Snack foods can be one of the trickiest things for new vegans to figure out but with a little creativity there are plenty of yummy and healthy foods to keep your energy levels humming until your next meal.

Try these quick and easy vegan snack ideas to help keep hunger at bay, enjoy some delicious food and get in plenty of nutrition. This list includes quick snack ideas, easy vegan recipes and the best healthy packaged snacks.

Vegan Snacking Tips

In order to make vegan snacking quick and easy, it’s helpful to have a well-stocked pantry and a meal plan for the week. I’d recommend having a read through these posts to learn more:

Let’s get into these snacks! Creating your own healthy vegan snacks is easy and delicious. Once you get the hang of how to create quick vegan snacks, there’s no end to the ideas you can come with.

Below I’ve shared a ton of ideas for creating plant-based snacks at home as well as some of my favourite healthy packaged snacks.

1. Quick Homemade Trail Mix

Goji berries are one of my favourite nut and fruit combos. It has just the right amount of sweetness and is high in antioxidants, vitamins and fats.

For a quick snack any time of day grab about 20 almonds and 20 goji berries and mix together. For a special treat, try adding in 1-2 tbsp of vegan Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips!

Of course, goji berries and almonds is just one fruit and nut combo you can enjoy. Check out my post on how to stock a vegan pantry and you’ll be all set for mixing up yummy homemade trail mix for snacking. Any combination of nuts, seeds, coconut, cacao nibs and dried fruit works.

Here’s a quick list of the best Vegan Trail Mix Ingredients:

  1. Coconut: flaked or shredded unsweetened coconut, or try some coconut bacon
  2. Chocolate: cacao nibs, dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
  3. Nuts: cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios
  4. Seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pepitas.
  5. Dried fruit: chopped dried apricots, chopped dates, raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries or cherries, chopped dried mango
  6. Homemade apple chips: try mixing in some of my homemade baked apple chips.

To make a quick vegan snack from these ingredients, add a few spoonfuls of each of your favourite ingredients to a small bowl or to-go container and snack away.

2. Homemade Energy Bites and Bars

Raw energy bites are one of the easiest and tastiest snacks to keep on hand during a busy week. Try making a batch on the weekend to store in the fridge so you can grab a few when hunger strikes.

They’re also a great way to get essential omega-3 fats into your nutrition to your diet as many are made with ingredients like hemp seeds, ground flax, almonds or cashews.

Homemade Energy Bite Recipes

Easy Nut-Free Maple Flax Energy Balls Recipe - Running on Real Food

3. Fat Balls

Fat balls are easy to make, filling and delicious. They’re made by blending together higher-fat ingredients such as coconut butter, coconut oil, nuts and nut butters and seeds.

4. Sliced Fruit with Cashew Cream

This is one of the easiest and yummiest snacks you can get your hands on. Slice an apple, pear or other fruit into thin pieces and dip! Maple cashew cream is one of my favourite varieties of cashew creams but you can flavour cashew cream with whatever you like.

To make cashew cream, blend raw cashews with water and sweetener until smooth and creamy. For best results, soak cashews for 4 hours up to overnight and drain before using. You can find full details for how to make cashew cream here.

Cashew cream makes living without dairy no problem, you can turn it into sour cream, cream cheese, ranch dressing and use it to replace cream in all sorts of recipes. (Try it in my Vegan Butter Chickn’ with Tofu!)

This homemade date paste is also a delicious dip for fruit!

Go dairy-free: How to Replace Dairy in Your Diet

5. Ants on a Log

Totally tasty grown-up ants on a log! Although kids will love these little treats too. If you don’t have goji berries, chopped dates, raisins or cranberries are also delicious! You can also use tahini, peanut butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter in place of almond butter.

10 Quick & Easy Vegan Snack Ideas: Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, nut, seeds and whole grains to make sure there is always a healthy option on hand.

6. Nut Butter Stuffed Dates

This makes a great snack or even healthy dessert. Try adding a slice of banana and sprinkling it with cinnamon and cacao for a decadent, raw vegan snack. I often eat this for dessert to satisfy sweet tooth. Almond butter, tahini, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or any other nut or seed butter are also delicious options! If you want to get really fancy, how about some Peanut Butter Mousse Stuffed Dates?

10 Quick & Easy Vegan Snack Ideas: Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, nut, seeds and whole grains to make sure there is always a healthy option on hand.

7. Crackers with Peanut Butter and Fruit

My go-to for store-bought crackers are Mary’s Organic Crackers, they’re gluten-free, vegan and make a great base for yummy toppings. Try peanut butter and strawberry or almond butter and banana.

10 Quick & Easy Vegan Snack Ideas: Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, nut, seeds and whole grains to make sure there is always a healthy option on hand.

8. Granola Bowls

A little bit of homemade granola, some fresh berries, a splash of almond milk, done! Try it with my peanut butter granola or cinnamon raisin granola.

9. Tortilla Roll-Ups

This is one of my favourites. Take a tortilla, slather it with almond butter, peanut butter or tahini, layer in some sliced banana, apple or berries, roll it up and enjoy! So yummy and ready in 60 seconds.

10. Raw Veggies & Hummus

If you’re not a big on raw veggies, this is a great way to sneak more of them into your diet. In addition to the vitamin-packed veggies, hummus is high in protein, fibre and healthy fats to keep you satisfied for hours.

Slice up a bunch of carrots, celery, mushrooms and your other favourite veggies and dig in. I recommend preparing a batch on the weekend as well as pre-chopping a selection of veggies for quick, healthy weekday snacks.

Easy Hummus Recipes

A spoon scooping green avocado hummus out of a bowl.

11. Kale or Sweet Potato Chips

Kale chips pretty much keep my chip cravings at bay so the next time you’re craving something crispy and salty, try a batch of kale chips as a healthy alternative to store-bought potato chips. Sweet potato chips and beet chips are also a favourite of mine and make a great snack for movie nights. Try these kale chips or sweet potato chips. Beets work well for this too.

12. Avocado with Lime, Sriracha and Sea Salt

Dreamy, creamy healthy fats, fresh lime and spicy sriracha, does it get any better? Well maybe if you top it with a little sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. I think this is one of my favourite things to eat of all-time, ever.

10 Quick & Easy Vegan Snack Ideas: Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, nut, seeds and whole grains to make sure there is always a healthy option on hand.

13. Fruit and Protein Smoothies

Fruit smoothies are one of the most delicious and convenient snacks there is and you’ll never get bored because they’re always different! If you just need a small snack, try blending almond milk, frozen berries and a banana.

If you’re hungry or need a good solid snack before or after a workout, try almond milk, a banana, frozen berries, protein powder, and healthy fat such as chia, peanut butter or flax seeds.

Healthy Smoothie Recipes

This will be sure to keep your energy levels up until it’s time to eat a larger meal. You can also add in greens such as spinach or kale for an extra hit of antioxidants.

A pink smoothie bowl topped with kiwi and chia seeds.

14. Fruit and Veggies

Don’t forget the easiest, healthiest snack of all: raw fruits and vegetables. Keep a fridge full of fresh produce and you’ll automatically be prompted to snack well. A few of my favourites are frozen grapes, cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, apples, bananas and in the summer fresh berries. You can always pair with them nuts and seeds to make a more substantial snack.

My afternoon snack is often a small handful of nuts and a piece of fruit. It’s delicious, satisfying and nutritious. Try raspberries and walnuts, banana and pecans, cashew and blueberries, almond and banana or any other combination you can think of.

You can also spread peanut butter over sliced banana or almond butter over sliced apple. Try sprinkling it with cinnamon for extra flavour and it’s blood sugar stabilizing benefits!

I love this for a sweet snack in the afternoon. To make it all you need is vanilla protein powder and baked sweet potato. Simply blend the two together, stick them in the fridge and you’re all set for snacking.

I usually eat it with some almond butter for a more balanced snack. Some cacao nibs in there is awesome too.

Find the recipe for sweet potato protein cookie dough here.

2-Ingredient Vegan Protein Cookie Dough for Breakfast

16. Apple Nachos

This is the best ever. Thinly slice an apple, lay the slices out on a plate then drizzle with a bit of drippy almond butter, a sprinkle of granola and a couple dairy-free chocolate chips.

17. Acorn Squash Bowls

This is one of my favourite quick snacks, that is if you bake the acorn squash ahead of time. I like to include one or two baked acorn squash in my weekly food prep so they’re ready for snacks and meals during the week.

My favourite fillings are peanut butter, yogurt and granola but you can also fill them with savoury ingredients like hummus, guacamole, quinoa, black beans, any mixture of those or anything else you can think of.

If you don’t want a whole half squash, just scoop a little baked acorn squash into a small dish and top with something like cinnamon, sea salt and either peanut butter or tahini.

18. Topped Toast, Rice Cakes and Crackers

I love a sliced of sprouted grain toast loaded up with healthy toppings. For a lighter snack, Ryvita crackers and rice cakes are perfect.

