14 Healthy Vegan Summer Snacks

Long weekends during the summer are truly one of life’s greatest things, aren’t they? This weekend in particular was one of my favourites in a while. I soaked up some sun, cycled around Stanley Park, hung out at the beach, napped, watched epic fireworks, and made some new friends. In a word, it was fabulous.

In true food blogger fashion, I also made some pretty darn awesome snacks. I’ve been meaning to re-vamp my Edamame Hummus recipe for a really long time now (mainly because I hated the old photos) and it happened on Saturday. The new and improved version is creamier, smoother, and has even more flavour than the last. If traditional chickpea hummus sounds boring, I highly recommend trying this one!

Edamame Hummus

by Angela Simpson

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients (About 1 cup)

• 1 1/2 cups shelled edamame
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

Instructions

• Prepare edamame according to package directions.
• Put all ingredients in the food processor and puree until completely smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Serve with chopped fresh veggies, crackers or pita wedges, or use it as a sandwich spread.

Click here to print the recipe

Speaking of healthy vegan summer snacks, we could all use some new ideas from time to time, right? I’ve rounded up a whole bunch for you – 14 to be precise – to keep you excited about clean eating.

Veggie Rolls with Ginger Mango Dipping Sauce – These are one of my favourite summertime snacks because the possibilities for fillings are endless and they just look really pretty!

Fresh Spring Rolls with Red Curry Dipping Sauce – Can you tell I like rolling up veggies and dipping them in sauce? Red curry sauce in this case.

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms – via Amanda Nicole Smith. Stuffed mushrooms are a recipe I’ve tried to make a couple of times but they’ve never looked as good as these ones that Amanda has created. The filling is a mixture of celeriac, carrot, seeds, shallots and tamari, and you can make them in a dehydrator or your oven (which is great because I don’t have space for another kitchen appliance!)

BBQ Beet Fries – via Strength and Sunshine. Beet haters can hate, but I have a feeling beet lovers like myself will LOVE these. When I light up the barbecue (which sadly hasn’t happened in a while because I don’t currently have one), it gets covered with about 80% veggies. The next chance I get, Rebecca’s beet chip recipe will be included in that 80%!

Chickpea Cherry Tomato Bites – via Feasting on Fruit. These little tomatoes are stuffed with hummus, and it doesn’t sound very fancy, but how cute do they look!? Sometimes simple is best!

Tomato Basil Bruschetta – via Elephantastic Vegan. Tomatoes + basil + garlic + arugula = perfection. This is one of my favourite summer flavour combinations.

Vegan Pizza Bites – via Veggie Inspired. Just like those chickpea cherry tomato bites above, how cute are these!? Jenn’s pizza bites are stuffed with her homemade pesto made with greens, almonds and pepitas.

Vegan 7 Layer Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing – via Go Dairy Free. Alisa’s food always makes my mouth water and this 7-layer salad would make a pretty impressive dish to bring to a summer potluck, don’t you think?

Super Smooth Chipotle Hummus with Chili-Lime Pita Chips – via Domesticate Me. Serena’s blog is new to me and I found myself browsing through a ton of her recipes on Friday night. I love the looks of this recipe, and also the post that accompanies it because she explains how she (like me) was a former hummus HATER. With chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and homemade toasted pita chips, I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to hate this!

And now for your sweet tooth:

Vanilla Chia Pudding with Exotic Fruit – via Go Dairy Free. How stunning is this!? Alisa’s chia pudding gets its creaminess from light coconut milk, and she’s used dragon fruit, papaya, cactus pear and cherimoya as the beautiful toppings. No exotic fruits available? Just top it with whatever you’ve got available!

Mango Banana Ice Cream – via A Virtual Vegan. You guys know I’m a fan of banana-based ice creams (like this one and this one) With just 4 ingredients, Mel’s recipe is impossible to mess up and is yet another reason why I always keep bananas in the freezer.

Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Macaroons – via Unconventional Baker. Up until the last year or so I wanted nothing to do with coconut but my preferences have since changed and these ‘roons are making me swoon! Audrey’s recipe has only 6 ingredients and all you need to do is whiz them together in a food processor, shape them into balls and let them firm up in the freezer.

Mocha Chocolate Chunk Protein Bites – The name says it all. These little morsels are addictive and if you’re going to be expected to share, you might want to make a double batch!

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So tell me..

• What are some of your favourite summer snacks?
• Hummus: Love it or hate it?