini Tots View Recipe Casey Barber Not one, not two, but three cheeses make these low-carb cheesy zucchini tots live up to their name. Bake them in the oven or fry them in your air fryer for a crisp exterior and a gooey, melted center. Don't use pre-shredded cheese here; shred it fresh for the best and creamiest results. Serve with ketchup, marinara, ranch or your favorite dipping sauce. 08 of 28 Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings View Recipe Jennifer Causey These baked Buffalo chicken wings hit the oven, not the fryer, saving on fat and calories. Just like the original Buffalo wings, these baked Buffalo wings are coated in a tangy, spicy sauce and served with carrots, celery and your favorite creamy dipping sauce. 09 of 28 Parmesan-Rosemary Baked Zucchini Fries View Recipe Jason Donnelly These fries are great as an appetizer with a dipping sauce, such as ranch dressing or marinara sauce, or alongside just about anything from burgers to fish. Have an air fryer? You can use that too! 10 of 28 3-Ingredient Smashed Potatoes with Marinara & Mozzarella View Recipe Sara Haas Put a pizza-style twist on your baked potato! Smashing and roasting potatoes adds a crispy crunch to this easy 3-ingredient meal. 11 of 28 Chicken Parmesan Dip View Recipe No breading and frying here! Layer on the cheese and tomatoes using leftover chicken (or turkey) in this healthy dip recipe. Pair with soft Italian bread and a salad for an easy dinner or serve it as an appetizer for your next party. 12 of 28 Cheesy Zucchini Breadsticks View Recipe Shredded zucchini, eggs and cheese combine in this easy recipe for low-carb cheesy breadsticks like you would get from the pizzeria, but healthier! Dip this gluten-free appetizer in marinara or pico de gallo for even more flavor. 13 of 28 Air-Fryer Cauliflower Gnocchi with Marinara Dipping Sauce View Recipe These tasty bites are perfect for anytime you need an easy appetizer or side dish. Cauliflower gnocchi get a crispy, cheesy coating on the outside and a tender middle in an air fryer. Marinara is the perfect complement for dipping. 14 of 28 Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites View Recipe This recipe for spicy Buffalo cauliflower bites is a great vegetarian alternative to Buffalo wings. Roasted cauliflower stands in for chicken and provides more fiber and fewer calories. Serve this easy appetizer with carrot sticks, celery and your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing. 15 of 28 Loaded Black Bean Dip View Recipe This is 7-layer black bean dip simplified: just heat and season refried beans, then top with fresh vegetables for a texturally exciting dip. 16 of 28 Cauliflower Chicken Nachos View Recipe Swapping in tender-crisp cauliflower slices for chips in these cauliflower nachos ups your veggie servings for the day. 17 of 28 Crispy Eggplant Parmesan Fries View Recipe The cheesy flavor and crispy crust on these eggplant "fries" is just like fried eggplant Parmesan, but with a fraction of the oil. They're the perfect appetizer for Italian night! Dip these crispy fries into a big hot bowl of your favorite marinara. 18 of 28 Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Meatballs View Recipe Turn classic chicken parm into meatballs with this easy load-and-go appetizer recipe with a cheesy surprise inside. Making meatballs for a party? Switch your crock pot to warm for serving all party long. 19 of 28 Air-Fryer Zucchini Chips View Recipe These crispy air-fryer zucchini chips are delicious paired with the creamy dill dipping sauce--or any sauce you have on hand. And the best part? The air fryer delivers a crispy crunch without having to pile on the oil like traditional fryers do. 20 of 28 Avocado Fries with Sriracha Aioli View Recipe Creamy avocados are a delicious foil to crunchy breading in this healthy oven-fried avocado fries recipe. Dip into spicy Sriracha dipping sauce for a flavor explosion. Save your ripe avocados for guacamole or toast--only firm ones will do when making these fries. 21 of 28 Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket View Recipe Carrots replace cocktail wieners in this healthy update of pigs in a blanket. Soaking the carrot "dogs" in a smoky marinade is the key to giving them that hot dog flavor, for a vegan app meat-eaters will love too. Serve with dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch dressing to take these to the next level. 22 of 28 Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings View Recipe Looking for a healthy appetizer for your Super Bowl party or another casual get-together? These vegan Buffalo cauliflower wings are sure to hit the spot. Coated in panko breadcrumbs and spices, these Buffalo cauliflower bites are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside--and don't forget the vegan ranch sauce! This is one of those healthy Super Bowl recipes you won't be able to resist. 23 of 28 Fresh Corn Hush Puppies View Recipe Stirring chopped corn kernels into the batter and serving these homemade hush puppies with a lemony herb yogurt sauce give these tasty bites fresh flavor. Holding the frying oil at a steady 360 degrees F prevents the dough from absorbing too much. 24 of 28 Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings View Recipe Forget the fryer--these baked garlic-Parmesan chicken wings get a crispy coating (without tons of oil) from panko breadcrumbs combined with grated Parmesan cheese. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze gives this healthy appetizer a sweet and tangy finishing note. 25 of 28 Loaded Cauliflower Bites View Recipe Crispy slices of roasted cauliflower topped with cheese, sour cream and bacon make a tasty low-carb alternative to classic loaded potato skins. 26 of 28 Air-Fryer Mozzarella Sticks View Recipe These crispy air-fryer mozzarella sticks taste like your favorite mozzarella sticks without the fuss of frying and with much less oil thanks to the magic of your air fryer. The crust is crispy and the cheese inside is ooey-gooey—perfect for dipping in marinara. 27 of 28 Loaded Fingerling Potatoes View Recipe Jacob Fox These mini loaded baked potatoes come with all the fixings—Cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and chives—for what is sure to become a melt-in-your-mouth comfort-food favorite. 28 of 28 Instant Pot Orange-Jalapeño Chicken Wings View Recipe These sweet-hot tender Instant Pot chicken wings boast a balance of orange and lime. They're very tangy and very sticky, so be sure to serve with lots of paper towels! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit