30 Hot, Party-Ready Appetizers That Will Steal the Show Gooey, crispy, tender, or flaky, warm appetizers are where the party's at. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 26, 2026 Add Us On Close Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Heat up your next gathering with these sensational hot appetizers. Baked, fried, or sautéed, these tasty bites make for the best premeal noshing. We've got gooey, crispy, buttery party-worthy snacks: warm dips, cheese-topped toasts, morsels tucked into flaky pastry, and bacon-wrapped delights, among others. Whether you choose classics like baked Brie and spiced meatballs or try something new, such as Indonesian corn fritters or smoked salmon smashed potatoes, these hot appetizers will propel your party into full swing. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 30 Smoked Salmon Smashed Potatoes Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle For these bite-size beauties, crispy smashed Yukon Gold potatoes are adorned with a harmonious combination of silky smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and briny capers. Chives and dill provide a final flourish. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 30 French Onion White Bean Dip Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Made with a base of caramelized onions, canned cannellini beans, and cream cheese, this rich dip from F&W recipe developer Julia Levy bubbles over with nutty Gruyère cheese. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 30 Cheese Tarts with Bacon and Fingerling Potatoes Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless A golden layer of puff pastry is topped with creamy French cheese, crisp bacon, caramelized onions, and fingerling potatoes for this craveable appetizer from 1994 F&W Best New Chef Terrance Brennan. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 30 Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Roasted mushrooms are filled with a white wine–infused mix of jumbo lump crab, Parmesan cheese, and cream cheese, then topped with garlicky, buttery cracker crumbs and more Parmesan before baking to golden perfection. Minced fresh herbs add bright, fresh pops throughout. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 30 Cacio e Pepe Potato Croquettes Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Cacio e pepe takes the shape of crisp, golden croquettes in this playful appetizer interpretation. A blend of riced russet and Yukon Gold potatoes is seasoned with Pecorino Romano, plenty of black pepper, and a touch of garlic, then wrapped around a cube of Fontina cheese that melts into a gooey center as the croquettes fry. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 30 Chili Crisp–Glazed Bacon Bites Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Toss slow-roasted bacon in homemade chili crisp, add in plenty of aromatic garlic, ginger, and shallots, and don't be surprised when your guests ask you for the recipe. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 30 Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue Julia Hartbeck This creamy, decadent fondue is a great excuse to eat (lots of) melted cheese. Serve with an assortment of items to dip — we like toasty bread, sturdy fruit, even baby potatoes — and you'll find your party might gravitate toward wherever you've set up the fondue. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 30 Cheesy Sausage Cocktail Toasts Jennifer Causey For these tasty toasts, cookbook author Andrea Slonecker borrows from the nostalgic flavors of her childhood and swaps creamy mascarpone and robust Taleggio for the Velveeta in her grandmother's original version. "The topping can be made a few days ahead, and it's as straightforward as browning some Italian sausage and melting in the cheeses," she writes. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 30 Stuffed Clams with Linguiça and Arugula Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Linguiça — a Portuguese smoke-cured pork sausage — makes a delightful pairing with littleneck clams in a flavorful stuffing for this tasty hot appetizer. The best part? You can make these elegant stuffed clams a day ahead and just pop them in the oven when it's time for the party. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 30 Hot Honey Halloumi Sliders Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver The combination of salty, squeaky Halloumi and sweet, soft King's Hawaiian rolls makes these sliders an instant party-ready classic. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 30 Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip Justin Walker This version of the classic appetizer is made easy with frozen artichoke hearts and spinach (which you'll want to drain well). You'll add four kinds of cheese and serve the dip with crostini on the side — then just sit back and watch your guests enjoy. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 30 Baked Brie with Spiced Pears and Cherries Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Bridget Hallinan Spiced fruit and nuts set this baked Brie apart from others. A bit of sweetness, a bit of crunch, and that golden, flaky pastry combine for a crowd-pleaser. Make sure to use cold puff pastry — that's the key to those impressive layers. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 30 Garlic Butter Chicken Bites Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Coat chunks of boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a luscious lemon pepper and garlic butter sauce, then serve with toothpicks for an irresistible hors d'oeuvre. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 30 Pigs in a Blanket Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Lexi Juhl Pigs in a blanket are a playful accompaniment to Champagne, according to wine expert Jen Pelka. To make these treats just right for a cocktail party, she brushes puff pastry with Dijon, brown sugar, butter, and honey. For extra flavor, serve with a honey mustard dipping sauce. