62 Holiday Finger Foods to Nosh on All December Long

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 16

Seven ingredients (including store-bought puff pastry) make this crowd-pleaser a total breeze to prepare. "They may look fancy but take all of ten minutes to put together," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen states. "And they'll disappear from your party in even less time."

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4 to 6

You won't need to brave a spitting vat of oil to make impossibly crispy chicken wings at home. "The trick is to dredge them in baking powder before popping them in the oven," Gillen explains, "which reacts with the skin and jumpstarts the browning process. You can make them even crispier by baking them on top of a wire cooling rack, but a sheet pan works fine, too."

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 24

When in doubt, you can never go wrong with a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies. "These mini chocolate chip cookies are meant to be eaten in multiples (or, better yet, by the handful)," Gillen writes. "As an added bonus, this is a one-bowl situation, because I'm far more interested in eating cookies than doing dishes."

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

Odds are you already love cauliflower. (Like, a lot.) Work even more of it in your life with these cheesy, crunchy bites that taste just as good as their potato-based predecessors.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

Bye, naked tortilla chips—hello, holiday finger food. This ingeniously designed, sized-down version of nachos lets you enjoy cheesy goodness (along with chicken, black beans and all the fixings) in every bite.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 48 bites

What’s better than mac and cheese? These poppables, obvi. The gooey baked bites are crispy on top yet tender and chewy on the inside. Picky eaters are no match for their deliciousness.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Apple cider adds a seasonal touch to your holiday finger food display—and also happens to make the mini doughnuts impeccably moist. They taste like you got them from a local farm (and I won't tell if that's the story you give your guests).

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

All the flavor of the O.G., minus the mess—and the boiling noodles. Instead, the recipe suggests using crispy wonton wrappers in place of pasta for maximum convenience (and crunch).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, Paleo-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
• Serves: 30 pieces

Soft pretzels are my weakness, and these nutty gems are just right for gluten-free and Paleo guests alike. The dough is made from cassava flour, coconut milk, honey and a few pantry staples.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 8 to 10

Think of it as savory monkey bread. All you need are five ingredients (including easy store-bought pizza dough) for this unconventional, elegant-yet-casual crowd-pleaser.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
• Serves: 20 dogs

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? No, the answer is no—and your picky kids will agree. Dip 'em in ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing or hot sauce.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 12

You love French onion soup. Now, imagine it baked into bite-size bowls of puff pastry with a ton of gooey Gruyère. Swoon. Did I mention you'll only need nine ingredients to pull 'em off?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 20 cheesecakes

These lightened-up bites are the perfect way to indulge in dessert without going overboard. (Thanks, Greek yogurt.) The pretty topping is pomegranate arils swimming in pomegranate molasses.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6 to 8

These treats are shockingly easy to make at home. Serve them with plenty of hot fudge, raspberry sauce or dulce de leche for dipping (or heck, serve all three and let the compliments roll in).

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
• Serves: 6

These baked quinoa chicken nuggets are crispy, moist, ready in 30 minutes and way tastier than the frozen kind. Your kids won't mind the tender quinoa, since it turns into a crispy breading once it's baked. Pass the honey mustard.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
• Serves: 6 to 8

Never trust a person who doesn’t like mozzarella sticks. (It’s fried cheese, people—what’s not to love?) Stick them with toothpicks and serve them alongside plenty of marinara (or pesto, if you're fancy) and napkins for easy grabbing.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
• Serves: 40 bites

I should warn you: These Brie-stuffed pretzel bites won’t last long. Top them with flaky salt and dunk them in honey mustard or fig jam to make it the ultimate holiday finger food.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

Cute, compact and, dare I say, better than regular sized pizza. They'll last about 30 seconds on the kids' table, IMO. Go wild with additional toppings, like black olives, mushrooms and pepperoncini.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8 to 10

Dish these sprouts up with tangy dipping sauce and toothpicks, then watch them vanish before your eyes. They're breaded in Parmesan-spiked panko breadcrumbs for good measure.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 24 tortillas

Warm, fresh homemade tortillas kick the store-bought kind to the curb. And guess what? They’re incredibly easy to make (with four ingredients, including water), and the filling possibilities are endless. Teeny-tiny tacos, anyone?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
• Serves: 8

