The paleo diet avoids grains, refined sugars, and dairy and instead relies on animal proteins and fresh produce. The idea is to eat like our earliest ancestors, those hunters and gatherers who lived before farming practices were refined.
Even though there probably weren’t a lot of cocktail parties 10,000 years ago, today’s paleo eaters can still enjoy finger foods and appetizers with these delicious recipes.
Keep your hunger at bay before the main course with this hearty appetizer. This recipe calls for bacon bathed in paleo-friendly garlic mayonnaise. Scoop it up with artichoke leaves instead of chips or bread.
Ingredients:
- garlic
- spinach
- onion
- bacon
- artichoke
- sea salt
The paleo diet is high in protein but still values fresh produce. This recipe combines protein-rich eggs with avocados to make a savory guacamole.
Though avocados are rich in many nutrients, the combination of monounsaturated fats, fiber, potassium, and phytosterols provides many heart health benefits.
Ingredients:
- large eggs
- Hass avocado
- lime juice
- red onion
- jalapeño
- cilantro
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
- tomato
- chile powder
Creamy hummus has become a staple cocktail hour dip. Unfortunately, beans aren’t paleo-friendly — but that doesn’t mean hummus is off the menu.
Enjoy this zesty recipe that uses zucchini instead of garbanzo beans, flavored with tahini or sesame paste. Dip with a variety of raw or barely steamed vegetables as scoops instead of the traditional pita bread.
Ingredients:
- zucchini
- tahini
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- garlic
- cumin
- sea salt
- pepper
Appetizers don’t have to be heavy or greasy. This recipe combines crisp tomato, creamy avocado, and salty tuna for a truly fresh dish. Three ounces of
Ingredients:
- coconut aminos
- raw honey
- sea salt
- black pepper
- toasted sesame oil
- ground ginger
- red pepper flakes
- yellowfin tuna
- cucumber
- red onion
- Roma tomatoes
- broccoli slaw
- avocados
- cilantro
- sesame seeds
- arrowroot flour
- egg
- coconut oil
If you think going paleo means saying goodbye to your favorite crispy deep-fried foods, think again. Here’s a recipe that uses almond flour and coconut to coat juicy chicken. There’s a load of yummy spices, too, including fiery cayenne.
This recipe uses a yogurt-based dipping sauce, which most paleo eaters consider off-limits. You can replace the non-paleo yogurt sauce with a homemade, paleo-friendly garlic mayonnaise — it’s easier than you think. Just combine egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, and oil.
Ingredients:
- chicken breasts
- almond flour
- unsweetened shredded coconut
- arrowroot powder
- garlic powder
- ground mustard
- sweet paprika
- cayenne pepper
- sesame seeds
- sea salt
- black pepper
- eggs
- olive oil
This recipe upends cauliflower’s bland reputation. Baked in savory spices and coconut milk, it’s anything but boring. Cut the baked cauliflower into wedges for small cocktail plates or enjoy it in larger portions for dinner.
Ingredients:
- coconut oil
- cauliflower
- coconut milk
- lemon or lime
- chile powder
- cumin
- garlic powder
- curry powder
- sea salt
- black pepper
Stuffed mushrooms are the kind of appetizer that can turn cocktail food into a real meal.
Serving these mushroom caps on a platter over a bed of kale makes for an enticing presentation. You could also leave out the kale, or dice it and incorporate it into the mushroom stuffing.
White or cremini mushrooms are easy to handle when you’re juggling a cocktail glass.
Ingredients:
- mushrooms
- green onions
- ground beef
- turmeric
- garlic
- spinach
- kale
- sea salt
- coconut oil
Corn and other grains aren’t allowed on the paleo diet, so you might miss one of the best things about snacking and appetizers: the tortilla chip.
This recipe remedies that problem with almond flour and flax meal. You roll the dough out like a tortilla and slice it into triangles before baking. These chips taste delicious and hold up to your favorite salsas or dips such as guacamole.
