So you volunteered to either host a NYE party or bring food to one—props to you for adulting! But, uh, how do you, ya know, do the cooking thing? Don’t worry, I gotchu boo. Here are 15 New Year’s Eve finger foods that you really can’t eff-up, and they’re sure to impress all the guests at this shindig.
1. Smoked Salmon Dip
Everyone loves dip. You can just put so many things with it: crackers, chips, pretzels. And smoked salmon dip just sounds ~fancy AF~. Like, that’s right, Aunt Debbie, I don’t just eat Pop-Tarts, I’m friggin’ sophisticated. Except for that one Game Day, but we’re not gonna talk about that.
2. Avocado, Shrimp, and Salmon Poké
Speaking of fish and seafood, ever hear of poké? It’s the new-ish, #trendy way to eat seafood, and this poké recipe is actually kinda healthy. With nourishing fats from the avocado and salmon, and a helluva lot of protein, you’ll def be prepared for the six shots you’re about to down in 10 minutes.
3. Scallion Pancakes
Another traditional dish, these scallion pancakes are a savory staple in Taiwanese cuisine. Made with only four basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, these’ll be ready in no time flat. Plus, pancakes are an underrated finger food and your guests will love the innovation.
4. Rice Paper Rolls
Rice paper rolls are, like, the super insanely healthy version of your average sushi. Like many traditional Vietnamese dishes, these are light and filled with bright, fun flavors to keep you feeling super zen—a great way to start the New Year, really. With an addictive peanut dip, these will def be a hit.
5. Breaded Zucchini Sticks
To continue making sticking to your NYE resolution of being healthy just a bit easier, we have these baked ‘n breaded zucchini sticks for you to pop in the oven. Seriously, you won’t even miss fries, and you’ll feel better about that cupcake you’ll be making out with, because who needs a NYE kiss anyway?
6. Melted Brie with Pesto
Brie is always a solid choice for an appetizer, but take it a step further by dumping some pesto on that bad boy to make an ooey gooey melted Brie dish. You can’t mess this up, and it’s ready in no time at all, so I’m not saying you should wait until right before guests show up to put it together, but, hey, I get it.
7. Deviled Eggs
Another appetizer that’s just always, somehow, present at dinner parties—deviled eggs. It’s basically just a jazzed-up hard boiled egg, but it looks impressive and like you actually tried so, hey, why not whip up a few? The plate will probably be inhaled, so make sure it’s a little more than a few, actually.
8. Spinach Artichoke Bites
You ever think about how you’ve never actually eaten an artichoke outside the “spinach and artichoke” context? Now that you have a food-infused existential crisis, make these spinach artichoke bites so at least you have something to much on while you rethink life.
9. Taco Cups
Just to prove that all things are better bite-sized, we have these taco cups for you to make that’ll change the way you do New Year’s Eve finger foods and Taco Tuesdays. Have taco-meat-falling-out-of-the-taco horror stories? These things eliminate mess. Yeah, that’s right, take that Taco Bell.
10. Mini Pizza Lollipops
Continuing to turn your favorite late-night drunchies into classy holiday apps, I suggest making mini pizza lollipops, because all food tastes better on a stick—it’s, like, science or something. Thought cake pops were mad cool? They ain’t got nothin’ on these dudes, and the toppings are hella customizable.
11. Mini Pizza Potato Skins
Potato skins are great and all, but if you wanna amp up your game, making them into mini pizzas is one sure way to pull it off. Pizza is among the best drunk foods, so this is one of the top New Year’s Eve finger foods for when the party gets a lil tipsy.
12. Bacon Wrapped Peaches
Combining sweet and savory lends these bacon wrapped peaches a fun, new twist that’ll leave your tastebuds dazed and tingling. Add a fancy-AF balsamic glaze, and you’ll be sure to impress guests with your sophistication and knowledge of glazes other than the stuff that comes with the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.
13. Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Pepper Poppers
Packing a helluva lot of flavor with only six ingredients is no small feat, but these bacon-wrapped stuffed pepper poppers pull it off, no problem. Plus, like I said, everything is better wrapped in bacon.
14. Mexican Corn Salad
Spicy food always reminds me of the flavorful cuisine of Mexico, and so, if you’re looking for more suggestions in that area of culinary adventure, try this Mexican corn salad. You don’t even need an oven to pull this baby off—just stir and serve alone or with chips as a super tasty app.
15. Nutella-Filled Churro
Enough with the savory—let’s go for something sweet. The perfect blend of cinnamon with chocolate hazelnut make these Nutella-filled churros an astounding addition to any party. Like, seriously. Nutella? Plus Cinnamon? No one’s gonna have a bad time when you have these laying around.
Adult parties can be hard, especially when you can’t just show up with a box of Oreos and be like, “hey wassup y’all?” But, with these 15 New Year’s Eve finger foods, you’ll be the life of the party, sober—which, trust me, is something to be hella proud of. Go you, babe.