35 Ideas For Party Food That Will Please Any Crowd

With a blend of cheddar and cream cheeses studded with cranberries, green onions, and pecans, this cheese ball is the perfect combination of sweet, savory, creamy, and crunchy to get your party started off right. It can be prepped ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe: Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball

Made with store-bought puff pastry and pesto sauce, these adorable pinwheels couldn't be easier to make. Your guests won't be able to resist the eye-popping spiral shape. 

Recipe: Chicken Pesto Pinwheels

You know it's a party when stuffed mushrooms are on the table. Savory and satisfying, these poppable bites will fly off the plate at your next group hang.

Recipe: Garlic Parmesan-Stuffed Mushrooms

If the idea of frying calzones intimidates you, you can also just brush each calzone with a generous pat of butter or oil, then bake them at 400°F for 10+ minutes.

Recipe: Deep-Fried Mini Calzones (Panzarotti)

Honey, spicy sriracha, tart lime juice, and savory soy sauce all come together to create a sauce you'll want to slather on all your dinners going forward. (Honey lime sriracha salmon, anyone?)

Recipe: Honey Lime Sriracha Chicken Poppers

These soft, dense brownies are worth the fudgy fingers you'll have after demolishing one (or two). 

Recipe: The Best Fudgy Brownies

You won't get drunk off these, but these Instagram-worthy treats will still liven up whatever gathering you're hosting. 

Recipe: Rosé Gummy Bears

Puff pastry + hot dogs + cheddar cheese = the best after-school snack long after you've graduated 😍.

Recipe: Pigs In A Blanket

So many great finger food recipes start with potatoes, including this one. Just mix boiled potatoes with ranch dressing and seasoning and bake the whole thing for half an hour. Mix in the cheddar while hot and you're done! 

Recipe: Cheddar Ranch Potatoes

This recipe, made with just shredded cheese and dried basil, still packs a punch thanks to Parmesan's complex umami flavor.

Recipe: Parmesan Cheese Crisps

This quick recipe transforms a simple root vegetable into a sweet, slightly caramelized twist on a typical french fry. 

Recipe: Carrot Fries

If you're a fan of Cheez-Its, you'll love these homemade cheese crackers. For the best results, get a block of cheddar cheese and shred eight ounces by hand. The resulting fresh cheese will taste better — and mix with the other ingredients more easily. 

Recipe: Homemade Cheese Crackers

The bread and artichoke dip bake at the same time, meaning it's convenient to make and convenient to eat!

Recipe: Cheesy Spinach And Artichoke Bread Ring Dip

These tots are easy to adapt — make them into flat patties, add extra cheese or seasoning, or use cauliflower in addition to broccoli. 

Recipe: Broccoli Tots

A crispy coating of panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese make these zucchini spears nice and crunchy. 

Recipe: Zucchini Fries

Once you've picked up a pack of frozen garlic toast from the store, you're pretty much halfway done with this simple crowd-pleaser. Each slice of pizza is easy to customize — make a combination of pepperoni, veggie, and Margherita so there's something for everyone! 

Recipe: 15-Minute Garlic Bread Pizza

If you're making extras for later, simply freeze your samosas on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and transfer to a ziplock bag once frozen. Add a minute or two to frying time if you're pulling these straight out of the freezer. 

Recipe: Kenyan Beef Samosas

To expedite water loss, you can sprinkle a bit of salt onto your grated zucchini and carrots before squeezing the water out of them. 

Recipe: Zucchini Carrot Fritters

Even if you end up eating an entire cheesecake slice's worth of cheesecake bites, you know it tastes better this way.

Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Bites

If you're looking for a snack that's savory and appetizing but won't fill your guests up before the main course is even served, then these pizza chips — made with mozzarella cheese and zero flour — are a perfect solution. 

Recipe: Pizza Chips

According to one person who tried the recipe, you can slightly modify the ratio of cornmeal to flour or even swap the sugar for brown sugar, and you'll get the same slightly sweet corn dogs.

Recipe: Mini Corn Dogs

For a recipe that wows people and then wipes out all sound in the room except for the sound of chewing, try this extravagant chocolate fondue recipe that's actually easier to make than it looks. 

Recipe: Chocolate Fondue Banana Bread Boat

To make this recipe for a large group, simply use smaller pieces of bread (a sliced baguette would work great here) and top normally with creamy mushrooms. 

Recipe: Creamy Mushroom Toasts

As the brownie batter might be more liquidy and harder to handle, try refrigerating it for half an hour before combining it with the cookie dough mix. 

Recipe: Box Brownie Cookies (Brookies)

Add a bit of black pepper to bring out the flavor and flatten them a little more if you're craving a crunchy texture. 

Recipe: Potato Latkes

If you're organizing a themed party, or simply want to add a pop of color to your coffee table, you can't go wrong with this rainbow kettle corn which you can customize with the colors of your choice.  

Recipe: Rainbow Kettle Corn

Cut your potato slices extra thin for a wafer-thin, delicate texture that mimics the real stuff. 

Recipe: Salt & Vinegar Chips

This ham & cheese pull-apart bread is like the messy but more fun sibling of tea sandwiches. 

Recipe: Ham & Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

Remember to grease both the base and the sides of each muffin tin, or you might break the stackers trying to get them out.

Recipe: Garlic Parmesan Potato Stackers

Layered with melted pepper jack cheese, BBQ pork, and a mix of red onion and scallions, this party recipe will satiate big groups and big appetites alike. 

Recipe: BBQ Pulled Pork Fries

To prevent sticky fingers (as frozen yogurt melts quicker than frozen peanut butter), you might want to layer the peanut butter on the bottom, rather than the yogurt. 

Recipe: Peanut Butter Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites

If you're a bigger fan of peanut butter than caramel, you can easily swap them out for the same sticky, rich flavor. 

Recipe: Chocolate Caramel Oat Bars (Carmelitas)

As with any oil-drenched vegetable you're roasting, you'll want to watch the oven after 10 minutes to make sure your fries aren't cooking too fast.

Recipe: Curly Fries

If you're putting these together while strawberries are in season, you could even skip the honey altogether. 

Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Crackers

Quick tip: Save a generous amount of enchilada sauce to coat each of the enchiladas in before you pop them in the oven. They'll stay moist and end up even more flavorful. 

Recipe: Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas