48 Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers To Serve On New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is notoriously one of the biggest party nights of the year. Whether you're one of the tens of thousands of people gathered in Times Square to watch the ball drop or huddled up at home watching the fireworks around the world, December 31 is a night to be with your friends and family and celebrate the end of one year and the start of a new one. If you're hosting a New Year's Eve party this year, you're likely already in the depths of planning your menu. While the main course and champagne toast are important, the appetizers are just as key. They're what keep your guests well-fueled and happy all throughout the night.

To help you pick out the perfect spread of eats this New Year's Eve, we've rounded up 48 of the best holiday party appetizers for anyone and everyone. From pigs in a blanket to jalapeño poppers to goat cheese crostini to spicy pot stickers, these are the finger foods your guests will enjoy munching on while you ring in the new year.

If you're serving heavy appetizers in lieu of an actual dinner this New Year's, you might want to consider adding this chicken broccoli braid to your menu. Packed with fresh broccoli florets, shredded chicken, and cheddar cheese, it's filling enough to be a meal all by itself. Plus, the bread is merely two tubes of Pillsbury crescent roll dough (rather than something from scratch), so it requires just a few minutes of assembly before it's ready to bake and enjoy.

Recipe: Easy Chicken Broccoli Braid

You can't talk about appetizers without mentioning pigs in a blanket. The nostalgic finger food is a favorite among kids and adults alike and was first popularized in the 1950s thanks to Betty Crocker's "Cooking for Kids" cookbook (via Foodimentary). This specific pigs in a blanket recipe is so easy, all you need is two ingredients (a can of crescent rolls and an eight-pack of hot dogs), an oven, and 20 minutes of your time. Trust us, your guests will thank you when you bring these babies out.

Recipe: Pigs In A Blanket

There's the old adage that frying anything makes it taste better. That certainly applies to pickles. There's something about the crunchy yet juicy bite of a fried dill pickle slice that keeps you coming back for "just one more." You don't need a fryer — just a pan — so they're easy to whip up ahead of your party. For best results, pair them with onion dip for dunking hot off the stove.

Recipe: Deep Fried Dill Pickles

There are few better pairings in this world than carbs and cheese. Get the best of both those worlds with this fancy appetizer, which stars toasted slices of French bread smeared with luxurious goat cheese and topped with cherry tomatoes that have been roasted in balsamic vinegar plus sprigs of fresh rosemary. The red and green color palette hearkens to Christmas, and the tomatoes add a burst of juicy flavor with every bite, balancing out the crustiness of the bread.

Recipe: Best Goat Cheese Crostini

Fans of mushrooms will absolutely love this mouthwatering stuffed version. The white button mushrooms are filled to the brim with a cream cheese-based stuffing that's blended with Parmesan cheese, artichokes, frozen spinach, and garlic powder. The bite-sized morsels can be passed as hors d'oeuvres and don't require any utensils — definitely a win for any host looking to cut down on extra purchases pre-party (or extra mess post-party).

Recipe: Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

Who doesn't love a massive platter of ooey-gooey, cheesy nachos? Everyone will be clamoring to dig into this pile of Mexican goodness, which stars a bed of crispy tortilla chips smothered in red and yellow bell peppers, chopped onion, diced tomatoes, green and black olives, ground beef, and, of course, plenty of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Also, it's made on a sheet pan, so you won't have to dirty up a bunch of dishes during meal prep.

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos

Good news: You don't have to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen to wow your guests with delicious appetizers. These petit hot dogs — more commonly called "little smokies" — are prepared in the slow cooker, so they require very minimal effort on your part. Toss the ingredients into your Crock-Pot, adjust the temperature and cook time, and then just set it and forget it. You can clean the house and get all of the decorations while the sausages cook themselves. Easy-peasy.

Recipe: Easy Slow Cooked Little Smokies

Everyone knows that the best part of going to IKEA isn't the chic modern furniture or affordable home decor — it's the Swedish meatballs. Bring IKEA's No. 1 treat to your party this New Year's with this copycat recipe that people swear tastes just like the real thing (and is even better than the recipe IKEA provides online). These meatballs are made with a unique blend that includes ground beef, ground pork, panko bread crumbs, and even a potato.

Recipe: Copycat IKEA Meatballs

Put your air fryer to work this holiday with this tasty recipe. While it starts with regular frozen french fries, the final product is anything but basic. Its flavors mimic the cheesiest, most flavorful loaf of garlic bread, making it a must-serve for any festivity. The fries — which come out of the air fryer perfectly crisp and crunchy – are covered in melty mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, along with minced garlic and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Recipe: Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries

Be crowned most creative cook in the kitchen (and maybe of all of 2023) with this handheld take on caprese salad. It contains all of the staples of the wildly popular Italian side dish — fresh mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, and fresh basil — but skewered on wooden sticks so you don't need to carry around a fork and knife. Once you put the ingredients on the skewers, drizzle them with a heavy hand of balsamic glaze to tie all of the flavors together.

Recipe: Easy Caprese Skewers

Any recipe with "easy" in the title is an automatic win for a stressed-out host or anyone who doesn't consider themselves an experienced cook. These chicken egg rolls are a breeze to put together. You just put all the ingredients in the pre-made wrapper, roll it up like a burrito, and then drop it in a saucepan full of sizzling hot oil to fry it up. While the original recipe calls for ground chicken, you can fill the egg rolls with whatever you'd like.

Recipe: Easy Chicken Egg Rolls

The only issue with soft pretzels is that sometimes you just don't want to commit to the entire thing, especially if there's a bunch of other tasty treats you want to sample at the party. These soft pretzel bites are an easy solution. You can satisfy your craving without filling up so much that you're too full for other appetizers (or worse, for the main course). Baked from hunks of handmade pretzel dough, they're the perfect size for dipping into spicy mustard and tossing in your mouth while you mingle.

