Whether you’re planning a party or just trying to feed some tasty snacks to your family, finger food recipes come in handy.
Finger foods are a big part of American cuisine. We’re always on the go and having quick and easy snacks or meals is key to getting things done while also making sure our families are eating healthy foods. When it comes to entertaining, having finger foods just makes everything easier.
What exactly is finger food? Basically, anything that’s small enough to eat with your hands can be considered finger food.
Finger foods are the perfect solution for casual gatherings, parties, and even quick snacks at home. Their convenience and simplicity make them a hit among hosts and guests alike. When it comes to finger food recipes, there is no shortage of creative and appetizing ideas that cater to various dietary preferences and tastes.
Exploring a diverse range of finger food recipes will introduce hosts to flavors from around the world, offering unique and exciting options for guests to indulge in. Whether they are vegetarian, vegan, or meat-based, these small bites are made to satisfy cravings without the need for utensils or formal sit-down meals.
Experimenting with different finger food recipes not only adds variety to one’s hosting repertoire but also offers a more interactive experience for guests. Well-crafted finger foods encourage mingling and conversation, fostering a lively and enjoyable atmosphere during any social gathering.
Ideally, finger food shouldn’t be something that is too messy. It’s nice to be able to enjoy some snacks without needing a knife and fork.
From finger food ideas as sophisticated as stuffed dates to finger food appetizers as simple as spinach artichoke dip, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in and explore 31 excellent finger food ideas.
Source: acouplecooks.com
1. Easy Stuffed Dates
If you’re looking for finger food recipes that are both sweet and savory, you’re going to love these easy stuffed dates.
The dates are both sophisticated and simple, but there is nothing simple about the creamy and delicious fillings.
To get a delightful chewy caramel taste, go with Medjool dates.
These dates are stuffed with goat cheese, then sprinkled with smoked paprika. A dusting of pistachios finishes them off.
Best of all, this finger food recipe requires absolutely no cooking. It doesn’t get any easier than this!
Source: food.com
2. Grilled Apple, Bacon, and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
If you’re looking for a plain old grilled cheese sandwich made with American cheese, this isn’t the one for you.
We love those traditional grilled cheese sandwiches, but this one is something different and special.
This sandwich is full of mayo and cream cheese, so it’s super creamy.
However, what really sets this grilled cheese apart is the tart apple and bacon.
Who knew that these three things together could be so magical?
You can serve these sandwiches on your favorite bread. Also, these bacon grilled cheese sandwiches make a wonderful lunch, brunch, or dinner.
Source: shugarysweets.com
3. Caramel Apple Dip
Fruit dips are always popular.
People love fruit and having something sweet and creamy to dip their fruit into makes it even better.
In the autumn, apples are in season and who doesn’t love caramel?
This caramel apple dip is perfect to serve as a gorgeous platter at any party or holiday get-together.
The dip is made from a cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture with a little bit of pure vanilla extract.
The caramel comes from a pre-made container of caramel dip. To get that gorgeous topping, use Heath toffee bits.
Source: southernfoodandfun.com
4. Baked Sweet Potato Fries and Sriracha Flavored Dipping Sauce
French fries are the classic finger food. Are there people in the world who don’t love them? If so, we haven’t met them yet.
If you want a healthier French fry, give these sweet potato fries a look.
The recipe has a spicy Sriracha sauce that gets added flavor from lime juice. The mayonnaise and sour cream make it incredibly creamy.
The magic is in the spices. With chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and light brown sugar, how can you not win?
To make these sweet potato fries extra crispy, toss them in cornstarch first. These fries are a great dinner side dish, too.
Source: spendwithpennies.com
5. Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
In recent years, spinach artichoke dip has become one of the most beloved and requested hot dips of all time.
This dip is incredibly easy to make and the cheesy base is loaded with garlic, spinach, and marinated artichokes.
The creaminess of this dip comes from sour cream, mayonnaise, shredded Mozzarella cheese, shredded gruyere cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese.
Serve this wonderful dip with slices of baguette or another crusty bread. Spinach artichoke dip is also great with crackers and pita chips. This may be the perfect easy finger food.
Source: 365daysofbakingandmore.com
6. Parmesan Bread Bites
How does the idea of warm garlic bread sound? Everyone loves it and this is a great finger food idea.
These addictive little nuggets of goodness are easy to make.
They use any type of pizza dough, and you can use homemade pizza dough or a store-bought version.
When you make these, be sure that you keep the spacing evenly spaced so that they don’t stick to each other.
Season these with grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. That’s it! The garlic and butter will do the rest for you.
Serve your breadsticks with fresh marinara sauce or as a side dish with a pasta dinner.
