For Christmas Eve, my in-laws’ tradition is to do a finger food dinner- which is actually so much fun! I love an excuse to make a bunch of tasty appetizers I wouldn’t just make for me and my husband.

However, I’m also a fan of cheese- and my mother-in-law, while a big fan, really shouldn’t have it. She and her mom eat mostly a dairy-free diet, which complicates things, because really- what good appetizer doesn’t have cheese???

Whenever I brainstorm ideas, I immediately can’t help but think of all the delicious dairy options I love- cream cheese alfredo dips, cheesy pizza rolls, bean dip with melted cheese, even cute little cucumber sandwiches with a cream cheese filling! All of my favorites have cheese. At first, some might think that you really can’t have a good appetizer without cheese (read: my husband ;) ). But there’s actually quite a few delicious options- and all without cheese!

*French fries! A basic, right? But a classic recipe for good reason- everyone loves a good fry! Set out a variety of sauces and toppings and let everyone customize their own! (parsley, bacon bits, rosemary, spices, ketchup, ranch and cheese sauce for those who want it ;) ).

*Lil’ smokies. My siblings and I LOVED these growing up. Put them in a crock pot with some barbecue sauce and you’re good to go! You can also bake them with a can of baked beans, and those are super addictive and tasty as well!

*Meatballs. You can really get creative with just your basic meatball! Serve it in a barbecue sauce, or coat them in a sticky sweet and sour sauce and serve them on skewers. Teriyaki, orange sauce, gravy, marinara- there’s a lot of options out there!

*Bread. Is there anyone that doesn’t love a fresh slice of homemade bread? Or some baked rolls? Pair it with some good honey butter (if you don’t consider that dairy in your diet) or homemade jam and it’s hard to top!

*Buffalo chicken. One of the best flavors out there, if you ask me! You could wrap shredded buffalo chicken in tortillas, or grill it in a marinade and serve it in lettuce wraps! And they totally don’t need blue cheese to be delicious.

*Chips and salsa. Another oldie but goodie. My kids eat homemade salsa like it’s going out of style, and I love the healthy serving of veggies they’re getting at the same time! What’s not to love about a guilt-free snack that’s also scrumptious?

*Pigs in a Blanket. Going back to lil’ smokies, wrap them in crescent dough and bake for an easy and tasty snack! You can also chop beef franks into bite size pieces and bake them in cornbread in muffin tins for pop-in-your-mouth-worthy pig in a blanket snacks!

*Homemade Chex Mix. There are so many variations of chex mix or other snack mixes, it would be easy to concoct your own version that’s sure to be a hit- just add a little of everyone’s favorite snack!

*When in doubt, just add bacon. Seriously. Top bread with bacon. Wrap bites of chicken in bacon. I mean, you can literally wrap asparagus in bacon and suddenly it becomes an appetizer that everyone loves ;). Always add bacon ;).

What are your favorite dairy-free appetizers? I would love to add to my list!