59 Finger Foods, Because Being Festive Doesn’t Require a Fork
As much as we love our once-a-year tablecloth-and-Grandma’s-silver celebrations, we can’t help but notice that finger foods are the best part of any get-together. A fabulous gathering doesn’t actually require that you bother setting the table, and great handheld bites can make any lazy Sunday even better. Sit back and scroll through our ultimate guide to finger foods for a party (of twenty or two). We’ve included easy options for snacking, like crispy-gooey mozzarella sticks, spiced nuts, and simple dressed-up olives. Sweatpants and cushy couch optional, but highly recommended. For those occasions where you want to impress, skip the store-bought pinwheels and go with class acts like chicken liver pâté, clams casino, and smoked salmon tartare. See you ’round the baked Brie.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou2/59Cheesy Samosa Puffs
This easy (hello, frozen puff pastry!) baked (no frying!) samosa recipe is a celebration of potato, cheese, and spices—simply serve with ketchup or green chutney made with mint and cilantro.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano3/59Mutabbal (Eggplant-Tahini Dip)
Meet your new favorite creamy dip, loaded with silky eggplant and tahini. Garnish with pomegranate seeds for a bright, textural final touch.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott5/59Cheesy Sesame Phyllo Bites
Crunchy crackers coated in sesame seeds and Gruyère? Yes, please. We can't get enough of this snack—as is or presented with some dip or a gorgeous cheese plate.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton6/59Chili Crab Dip With Shrimp Chips
This dynamic crab dip gets its depth of flavor from tomato paste, garlic, lemongrass, scallions, shallots, and serrano.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton7/59Goat Cheese and Salami Stuffed Dates
One part creamy (goat cheese), one part salty (salami), and one part sweet (dates), this easy appetizer is one hundred percent amazing—and always a major hit. Plus, a bite-size snack means you can always have a glass in your other hand.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow9/59Smoked Trout Croquettes
If you’re love a good fried finger food, these balls of melty potato, cheese, and smoky trout will have your number. They're a part of our cocktail party spin on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, but this recipe will also be a hit at any party, holiday or no.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/59Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushrooms don't get better than this. These mushroom caps become the textural vehicle for the highlight: buttery, cheesy, homemade breadcrumbs.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow11/59Tonnato Eggs
Deviled eggs soar to the next level with salty pops of salmon roe and the crispy, tangy texture of fried capers.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro13/59Old Bay Chips With Lemon Mayo
14/59Rosemary-Sizzled Salami, Dates, and Pecans
This herbaceous, buttery, salty, nutty appetizer hits all the notes you’d find from a charcuterie plate—and the warm Medjool dates send it over the edge for optimal, caramel deliciousness.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova16/59Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté
Photograph by Jessica Pettway, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh17/59Crispy Coconutty Zucchini Fritters
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce18/59Soft Boiled Tea Eggs
The coziest tea eggs ever, this recipe combines oolong tea, soy sauce, and spices for a flavorful infusion—not to be outdone by the unctuous yolk inside.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou19/59Crispy Tumeric-and-Pepper-Spiced Chicken Wings
These wings win at the taste game—and also manage to strike gold in the crispy texture department.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich20/59Warmed Spiced Olives
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog21/59Polenta Bites With Wild Mushrooms and Fontina
Made with store-bought polenta, this no-forks-required bite couldn’t get much easier. An assortment of wild mushrooms, sprinkling of melted Fontina, and Sherry vinegar tang make this a vegetarian fan favorite.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone22/59Classic Spinach-Artichoke Dip With Mozzarella and Parmesan
Photo by Betty Liu23/59Yeasted Scallion and Sesame Bing
There’s nothing like the perfect juxtaposition of a crispy, crackly exterior and fluffy, chewy inside—and this Shanghai classic achieves just that. Get tips on how to make scallion and sesame bing and then click through to the recipe.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi25/59Creamy Pinto Bean Dip
The creamy texture and bright red flavors (red peppers, red onions, and red wine vinegar!) make this dip one we could eat any day of the week.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog26/59Pickled Shrimp
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi27/59Creamy Avocado Dip With Scallions
Avocado, yogurt, and a mix of caramelized and fresh scallions give this dip recipe a creamy texture that sits somewhere between sour cream onion dip and guacamole. Pair it with pita chips, tortilla chips, or carrot sticks—or dollop on a taco or a roasted sweet potato.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog28/59Jammy Eggs With Smoked Paprika Aioli
These fancy eggs could be the star of your New Year's Eve gathering or your Christmas appetizer spread.
Photo by Louise Hagger29/59Lumpia Ayam Sayur (Chicken and Garlic Spring Rolls)
Pro party food move: Make and freeze a batch of lumpia, so it's easy to fry them up at a moment's notice.
Photography by Laura Edwards30/59Phyllo-Wrapped Brie With Hot Honey and Anchovies
This extra-savory baked Brie is a guaranteed crowd pleaser from Melissa Clark's cookbook, Dinner in French. Inside the melty cheese, you'll find anchovies, garlic, and roasted red peppers.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog32/59Homemade Cheese Spread With Garlic and Herbs
Photograph by Jenny Huang, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Linden Elstran33/59Bolinho de Arroz With Molho Verde
If your ideal party snack is crunchy and cheesy, these quick and easy fried rice balls are for you.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott38/59Baked Three-Cheese Onion Dip With Chive and Pepperoncini
When creamy onion dip meets queso, magic happens. You'll cook the onion around 10 minutes for this—no need to wait for true caramelized onions.
Photo by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Victoria Granof, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka39/59Classic Cheese Ball
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow43/59Clams Casino With Bacon and Bell Pepper
Photo by Sophie Hansen44/59Caramelized Fennel and Brie Dip
There's more to Brie recipes than just the classic baked Brie. This dip, for example, is not to be missed.
Photo by Thomas Schauer46/59Labne Deviled Eggs with Paprika and Ginger
Deviled eggs get way more exciting when you cover the egg whites in a deeply flavorful spice mix and swap out the filling’s usual mayo for yogurt-y labne instead.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi47/59Vegetarian Buffalo “Meatballs” With Blue Cheese Dip
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow49/59Smoked Salmon Tartare
Photo by Travis Rainey, Styling by Joseph De Leo50/59Classic Deviled Eggs
When you're looking for classic finger foods for a party, the archives of Gourmet are a good place to start. If you want to have fun with garnishes, feel free to add pickled shallots and fresh herbs, crumbled bacon, or trout roe.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow51/59Crab Louie Salad Lettuce Cups
Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen53/59Parsnip-Wrapped Devils on Horseback
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime54/59Shrimp Toasts With Sesame Seeds and Scallions
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell56/59Roasted Oysters With Warm Butter Mignonette
Quickly roasting oysters in a hot oven pops the shells apart so they can be opened the rest of the way by hand, no shucking skills required.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li58/59Onion-Dip Potato Chips
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell59/59Old Bay–Spiced Fish Sticks With Creamy Celery Root and Carrot Slaw
