25 Best Appetizers To Serve

Sharing the best appetizers to serve for holiday entertaining, to bring to a party, and crowd-pleasers. These delicious appetizers include tasty sweet treats to recipes for before-dinner snacks. 

Anytime you’re entertaining, guests love a great appetizer. Serving mini-finger foods are an easy way to get a party started.

Nothing brings everyone together quite like food!

In the spring and summer months, you can invite guests over to enjoy the beautiful weather. Easy backyard entertaining, meals and cooking is a huge trend these days.

More people are opting to stay in on weekends too. There’s been a return to Friday and Saturday night get-togethers and cocktail parties.

Fall and winter parties call for appetizers as well. Guests can mix and mingle as they nosh on bite-sized treats.

Think outside the traditional chips and salsa with some great, easy appetizers.

Entertaining at your next get-together will be a breeze with these 25 Best Appetizers to Serve.

These yummy appetizers and finger food ideas are the perfect starter for any meal or on their own for light grazing during any get-together or gathering.

25 Best Appetizers to Serve

Meat and Cheese Tray

A meat and cheese tray is one of the easiest, classic appetizer options to put together.

The key to a great meat and cheese tray is to include a variety of salty, savory, crunchy, and soft options.

Add olives, nuts, grapes, and dried fruit as well as herbs to round out the tray.

{ The Perfect Meat and Cheese Tray }

Caprese Garlic Bread

This is one of the easiest appetizer recipes!

Garlic bread is always a welcome delicacy.

This light and savory garlic bread invoke all the flavors of Caprese salad (a seasonal favorite) – with garlic, mozzarella, balsamic, basil, and tomatoes.

This simple garlic bread is great for any situation and fresh basil and balsamic takes it to the next level.

{ Caprese Garlic Bread }

Oven Baked Zucchini Chips

Chips are a party staple, but sometimes you want something that’s a little fancier, different (and yet, easy to make).

At your next get-together, replace the regular potato chips with these low-fat, oven-baked veggie chips made from zucchini and delicious salty parmesan cheese.

{ Oven Baked Zucchini Chips }

Spinach Artichoke Bites

Hot spinach artichoke dip is one of the yummiest appetizer recipes, but balancing dip and bread can be a balancing act for guests as guests try to visit and mingle.

This recipe adds all the great flavors of your favorite spinach artichoke dip, but puts them in easy-to-eat crescent cups!

{ Spinach Artichoke Bites }

Raspberry Brie Tartlets

This is one of the greatest appetizer ideas to whip up at the last minute.

The best part is that brie and fruit is such a gourmet, classic combination that no one will believe these yummy tarts are so unbelievably simple to create.

They take only minutes to pull together and will be everyone’s favorite bite-sized treat at your next soiree.

{ Raspberry Brie Tartlets }

Goat Cheese Bites

Do you want an appetizer that will WOW everyone?

Well then here is THE best appetizers for a party.

These cheese bites are absolutely stunning and look great on your appetizer table. Goat cheese goes perfectly with pesto, sesame seeds, green chives, roasted tomatoes, salmon, and prosciutto.

These are portable, simple, delicious mouthfuls.

{ Goat Cheese Bites }

Chili Lime Shrimp Cups

Talk about one-bite madness all in a wonton shell cup!

Wontons are the perfect appetizer hack.

The little shells can be filled with all sorts of delicious flavor combinations. These chili lime shrimp have a little kick and all kinds of flavors. They’ll be a guest favorite!

{ Chili Lime Shrimp Cups }

Quinoa Tomato Salad Bites

Think salad is off-limits for cocktail parties?

Try putting the components of a yummy quinoa salad in a cute little cherry tomato!

These little salad bites are really refreshing, healthy, and one of the best apperizers to serve because they are the perfect finger food!

{ Quinoa Tomato Salad Bites }

Parmesan Crusted Tortellini Bites

Incorporating all the flavors of everyone’s favorite – mozzarella sticks in a sophisticated bite sounds impossible. After all, cheese sticks aren’t exactly “gourmet” party food, right?

Well, think about this… crunchy parmesan-crusted cheese-filled tortellini dipped in warm marinara sauce!

All the yummy flavors of your favorite pizza parlor staple but in a fancy, party-worthy format!

{ Parmesan Crusted Tortellini Bites }

Warm Basil Pesto Cream Cheese Spread

Let’s admit it – everyone loves a great cheese dip and this one is one of the best appetizers to serve.

This amazing dip has an absolutely gorgeous, restaurant-worthy presentation, with only two ingredients!

Talk about super simple. Simply add some Wheat Thins or Triscuit crackers for a crowd-pleasing cheese dip that will have guests raving!

{ Warm Basil Pesto Cream Cheese Spread }

Mini Cheeseball Bites

One of the most popular party foods is the classic cheese ball, right?

Unfortunately, navigating the cheese ball is always an awkward affair. Guests balance their plates, cut into the beautiful ball, and it’s left looking like a mess.

These mini-cheese balls are perfect for guests to enjoy in a single, easy to enjoy a bite.

With pretzels as the stick, they don’t even need to look for a place to drop their toothpick.

