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Start your party off right with these easy appetizers that can be whipped up in a pinch. Whether you’re preparing for a dinner party or last-minute guests, these quick tasty snacks are sure to please!

More Collections: Mexican Appetizers, Cold Appetizers, Finger Food Appetizers

Collage of easy appetizer recipes.

We Love Easy!

I love doing appetizers because everyone can have a wide sampling as they wish.

From Cheese Balls and spreads to Poppers and Wings, choose from a variety of mouth-watering snacks and bites depending on how much time you have to prepare. There is sure to be something for everyone!

Why we love easy appetizers:

  • Quick. Several appetizers can be made in 20 minutes or less.
  • Easy. Many use less than 5 ingredients.
  • Plan ahead. Make these ahead of time for easy prep.
Tortellini skewers on a white serving tray.

Planning Your Easy Appetizers

With a little planning, every party or gathering will run smoothly. Use these tips to help!

  1. Easy appetizers that can sit out. Most appetizers can easily sit out for a couple of hours without worry. Charcuterie Boards are a great example of this as are dips like salsa and hummus. Appetizers, like Chicken Wings, taste great at room temperature.
  2. Hot dishes. Use chafing dishes & crock pots to keep things like creamy dip and meatballs warm.
  3. Cold dishes. Place out only what can be eaten within 30 minutes and then refill as needed. Add ice to a bowl or platter and place the appetizer on top to keep it cold longer.
A white bowl of dill vegetable dip surrounded by vegetables.

What to Bring to a Last-minute Party

To me, a last-minute party is one you find out about within 24 hours of the event.

Chances are those 24 hours are already busy and you start stressing about how you’re going to also whip up an appetizer. We have lots of options, but remember you can always do half home-made and half store-bought like chips and salsa.

Four of my favorite last-minute appetizer ideas include:

  • Chips and Homemade Salsa like this Salsa Verde. It’s also easy to keep an avocado or two on hand for a quick Guacamole.
  • Spice up refrigerator dough to create a delicious dish like these Pizza Roll Ups.
  • Make a sweet dip for slices of fruit and crackers like this Fruit Dip.
  • This Pull Apart Bread is another favorite to make. The cheesy mozzarella, melted butter, and sourdough bread are the perfect combo. It looks intense, but only requires 5 ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes.
 A loaf of pull apart bread with a piece of bread and mozzarella cheese being pulled out of the middle of the loaf with a side of mozzarella cheese in a red bowl on round wooden platter.

Tips for Prepping and Serving

Try to balance out the types of dishes that you choose. Have a mix of warm and cool, light and heavy, proteins and produce. Vary the colors and textures as well. 

  • Fruit. When prepping fruit ahead of time you may need to treat the slices so they don’t brown. Brush them with lemon juice or sprinkle them with Ball’s Fruit Fresh.
  • Vegetables. When prepping items with vegetables ahead of time be mindful of stronger veggies that may cause other ingredients to take on their flavor, notably onions, garlic, and cut peppers. Store these veggies separately then added before finishing the dish.
  • How much to make. For fewer than 10 guests, offer 2-3 different types of apps. For more than 10 guests, add another dish for every 5-8 more people.
  • How much per person. When serving appetizers before dinner, plan for about 3-5 pieces per person. When apps are the main food, serve about 10-12 pieces per person for a two-hour party. Add about 5 more pieces per person for every hour after.

Best Easy Appetizers

Finger foods are popular and fall under the appetizer category. They include appetizers that are individual portions that can be eaten without utensils, are mess-free, and are easily consumed when standing and mingling with others.

Easy appetizers for a crowd or a game day are also pretty popular. Some recipes simply produce a lot, like potato chips and dips.

1 Crockpot Meatballs Recipe

Appetizer Crockpot Meatballs Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 212 votes
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2 Beanie Weenies Recipe

Appetizer Beanie Weenies Recipe
Total Time: 50 minutes
5 from 17 votes
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3 Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

Appetizer Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 95 votes
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4 Easy Bruschetta Recipe

Appetizer Easy Bruschetta Recipe
Total Time: 14 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 28 votes
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5 Quesadilla Recipe

Appetizer, Main Course Quesadilla Recipe
Total Time: 12 minutes

Recipe Video

4.96 from 304 votes
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6 Bean Dip Recipe

Appetizer Bean Dip Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 378 votes
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7 Hot Dog Nuggets Recipe

Appetizer, Main Course Hot Dog Nuggets Recipe
Total Time: 18 minutes

Recipe Video

4.93 from 41 votes
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8 Deviled Eggs Recipe

Appetizer Deviled Eggs Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 53 votes
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9 Nacho Cheese Recipe

Appetizer Nacho Cheese Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Video

4.94 from 115 votes
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10 How to Make a Charcuterie Board Recipe

Appetizer How to Make a Charcuterie Board Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 14 votes
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Quick and Easy Appetizers

These are easy go-to recipes for last minute ideas, or just to make planning a breeze.

