Healthy New Year's Appetizer Recipes

Ring in the New Year with these lightened-up versions of your favorite party appetizer recipes.

Staff Picks

Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Rating: Unrated
10
This recipe for spicy Buffalo cauliflower bites is a great vegetarian alternative to Buffalo wings. Roasted cauliflower stands in for chicken and provides more fiber and fewer calories. Serve this easy appetizer with carrot sticks, celery and your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing.
By Breana Killeen

Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp

Rating: Unrated
16
Marinating precooked shrimp in garlic- and lemon-infused oil is a simple yet elegant appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
1
This crab-stuffed mushroom recipe is perfect for Christmas, New Year's Eve and other holiday parties or any other time you need a quick and easy appetizer. The filling is light and fresh thanks to hearts of palm, a tender vegetable with a mild flavor (similar to artichokes) that doesn't mask the rich, sweet flavor of fresh crabmeat.
By Liz Mervosh

Cured or Smoked Salmon Appetizer Platter

Rating: Unrated
2
This smoked salmon platter requires little effort but the spread makes a big impression. Served with all the fixings--capers, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber and more--a smoked salmon platter is the ultimate make-ahead appetizer. Lay out everything listed in the ingredients below or just a few of the elements along with an assortment of crackers, cocktail bread and/or sliced baguette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamy Spinach Dip

Rating: Unrated
6
Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It will save you a whopping 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving when compared to traditional versions. Serve it with pita chips and crunchy vegetables or spread it on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chile-Lime Peanuts

Rating: Unrated
8
These spicy nuts were inspired by ones sold by street vendors across Mexico. If you can only find salted peanuts, omit the added salt. Add the maximum amount of cayenne pepper if you want an extra hit of spice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

Rating: Unrated
1
This creamy, crowd-pleasing dip comes together with ease in your crock pot. Leave it in the slow cooker all party long to keep it warm for serving with perfect, melty cheese in every bite. Whole-wheat bread and raw veggie dippers allow you to dig in without the guilt.
By Carolyn Casner

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

Rating: Unrated
1
Stuffed shrimp make a quick and easy appetizer perfect for holiday parties. The trick to great stuffed shrimp? Make sure your shrimp are large enough to hold the filling. We recommend jumbo shrimp, which easily encase the savory filling of scallions, breadcrumbs and bacon with just a hint of spice from cayenne pepper.
By Liz Mervosh

Thai Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Rating: Unrated
10
Spicy peanut sauce is the perfect match for these Thai-marinated grilled chicken strips.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

Rating: Unrated
3
Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pear & Camembert Crostini

Rating: Unrated
1
Up your appetizer game with this fruit-topped cheese crostini recipe. Warm preserves give the pears a shiny glaze and prevent them from browning.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Polenta Wedges with Tomato Tapenade

Rating: Unrated
2
Crispy pieces of polenta topped with a tangy sun-dried tomato tapenade makes a pretty and tasty appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

16 Last-Minute Party Appetizers to Bring In the New Year Right

16 Last-Minute Party Appetizers to Bring In the New Year Right

Oysters on the Half Shell with Mignonette Sauce

Oysters on the Half Shell with Mignonette Sauce

It may seem a little intimidating to open an oyster, but after a little practice it gets easier. Classically oysters are served raw on the half shell with a little mignonette sauce, which refers in French to “black pepper,” but you can also enjoy them without any sauce at all.
Curried Cashews

Curried Cashews

Rating: Unrated
4
Roasted Pears with Brie & Pistachios

Roasted Pears with Brie & Pistachios

Rating: Unrated
6
Artichoke & Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Artichoke & Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
1
Soy Sauce Eggs

Soy Sauce Eggs

Rating: Unrated
2

3-Ingredient Cream Cheese & Cherry Pepper Bites

Need a super-easy holiday-party hors d'oeuvre? These tasty little cream cheese and cherry pepper tartlets come together in a snap, thanks to premade pie dough, which is pressed into a mini muffin tin to make the tart shells--then all you have to do is fill the cups with cream cheese and chopped cherry peppers. Chopped herbs add a nice hit of color, but these are just as tasty as-is. Consider making a double batch--these bites are sure to go quickly.

All Healthy New Year's Appetizer Recipes

Scandinavian Pickled Herring Bites

Rating: Unrated
1
This Scandinavian-style appetizer is a good way to try pickled herring if you've never had it. The potent flavor of the herring is balanced by a dollop of sour cream and the potato slice it's served on.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Broiled Lobster Tails

Rating: Unrated
1
This easy holiday appetizer calls for lobster tails, the meatiest part of the lobster, which you can buy fresh or frozen. We've also included three easy and delicious compound butters to choose from to pair with the lobster meat: this recipe makes classic lobster thermidor butter, with the rich mix of Parmesan cheese, herbs and brandy; see Tips (below) to swap in an earthy porcini mushroom butter or a bright fennel and lemon butter.
By Liz Mervosh

Smoked Trout Crackers with Lemon-Dill Mayonnaise

Rating: Unrated
1
A simple lemon-dill mayonnaise adds a touch of sophistication to smoked trout on crackers.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Double-Tahini Hummus

Rating: Unrated
2
You'll look like an expert with this easy hummus recipe that produces the lightest, silkiest hummus you've ever had. Chilling the cooked chickpeas ensures that when they're blended with the oil and cold tahini the hummus will come out creamy rather than oily. In a pinch, you can use the quick-soak technique (see Step 1), reduce the chilling time and still get great hummus.
By Michael Solomonov

