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New Year’s Eve is the party of all parties — and that means you’ll need lots of nosh-worthy bites to fuel the festivities. We’ve got plenty of elegant appetizer options to liven up your spread, from classics like buttery clams casino and chicken liver pâté to new spins on existing favorites: Think fondue served in a bowl made of acorn squash or a vibrant four-herb guacamole. Say goodbye to last year and hello to new beginnings with this selection of celebratory New Year’s Eve appetizers.
Chipotle Butter Steak Bites
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Bite-size cubes of rib eye or strip steak sear in a ripping-hot cast-iron skillet until deeply caramelized outside yet juicy inside. A silky butter sauce spiked with chipotles in adobo ties it all together — spear with toothpicks to serve as an appetizer.
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.
Caviar Toast with Radish and Miso Butter
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Recipe developer Anna Theoktisto pairs deeply flavorful, umami-forward miso butter with mild radishes and caviar on hearty sourdough bread for these eye-catching toasts. Go for either osetra caviar or smoked trout roe — both add a bright, briny finish.
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.
Karaage Fried Chicken Wonton Cup
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Colorful and layered with flavor, this impressive appetizer from David Chang will be the life of the party. Store-bought dumpling wrappers bake up into crispy shells for housing a mix of onion puree, soy-ginger fried chicken bites, hard-boiled egg wedges, and a shower of fresh herbs.
Clams Casino
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
With buttery breadcrumbs and crispy bacon, clams casino is always a good bet. Assemble the stuffed clams up to a day ahead of time, then top them with the panko mixture and pop them in the oven when your guests arrive.
Thai-Style Shrimp Cocktail
Cook and chill large raw shrimp, then serve with a quick garlic aioli and super-spicy fish sauce–based dip for 2016 F&W Best New Chef Kris Yenbamroong’s creative take on this classic appetizer.
Herb Guacamole
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Made with a quartet of herbs — cilantro, basil, mint, and tarragon — this creamy, verdant dip from chef Enrique Olvera is just the thing to scoop up with freshly fried tostadas.
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.
Acorn Squash Fondue
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
The traditional raclette gets a seasonal reimagining from 2023 F&W Best New Chef Amanda Shulman. In this entertaining-ready recipe, roasted acorn squash is filled with melted Comté and Gruyère. The squash bowl is served alongside toasts and delectable crudités like Belgian endive, cornichons, grapes, and radishes.
Fried Polenta Slices
Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Lauren Mcanelly / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali
Firm these up overnight to slice, fry, and serve with marinara, a lemony aioli, or a chunky olive tapenade when guests arrive.
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
These are the perfect sweet-savory, juicy-crispy bites for your party spread. Dates and bacon are dressed up with toasted walnuts and herbs plus a savory mix of cream cheese and blue cheese.
Fried Ravioli with Cacio e Pepe Dip
Food & Wine / Photo by Hannah Hufham / Food Styling by Marianne Williams / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Store-bought cheese ravioli gets coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (or air-fried!) until extra-crispy. Don’t skip the cheesy, peppery cacio e pepe dipping sauce.
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 roasted them until tender, fill them with a rich, bold blend of pungent blue cheese, cream cheese, and briny olive juice.
Baked Goat Cheese with Herbs
Chris Simpson / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Inspired by winters in Switzerland, this rendition of baked cheese from 2007 F&W Best New Chef Gavin Kaysen showcases creamy goat cheese baked until bubbly in olive oil and tart saba along with thyme, garlic, rosemary, and shallot.
Creamy Mushroom Tartlets
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Wylie Dufresne tops rounds of store-bought puff pastry with a cream sherry–infused cashew spread and heaps of fresh shiitakes, then bakes them until they’re delightfully golden.
Deviled-Egg Crisps
Justin Chapple reimagines the deviled-egg toast from 2010 F&W Best New Chef Missy Robbins, of Lilia and Misi in Brooklyn. This version features creamy deviled egg puree layered with smoky, raisin-like Urfa biber and spicy jalapeño slices.
Bacon and Cheese Pigs in a Blanket
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong
Pigs in a blanket never go out of style. Made with store-bought crescent roll dough, cocktail-size smoked sausages, and sharp American cheese slices, this classic finger food just needs to be assembled and baked — use your oven or the air fryer.
Mini Wedge Salads with Anchovy Dressing
Greg DuPree
Your holiday guests will delight in these personal wedge salads. A clever panko crust lets each guest enjoy their handheld salad in just a bite or two — no forks required.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Diana Chistruga
Jacques Pépin’s classic recipe for cool, silky-smooth chicken liver pâté comes together in just minutes and makes a terrific appetizer. Don’t worry if you have leftovers — just pop them in the freezer to enjoy later.
Pintxos Matrimonio
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Frozen puff pastry and tinned anchovies make easy work of these popular Spanish tapas. All you have to do is cut and bake off the puff pastry, chop a bit of parsley and garlic to stir together with olive oil, and assemble — about 25 minutes of active work time.
Mixed Nuts with Crispy Herb and Garlic
These holiday-ready nuts can be made up to five days ahead of time, but it’ll be tough to refrain from munching on them before the party. Justin Chapple first toasts garlic, sage, and rosemary in olive oil, then uses that fragrant oil to cook a blend of pecans, cashews, pistachios, and marcona almonds.
Salty Black-and-White Sesame Cocktail Cookies
These sweet-meets-savory cocktail cookies from expert baker Dorie Greenspan use nutty almond flour to accentuate the sesame topping. They’re perfect for nibbling alongside a glass of bubbly.
New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Peas
Serve up some good luck with this tasty appetizer from chef Ryan Hardy. Here, he tops garlic-rubbed toasts with hearty black-eyed peas and a shower of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