Recipe: Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

Whether you've run out of oven space or simply don't feel like turning the oven on, no worries — you can still add to your appetizer arsenal with this twice-baked potato recipe made in the Instant Pot. These tasty treats only take 45 minutes from start to finish, and are similar to crowd-favorite potato skins but a little heartier. You can make them exactly as the recipe says, or allow guests to customize their own potatoes with the toppings of their choice, from scallions to bacon bits to black olives.

Recipe: Instant Pot Twice-Baked Potatoes

There's a reason you'll find egg rolls on almost every Chinese menu: People love them. While you can find recipes for all different varieties on Pinterest — from Philly cheesesteak egg rolls to Southwest egg rolls — sometimes it's best to stick to the basics. This version, which requires egg roll wrappers from your local Asian supermarket, includes traditional ingredients like ground pork, scallions, and a medley of cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms, but you can swap in whatever you'd like (even meatless meat for a vegetarian option).

Recipe: Delicious Egg Rolls

Known as fritto zucca at your local Italian restaurant, fried zucchini is a great way to sneak some veggies into your New Year's Eve spread without anyone really noticing (or caring). When veggies are covered in a seasoned crispy breading, even the pickiest eater can't pass up a few slices of squash. This recipe calls for fresh zucchini, bread crumbs, eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, flour, and, of course, oil for frying. Tip: Serve the fried zucchini with marinara sauce for dipping.

Recipe: Easy Fried Zucchini

Crab rangoon is one of those things you've likely seen at fancy weddings or on the starter menu at five-star seafood restaurants. But while the dish is a little more elegant than your average appetizer (ahem, like mozzarella sticks), it isn't as difficult as it seems to make. In fact, the author of this specific recipe says, "If you can chop and stir, you can make these." Your final product? Tiny crispy wontons stuffed with crab meat, cream cheese, garlic, and green onion.

Recipe: Crab Rangoon

Don't let the word "baked" fool you. This deliciously dippable mozzarella dish takes just five minutes to cook. Add in five minutes of prep, and you will have yourself a delectable dish in just 10 minutes. To make this four-ingredient appetizer, lay overlapping slices of mozzarella cheese and tomato in a dish (think caprese salad). Pop it in the oven, and broil for five minutes. Before you know it, your baked mozzarella is ready to go! Don't forget the baguette slices for dipping.

Recipe: Dippable Baked Mozzarella

Midnight waits for no one, so time is of the essence on New Year's Eve. This means appetizers with a short prep time will be extra appetizing. You will not find a less time-consuming snack to make than this dill onion dip. It takes only five minutes. Simply grab your ingredients (there are only seven, and most, if not all, are probably already in your kitchen), throw them in a bowl, mix together, and voila — a perfect appetizer. Grab some potato chips and crudité and get to dipping!

Recipe: Dill Onion Dip

If you're an air fryer enthusiast (and who isn't), you'll use just about any excuse to break out the appliance. This recipe for garlic and herb steak bites delivers everything you love about a juicy, savory steak but takes just a fraction of the time needed to cook a full piece of meat. Just put 1-inch cubes of steak into the fryer for six minutes. Then drop them in a skillet with olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs. Serve with an aioli dipping sauce of mayonnaise, herbs, garlic, and lemon juice.

Recipe: Garlic And Herb Air Fryer Steak Bites

Pizza is a full entree, especially if you're like us and you devour a minimum of two to three slices at every sitting. But with a simple twist, this popular dish can make for a perfect appetizer. This pizza bread delivers the same great taste as the pies we know and love but in a fraction of the time. Instead of completing the arduous task of making pizza dough from scratch, this recipe uses a baked baguette that's cut in half. Top the bread with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni, and you have the perfect pizza appetizer.

Recipe: Pizza Bread

Looking for a more exotic appetizer to satisfy your friends? These baked samosas are sure to fit the bill. The savory Indian dish is always a hit and makes for a perfect pre-meal bite. For this samosa, you'll make a potato and pea filling, seasoned with chicken stock, salt, all-purpose seasoning, and curry powder. Spoon the mixture onto layered phyllo sheets, roll into triangle shapes, pop them in the oven for 14 minutes, and voila! You'll have the easiest samosas there ever was.

Recipe: Easy Baked Samosa

You can put just about any food on a stick, so why not pasta? This unique snack is sure to be an eye-catcher on the appetizer table. And once people try it, it won't be on that table for long. Home chefs of any level can whip up these pasta skewers. Simply cook the pasta (rigatoni or ziti will work), thread onto skewers, and drop them in the air fryer. Cover with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake for five minutes. Just like that, you have your delicious pasta to-go.

Recipe: Easy Pasta Skewers

Buy too many pretzels for the party? You could save them for later and hope they don't get stale. Or, you could use them to create your new favorite appetizer: pretzel chicken fries. They're easier to make than you think. Simply cut the chicken into strips, brush with a Dijon mustard, honey, and olive oil mixture, and coat with a layer of crushed-up pretzels. Thanks to the air fryer, the strips only need to cook for six minutes before you can show them off to your guests.

Recipe: Crispy Air Fryer Pretzel Chicken Fries

Fondues are always a hit at parties. Not only is there the interactive element of skewering your food and dipping it in the gooey fondue, but there is also the indisputable fact that just about everything tastes better covered in cheese. This Swiss-and-Gouda cheese fondue takes just 20 minutes to make from start to finish. Simply boil the non-cheese ingredients, then slowly add one shredded pound of each cheese. Once the cheese has melted, you're ready to serve in a bowl along with skewers, cubed bread, and veggies.

Recipe: Easy Cheese Fondue