Home » » 27 Gluten-Free Game Day Recipes, Appetizers, and Ideas
Last Updated . Published Good For You Gluten Free
If you’re searching for the perfect party appetizer to enjoy at your Super Bowl or March Madness parties, you’ve come to the right place. These 27 gluten-free game-day recipes will have you loving your gluten-free life. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party or have been tasked with bringing a gluten-free party appetizer to share, I’ve got you covered with the following gluten-free Super Bowl recipes, all designed to feed a hungry crowd.
All the recipes featured below are made without gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. They are safe for anyone with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
You’ll find fan favorites, including fried finger foods, creamy dips, cold dips, cheesy dips, and better-for-you appetizers like fresh hummus and a tasty quinoa pasta salad, perfect for your health-conscious guests.
And best of all, my easy appetizers use only simple, clean, and gluten-free ingredients. Are you ready for some football? Let the game-day eating feast begin with these 27 gluten-free recipes!
(1) Game Day Snack Board with Black Bean Dip
My spin on a game day snack board includes a spicy homemade black bean dip, crunchy crackers, and chocolate-covered strawberry footballs.
(2) Sweet and Sour Meatballs
No game day party is complete without tasty gluten-free sweet and sour meatballs, which you could make with ground turkey or beef. Double the recipe to feed a large crowd, and keep the meatballs warm inside your slow cooker.
(3) Spinach Artichoke Dip
A classic spinach artichoke dip is always in high demand during football season, and my gluten-free spinach artichoke dip is a tried and true recipe everyone loves.
It’s filled with hearty spinach, artichokes, and caramelized onions. It’s also loaded with cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise and topped with more bubbling cheese to ensure a cheesy flavor explosion in every bite. No one claims this is a healthy dip, but it sure is a big hit!
(4) Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks
Get ready to enjoy these heavenly gluten-free mozzarella sticks, which you can fry in the air fryer or bake in the oven. I serve them with my roasted red pepper marinara sauce, but you could also use a jar of marinara sauce instead and call it a day.
If you don’t feel like making mozzarella sticks, you can buy frozen gluten-free mozzarella sticks from Feel Good Foods. These frozen treats are tasty but much too expensive to share.
(5) Spicy 7-Layer Mexican Dip
This cheesy seven-layer Mexican dip is made with refried beans, guacamole, taco meat, jarred salsa, shredded Mexican cheese, fresh tomatoes, and chopped green onions.
This warm dip feeds a crowd and tastes incredible! Serve it with tortilla chips or Crunchmaster’s Avocado Toast crackers, which add a delicious tang to each bite.
(6) Chunky Pico de Gallo with Avocado
There’s no better way to enjoy nature’s bounty than with fresh and homemade pico de gallo served with chunks of avocado. Serve it with crackers or tortilla chips to help your guests transport this delicious dip from plate to mouth.
(7) Gluten-Free Chili
Get ready to cozy up to a bowl of hearty, gluten-free, beer-infused chili made with ground turkey, canned beans, and a slew of fresh spices. This recipe will feed and fuel all your hungry guests. Get my classic gluten-free chili recipe.
(8) Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza
Unfortunately, none of the big pizza restaurants offer safe, gluten-free pizza (Read: Pizza Restaurants that Don’t Recommend their Gluten-Free Pizza for People with Celiac Disease), but you can buy frozen gluten-free pizza or make your own using my homemade gluten-free pizza crust recipe, pictured below.
If you decide to buy frozen pizza, there are many to choose from, and I rank them all in my article, Best Gluten-Free Frozen Pizza: Ranked and Tested.
One of my favorite gluten-free pizza brands, Freschetta, is easy to find in most grocery stores across the U.S., and you can also order it online.
(9) Gluten-Free Pasta Salad
Cook up your favorite gluten-free pasta and combine it with chopped vegetables and a delicious homemade Italian dressing. This delightful gluten-free pasta salad will feed a crowd and offer a lighter alternative to fried finger foods. I recommend serving this pasta salad slightly warm for the best results.
(10) Quinoa Pasta Salad
Another filling pasta salad that could work well for any Super Bowl party is this delicious Quinoa Pasta Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette. This pasta salad offers plenty of plant-based protein to fuel your guests for the whole nine yards.
(11) Air Fryer Crispy Onion Rings
Fried food is a must at any football party, and these gluten-free crispy onion rings fit the bill. My onion rings are air-fried, so they’re ultra crispy. They can also be baked in the oven.
(12) Gluten-Free Toasted Ravioli
I first discovered toasted ravioli in St. Louis before I knew I had celiac disease and had to eat gluten-free. I’ve since created my own gluten-free toasted ravioli recipe using Trader Joe’s gluten-free ravioli, gluten-free breadcrumbs, and my air fryer. Serve it with jarred marinara sauce and sprinkle with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.
(13) Spicy Hummus with Crunchy Chickpeas
Your health-conscious guests will appreciate this ultra-tasty and spicy homemade hummus recipe, which pairs well with crackers. For added texture, air-fry chickpeas and add them on top.
