6 Simple DIY Plant-based Dipping Sauces for Game Day Snacks – GWC Mag

Game day calls for snacks, sometimes excessively so. And, most game day snacks—chips, pizza, “wings”—call for a dipping sauce. While these snacks and dips aren’t all traditional plant-based experiences, that’s not to say they can’t be. A lot of popular dipping sauces are easy to make at home, DIY-style.

The bonus to making these items at home is that we can control what ingredients are in, and more importantly not in, them. Too often store-bought products are riddled with preservatives or chemicals we might do better to avoid.

Instead, we can make our dipping sauces at home. They’ll taste fresher and more vibrant. They’ll be healthier and guaranteed cruelty-free. They’ll also make us very popular party guests for next weekend. What’s more, it’s not so difficult to do.

1. A Simple Vegan Ranch

Ranch dressing is a party classic. It comes on those pre-packaged platters of vegetables. It comes beside buffalo wings. It pairs well with pizza. It pairs well with just about anything, right?

Unfortunately, ranch sauce is not normally vegan. However, there are so many quality vegan mayos out there, that whipping up a ranch sauce at home is easy.

Start with a cup of vegan mayonnaise. Chop up a bit of fresh parsley, fresh chives, and especially fresh dill. Add some minced garlic, salt, and pepper. The final step is mixing in apple cider vinegar until it gets to the right consistency.

2. Spicy Peanut Sauce

Finger foods are almost always the right call on game day. They can be picked at here and there. They don’t need to be piping hot. They just need a good sauce. A spicy peanut sauce is ideal for “egg” rolls, grilled tofu or tempeh, veggies, or cauliflower “wings”.

For a basic peanut sauce, it starts with a cup of peanut butter and a cup of water. Add in some organic soy sauce or brags, a bit of lime juice, some fresh garlic, and ginger, then spice it up with hot sauce and/or pepper flakes.

This is that specialty sauce that folks don’t necessarily know they want but find themselves in love with.

3. Marinara

An easy-going marinara is the classic dipping sauce for all things bread-y, including pizza crust, bread sticks, and fried eggplant. There is no need to make your Italian friend’s grandma’s award-winning marinara here. Keep it simple and fresh instead.

Heat a bit of very thinly sliced garlic in olive oil. A good 16 ounces of fresh, diced tomatoes or even cherry tomatoes goes in next and that simmers away on low with the lid on until it turns to a thick sauce. Put in some salt and pepper to taste. If you’ve got some basil out in the garden, why not?

4. Bean Dip

Initially, the thought of bean dip can make some folks think “Yuck!” Room-temperature bean dip from a can is nothing to write home about. On the other hand, bean dip—black bean, pinto bean, white bean, etc—is awesome when cooked at home and whizzed up for smooth dipping.

For those okay with canned beans, this can simply be a can of organic beans, heated on the stovetop, and smoothed out in a blender. Better yet, soak some dried beans the night before and cook them down in a cast iron pot.

Smoky paprika or chipotle can add a nice flavor twist. Stirring in some fresh herbs, particularly chives, works wonders as well. Serve it with some tortilla chips.

5. Hummus

Ever the crowd-pleaser, hummus costs a fortune when it’s bought prepared, and generally, there is so little that folks are afraid to take much. Done DIY-style, hummus is quite inexpensive to make, and it can be done by the gallon!

Go traditional and simple with it: chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil.

6. Spinach-Artichoke Dip

The spinach-artichoke dip is always a winner on the appetizer menus. It comes with a bit of crusty bread or crunchy pita. Everybody wants a dip. Of course, despite the veggies in the title, this dip is far from plant-based. It’s typically wrought with cheese and cream.

But, there are plant-based versions of spinach-artichoke dip, and they will blow some minds. The nice thing about this vegan spinach-artichoke dip is that it is baked, so it can be prepared beforehand and just put in the oven half an hour before the game.

Eating for Sport

Not everyone is into watching the game, but just about everyone is into enjoying the food associated with it. Making snacks and DIY dips at home makes sports days something everyone can enjoy. Touchdown! Homerun! Dunk… that cauliflower wing into something tasty!

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