Chile-Lime Tortilla Chips

Rating: Unrated
2
These tortilla chips are baked, not fried, and a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of chili powder add flavor without tons of calories. Plus with 5 grams less fat per serving than a packaged version, they deliver all the crunch without the guilt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Rustic Mushroom Tart

Rating: Unrated
6
Don't let phyllo dough's fussy reputation put you off: our method of brushing olive oil and sprinkling breadcrumbs between the layers makes this tart actually quite simple to assemble, and helps keep it healthy. It can be served as a main course or cut into smaller pieces and enjoyed as an appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Scallop & Shrimp Dumplings

Rating: Unrated
8
People along the Yangtze River enjoy dumplings with a variety of fillings, from seafood to red meat, eggs to vegetables. In Wuhan, dumplings may be served at any meal. Crisp, pan-fried dumplings don't have to be loaded with fat. Cooking them in a mix of water and oil makes them crisp on the bottom, tender and juicy inside.
By Ying Chang Compestine

Butternut Squash Queso Fundido

Rating: Unrated
2
This cheesy dip recipe is lightened up by subbing mashed butternut squash for some of the melted cheese. We also loaded it with chili-spiced caramelized onions. Serve this healthy makeover with tortilla chips or sliced jicama for dipping.
By Katie Webster

Mushroom Risotto

Rating: Unrated
4
Although traditional risottos use refined arborio rice and require constant stirring, you can achieve excellent results with this oven-baked version using short-grain brown rice, taking advantage of its whole-grain benefits.
By Wendy Kalen

Indonesian Tofu Satays

Rating: Unrated
3
Here we skewer and broil cubes of extra-firm tofu and serve them with peanut sauce for a vegetarian version of the popular Indonesian street food. The accompanying peanut sauce is filled with exquisite sweet, hot and salty flavors but omits the often-used coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat. This flexible recipe works with tofu or chicken. If serving a group with some vegetarians and some meat eaters, prepare half chicken and half tofu and marinate them separately.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sicilian Marinated Olives

In this easy appetizer recipe, olives are marinated (cunzate) to present as an antipasto. Try this with the plain green olives you buy from a supermarket olive bar. It will bring them to life in a whole new way
By Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pineapple Bites

The sweet-and-salty combination in this easy, one-bite prosciutto-wrapped pineapple appetizer recipe is addictive. Double the recipe and serve it for a party. The “bites” taste best with fresh pineapple, but can also be made with canned pineapple chunks.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Oysters Rockefeller

Invented at Antoine's in New Orleans in 1889, oysters Rockefeller was named for John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest Americans at the time, for its rich sauce. Antoine's has kept the original recipe secret, but basically it includes a cream sauce with spinach and other greens, flavored with Pernod or anisette. This version omits the cream sauce but is still full of flavor.
By John Ash

Kale Artichoke Dip

Rating: Unrated
2
A riff on traditional spinach artichoke dip, this creamy, cheesy dip recipe is made healthier by replacing some of the cream cheese with yogurt. Serve as an easy appetizer with tortilla chips and carrot sticks.
By Breana Killeen

Greek-Style Stuffed Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
1
Perk up any appetizer buffet or antipasto tray with these tempting mushrooms brimming with broccoli, feta cheese, garlic, and oregano.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Date Wraps

Rating: Unrated
1
Sweet dates and salty prosciutto combine in a tasty bite.
By Mariana Velasquez

Spiced Spanish Almonds

Rating: Unrated
4
Salty, sweet and laced with smoke--the perfect kind of almond for a party. If any remain the next day, savor them over a salad topped with sliced ripe pears and shaved Manchego cheese.
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Goat Cheese Crostini with Fig Compote

Rating: Unrated
1
Here, dried figs are simmered in just enough liquid so they soften into a thick jam. Try stirring the leftover compote into your yogurt or oatmeal the next day.
By Lynda Balslev

Chile Con Queso

Rating: Unrated
11
Our healthier version of chile con queso will have ooey-gooey-cheese lovers celebrating. Now you can enjoy this Tex-Mex dip without all the fat and calories. We replaced some of the cheese with a low-fat white sauce and used sharp Cheddar plus a splash of beer to boost the flavor. Our version cuts the calories in half and reduces total fat and saturated fat by nearly 60 percent.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamy Shrimp Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
Chile and horseradish add a spicy kick to this mayo- and yogurt-based yum yum shrimp sauce. This recipe comes together in a pinch for an updated shrimp cocktail appetizer--and will be devoured just as fast at any party.
By Carolyn Casner

Cucumber Cups with Deviled Ham Salad

Swap crostini for cucumber cups to hold ham salad in this easy appetizer recipe. Bring these healthy, crunchy bites to your next potluck or serve them at brunch and watch them disappear.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mississippi Spiced Pecans

Rating: Unrated
6
Make plenty of these mildly sweet and salty nuts--they are great to have on hand over the holidays.
By Peggy Knickerbocker

Nutty Pimiento Cheese Balls

Rating: Unrated
1
These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen. These brothers are following in their mom's footsteps with their own TV shows, books and website. Our favorite part of what they're up to: healthy makeovers of some of Paula's recipes! Recipe adapted from The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up, by Jamie & Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark (Ballantine Books, 2011).
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Vegetable Antipasto

Rating: Unrated
3
A zesty vinaigrette makes these roasted Brussels sprouts, fennel, carrots and beets pop. If you can't find small carrots, halve larger ones crosswise then quarter lengthwise. Serve this vegetable antipasto as a side dish or appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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