Craving snacks for dinner tonight? These 20 snack ideas are perfect for an easy dinner that everyone will love.
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Some nights, you just really don’t feel like cooking dinner. Maybe you’re low on energy, or short on time. Or maybe you just came back from vacation and you don’t have the motivation to go grocery shopping before dinnertime. Whatever the case may be, you’re going to need these 20 ideas for when you just want snacks for dinner!
There are plenty of delicious snacks out there that can serve as dinner instead of cooking a full-fledged meal. From simple options like cold dips and veggies to restaurant style appetizers that totally count as a meal, you’ll find the perfect snack for dinner here in this list.
1. Tomato Bruschetta with Crostini and Garlic Herb Cheese
This fresh and healthy tomato bruschetta on crostini is perfect for when you want “fancy” snacks for dinner, but don’t want to do any real cooking. Toast up some bread (or, better yet, use store bought crostini), slather it with garlic and herb cheese, and top with a simple 5 ingredient bruschetta in under 20 minutes.
2. Homemade Pizza Bagels
This childhood favorite makes a fun and easy dinner snack for kids and adults alike. Just pop some mini bagels in the oven with your favorite pizza toppings and dinner is served! You’ll be snacking on these all night long, while feeling thankful that you only have one sheet pan to wash before bed.
3. Black Bean Corn Salsa
Coming together in only 5 minutes, this light snack is the perfect addition to your healthy snacks for dinner. Pair it with other cold snacks for dinner such as pico de gallo and homemade guacamole and you have yourself a perfect trio of nutritious dips to enjoy with tortilla chips.
4. Easy Tzatziki Recipe
Instead of eating pretzels and Greek yogurt for dinner again, elevate your go-to snack with this simple 5-minute tzatziki. Serve it with veggies, pita chips, and pretzels for dipping, and throw in some hummus while you’re at it for a full Mediterranean spread.
5. Pico de Gallo
If all you can manage to get on the dinner table is chips and salsa, try swapping store-bought salsa for this fresh and healthy pico de gallo. It only takes 10 minutes to prep and is a great way to get your serving of vegetables in! Serve it with tortilla chips, guacamole, and refried beans for a low effort snacky dinner that hits most of your food groups.
6. Homemade Hummus
Next time you’re looking for some light snacks for dinner, try a spread of cold dips featuring this homemade hummus as the perfect headliner. Serve with pita chips, carrots, bell pepper, or your favorite dipper, and pair with other cold dips like homemade tzatziki and nut free basil pesto.
7. Homemade Guacamole
You can’t go wrong with serving avocados for dinner – this superfood is one of the best healthy snacks around. Mash it up and mix in some onion, tomato, lime juice, and salt for a light and fresh dip you can indulge in all night long!
8. Pan Con Tomate
Got bread and tomatoes? This Spanish style bruschetta comes together quickly with minimal ingredients for an easy and satisfying snack you can pair with charcuterie or crudités for dinner.
9. Garlic Crostini with Hummus and Paprika
Did someone say crostini night? Instead of planning an expensive charcuterie night, throw together a crostini night when you have a baguette and a bunch of other random ingredients. Get creative with the toppings, like these garlic crostini with hummus and paprika, and see what you can come up with. Better yet – make a build-your-own crostini board and just throw everything on a tray for everyone in the family to come up with their own concoctions.
10. Nut Free Basil Pesto
This creamy nut free basil pesto can be snacked on in so many different ways. Make it a main feature of your snacks for dinner by serving it with slices of mozzarella and tomato, fresh bread, or just plain old crackers. Or, add it to your charcuterie board for a light and bright flavor to contrast the savory meats and cheeses.
11. Burrata Toast
If you’re planning on making “fancy” snacks for dinner to impress your friends or partner, give this fresh and flavorful burrata toast a try. This cold snack looks and tastes fancy, but it’s super quick and easy to throw together with just 6 ingredients. Plus, all that burrata cheese makes these quite filling, so you can serve them alone or simply pair them with your favorite salad.
12. Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip
If you haven’t ever gone to a chain restaurant and ordered spinach dip off the appetizer menu as your meal, you’re missing out. This classic recipe is one of our favorite snacks for dinner, since it’s basically like eating cheesy dip for a meal but with added nutrients from the spinach and artichokes. A win-win!
13. Charcuterie Board
Charcuterie boards are the ultimate snack for dinner. Think of it as your giant personal plate full of your favorite snacks such as cheese, cured meats, fruits, crackers, bread, and more! With everything pre-made from the store, all you have to do to make this cold snack for dinner is assemble your board. Talk about quick and easy!
14. Buffalo Chicken Dip
Every time we plan buffalo chicken dip to go along with our dinner, it ends up being the ONLY part of our dinner. It doesn’t get much better than snacking on Fritos and spicy, cheesy, buffalo chicken dip instead of having a full-fledged meal! Sure, it might not be the healthiest snack for dinner, but it’s loaded with protein and will definitely fill you up. Serve and enjoy with Fritos scoops, tortilla chips, or Hawaiian rolls for a variety of ways for everyone to enjoy!
15. Cast Iron Skillet Nachos
Yes, nachos absolutely count as dinner – they’re one of the best snacks you could swap for a meal, in our opinion (and we do this often)! These 10 minute cast iron skillet nachos are so easy to whip up with just tortilla chips, cheese, beans, and your favorite veggies. Customize them to your heart’s content and know that this snack actually makes a fairly healthy dinner, as long as you don’t overload them with cheese.
16. Bacon Garlic and Herb Jalapeno Poppers
Wishing you could spend the night eating appetizers from your favorite pub instead of cooking dinner? You can do just that with these easy pub style jalapeno poppers! Better yet, whip up a batch of our 3 ingredient beer battered onion rings while these poppers are in the oven and enjoy your favorite pub snacks for dinner in the comfort of your own home.
17. Queso de Cabra Con Tomate (Spanish Baked Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce)
If you’re in the mood for a snack that feels ~fancy~ then this baked goat cheese and tomato dip is exactly what you need in your life. Traditionally served as a Spanish tapa, it was literally made for snacking! Serve it with fresh crostini and enjoy the melty goodness of creamy goat cheese swimming in warm tomato sauce, or make a plate of pan con tomateto go with it for a simple at home tapas night.
18. 4 Ingredient Avocado Chorizo Spring Rolls
Anything rolled up in a crispy wrapper – spring rolls, egg rolls, lumpia, you name it – makes the perfect snack for dinner. Why? Because these dippable finger foods are just as addicting as your favorite bag of chips – you won’t want to stop eating them! Try these simple avocado and chorizo spring rolls for a quick and satisfying dinner snack.
19. Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potato Wedges
Got bacon and sweet potatoes? That’s really all you need to make this ridiculously easy snack for dinner. Wrap them up, throw them in the oven, then sit back and relax as these two ingredients transform into an irresistible combo that tastes like it should have been more work.
20. Loaded Sweet Potato Waffle Fries
Loaded fries might just be the next best alternative to nachos for dinner, if you don’t have tortilla chips but happen to have a bag of fries in your freezer. Throw some cheese, beans, and your favorite veggies on waffle fries for an easy and delicious snack even the kids will eat for dinner!
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Love these recipes? Then you may enjoy these other roundups, too:
- 20 Easy and Healthy Recipes For The New Year
- 17 Easy Weeknight Dinners For When You’re In A Pinch
- 7 Delicious Pasta Recipes You Can Make In Under 30 Minutes
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