{ Mini Cheeseball Bites }

Brown Sugar Glazed Turkey Meatballs

Brown sugar gives a great flavor and makes an awesome glaze for meatballs.

These are savory, sweet, and delectable little finger foods.

They will be everyone’s favorite party treat. The recipe is simple and yummy!

{ Brown Sugar Glazed Turkey Meatballs }

Caprese Kabobs

These delicious Caprese kabobs are a fun alternative to veggies and dip for your next party.

They’re perfect for holiday parties (with the red and green coloring) but the flavor is a summer favorite too.

Any time of year, you can’t beat these beautiful, simple kabob appetizers.

{ Caprese Kabobs }

Blue Cheese Mushroom Crostini

The sharp flavors of blue cheese pair perfectly with the savory mellow flavor of mushrooms.

These easy crostini have gourmet flavor without gourmet effort.

These are an easy appetizer and they’re SO good. These are a must-add to your appetizer list.

{ Blue Cheese Mushroom Crostini }

Homemade Mac and Cheese Bites

These are sure to satisfy the little kid in us, yet they look 100% grown-up and perfectly appropriate for your next dinner party.

The cheese bites are a real crowd-pleaser. After all, is there a better comfort food than macaroni and cheese? It’s everyone’s favorite!

{ Homemade Mac and Cheese Bites }

Sweet and Spicy Phyllo Poppers

Such a perfect spin on the classic jalapeno popper.

These bites in little phyllo wrappers are a great “deconstructed” version of everyone’s favorite spicy, cheesy party food.

They look elegant, and the sweet and spicy combination is seriously addicting.

{ Sweet and Spicy Phyllo Poppers }

Gruyere Mushroom Carmelized Onion Bites

Flaky puff pastry topped with balsamic caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, a hint of garlic, and a smoked gruyere cheese bomb mixed right in.

These are so satisfying – sweet, savory, salty, and delicious.

Puff pastry is surprisingly easy to work with and it always offers a stunning presentation.

{ Gruyere Mushroom Caramelized Onion Bites }

Blue Cheese And Balsamic Kettle Chips

Skip the cheese fries or nachos and make this grown-up appetizer instead.

These kettle chips are sophisticated with blue cheese and balsamic flavors.

You won’t believe how well they pair together! It’s a genius take on a classic party dish (and SO easy to make)!

{ Blue Cheese and Balsamic Kettle Chips }

Apricot Ricotta Honey Basil Bites

This is a great fresh appetizer to serve up during warm weather months.

Apricots generally come into season mid-to-late summer and with honey, fresh ricotta, and basil they create a really refreshing, sweet, and different finger food.

Apricots are such an easy fruit to work with too–they’re perfectly bite-sized.

{ Apricot Ricotta Honey Basil Bites }

Grilled Salmon Lemon Kabobs

Seasoned with fresh herbs, lemon, and spices- then grilled to perfection.

Salmon is a popular main dish, yet when we think of kabobs we often think of chicken or beef.

These are fun and different. Plus, salmon is healthy and pairs great with lemon.

{ Grilled Salmon Lemon Kabobs }

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms With Roasted Tomatoes And Goat Cheese

Portobellos are great mushrooms to stuff–they’re large, meaty in texture and filling.

These stuffed Portobello mushrooms with all the goodness of goat cheese and roasted tomatoes are unique and crowd-pleasing.

{ Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese }

Smashed Sweet Potato Guacamole Bites

This is one of my favorite appetizer ideas for party!

At every party, people convene around the chips, salsa, and guacamole.

This take on the avocado dish is a little unexpected and super delicious.

Crispy edges, soft middles, spicy guac centers, and salty bacon top make them perfect for little bites.

{ Smashed Sweet Potato Guacamole Bites }

Grilled Garlic Toasts With Prosciutto And Mozzarella

Prosciutto is rich and flavorful. It works great in small plates and bite-sized applications because it packs a great punch with a small amount.

Paired with creamy mozzarella and smoky grilled garlic toasts, these bites are delicious and simple. 

Hot from the grill, they are perfect to serve with other appetizers.

{ Grilled Garlic Toasts with Prosciutto and Mozzarella }

Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews

Sweet little peppers stuffed with garlic and herb goat cheese: a perfect party appetizer!

Peppadews are easy to work with and commonly found at most grocery stores these days.

They’re sweet with just a teeny bit of spice and tons of flavor–a great combination with creamy cheese and herbs.

{ Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews }

Shrimp Taco Bites

While everyone loves a chip dish, there’s always the issue of “dip to chip ratio” (no double-dipping, please)!

These yummy appetizers bring it all together so guests can grab and go.

The combination of the creamy avocado, smoky sour cream, and the zippy chili-lime shrimp on top of that crunchy little chip is like a party in your mouth.

{ Shrimp Taco Bites }

I hope you have found some great finger foods for a party out of these 25 best appetizers to serve!

More Entertaining and Recipe Ideas

• Delicious Holiday Cocktail Recipes
• How To Create A Hot Cocoa Charcuterie Board
• Simple + Easy Gluten-Free Recipes Everyone Will Love
• Creating A Cozy Outdoor Space To Entertain
• Whipped Chocolate Peppermint Martini Recipe

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