Digital Editions Newsletters

Keywords

Include Ingredients

✕

Exclude Ingredients

✕

EatingWell Magazine Subscribe Now!

Healthy, Quick & Easy Appetizer Recipes

Find quick and easy appetizer recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Healthier Appetizers & Finger Foods

Appetizers and finger foods don't have to come from a box. They can be healthy and delicious with these ideas from EatingWell.

Healthier Appetizers & Finger Foods

Corned Beef and Cabbage Appetizers

These fun Shamrock Tostadas are the perfect healthy appetizer for St. Patrick's Day.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Appetizers

FREE Top 10 Appetizer Recipe Cookbook!

Including crostini recipes, dumpling recipes and more, this cookbook features our very best appetizer recipes.

FREE Top 10 Appetizer Recipe Cookbook!

Blue Cheese & Fig Bite

Blue Corn Botanita

Shrimp-Pepper Popper

Deconstructed Spicy Crab Roll

9 Instant Appetizers

Whether you’re gracing guests with a gourmet feast or scrambling to host a few hungry pop-ins, a platter of no-cook canapés is an elegant, easy way to make them feel welcome. These cracker- or bread-based bites rely on bright colors, no-fuss store-bought ingredients and balanced flavors to effortlessly dazzle a crowd. They’re so quick, in fact, we had to measure our prep time in the Test Kitchen with a stopwatch!

Peach & Bacon Crostini

For an easy party appetizer, pick the best seasonal fruit you can find and let the grill lend a smoky backbone to these delicious crostini.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Tomme des Pyrénées

Cheese-stuffed zucchini flowers are a traditional specialty of Italy and Provence. This version of the fried vegetarian side dish or appetizer takes on an Occitanie flair with Tomme des Pyrénées, a cheese produced in that southwestern region of France. Thanks to the cheese's rich, slightly tangy flavor, you only need a little bit to highlight this dish.

Serrano-Wrapped Plums

In this simple appetizer recipe, cloaking juicy stone fruit with rich ribbons of cured meat is a quick and simple route to salty-sweet perfection. Serve on your next cheese board with Spanish Manchego cheese and Marcona almonds.

Peach Caprese Skewers

Fresh peaches liven up a classic caprese salad in this super-fast snack. Make this recipe for one or make a bunch for a party appetizer.

Star-Spangled Fruit Kebabs

Cutting naturally red and white fruits into star shapes to pair on skewers with blueberries makes a fun, patriotic fruit dessert you can feel good about eating and serving to your kids. This red, white and blue fruit "salad" will be a hit at summer barbecues, especially for the Fourth of July.

Raspberry BBQ Sausage Bites

Sweet, smoky and savory, these sausage appetizer bites are a cinch to throw together at the last minute. Just throw some smoked sausage on the grill, slice and toss with the fresh homemade raspberry barbecue sauce for the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

Picnic Deviled Eggs with Fresh Herbs

These eggs are perfect for a picnic because they're so portable. Instead of cutting them in half lengthwise, we just cut the tops off so they can stand upright in an egg carton for easy filling, transport and storage. We swapped in Greek yogurt for the traditional mayo to save calories.

Vegetable Bouquet

This edible centerpiece will transform the table at your next gathering. Not only is a crudité bouquet beautiful, it's also delicious! Set it at the center of the table surrounded by bowls of your favorite veggie dips like ranch, hummus and more. This recipe fits into a 6-by-6-inch outer vase. If your vases are smaller or larger, scale the vegetables accordingly.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cheesy Ham & Pickle Wraps

For this no-cook game-day appetizer, tangy dill pickles are stuffed with a creamy filling that's peppered with sharp Cheddar and sweet pimientos, and then wrapped with ham. We cut back on the sodium by scraping out the pickle seeds and opting for reduced-sodium ham, which has 260 milligrams (or less) of sodium per 2-ounce serving.

Fruit & Cheese Bistro Lunch Box

This fruit, cheese and cracker box inspired by Starbucks' bistro boxes is a fun and healthy alternative to your standard sandwich. It's the perfect personal-size cheese plate to pack for a work lunch or a picnic in the park.

Charcuterie Bistro Lunch Box

Inpired by Starbucks' bistro boxes, this packable lunch is just like a personal-size cheese plate to take on-the-go. The healthy and easy snack-style meal is perfect to take for lunch at work or for a light picnic date night.

Vegan Bistro Lunch Box

Perfect to pack for lunch to take to work or for a picnic in the park, this vegan bistro box is filled with Mediterranean diet-inspired crunchy vegetables, pita bread, creamy hummus and olives.

Protein Bistro Lunch Box

Inspired by Starbucks' bistro boxes, this affordable lunch is easy to make and pack yourself. With high-protein ingredients like a hard-boiled egg, edamame and tuna, this bistro-style lunch will leave you feeling satisfied.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lovage Pesto

Lovage tastes like cardamom and celery had a baby. If you can't find lovage, increase basil to 1 3/4 cups and add 1 1/2 cups celery leaves. Recipe by Chef/Farmer Stacey Givens of The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen, Portland, OR.

Lemon Tuna & Yogurt Cracker

A crisp whole-grain cracker gets the freshest topping of light tuna, lemony Greek yogurt, and a bright dill garnish. It's the quick snack that's almost a meal when you're having too much fun in the sun to stop and cook.

Hummus, Feta & Bell Pepper Cracker

A savory topping of feta cheese, hummus, and sweet bell pepper make this super-easy, tasty crispbread snack a perfect munch for the long, warm days of summer.

Cherry Tomato & Egg Cracker

Top a crunchy sourdough crispbread with diced egg and cherry tomatoes for a wholesome snack that's pretty enough to serve at a party. It's the healthy, quick way to snack.

Blackberry & Cream Cheese Cracker

Fresh blackberries and light cream cheese make a pretty, sweet topping for a crispbread snack, especially with a little mint sprinkled on top. Besides being beautiful and delicious, blackberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

Avocado & Salsa Cracker

Avocado and salsa team up for a zesty Southwest-inspired topping on a whole grain crispbread. This snack is packed with fiber, veggies, and healthy fats, and it takes just minutes to put together.

Coconut-Cashew Breakfast Bites

Never skip breakfast again: keep these coconut and date breakfast bites in the fridge or freezer, and you'll always have a grab-and-go option for busy mornings.