Source: julieseatsandtreats.com
7. Bite-Sized Blooming Onion and Special Dipping Sauce
If you haven’t had the Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steak House, you’re missing out on a rare treat.
The onion strips are so perfectly crispy, and they wouldn’t be the same without the signature dipping sauce.
What’s great about the Bloomin’ Onion is that you can easily make it at home. The sauce is made from sour cream, mayonnaise, ketchup, and horseradish.
The spices that make this sauce so perfect are dried oregano, paprika, salt, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
What really makes these go over the top is the dipping sauce, so be sure to make some to go with your onion bites.
Source: theseasidebaker.com
8. Rosemary Garlic Crackers
When you make your own homemade crackers, you can create fun flavor combinations and the perfect finger food.
Best of all, you don’t have to serve a lot of additives and preservatives to your guests.
This recipe is so easy to make that you may never want to buy packaged crackers again.
Use whole wheat flour for a healthier and crispier cracker.
These crackers are perfect for serving with hummus or a cream cheese dip. Also, rosemary garlic crackers also look great on a veggie tray or charcuterie board.
Source: aheadofthyme.com
9. Tomato Basil Bruschetta with Savory Balsamic Drizzle
We love bruschetta as an appetizer or finger food, and this recipe makes use of reduced balsamic glaze to make this bruschetta out-of-this-world delicious.
You can use a French baguette or Italian bread to make this bruschetta.
The key is to slice your bread thickly enough that it soaks up all of the toppings without getting soggy.
This Caprese style bruschetta is loaded with fresh basil leaves, garlic and garlic powder, roasted tomato, and red onion. It’s as colorful as it is delicious!
Source: yellowblissroad.com
10. Italian Sausage Dip Recipe
When you make this spicy sausage dip, it will be so creamy that it will make your guests swoon.
This dip is made of three types of cheese, so you know it’s so cheesy and yummy.
Besides the seasoning in the sausage, this dip is seasoned with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a dash of red pepper flakes. Tangy pepperoncini add tons of zest.
With cream cheese and mozzarella cheese, this dip is super creamy, and the Parmesan cheese is the finishing touch.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve with crostini toast or crackers. You will think you’re eating delicious sausage rolls!
Source: themediterraneandish.com
11. The Ultimate Appetizer Platter with Mediterranean Flavors
Mediterranean food is famously delicious and good for you.
In the Mediterranean, the word “mezze” is used to describe a selection of small appetizers that are served together.
So you can call this appetizer platter a mezze platter if you want.
With traditional Mediterranean dips like baba ganoush and hummus, this platter will be popular at any gathering.
You can use an easy traditional recipe for creamy hummus or even use store-bought hummus to serve with your Mediterranean platter.
The veggies should be Campari tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, bell pepper, California figs or grapes, and olives.
Serve your platter with a cheese ball and cheese bites like Greek feta and baby Mozzarella.
Meat can include sausage rolls, prosciutto, meatball, and more.
Source: asouthernsoul.com
12. Easy Ranch Party Crackers
If you’re looking for finger food with a salty crunch and a kick of fire, you will enjoy these “fire crackers.”
To create these little devils, you use saltine crackers and transform them with only three simple ingredients.
These crackers are perfect for dips, but they’re also great in stew, chili, and soup.
All you need is saltine crackers, a pack of ranch seasoning mix, canola oil or olive oil, and red pepper flakes.
We like to make these with whole-wheat saltine crackers. They’re crispier and healthier.
Source: seriouseats.com
13. Spanish Tomato Toast (Pan con Tomate)
If you love bruschetta (and who doesn’t?), you will absolutely adore pan con tomate (Spanish tomato toast).
This traditional appetizer has its roots in Catalonia, which is located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula.
The secret to making this delicious finger food is to rub the toasted bread with garlic, then add a layer of tomato that has been grated.
For this dish to be authentic, it should be made with tomato pulp.
At most restaurants, you will also see pan con tomate drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.
Source: biscuitsandburlap.com
14. Warm Oven Pesto Brie
Baked brie cheese is famously a delightfully cheesy appetizer, and this dressed-up version is one you’re going to love.
The secret to cooking perfect baked brie is to scrape off the top of the rind so that you can leave even more of the cheese intact.
This baked brie is packed full of intense flavor from sundried tomatoes and pesto. The Italian seasoning gives it a subtle flavor.
Sprinkle your finished dish with pine nuts and fresh herbs.
Use bread, toast, pita chips, pretzel bites, or crackers to dip into this little pot of heaven that is easy finger food.