11 Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe

Appetizer Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 16 votes
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12 Tortellini Skewers Recipe

Appetizer Tortellini Skewers Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes
5 from 13 votes
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13 Veggie Tray Recipe

Appetizer Veggie Tray Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes
5 from 16 votes
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14 Hamburger Dip Recipe

Appetizer Hamburger Dip Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
5 from 51 votes
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15 Fruit Dip Recipe

Dessert, Snack Fruit Dip Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 204 votes
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16 Baked Potato Rounds Recipe

Appetizer, Side Dish Baked Potato Rounds Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
5 from 71 votes
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17 Cream Cheese Green Chili Dip Recipe

Appetizer Cream Cheese Green Chili Dip Recipe
Total Time: 1 minute
5 from 5 votes
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18 Bacon Wrapped Smokies Recipes

Appetizer Bacon Wrapped Smokies Recipes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 80 votes
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19 Pigs in a Blanket Recipe

Main Course Pigs in a Blanket Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 177 votes
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Easy Appetizers For A Crowd

Guacamole and salsa also tend to make an appearance at almost any gathering. Other recipes can easily be doubled or tripled to feed more such as these Brown Sugar Beanie Weenies.

20 Dill Veggie Dip Recipe

Appetizer, Snack Dill Veggie Dip Recipe
Total Time: 7 minutes
5 from 49 votes
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21 Grape Jelly Meatball Recipe

Appetizer, Main Course Grape Jelly Meatball Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 131 votes
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22 French Onion Dip Recipe

Appetizer French Onion Dip Recipe
Total Time: 5 minutes
5 from 9 votes
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23 Pizza Dip Recipe

Appetizer Pizza Dip Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 25 votes
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24 Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe

Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 96 votes
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25 Loaded Nachos Recipe

Appetizer, Main Course Loaded Nachos Recipe
Total Time: 27 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 23 votes
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26 Crock Pot Artichoke Dip Recipe

Appetizer Crock Pot Artichoke Dip Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
5 from 27 votes
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27 Cheese Fondue

Appetizer Cheese Fondue
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Video

4.80 from 15 votes
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28 Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Appetizer Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes
5 from 11 votes
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29 Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Recipe

Dessert Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 8 minutes
5 from 16 votes
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Even More Easy Apps

Enjoy this list for even more easy appetizer recipes!

30 Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe

Appetizer, Snack Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 4 votes
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31 Mexican Pinwheels Recipe

Appetizer Mexican Pinwheels Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 227 votes
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32 Black Bean Corn Salsa

Appetizer Black Bean Corn Salsa
Total Time: 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 17 votes
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33 Asparagus Roll Ups

Appetizer, Side Dish Asparagus Roll Ups
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Video

4.91 from 31 votes
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34 Pizza Roll Ups Recipe

Appetizer, Main Course Pizza Roll Ups Recipe
Total Time: 22 minutes
5 from 12 votes
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35 Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe

Appetizer Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe
Total Time: 25 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 9 votes
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36 Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

Appetizer Baked Brie in Puff Pastry
Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 17 votes
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37 Pull Apart Bread Recipe

Appetizer Pull Apart Bread Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes
5 from 6 votes
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38 Veggie Tortilla Roll Ups Recipe

Appetizer Veggie Tortilla Roll Ups Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 8 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 30 votes
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39 Salsa Recipe

Appetizer Salsa Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 111 votes
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It’s At Every Party!

We are all about the appetizers – especially when it comes to parties and get-togethers!

We love having a variety of apps at each function, but one we ALWAYS have at everyone is French Onion Dip. We have the ingredients on hand at all times and it takes about a minute to throw it together! Enjoy this twist on our classic version for your next party.

Here is the recipe:

5 from 15 votes

40+ Easy Appetizers – Chip Dip + MORE

By: Lil’ Luna
French onion dip is tangy and savory. It requires only two ingredients and is made in under a minute!
Servings: 8
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 1 dried onion soup mix packet

Instructions 

  • Mix together well and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

Lays or Ruffles potato chips are classic to dip as well as pita chips, crackers, pretzels, crisps, crostini, carrots, celery, and more.

Nutrition

Calories: 55kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 33mg, Potassium: 40mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 177IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

Apps in a Flash!

We hope this helps you in creating a tasty spread with these easy appetizers. Everyone is a winner!!

Be sure to check out all of our Appetizer Recipes!

More Collections: Appetizer Dips, BBQ Appetizers, Italian Appetizers

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Great content, easy, yet great recipes. I’m a yacht chef and this site helps me with easy meals for crew!! Thank you!!

  2. This. Looks. AWESOME! , Oh these look like one of those meals I wouldn’t want to stop eating!!!