61 New Year’s Eve Appetizers for Every Kind of Party
We’ve been known to make a meal out of New Year’s Eve appetizers—after all, it’s much more fun to snack all night, Champagne cocktails in hand, than to sit down and have another holiday dinner. But the best hors d’oeuvres spread has variety: something crispy, something dippable and creamy, something hearty, something fresh. It’s the right night for frying and for fondue. Some of our favorite New Year’s Eve snacks feature seafood, though even more go heavy on cheese. Below you’ll find elegant bites and fun snack mixes, crunchy veggies, and a literal tower of chips. Scroll down for all the New Year’s Eve appetizer inspiration you need to wrap up 2023 with a bang—and ring in 2024 in style.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova1/61Cheese Fondue
Your New Year’s Eve appetizers can set the tone for a retro-glamorous evening. This classic recipe from Gourmet will get you dipping in no time. Add cubes of bread and crunchy veggies to dunk in the creamy mix of Emmental and Gruyère.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/61
Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp cocktail with classic cocktail sauce? Fun. Shrimp cocktail with three different sauces, including creamy Old Bay Remoulade? Iconic.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton3/61
Goat Cheese and Salami Stuffed Dates
It’s harder to eat New Year’s Eve hors d’oeuvres all night if you need to hold a plate, a fork, and a drink. These one-biters are a great solution; just grab and munch.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich4/61
Cheddar and Herb Gougères
These delightfully airy cheese puffs can be served warm without any last-minute messing with dough. Just pipe the choux and freeze a week ahead, then bake as your guests walk in the door.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou5/61
Chaat Masala Mixed Nuts With Cornflakes
If your snack mix is missing tangy chaat masala and crunchy cornflakes, you’re missing out.
- Photo by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Victoria Granof, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka6/61
Cheese Ball
For this old-school favorite, you’ll beat together sharp cheddar cheese, tangy cream cheese, and Brie with seasonings like garlic powder, hot sauce, and a touch of Worcestershire. The most important step: Get it in the fridge to firm up before you attempt rolling it in toasted pecans.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou7/61
Cheesy Samosa Puffs
These crispy baked samosas are stuffed with spiced potatoes, cheddar, and cilantro. What can’t puff pastry do?
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Styling by Joseph De Leo8/61
Classic Deviled Eggs
For hearty New Year’s Eve appetizer ideas that you can customize to your taste, consider this crowd favorite. You can top some with trout roe or caviar, others with crumbled bacon or chopped jalapeños or dill pickles.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou9/61
Honey Butter Potato Chip Tower With Crispy Salami
Doctor up a big bowl of store-bought potato chips with spiced honey butter and crispy pork salami.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/61
Chili Crab Dip With Shrimp Chips
Any list of New Yea’s Eve snacks couldn’t be complete without dip—and this one is a favorite of ours. Inspired by Singaporean chili crab, it gets a little sweetness from tomato paste and dynamic flavor from shallots, garlic, and ginger. Scoop it all up with crispy shrimp chips for the ultimate bite.
- By Chris Terry11/61
French Onion and Blue Cheese Tart
Winter is the perfect time to make real caramelized onions. And once you do, they deserve a moment in the spotlight.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow12/61
Clams Casino With Bacon and Bell Pepper
A vinegary red bell pepper mixture cuts through the richness of this classic Italian American appetizer for a bite that’s salty, smoky, and sweet all at once.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini13/61
Crudités With Chile-Lime Salt
A zesty spiced salt wakes up any sliced raw fruit or veggie. Feel free to expand beyond the choices this recipe calls for—jicama, cucumbers, oranges, and radishes are great, but any crunchy or juicy fruit or veg will work.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton14/61
Stuffed Mushrooms
Curating your appetizer spread well means balancing cool bites with warm ones—though honestly, these are just as great at room temp as they are hot out of the oven. Use a vegetarian-friendly domestic Parmesan if you’ve got nonmeat eaters in your crowd.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog15/61
Jammy Eggs With Smoked Paprika Aioli
This fancy-looking appetizer is just as delicious as a tray of deviled eggs, but it’s a whole lot easier to make because you don’t have to hollow out the eggs and stuff them with a filling. Just take your jammy eggs, add a dollop of lemony aioli, and top with anchovies, roasted peppers, and parsley, then focus on the rest of your New Year’s Eve dinner prep.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow16/61
Crab Louie Salad Lettuce Cups
This take on the retro seafood salad is a fun way to start a holiday dinner party. The recipe makes more Louie dressing than you think you might need—but that’s a good thing. If you can’t get good crabmeat, you could also sub poached shrimp here.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog17/61
Polenta Bites With Wild Mushrooms and Fontina
Store-bought tubes of polenta are the secret to easy appetizers for New Year’s Eve: Just slice it and toast in the oven, top with sautéed wild mushrooms and a sprinkling of grated Fontina, and then bake again until melty and gooey. This is a great time to break out your festive serving platters—even if it’s just a snack party for one or two this year.
- Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen18/61
Parsnip-Wrapped Devils on Horseback
This vegetarian version of the classic appetizer uses soy sauce, smoked paprika, blue cheese, and smoked almonds to pack in savory flavor. If you’re looking for more vegetarian apps, these are fun to pair with our figs in a blanket.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog19/61
Homemade Cheese Spread With Garlic and Herbs
To make this DIY take on flavored, spreadable Gournay cheese, you’ll need cream cheese, chives, parsley leaves, and unsalted butter. Serve with crackers or toast.
- Photo by Matt Taylor-Gross20/61
Apples-and-Honey-Baked Brie
Brie recipes are popular on our site every winter—probably because it doesn’t take much to make the creamy, melty cheese feel special. Here, a wheel of Brie is topped with sautéed apples and honey and wrapped in butter-brushed phyllo, then baked until delightfully oozy.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich21/61
Warmed Spiced Olives
Dress up your standard olives with toasted fennel seeds, bay leaves, lemon zest, olive oil, and Aleppo-style pepper. Stir it all together and serve warm. It’s ready in 10 minutes flat, but feels so much more thoughtful than a carton of olives straight out of the fridge.
- Photo by Sophie Hansen22/61
Caramelized Fennel and Brie Dip
Fennel gives this warm, cheesy dip a sweet, caramelized flavor. Serve with crackers or hunks of bread.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi23/61
Five-Cheese Pimento Cheese
Miracle Whip adds tang and just a touch of sweet balance to this five-cheese version of the classic Southern spread, while traditional mayonnaise gives it richness. Offer alongside Ritz crackers and celery sticks, or bake biscuits if you want to go all out.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone24/61
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
For this luxuriously creamy dip, you’ll stir in mozzarella and Parmesan, then cook until nice and melty.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou25/61
Miso-Maple Walnuts
You could put these sweet-and-savory nuts on your winter salads, but we are just as happy eating them by the handful. A little bowl of these will make your charcuterie platter stand out.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog26/61
Pickled Shrimp
Make-ahead and seafood are two words that don’t always go together, but this is a popular option for a reason. The shrimp marinate for up to a day, so you don’t have to do any last-minute prep. The tangy results are the perfect lead-up to a dramatic unveiling of your New Year’s Eve ham.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley27/61
Oven-Fried Crispy Shiitake Imperial Rolls
Don’t feel like frying food while you watch the ball drop on TV? These crispy bites require only your oven—or an air fryer if you’ve got one. Roll and freeze a batch in advance for no-stress hosting.
- Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott28/61
Baked Three-Cheese Onion Dip With Chive and Pepperoncini
Part onion dip, part queso, this appetizer is a game changer. You'll need: Monterey Jack, white cheddar, sour cream, peperoncini, chives, mayonnaise, cream cheese, cornstarch, black pepper, onion, salt, and vegetable oil.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow29/61
Smoked Trout Croquettes
Is there anything better than a crispy croquette? These little bites are filled with smoked trout, mozzarella, Parmesan, and chives.
- Photo by Marina Delio30/61
Sparkling Cranberry and Brie Bites
These easy-to-assemble cocktail party hors d’oeuvres will add a festive touch to your New Year’s Eve, even if you’re making a mellow night of it. Garnish with fresh sprigs of mint before serving.
- Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian31/61
Smoked Salmon Rillettes
We’ve made this classic French spread less complicated to assemble by using smoked salmon in place of the more traditional poached fish. This easy New Year’s Eve appetizer is ready in just 10 minutes.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich32/61
Radishes and Butter Curls
A radish’s peppery bite takes kindly to creamy butter. This version’s curled presentation makes it worthy of your classy New Year’s attire.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne33/61
Sikil P'aak
This Mayan toasted pumpkin seed and tomato dip is spicy, rich, and deeply savory. Pair with chips or slices of cucumber.
- Photo by Tara Donne, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell34/61
Creamy Cauliflower Dip
Earthy and rich without being heavy or filling, this creamy vegetable dip is just the thing to whet the appetite without ruining it before a big holiday meal.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova35/61
Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté
This make-ahead spread from Gourmet has been a reader favorite for ages. Serve with crackers and mustard, or dress it up with pickled shallots, cornichons, or fig jam.
- Photo by Peter Frank Edwards36/61
Bacon Crackers
Magic happens when a cracker slowly sops up the fat from smoky, crisping bacon; it transforms into something more akin to pie crust. The addition of a tiny bundle of rosemary makes for a fancified version, while topping the “belt” of bacon with a bit of brown sugar adds a hint of sweet to the smokiness.
- Photo by PEDEN + MUNK37/61
Potato Skins With Fried Herb Aioli
Fried sprigs of rosemary, sage, thyme, or marjoram add flavor and extra crunch to this mountain of crispy potato skins. We promise that there’s no better partner for a chilled flute of sparkling wine.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell38/61
Buttermilk Fried Shrimp
These New Orleans–style shrimp are dipped in buttermilk, then coated in cornmeal before frying for a flavorful crunchy exterior. Serve with rémoulade.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton39/61
Horsey Goat
The name makes us giggle. But this spreadable blend of fresh goat cheese, horseradish, and heavy cream is fun to eat too.