  • hummus, avocado, sprouts and hemp seeds
  • jam and hemp seeds or sunflower seeds
  • almond butter and banana
  • almond butter and berries
  • peanut butter and thinly sliced apple
  • hummus and cucumber
  • dairy-free cheese
  • coconut yogurt and berries
  • guacamole
  • guacamole and black beans
  • date paste and slivered almonds
  • tahini and cacao nibs
  • sunflower seed butter, cacao nibs and coconut
  • almond butter and granola
  • tahini, banana and granola
  • jam and flaked coconut
  • vegan cream cheese-style spread and sliced cucumber and tomato
Healthy Hummus and Avocado Toast with Hemp Seeds - Running on Real Food

The possibilities are endless. Start with your favourite spread, such as peanut butter, tahini, guacamole, hummus, almond butter or sunflower seed butter then top with fruit or sliced veggies and a sprinkling of nuts or seeds.

19. Quick Baked Apple

I love slicing up an apple, baking it topped with cinnamon until soft then topping with peanut butter or powdered peanut butter sauce. You can add some nuts, seeds or granola for a little extra oomph. You can also try my cinnamon baked pears.

20. Steamed Broccoli with Tahini and Hemp Seeds

Steam some broccoli, drizzle it with tahini, sea salt, lemon and hemp seeds. This healthy snack is loaded with nutrition and tastes amazing.

21. Protein Pudding with Fruit and Nuts

Easy peasy. Mix a little plant-based protein powder with water or almond milk to create a thick pudding then top it with your favourite fruit and a sprinkling of nuts or seeds.

I love cherries or strawberries and almonds, sliced banana and walnuts or chopped apple and hemp seeds. To make a peanut butter protein pudding, add 2 tbsp of powdered peanut butter to vanilla protein and mix with water to make a thick, mousse-like pudding.

22. Coconut Yogurt Protein Pudding

Mix non-dairy yogurt such as coconut or cashew with some plant-based protein powder. Eat it on its own or as a dip for sliced apples. You can also try my Coconut Yogurt Chia Pudding.

23. Strawberry Protein Ice Cream

This is more of a dessert than a snack but I still eat it for a snack quite often, especially during the summer. To make it add frozen strawberries, a small piece of frozen banana and 1/2 a scoop of vanilla vegan protein powder to a high-powered blender. Add just enough plant-based milk to allow it to blend, just a few tablespoons is perfect, and blend until smooth.

Try not to over blend it or it will start to blend from the heat of the blender. It’s better if it’s ultra-thick and a little chunky. Once it’s blended, scoop it into a bowl and enjoy. You can make this with any frozen fruit but I’d recommend at least a small chunk of frozen banana for the perfect creaminess. Frozen mango and peaches are some of my favourites. Of course you can make it with chocolate protein powder too.

Bowl with 3 scoops of vegan strawberry banana ice cream and fresh strawberries.

24. Baked Pears

These look fancy but they’re so easy to make. Take a pear, slice it in half, either leave it plain or drizzle it with a tiny bit of maple syrup and cinnamon and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Once it’s ready, top it with almond butter coconut yogurt and a few raw nuts.

Healthy Vegan Snacks for One

25. 2-Minute “Cereal” Bowls

This has been one of my favourites lately. In a small bowl, add 1/2 a sliced banana, a mixture of nuts and seeds such as hemp seeds, almonds, walnuts and cashews, a few cacao nibs, a little unsweetened shredded coconut, some raisins or chopped dates and a pinch of sea salt. Top with almond milk and enjoy as “cereal”.

26. Yogurt Bowls

Yogurt bowls are another one of my favourites. Making them is as easy as 1-2-3. Scoop some of your favourite non-dairy yogurt into a bowl, I like Yosu, then top with sliced apple or berries and a little sprinkling of nuts or seeds.

Alternatively, layer the fruit, yogurt and nuts in a glass to make a yogurt parfait.

Healthy Packaged Snacks

There are some really great options for store-bought, packaged snacks. The trick is to stay away from anything that’s been highly processed. I like keeping some packaged snacks on hand for back up. Here are a few of my favourites:

  • Simply Protein Bars
  • Skinny Pop Microwave Popcorn 
  • Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips
  • Enjoy Life Cookies
  • The Good Bean Roasted Chickpeas 
  • Larabars
  • One Degree Organic Brown Rice Crips

Be Prepared and Snack Well

What it comes down to is eating when you’re hungry. Don’t let yourself get ravenous which can lead to unhealthy choices and overeating. If you know you are going to be out and about all day, toss an apple, banana and a bag of mixed nuts and dried fruits in your bag.

That way you’ll always have something healthy to reach for when hunger hits. If you’re completely new to plant-based eating, head over and read my post with tips for plant-based beginners.

More Easy Vegan Snack Ideas