Source: aspicyperspective.com
15. Baked Brie Bites in Four Flavors
Baked brie bites are an elegant appetizer to serve to family and friends.
These tasty little bite-sized wonders can be either savory or sweet (or both!).
To make these baked brie bites, you just need Athens Mini Fillo Shells.
The brie is cut into tiny chunks and placed in the shells. Bake just until the brie is completely melted.
Then, top the bites with cranberry preserves and sprinkle them with pistachios. These are best served warm.
For flavor variations, try different flavors of preserves, such as apricot or strawberry.
Source: damndelicious.net
16. Buttery Garlic Breadsticks
Does the idea of baking homemade bread intimidate you?
Long gone are the days of all-day bread baking. Now, we have recipes that allow us to make delicious homemade bread in no time at all.
These garlic and parmesan breadsticks are ready to bake in less than 20 minutes. And there is no yeast involved.
You don’t even have to roll out dough because you are using refrigerated breadsticks that you buy at the grocery store.
These breadsticks get loads of flavor from the garlic, but also from dried oregano, dried parsley flakes, and dried thyme.
These wonderful breadsticks can also double as a side dish for chicken pasta recipes.
Source: thestayathomechef.com
17. Jalapeno Popper Party Dip
For an addictive dip, you can’t beat the jalapeno popper dip.
The crust of this dip is made with crushed Ritz crackers.
To make this dish lighter, you can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
Also, you can use canned jalapenos if you don’t have fresh jalapenos in your fridge.
Something we love about jalapenos is that you can make them as spicy or mild as you want. To get a milder dip, simply remove the seeds and membranes from inside the peppers before you chop them up.
Source: mountainmamacooks.com
18. Easy Herb and Garlic Veggie Dip
Even people who don’t love vegetables can get into a good dip for dipping the veggies into.
Traditionally, veggie dips are made with sour cream, and this one has sour cream in it as well.
However, it also has healthy Greek yogurt, so that you’ve got a dip that has significantly less fat than your regular dip.
You can keep a tub of this dip in your fridge for several days, so it makes a great snack food to have around the house.
The remarkable flavor comes from fresh dill, fresh basil, scallions (green onions), minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Source: thewelldressedkitchen.com
19. Three-Ingredient Bite-Sized Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Stuffed peppers are sublime, aren’t they?
It seems that no matter what kind of peppers we stuff or what we stuff them with, stuffed peppers get gobbled up quickly.
These stuffed peppers are made with mini bell peppers, but you could use any type of pepper, even spicy ones like jalapeno peppers.
The filling is chevre goat cheese. You can use plain goat cheese or any flavor you like.
When your papers are stuffed with the chevre, drizzle them with honey and bake for 15 minutes. That’s it!
Source: simplejoy.com
20. Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer
Goat cheese is so creamy and delicious.
This recipe is quick to pull together and has a prep time of just 10 minutes.
Already a soft cheese, goat cheese is the perfect cheese for baking. Goat cheese becomes warm and makes the perfect spread for crackers and bread.
The orange zest and red pepper flakes are what make this goat cheese appetizer shine.
Spices used in this recipe are dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried basil, and black pepper.
You can serve this goat cheese spread with sliced toasted baguettes.
Source: acozykitchen.com
21. Detroit-Style Pizza Recipe
Did you know that you’ve possibly already enjoyed a big gooey slice of Detroit-style pizza and maybe didn’t realize it?
The Detroit-style pizza is crispy and shaped like a rectangle. Best of all, some of the sauce is layered lightly on top of the melty cheese.
The secret to making this pizza is using cubes of provolone cheese instead of shredded cheese. Then, shredded mozzarella cheese tops off this masterpiece that is perfection on a plate.
The result? Delicious pockets of melted cheese and a golden-brown crispy crust.
Source: chefsavvy.com
22. Homemade Everything Bagels
When it comes to bagels, most people love them. After all, you can top a bagel with any flavor of cream cheese (or other stuff!) that you like.
Seriously, with bagels, there is literally something for everyone.
Our favorite bagel is the everything bagel. It’s not just how flavorful they are. The poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic flake, and onion flake also work together to create a wonderful crust.
You can make your own herbed cream cheese or buy cream cheese that is already seasoned just how you like it.
These bagels are also wonderful with avocado, peanut butter, or other nut butter.
Source: thebusybaker.ca
23. Herb Cream Cheese Dip
Isn’t cream cheese just perfect?
You can buy flavored cream cheese, but the fact is, it’s super simple to make your own.
Homemade herbed cream cheese will wow your guests.
This delicious dip has three cloves of very finely minced fresh garlic.
The spices that give this dip so much flavor are dried basil, dried parsley, and fresh thyme (dried is fine, too).