- Romulo Yanes40/61
Mini Shrimp Rolls
A simple shrimp salad is served in small dinner rolls in this bite-size twist on the traditional New England lobster roll.
- Photography by Laura Edwards41/61
Phyllo-Wrapped Brie With Hot Honey and Anchovies
Most baked Brie is on the sweet side, with layers of jam or chutney under the crust. This version goes savory with anchovies, garlic, and roasted bell peppers.
- Photography by Eva Kolenko42/61
Brie and Prosciutto Shortbread
Here’s an assembly task you could definitely delegate to someone else—but don’t let them take credit for how extremely delicious these little New Year’s appetizers are.
- Photo by John Kernick43/61
Feta Dip With Radishes
Whisking feta with tangy buttermilk yields a dip that’s creamy, bright, and certain to disappear before midnight.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova44/61
Gyoza
These crispy pan-fried dumplings can be filled with ground pork or chicken. You choose. Feel free to fill and pleat in advance and stash them in your freezer.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Jennifer Ophir45/61
3-Ingredient Smoked Mozzarella Sticks
Skip the mess of dredging and deep-frying with this play on mozzarella sticks. You just need smoked mozzarella, canola oil, and premade egg roll wrappers to make this crowd-pleaser of a cheese bite.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi46/61
Savory Mushroom and Parmesan Palmiers
Buttery store-bought puff pastry means these savory “elephant ears” make for excellent, easy New Year’s Eve food. As a bonus, you can make them up to one week ahead.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow47/61
Tonnato Eggs
We’re a little obsessed with this spin on deviled eggs, flavored with savory tonnato sauce. On top, scatter crisped-up capers, plus a little roe if you want to get fancy on New Year’s Eve.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow48/61
Vanilla Butter Anchovy Toasts
Even if you don’t consider yourself an anchovy person, we promise you’ll find this combination shockingly delicious. And it’s nice to start the new year with a taste of something you haven’t tried before.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele49/61
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Looking for easy recipes for finger foods that are a little more substantial? A dusting of five-spice powder gives these juicy baked wings big flavor. Offer a little bowl of spicy mayo for dunking. Round out the spread with nachos and guacamole if you wish.
- Photo by Ed Anderson50/61
Sweet and Salty Nori Popcorn
“I can’t stop eating that popcorn,” says literally everyone at your New Year’s Eve party. You might want to make two pans.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi51/61
Figs-in-a-Blanket With Goat Cheese
Wrap spicy, honey-glazed figs and creamy goat cheese in puff pastry in this fun vegetarian play on pigs in a blanket.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano52/61
Mutabbal Silik
This Swiss chard and tahini dip is nutty, creamy, and garlicky, with a lovely freshness. Sprinkle on tangy sumac and Aleppo-style pepper for the last touch.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Molly Baz53/61
Peanut Drinking Snack
Fresh lime juice, red onion, chiles, and cilantro punch up these skin-on peanuts. Serve with spoons for scooping into your palm.
- Photo by Jonathan Lovekin54/61
Creamy Hummus
If you’re going to serve hummus and pita, make it great hummus and pita. This recipe will get you there, starting from scratch with dried chickpeas.
- Photo by Alex Lau55/61
Marinated Goat Cheese With Herbs and Spices
Back away from the premade grocery store pinwheels; we have plenty of throw-together NYE appetizer recipes that are nearly as easy to pull off. This gussied-up goat cheese situation feels fancy but comes together quickly. Serve it with a tall stack of toasted baguette slices, or fill out an antipasto platter with cured meats, peperoncini, artichoke hearts, and olives.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone56/61
Simple Spinach Dip
Sometimes simple is better. Case in point: this luscious dip you can throw together in a flash. Use bell peppers, tortilla chips, or bagel chips for scooping—or try your hand at homemade soft pretzels. If you’re traveling to a friend’s for New Year's Eve, you could keep the dip warm in a slow cooker.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua57/61
Port Wine Cheese Ball
If you cracked open a bottle of port for the holidays, use a few tablespoons in this nostalgic NYE appetizer.
- Photo by Tara Donne58/61
Soft-Boiled Eggs With Pickled Chiles
If you just can’t fuss with piping bags at the end of the year, swap out your usual deviled eggs for this simpler cousin of the classic appetizer.
- Photo by Kelsey Foster59/61
Bacon Mac ’n’ Cheese Jalapeño Bites
Jalapeño poppers are great and all, but have you tried filling those chiles with gooey mac and cheese?
- Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich60/61
Lamb Meatballs With Raisin Pesto
Complete your New Year’s party with spicy meatballs on toothpicks, dragged through a swoosh of yogurt and minty pesto.
- Pornchai Mittongtare61/61
Buckwheat Blinis With Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche
A list of the best New Year’s Eve appetizers couldn’t possibly be complete without dishes involving cured fish, roe, and blini: They’re simply what you eat for New Year’s Eve snacks. This recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan, which means you know it’ll be delicious.
Anna Stockwell
Maggie Hoffman
