20 Easy Finger Foods for Party Planning

What are finger foods?

Finger foods are commonly known as appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, or light snacks. A popular, and quick-to-make food for social gatherings, they are usually miniature and eaten with your hand. The ideal way to kick off a party, finger foods are easy to prepare and can be served hot or cold as savories or sweet treats.

20 easy finger foods to make for a party

Here’s a list of delicious ready-made finger foods and recipe ideas to help make your party unforgettable:

1. Mini cheese rolls

An easy finger food recipe to make ahead, these snacks are made of puff pastry. Fill them with feta or mozzarella cheese and cooked spinach, and you’re good to go. You can also buy frozen cheese rolls with different fillings and bake them.

2. Mini pizza packs

These are tiny versions of your favorite pizza types like pepperoni, for instance. It’s simply a rolled dough topped with cheese, sauce, and different toppings. You can make these yourself or buy them frozen, oven-bake them for a few minutes, and serve.

3. Tasty ham, cheese, and melon skewers

This is another easy finger food recipe to make ahead of time, as all you need here are some skewers and your ingredients. Cube your ham and cheese, and thread them on a skewer. You can also add some melon and watercress leaves for extra flavor.

4. Crackers decked with assorted toppings

These easy finger foods are perfect for a wine and cheese gathering. Some great cracker toppings include mozzarella with basil and tomato, cream cheese, freshly sliced pears or apples, sardines, or thinly sliced roast beef sprinkled with black pepper.

5. Crispy sausage rolls

Sausage rolls are simple to make, as all you need is readymade puff pastry and a savory sausage meat filling. If you’re pressed for time, you can also buy the frozen kind, defrost it, and bake.

6. Miniature quiche

This baked French tart with a pastry crust filled with vegetables, meat, fish, egg custard, and cheese is a great party snack choice. Some classic flavors here include cheese and onion quiche and quiche Lorraine, packed with ham or bacon.

7. Mini cupcakes

Decorate some mini cupcakes to compliment the theme of your party. You can bake yours from scratch or with an easy-to-bake cupcake mix. Or, you can purchase them already made.

8. Pretzels, a regular party staple

This twisted knot or stick-shaped biscuit made of dough is a popular party snack throughout the world. Pretzels are crunchy and salty and come in an array of flavors. You can also pair these with a drizzle of fig jam or some goat cheese.

9. Beef jerky

Buy these tasty ready-made dried meaty strips to serve to guests. Dice your beef jerky and place atop some deviled eggs, serve on its own, or with some cocktail tomatoes and sliced cucumber.

10. Assorted dried fruit and nuts

Arrange a delicious selection of dried fruit and nuts in your favorite party serving dish. Some of the best party mixed nuts include cashews, almonds, macadamias, and walnuts. These come in sweet and savory, salted, roasted, or plain variations. Pair these with dried figs, apricots, pears, or plums.

11. Super easy to make shrimp cocktail

Make an easy shrimp cocktail by cooking some raw shrimp. Then buy a zesty shrimp cocktail sauce via Instacart to pair with your shrimp! Next, arrange the prawns on a round platter with sauce in the center, and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.

12. Mini bagels with pizza toppings

Ideal for pizza flavor lovers, a mini pizza bagel is simply a bagel decked with scrumptious pizza toppings. Choose from an array of delectable toppings like salami and olives, creamy chicken, or ham. In addition, you can purchase this pre-made and just heat, making it a great option for easy finger foods.

13. Bacon-wrapped jalapeno peppers with cream cheese

This is also one of those easy finger food recipes to make ahead of time. Buy some fresh jalapeños, half your peppers, meld your cream cheese with some grated cheese and fill your peppers with this mixture. Then fry some bacon strips, and wrap them around your peppers.

14. Miniature buttermilk pancakes

These pancakes are decadently buttery and fluffy. You can buy these pre-made or frozen with Instacart and top them with caramel sauce, honey, or cinnamon sugar.

15. Egg rolls

Egg rolls are deep-fried savory cylindrical-shaped dough rolls filled with a mouthwatering blend of seafood, meat, and shredded vegetables. This finger food is best served with a dipping sauce or hot mustard.

16. Tortilla chips with salsa

These triangular chips derived from corn are delicious on their own, with their vast selection of flavors. It can also be paired with ready-made salsa.

17. Mozzarella sticks

A delicious cheese stick fried in bread-crumbed batter, mozzarella sticks are best served with tartar sauce or honey mustard. You can buy these frozen or make them easily from scratch by covering your mozzarella in batter and frying.

18. Mini cinnamon rolls

These cinnamon-flavored rolls with golden-brown crusts are perfect for guests who prefer a doughy treat with a tad of frosting. You can buy these cinnamon rolls ready-made or as an easy-to-bake frozen dough.

19. Chicken nuggets

Buy chicken breast nuggets frozen and serve them in a variety of ways. For example, bake or fry these, and serve with cucumber and tomato slices on cocktail sandwiches. Or, serve them on a platter alongside a tasty avocado ranch dip.

20. Miniature cheesecakes

Perfect for your sweet-toothed guests, you can buy these via Instacart too. Popular mini cheesecake flavors include blueberry, plain, or chocolate.

Serving easy finger foods makes party hosting a breeze

Hosting a party can sometimes be a bit overwhelming when you’re pressed for time and need easy to prepare or ready-made finger foods. There’s no need to fret, though, with the vast array of simple-to-make and ready-made finger foods available via Instacart!

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Author

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.