Spread this dip on bagels or toast, or allow your guests to enjoy this dip with crispy crackers or chips.
If you want to add some love to this dish, stir in some chopped real bacon bits.
Source: theendlessmeal.com
24. Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites
Anytime you add smoked salmon to a party, you have next-level elegance.
And that doesn’t change when the appetizers are as cute as these little smoked salmon bites.
This finger food is also a super healthy treat. The base is a cucumber slice, and the creamy topping is made from cream cheese and Greek yogurt.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest give these tasty little bites a nice zing.
Garlic, a pinch of sea salt, and fresh dill round out the flavors.
Source: punchfork.com
25. Greek Veggie Tartlets
Phyllo pastry has an undeserved bad reputation because it requires some attention when you bake with it.
Here’s the deal, though. Phyllo pastry is so delicious and crispy that it’s worth the extra work you have to put into it.
To make this recipe, you can even use pre-made phyllo cups that you buy at the store. Also, you can opt to use your favorite regular pastry recipe.
The veggies in these perfect little tarts are cucumber, red onion, plum tomatoes, and Greek olives. The crumbled feta cheese is what makes them absolutely wonderful.
You can also use crumbled blue cheese.
Source: amandascookin.com
26. Veggie Pizza
We love making homemade pizza, and if we can use a simple dough, that’s even better.
This recipe for veggie pizza is made with store-bought crescent rolls dough, so it’s as easy as can be to pull together.
The veggies include green onions, shredded carrot, bell pepper in red and orange colors, and broccoli. Isn’t this a unique pizza?
For this veggie pizza, you use three kinds of cheese: cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
You can serve this pizza appetizer hot or cold.
Source: monpetitfour.com
27. Gougères (French Cheese Puffs)
Did someone say “finger foods for party”? We’ve got what you need.
Is there anything that’s not made better by cheese?
These French cheese puffs are made with pate a choux pastry (puff pastry) and you’re going to love the amazing texture that this pastry brings to the table.
This recipe is made with shredded gruyere cheese and is seasoned with nutmeg. The flavors pop and make these cheese puffs a winner with any crowd.
You can add other things to your gougères, including chopped jalapenos or real bacon bits.
Source: lettucevegout.com
28. Tomato and Butter Bean Dip
Do you remember back in the day when everyone’s favorite dip was a can of bean dip?
It’s hard to believe we used to eat that dip cold right out of the can with Fritos, but it was an easy appetizer, so what can we say?
These days, there are tons of dips that you can enjoy, and we even found a recipe for a very fancy bean dip.
This dip is made with butter beans and sun-dried tomatoes. The dip is gluten-free and vegan, so enjoy it all you want!
Source: cookingclassy.com
29. The Very Best Fresh Homemade Tomato Salsa
We love the shortcuts we can take with some store-bought and pre-prepared items, but there are some foods that are just not the same if they’re not made from scratch.
One of those foods is salsa. It’s really challenging to find a store-bought salsa that rivals homemade salsa.
A key ingredient or condiment for Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes, fresh salsa is always best if you use the freshest ingredients available.
This recipe makes use of canned tomatoes and Roma tomatoes. The spices are cumin and chili powder. Also, you use both red onion and green onions (scallions) for this salsa.
Source: beyondthechickencoop.com
30. Homemade Potato Chips
With the advent of the air fryer, it has become easier than ever to make homemade potato chips.
However, there are times when we want potato chips that are fried. These potato chips are great for the occasional treat.
Oh, and they’re pretty addictive, too, so be ready to make a big batch if you’re feeding a crowd of folks.
To make sure your potato chips are all evenly sliced, we recommend using a mandoline.
The secret to making these chips super crisp is soaking them in vinegar before cooking them.
Source: inspiredbycharm.com
31. Party Pinwheels
Party pinwheels are one of our favorite appetizers and one of the best easy finger food ideas.
These delicious little wheels are as addictive as can be, so you need to make enough to make up for the ones you snack on while you’re cooking.
We love that these can be made in advance the day before. Then, just pull them out of the fridge and slice them to serve.
You can make pinwheels out of nearly anything. We love the turkey bacon cranberry pinwheels on this list.
Another classic pinwheel is thinly sliced meat and cheese.
Check out the Tasty video below for eight more delicious finger food recipes.
Our 30+ BEST Easy Finger Food Recipes (+Easy Garlic and Herb Veggie Dip)
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Greek yogurt
- 4 ounces sour cream
- 2 thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp. each chopped basil and dill
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 tsp. coarse black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all and chill.
Notes
Organize all the required ingredients.
Enjoy the food.
Nutrition
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