Confession: Sometimes, I get a little lot nostalgic for a classic Hostess snack cake, specifically coconut-encrusted Sno Balls. Luckily, they're easy to make from scratch, even for newbie bakers.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
• Serves: 16 pavlovas

These light-as-air meringue bites are begging to be shown off on your Instagram. They're crowned with fresh cardamom whipped cream, crunchy pistachios and ruby-red strawberries.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, high protein
• Serves: 8

Oh, hi, mind-blowingly easy sammies. No one needs to know they're filled with rotisserie chicken and store-bought Buffalo sauce. The crumbled blue cheese gives them a from-scratch appearance, so no one will be the wiser.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan
• Serves: 40 pieces

A vegetarian version of a timeless holiday finger food that never gets old. Even kids won't mind the carrots taking over for cocktail weenies here, thanks to their familiar doughy exterior. Pass the green goddess dip, please.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6 to 8

Confession: I love potatoes in all forms. Add to that list this miraculous recipe that reinvents its classic namesake. They have all the essentials of a baked spud, only with a delightfully crispy base.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6 to 8

This classed-up version of jalapeño poppers will fit in at any holiday party. In case you need more convincing beyond their looks, you'll only need four ingredients to pull them off, including store-bought pimento cheese.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 12

Fact: No one can turn down a miniature dessert, including these picturesque pastries. What a delicious way to celebrate citrus season. It’s definitely OK to devour two (er, five) in rapid succession.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 36 cookies

The most adorable, bite-sized cookies you've ever seen. Eat your heart out, Oreos. The creamy filling is tangy (shoutout to you, cream cheese), rich and kissed with vanilla, but I wouldn't blame you for adding a touch of salt to the mix.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 30 crostini

As sophisticated as it is incredibly simple to make. Now, would you like one with smoked salmon and whipped cream cheese or dried cranberries, roasted almonds and crème fraîche first?

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
• Serves: 24 pies

Want a dessert that looks impressive but is ready in under an hour? These decadent cuties will do the trick. They're finished with a simple caramel sauce made from store-bought candies, so you won't have to do too much extra work for the garnish.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 8

Outback Steakhouse has nothing on this shrunken version of its signature appetizer. Make a second batch of the garlicky horseradish aioli to spread on sandwiches, drizzle on chicken wings or serve with steak.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

A medley of fresh herbs, dry spices and flaky sea salt transforms this old-school bar snack into an appetizer worth sharing. Use whatever combination of nuts you'd like, although I'm partial to whole almonds, pecan halves, walnut halves, cashews and pistachios.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6 to 8

Salty prosciutto meets store-bought pizza dough and sharp grated Parm to create an irresistibly savory holiday finger food. Dunk them in ranch dressing, marinara sauce or nothing at all.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

It's not like this autumn gourd is suddenly out of season after Thanksgiving. These crispy fry alternatives will be ready in just 40 minutes to boot, and they look much more impressive than spuds, too. Check out these Thanksgiving appetizers for extra inspiration!

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 4 to 6

I'm betting you have just about all the necessary ingredients to make these crunchy creminis in your kitchen right now. Fresh herbs, sherry vinegar and a few pantry staples take the 'shrooms way over the top with minimal effort.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

Top anything with a quartered fig to make it look a million times fancier in an instant. (Even better, these are cooked in maple syrup and bacon fat to make them doubly delectable.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

This root vegetable is at peak deliciousness in the winter. Show the turnips some extra love by baking them to crispy perfection and dusting them with Old Bay seasoning before doling them out.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 14

These cuties straddle the line between appetizer and dessert. Not only does the recipe call for a mere six ingredients, but the bites will be ready in 15 minutes flat.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Hanukkah or not, no one can turn down a shatteringly crisp potato pancake. Serve them with lots of applesauce and sour cream, but they're drool-worthy even without condiments, TBH.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 24 quesadillas

Psst: Wanna know how to get the world's crispiest quesadillas? Swap tortillas for easy wonton wrappers, then lightly fry them until they're shatteringly crunchy and golden-brown on both sides. Ta-da.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 12

This one hits me right in the childhood every time. Slather mayo on the white bread before placing the grilled cheese sandwiches in the pan for an extra crispy exterior.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8

These blow standard chicken fingers way out of the water. Drown me in the tangy, spicy, umami-kissed dipping sauce, please. (It offers a generous dose of complex heat, courtesy of canned chiles in adobo and gochujang.)