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 30 Crab Rangoon Dip Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Props Styling by Josh Hoggle This indulgent crab rangoon dip turns the beloved appetizer into a creamy, oven-baked party starter: Sweet lump crab meets rich cream cheese and sharp cheddar, garnished with scallions and served with crispy wonton chips. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 30 Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce) Diana Chistruga Sauté shrimp in garlicky, spicy olive oil and then toss them with dry sherry, lemon juice, and a handful of parsley for a 20-minute starter that's sure to please — don't forget the crusty bread for soaking up the sauce. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 30 Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne Eva Kolenko Délice de Bourgogne, a triple crème cheese that's even more luscious than Brie, is topped with pan-roasted mushrooms and herbs in this elegant appetizer from Top Chef winner and host Kristen Kish. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 30 Alain Ducasse's Gougères The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Silky pâte à choux dough forms the base for these airy, cheesy, puffy little bites from the culinary icon. While the dough is often used for sweet applications like éclairs, this recipe is enriched with Gruyère and black pepper for a savory party snack. Get the Recipe 19 of 30 Chipotle Butter Steak Bites Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley For this 20-minute appetizer from F&W's Paige Grandjean, cubes of seared boneless rib eye or strip steak are coated in a smoky tequila-infused sauce made with canned chipotles in adobo. Serve on toothpicks — and don't expect them to last for long. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 30 Dirty Martini Dip Mini Stuffed Potatoes Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong Turn the beloved cocktail into a two-bite party appetizer with twice-baked baby Yukon Gold potatoes — after roasting until tender, fill them with a rich, bold blend of pungent blue cheese, cream cheese, and briny olive juice. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 30 Bacon-Wrapped Dates Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali These are the perfect sweet-savory, juicy-crispy bites for your party's appetizer spread. Dates and bacon are dressed up with walnuts and herbs plus savory cream cheese and blue cheese. Drizzle them with honey for an extra-sweet touch. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 30 Oysters Rockefeller with Pimiento Cheese Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster John Ondo's Lowcountry riff on classic oysters Rockefeller swaps out the usual pureed greens for finely chopped collards and adds in Southern pimiento cheese. It's a surprising and delicious party appetizer. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 30 Cheesy Mille-Feuille with Confit Tomatoes Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster For chef Joshua Pinsky's savory take on the classic French dessert, shatteringly crisp layers of buttery puff pastry are stacked with melted Brie and garlicky, herb-infused tomato confit. The result is stunning and irresistible. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 30 Spinach Dip Hot Bread Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Combine the dip and the delivery system by spooning cheesy, spinach-studded béchamel between slices of a sourdough boule, topping with gently spicy Calabrian chiles, and baking until hot, browned, and gooey. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 30 Bacon-Wrapped Scallops Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Tender, juicy scallops wrapped with smoky bacon are a hot cocktail party classic that very few people can resist. If you don't live near the ocean, you'll be better off buying frozen, dry-packed scallops — just resist the urge to microwave them, as that would cause them to lose their silky texture. Get the Recipe Save 26 of 30 Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these make-ahead meatballs are loaded with warm spices, aromatics, and fiery harissa, an ideal pairing for the creamy, herby dip. For the quickest, easiest, most efficient preparation, bake these meatballs (and any other meatballs, really). Get the Recipe Save 27 of 30 Fritto Misto with Calabrian Chile Aioli Jose Mandojana / Food Styling by Robyn Valarik / Prop Styling by Christine Wolheim This take on fritto misto will disappear as soon as you put it on the table. From the crispy anchovy-stuffed olives, lemon slices, shrimp, and calamari to the aioli spiked with the fruity heat of Calabrian chile, this snack is both sophisticated and fun. Get the Recipe Save 28 of 30 Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives Victor Protasio Buttery Castelvetrano olives and Italian sausage are a beautiful pairing in these petite fried snacks. They're elegant little bites begging to accompany chilled cocktails and crisp white wine. Get the Recipe Save 29 of 30 Perkedel Jagung Louise Hagger Chef Lara Lee's Perkedel Jagung, or Indonesian corn fritters, are all about the sweet, tender corn. You can use fresh if you can get your hands on it, but frozen or canned will also work. Aromatic ginger and shallots marry with makrut lime, coriander, and cumin for a treat that's delicious served with spicy tomato sambal. Get the Recipe Save 30 of 30 Michael Symon's Arancini © Abby Hocking Arancini — the crunchy, satisfyingly cheesy fried risotto balls — are a perfect cocktail party snack. Chef Michael Symon makes his risotto the day before to keep prep easy, then fries the balls at the last minute for a perfectly crispy crust. 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