25 Snacks You Can Make Ahead for Houseguests

Rule No. 1 of hosting houseguests: Don’t let them get hangry. Having plenty of snacks on hand is a must — and these ideas go well beyond boring packaged fare, with crowd-pleasing bites that keep the good times rolling. Even better, every recipe in this collection can be made ahead, so you can skip the stress and actually enjoy your company. From creamy dips and crunchy, salty snacks to sweet treats you can stash in the freezer months in advance, all your snacking bases are covered. The hardest part will be not digging in before your guests arrive.

Homemade French Onion Dip

Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser

Making creamy, tangy French onion dip from scratch will have you (and your guests!) falling for this quintessential snack all over again. Our recipe calls for three whole caramelized red onions, which can be prepared up to a month ahead and popped in the freezer. The finished dip can be refrigerated for two days before serving.

Za’atar Fire Crackers

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Store-bought oyster crackers get a flavor boost from warm spices like crushed red pepper and garlic powder, plus brightness from the sumac in za’atar, a Middle Eastern seasoning blend. Toast the crackers for about 15 minutes, let them cool, then store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Italian Grinder Pinwheels

Food & Wine / Sara Haas

Roll all the usual grinder suspects — provolone, deli meats, tomatoes, vinaigrette-dressed lettuce, and peperoncinis — into a tight log with lavash, wrap it in plastic, then slice and serve the next day.

PB&J Blondies with Raspberry Swirl

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless

These nostalgic treats from April McGreger upgrade a chewy, caramel-y blondie base with creamy peanut butter and sweet-tart raspberry jam.

Pickled Crudités with Buttermilk Dip

Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl

Punch up your crudité platter by quick-pickling the veggies, then serve with a cool, creamy buttermilk dip to complement the tang — both components can be prepared three days ahead.

Suya-Spiced Mixed Nuts

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

These hot-sweet-salty nuts draw on the suya spice traditions of West Africa, blending paprika, ginger, cayenne, and a bouillon cube for savory depth. Toasted gently to intensify their fragrance, the warm spices cling to buttered mixed nuts with a touch of brown sugar for balance.

Black Pepper Jerky

Maxwell Cozzi

The ultimate grab-and-go protein snack, this classic jerky is chock-full of black pepper, starting with cracked peppercorns in the meat’s marinade and finishing with coarsely ground pepper on top.

Bacon and Cheese Pigs in a Blanket

Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong

These next-level, bite-sized pigs in a blanket are wrapped in bacon with American cheese and tucked inside store-bought crescent roll dough for a quick snack that can be assembled a day ahead and baked off when it’s time to nosh.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Chicago chef Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader’s next-level throwback treats feature tender, chewy cookies made with oats, dark brown sugar, molasses, and toffee bits. A light, creamy vanilla filling is the perfect complement. This recipe makes 25 sandwich cookies that can be refrigerated for up to a week.

Lemony White Bean Dip

Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

This zingy dip from F&W recipe developer Julia Levy blends canned cannellini beans with tangy feta brine and lemon zest and juice. Make it up to a week ahead, then serve with crostini or crudités.

Black and Tan Chocolate Popcorn

Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

A recipe by the late chef Michel Richard inspired this fun way to serve popcorn coated in two kinds of chocolate. Half of the popcorn is tossed in caramelized white chocolate, and the rest in dark chocolate, creating a spectrum of bittersweet to milky-sweet flavors for a decadent snack that can be refrigerated for five days.

Green Curry Deviled Eggs

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox

Store-bought curry paste breathes new life into an old favorite that will keep in the fridge for up to three days, though we’ve never actually seen deviled eggs this delicious stick around that long.

Cheese Straws

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Shell Royster

If this is the last cheese straw recipe you’ll ever make, you’re in excellent hands with the legendary duo Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. You won’t need special tools to create the straws’ signature straight or wavy shapes — just cut the dough into long strips and shape as you like.

5-Minute Hummus with Quick Tahini Sauce

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless

Quick, easy, and endlessly versatile, there’s no reason not to regularly keep this hummus on hand for all manner of snacking pleasure.

Homemade Yodels

Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Pastry chef Sue McCown reinvents classic snack cakes with chocolate sponge, caramel whipped cream, and a silky chocolate shell for a retro treat that can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to two weeks.

Alain Ducasse’s Gougères

Diana Chistruga

These gougères are a wonderful make-ahead snack option: A soft dough that gets piped out and baked into crisp, airy pockets of cheesy delight. Simply stash the baked puffs in the freezer, then reheat in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

Cacio e Pepe Potato Chips

Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser

A little cheese and pepper turn plain kettle-cooked potato chips into a standout snack. They can be stored in an airtight container for three days.

Apple Cider Snacking Cake with Maple–Cream Cheese Frosting

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

The flavor base for this snacky dessert is a reduction of maple syrup and fresh apple cider, which goes into both the apple-packed batter and the cream cheese frosting, with even more reserved for drizzling on top. Pop the cake in the freezer for up to two months, or keep it in the fridge for three days.

Classic Pimiento Cheese

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

This pimiento cheese recipe from Justin Chapple is rich with sharp cheddar, creamy mayonnaise, and a touch of onion, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce for balance — make it up to three days in advance.

Boiled Peanuts

Matt Taylor-Gross

Simply soaking and boiling peanuts with salt yields this classic, savory Southern snack that lasts a week.

Banana Nut Bread

Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans

There’s never a bad time to break out the banana bread. Wrapped tightly in plastic, this loaf can be refrigerated for five days or frozen for two months.

Feta-Stuffed Marinated Olives

Dan Perez / Food Styling and Prop Styling by Nurit Kariv

Adeena Sussman turns Castelvetrano olives into a fragrant, bright, and herbaceous addition to any grazing table spread with za’atar, feta, lemon, chile, and parsley.

Salty-Sweet Chocolate Pretzel Bars

Marcus Nilsson

Made from only a handful of ingredients, this simple but outrageously decadent snack-dessert mashup is an irresistible blend of sweet and salty. Swap in thinner pretzels for the hard pretzels if you like.

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.