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 12

Thanks to store-bought pizza dough, these come together faster than you'd think. Spruce up the filling with crumbled Italian sausage if you'd like to make them more filling or flavorful.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 8 to 10

You know how the crispy corner pieces of cornbread are the best part? That's basically what every one of these bites is like—the cheese and pancetta are just a bonus. (Oh, and there's goat cheese, too.)

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8

No meat, no problem. Swap honey for agave in the marinade to make it vegan; just don't skip the cornstarch or pressing all the excess liquid out of the tofu, which are key steps in ensuring the bites' crisp exterior.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, one pan, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 15

This just might be the most low-lift slider recipe of all time. Simply assemble the sandwiches, brush them with butter and bake until the cheese melts. Go the authentic route by piling on Cuban-style roast pork, too.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

Prediction: These delectable rolls will be gone ten seconds after you set them out. Chalk it up to crispy bacon and gooey provolone—people can't help themselves.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

This verdant spin on traditional latkes incorporates everyone's favorite holiday veggie and only one potato. In case you need help shredding the sprouts, this handy guide has you covered.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 12

Uh oh, your guests are arriving in ten and you don't have an appetizer planned?! Not to worry: Frozen puff pastry will save the day once again, and it'll only take you 20 minutes from start to finish. Crisis averted.

• Time Commitment: 2 hour and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 12

You only think this holiday classic is outdated. Recipe developer Erin McDowell gave it the update it deserves with a few wintry ingredients and a fun-sized package. It puts the dry store-bought stuff to shame, trust.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Consider this a super-exciting spin on a somewhat tired classic. Most importantly, this holiday finger food recipe only calls for six ingredients, so you won't have to waste the day grocery shopping to prepare it.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, high protein
• Serves: 4

It doesn't need to be game day to whip up these babies. With crispy bacon and salty Parm, there's no doubt in my mind that your guests will be craving seconds of this spicy, creamy appetizer.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low sugar, vegetarian
• Serves: 16

Chocolate and avocado? These two ingredients may seem like an unlikely duo but they actually play together perfectly. The creamy avocado makes the brownies fudgy and moist—just the way I like 'em.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: no cook, low sugar, paleo, gluten free
• Serves: 24 cups

Paleo-friendly and super satisfying, these dessert bites are a total step up from the Hershey classic. The creamy outer coating is nothing but melted bittersweet chocolate and coconut oil.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 16

This simple, sweet and savory number will only take you 15 minutes to whip up. Just don't forget to add the white pepper right before plating—it makes a difference, promise.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It:  beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook
• Serves: 6

These delightful sammies are so colorful and undeniably a fan favorite. But best of all, they require no cooking to come together. They're small, too, so seconds and thirds are a must, if you ask me.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 8

This simplified version of the classic Middle Eastern dish is surprisingly easy to make at home. And again, they're small, so you can eat as many as you want and pile on the tangy yogurt sauce with abandon.

• Time Commitment: 4 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, kid-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 12 to 16 taquitos

Sweet, spicy, and made in the slow cooker? Count me in. Serve them with a green salad for a main dish or solo (preferably with queso, sour cream or guacamole) as an appetizer. You can even freeze them to reheat later.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, pescatarian
• Serves: 8

So classy, but so easy (the chive garnish really does it for me), you may think summer has an exclusive claim to these handhelds. But I promise your guests, relatives or roommates will scarf them down any time of the year. Make the filling ahead and toast the buns right before serving.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 60 crackers

Like Cheez-Its, only so much better. Holiday party guests will love noshing on these savory, salty squares made with both cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 30 to 35 meatballs

Who doesn’t love a meatball amped up with umami? Stick them with toothpicks so your guests can help themselves, and finish them with a flourish of sliced scallions and sesame seeds for good measure.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 16

Presenting the cutest holiday finger food ever: Teeny-tiny tacos that are equal parts spicy, filling and refreshing. Leave it to adobo chipotle sauce and pico de gallo.