20 Ideas For When You Just Want Snacks For Dinner
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Craving low effort snacks for dinner tonight? These 20 snack ideas are perfect for an easy dinner that everyone will love.
Some nights we just really don’t feel like cooking dinner. Whether it’s been a long day, we’re just pressed for time, or just aren’t that hungry, we love to turn to some of our simplest snack recipes to make the night easy. And if you’re feeling the same, here are our favorite 20 ideas for when you just want snacks for dinner!
Whether you decide to make multiple snacks for a dinner spread or just one for something quick. All of these recipes take just 10 minutes of hands-on work because snacks for dinner should always be easy.
Black Bean Sweet Potato Nachos with Avocado Crema
This is a snack for dinner that you can truly be proud of. It’s easy to make, delicious, and actually good for you! Made with sweet potato chips, black beans, Colby jack cheese, corn, onion, and our avocado lime crema, these nachos are packed with nutrients. So go ahead and snack freely!
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. You can even dress it up with unique sea salts or flavored olive oils. Try it with a habanero sea salt and lime infused olive oil for a slight Mexican twist on this Spanish classic.
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. Plus there’s only one sheet pan to clean up afterwards!
Quick and Easy Baked Brie En Croute
While baked brie en croute is traditionally a Christmas (or at least holiday) recipe, we look for any and all possible reasons to make this recipe. Gooey, creamy baked brie wrapped in a buttery, flaky crescent roll dough could simply be put on a plate in front of me and I’d call it a perfect dinner. Maybe it’s not the healthiest… but it sure is delicious!
Baked Bruschetta Dip
A cheesy, warm, and flavor packed bruschetta dip that’s perfect for any time of year and any occasion – even snacking! Serve it with pita chips, crostini, or your favorite crackers for an easy, light meal. You can also serve it with some fresh, no nut basil pesto for a dinner you’ll keep coming back to.
Black Bean Corn Salsa
Coming together in only 5 minutes, this light snack is the perfect addition to some healthy snacks for dinner. Pair it with other easy dips for dinner like pico de gallo and homemade guacamole and you have yourself a perfect trio of nutritious dips to enjoy with some tortilla chips.
Burrata Toast
If you’re craving something “fancier” so it doesn’t feel like you’re just eating snacks, 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 something else small.
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.
Whipped Brie With Calabrian Chiles
3 simple ingredients and a food processor makes for one of our favorite snacks/appetizers in this decadent whipped brie dip. The calabrian chiles add a wonderful spice that cuts the creamy brie perfectly. However if you aren’t someone who enjoys spice, check out the next recipe for our blueberry lemon whipped brie dip!
Blueberry Lemon Whipped Brie Dip
We love the flavor combination of blueberry and lemon so much (in fact we’ve made multiple recipes based on this flavor combo – my favorite is our mini blueberry lemon cheesecakes). The sweet fruitiness with the bright pop of lemon also compliments the whipped brie perfectly with none of the heat of our calabrian chili brie dip.
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.
Mexican Bean Dip
Made with pantry staples, this easy dip is the perfect addition to a night of snacks for dinner. Whether you pair it with other dips, something a little more real, or by itself. There’s not much better than settling in on the couch with a warm, hearty dip and binging your favorite comfort show.
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 perfect charcuterie board with some sun-dried tomato pesto for a light and bright flavor to contrast the savory meats and cheeses.
Cottage Cheese Queso
Tostitos queso but make it healthy. That’s exactly what this cottage cheese queso is. Feel good about snacking for dinner knowing your dip is packed with nutrients and protein. We love enjoying this as part of a dip trio along with some fresh guac and something hearty like our Mexican bean dip.
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!
Roasted Tomato and Garlic Bruschetta with Balsamic
This is the ultimate light snack for the summer. Packed with bright warm weather flavors, we happily demolish the whole thing in a single sitting. Just make sure you have some crostini or crackers ready to enjoy it with!
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!
Queso de Cabra Con Tomate (Spanish Baked Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce)
If you’re in the mood for a tapas night that takes the effort of a snack, 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 tomate to go with it for a simple at home tapas night.
4 Layer Mexican Dip
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that a dip as delicious as this can be made with 4 (or even 3) basic ingredients: cream cheese, no-bean chili, Mexican cheese, and jalapenos. Simply layer them all in a baking dish, pop it in the oven, get the chips out, and dinner will be ready shortly!
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 that’ll be sure to hit the spot.
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