(14) Lemon Dill Hummus
If you don’t want to serve spicy hummus, consider making my favorite homemade dip, Lemon Dill Hummus. This cold dip tastes light and fresh and is always a hit with my health-conscious guests.
(15) Pigs in a Blanket
My gluten-free pigs in a blanket are made with store-bought puff pastry and all-beef co*cktail-sized hot dogs. These small bites of delicious dogs and puff pastry dough are the stuff dreams are made of!
GeeFree makes frozen gluten-free pigs in a blanket, but truth be told, I haven’t seen these in any grocery stores near me.
(16) Gluten-Free Pizza Pockets
If you love a good pizza pocket, you might enjoy these homemade gluten-free pizza “hot” pockets made with homemade or store-bought puff pastry. These handheld hot pockets are filled with pizza sauce, cheese, and spices.
Speaking of pizza rolls, some specialty brands make frozen gluten-free pizza rolls, including Snow Days Pizza Bites, Brazi Bites Pizza Bites, or Feel Good Foods Pizza Snacks.
(17) Gluten-Free Queso
Spice up your game day snack boards with this delicious gluten-free queso recipe, which pairs perfectly with salty crackers or tortilla chips. Your guests will love this creamy and cheesy addition to the party food lineup.
(18) Shortcut Gluten-Free Empanadas
I made these homemade gluten-free empanadas using store-bought tortillas, an empanada press, and a savory filling of corn, beans, avocado, and cheese.
(19) Gluten-Free Falafels
Make gluten-free falafel for a tasty Middle Eastern spin at your game-day parties. My homemade falafels are packed with fresh herbs and delicious spices and bursting with Mediterranean flavors. These crispy balls of chickpeas taste amazing when dipped in my lemon dill hummus.
(20) Quinoa-Salmon Cakes
While not a traditional Super Bowl food, you might consider offering a fish alternative for your non-meat-eating guests. These gluten-free salmon cakes fit the bill and are always a big hit.
Fry them up and serve with hot sauce or mayo dip. If you want them to be enjoyed as finger food, make them smaller than pictured.
(21) Classic Guacamole
No Super Bowl party is complete without a bowl of classic guacamole. My guacamole recipe is one of the best and is so simple to make. Don’t buy guacamole at the store – homemade is always better and takes minimal skill and time.
(22) Nachos
Everyone loves digging into a platter of cheesy nachos on Super Bowl Sunday. While I don’t have a specific nacho recipe, I recommend you pick your favorite corn tortillas and top them with refried or black beans, salsa, and shredded cheese. Bake it until the cheese is bubbly, then top with sour cream, cubed avocados, diced tomatoes, black olives, and/or jalapenos.
When you’re feeding a party crowd, consider baking the nachos on a large baking sheet, in a 9×13″ baking pan, or in a glass casserole dish. Grease the pan well so the nachos don’t stick to it.
(23) Chicken Wings
Unfortunately, most chicken wing restaurants don’t offer gluten-free options, so if you want to enjoy chicken wings, you’ll have to make them yourself.
I don’t have a recipe on Good For You Gluten Free for chicken wings yet, but I always make them. Here’s how I do it:
Grease a foil-lined baking sheet with lots of Pam cooking spray. Place the wingette and drumette pieces on the baking sheet. Do not overcrowd.
Bake them in a 425º F preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until they’re browned and crispy on the outside, turning them 1-2 times throughout.
Remove them from the oven and toss them with San-J’s gluten-free Korean BBQ sauce, regular barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce, or a mixture of hot sauce, butter, and honey.
Sprinkle the wings with green onions, parsley, and/or sesame seeds, and serve immediately. Some people serve wings with ranch dressing or blue cheese dipping sauce.
(24) Gluten-Free Jalapeno Poppers
While I don’t have a gluten-free jalapeno popper recipe to share, these frozen Crispy Jalapeno Bites from Feel Good Foods will work. They’re stuffed with real cream cheese and chopped jalapeno peppers and coated in a crispy rice-flour breading. Pop them in the air fryer and serve them warm.
(25) Gluten-Free Raspberry Bars
While Super Bowl Sunday is all about savory foods, your guests will appreciate a few sweet treats you put out during the halftime show.
One of my favorite gluten-free desserts to make and eat are these gluten-free raspberry bars. They’re colorful and always a hit.
(26) Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Also, try making these delicious and bright gluten-free lemon bars. You’ll find they have a generous custardy lemon filling set on top of a flaky shortbread cookie. Delicious!
(27) Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bake up a batch of these classic gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. The recipe makes several dozen cookies and will be enjoyed as a sweet treat by all. Please note that I slightly underbake my cookies to ensure they’re soft and chewy. You should, too!
Are You Ready For Some Football?
Armed with these delicious gluten-free appetizers and tasty recipes, you’re now ready to host an epic Super Bowl party or bring a game-winning appetizer to share.
If you’re hosting, don’t forget to put out fresh fruit, tortilla chips, gluten-free crackers, cubed cheeses, and [adult] beverages.
I encourage you to read my gluten-free beer guide for a list of gluten-free beers you can stock up on for the big game. Cheers!