Ingredients:
- almond flour
- flax meal
- egg whites
- salt
This recipe combines your favorites aspect of salsa (fresh and spicy flavor) with your favorite aspect of guacamole (creamy avocado). It’s a low calorie appetizer that’s packed with nutrients.
Ingredients:
- Roma tomatoes
- red onion
- jalapeño pepper
- avocados
- cilantro
- limes
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Mmm, sweet and creamy… that sounds like an exception to the paleo diet, but not in this case.
Coconut milk makes this bright orange soup feel luxurious on the tongue while also keeping your heart healthy by providing only healthy fats.
Ingredients:
- butternut squash
- coconut milk
- herbs
- salt
- pepper
When you chose a paleo diet, you might have given up on ever having pizza again. This recipe can bring back a lot of what you crave from pizza in a finger food that works great as an appetizer.
Enjoy these flavorful “bread” sticks with tomato sauce. Did we mention that they’re also gluten-free?
Ingredients:
- almond flour
- pizza seasoning
- garlic powder
- sea salt
- ghee or coconut oil
- honey (optional)
- eggs
- coconut flour
This recipe combines the satisfying crunch of zucchini with creamy, savory cheese and bacon.
Ingredients:
- baby zucchini
- bacon
- goat cheese
- sun-dried tomatoes
- balsamic vinegar
- basil
Eating paleo might make you miss your daily dose of chips, whether they be potato, corn, or pita. Here’s an easy work-around for chip lovers: Bake some cabbage leaves.
They turn out crisp and dippable (as long as you don’t load them too much), with a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients:
- red or green cabbage
- olive oil
- sea salt
Kebabs make great cocktail party and appetizer fare. These cook up quickly, too, in case your party is of the last-minute variety. Succulent
Ingredients:
- ground lamb
- onion
- cinnamon
- allspice
- ground cloves
- salt
- pepper
- parsley
Here’s an excellent appetizer or first course for a cold winter day. “Zuppa toscana” translates to “Tuscan soup,” a delicious Italian soup.
Traditionally, this soup is made with a cup of heavy cream, an ingredient that is definitely not paleo-friendly. In this alternative version, coconut milk is used to achieve that velvety cream texture without the dairy.
Ingredients:
- Italian sausage
- chicken broth
- russet potatoes
- yellow onion
- garlic
- red pepper flakes
- bacon
- salt
- pepper
- kale
- coconut milk
The honey and coconut aminos — a paleo-friendly alternative for soy sauce — balance perfectly in this dish.
A 3-ounce serving of
Ingredients:
- shrimp
- coconut aminos
- honey (optional)
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
- garlic
- fish sauce
- sea salt
- black pepper
These fries are made from tasty parsnips and include a surprise ingredient: nut butter. Use almond or chunky peanut butter to get the best results.
Ingredients:
- parsnips
- nut butter
- extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
Hummus is one of the best spreads to include on a party platter, but not if you’re on a paleo diet. Luckily, you can serve up delicious hummus without using garbanzo beans. Tasty, nutritious artichoke hearts have the starring role in this recipe, enhanced by lemon and garlic.
Ingredients:
- artichokes in brine
- garlic
- avocado oil
- lemon juice
Traditional ceviche preparations involve “cooking” raw fish with the acidity of citrus juice. If you’re curious about ceviche but haven’t been ready to try it, here’s a recipe that gives you the flavors of ceviche with cooked shrimp.
The lime and orange juices used here will give you plenty of vitamin C, and the
Ingredients:
- small shrimp
- lime juice
- orange juice
- red onion
- tomato
- cilantro
- olive oil
- mustard
- sea salt
If nuts and olives are your idea of prime appetizers, you’ll enjoy this recipe, which combines those two savory ingredients in one dish.
Ingredients:
- raw almonds
- extra-virgin olive oil
- garlic
- fresh rosemary
- fresh sage
- chili pepper flakes
- green olives
- black olives
- anchovy fillets
- preserved lemon
