25 New Year’s Eve appetizers
Ring in the new year with bites that feel special but leave you free to enjoy the party. Every appetizer here is ready in 20 minutes or less.
Updated October 2026 · ranked by popularity
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1. Stovetop spinach artichoke dip
Creamy, cheesy spinach and artichoke dip made in one pan on the stove with frozen spinach and canned artichoke hearts. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
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2. Classic deviled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs with a creamy yolk filling sharpened with Dijon, vinegar and a pinch of cayenne, then finished with paprika and chives.
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3. Tomato and basil bruschetta
Grilled sourdough rubbed with raw garlic and piled with ripe tomatoes, basil, red onion and olive oil. Simple, fresh and gone in minutes.
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4. Maryland crab cakes
Maryland-style crab cakes packed with lump crab, Old Bay and just enough cracker to bind, pan-fried golden and served with a quick remoulade.
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5. Pigs in a blanket
Cocktail franks wrapped in strips of crescent dough and baked in a hot oven until puffed and golden, with a quick honey mustard for dipping.
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6. Quick chocolate mousse
Melted dark chocolate folded through softly whipped cream for a light, spoonable mousse you can eat right away. No eggs, no chilling, topped with raspberries.
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7. Seared scallops with lemon-butter caper sauce
Dry sea scallops seared hard for a deep golden crust, then spooned with a quick garlic, lemon and caper brown butter. Restaurant-style in 15 minutes.
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8. Jalapeño popper dip
Everything you love about jalapeño poppers in a skillet: creamy cheddar and cream cheese, fresh jalapeños and bacon under a crisp, buttery panko top.
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9. Churros with chocolate sauce
Crisp, ridged churros piped from a quick choux-style dough, fried in small batches, rolled in cinnamon sugar and dunked in a thick, glossy chocolate sauce.
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10. Ten-minute tiramisu cups
Coffee-dunked ladyfingers layered with a whipped vanilla mascarpone cream and a heavy dusting of cocoa, in glasses and on the table in ten minutes.
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11. Whipped feta dip with hot honey and chili
Salty feta blitzed with Greek yogurt until silky, then finished with warm chili honey. Serve with toasted pita chips for scooping.
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12. Caprese skewers with balsamic glaze
Cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls and basil threaded onto skewers, then drizzled with a quick sticky balsamic reduction and good olive oil.
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13. Honey garlic meatballs
Frozen cooked meatballs simmered in a sticky honey, garlic and soy glaze until glossy and hot through. Stick a toothpick in each and watch them vanish.
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14. Classic shrimp cocktail
Plump shrimp gently poached in lemony water, chilled fast in an ice bath and served with a zippy homemade horseradish cocktail sauce.
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15. Shrimp and avocado rice paper rolls
Fresh rice paper rolls packed with shrimp, creamy avocado, vermicelli, crunchy veg and mint, with a sweet and sour lime and chile dipping sauce.
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16. Cranberry brie bites
Crisp mini phyllo cups filled with melty brie, tangy cranberry sauce and toasted pecans, baked straight from the freezer. An easy holiday party appetizer.
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17. Blistered shishito peppers
Shishitos seared in a screaming-hot skillet until charred and slumped, then showered with flaky salt and lemon, Spanish pimientos de Padrón style.
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18. Chocolate fondue with fruit
A silky dark chocolate and cream fondue made in one small saucepan, served warm with strawberries, banana and grapes for dunking. Ready in 13 minutes.
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19. Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
Asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto and pan-fried until the ham crisps and the spears turn just tender. Finished with lemon and shaved parmesan.
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20. Rum balls
No-bake holiday rum balls made from crushed vanilla wafers, pecans, cocoa and dark rum, rolled in powdered sugar. Ready to eat as soon as they're rolled.
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21. Prosciutto-wrapped dates
Sweet Medjool dates stuffed with tangy goat cheese or a toasted almond, wrapped in prosciutto and crisped in a skillet. Salty, sweet and irresistible.
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22. Salt and pepper calamari
Tender squid rings tossed in a peppery cornstarch coating and shallow-fried in batches until crisp. Served with lemon and a quick garlic aioli.
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23. Pan con tomate
Crisp toasted bread rubbed with garlic, topped with fresh grated tomato, a drizzle of good olive oil and flaky salt. The simplest Spanish tapa there is.
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24. Spiced stovetop nuts
Mixed raw nuts toasted in a pan with smoked paprika, cumin and rosemary, then glossed with a little maple syrup and salt. Warm, crunchy and hard to stop eating.
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25. Gambas al ajillo
Spanish garlic shrimp sizzled in golden olive oil with chile and smoked paprika, served with crusty bread for mopping up every drop of garlicky oil.
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Plan about five to six bites per person per hour for a cocktail-style party, and more if the appetizers are replacing dinner.