The 73 best finger food ideas for your next party
- Smarter finger food ideas
- How much finger food to serve
- Be prepared for impromptu entertaining
- Pre-dinner nibbles
- What is a fancy finger food called?
- Finger food ideas for your next party
- Easy spanakopita pies
- Chicken lettuce cups with green tahini dressing
- Air fryer sausage rolls
- Little chicken and leek pies
- Air fryer popcorn-coated chicken with honey BBQ sauce
- Espresso martini cocktail
- Watermelon mocktail with strawberry & mint
- Tomato & goat’s cheese pissaladière
- Baked brie fondue on the barbecue
- Air fryer zucchini balls with lemon yoghurt
- How to make a classic mojito
- Fried harissa-stuffed green olives
- Salt and pepper squid
- Bruschetta
- Five-ingredient tomato fritters
- Beef, haloumi and spinach borek
- Roasted garlicky pumpkin and sage pies
- Rosé sangria
- Air fryer pickle chips with ranch dipping sauce
- Spiced paneer and eggplant pakora
- Crispy fried pork dumplings
- Air fryer chicken nuggets
- Arancini with tomato and balsamic sauce
- Chocolate and smoked almond ice-cream sandwiches
- Strawberry and elderflower mocktail
- Spelt blini with hot smoked salmon and crème fraîche
- Bread crisps with confit tomatoes
- Baked brie with pine nut dukkah
- Caramelised leek and brie tartlets
- Bacon and cheese arancini
- Mulled “wine” mocktail
- Passionfruit and pineapple spritzer
- Chicken and mango rice paper rolls
- Poached eggs and smoked salmon on blini
- Feta and spinach stuffed potato balls
- Marinated baby bocconcini with prosciutto
Planning finger food ideas for your next gathering doesn’t need to be stressful. Whether you’re hosting a poolside catch-up, grand final party or elegant cocktail event, the secret is keeping things simple and delicious.
Smarter finger food ideas
The golden rule? Don’t overcomplicate things. A few well-chosen finger food ideas will impress your guests far more than an overwhelming spread that leaves you frazzled. Think dolmades, blini, mini quiches, bruschetta, quiches and croquettes – classics that never disappoint.
Make it even easier by mixing homemade with store-bought. Quality supermarket dips, pâtés and ready-made appetisers are great time savers.
How much finger food to serve
For cocktail parties, plan for four to five pieces of finger food per person in the first hour, then four pieces each following hour. For longer events, allow 12-14 pieces per person overall.
Pro tip: have extra bread and cheese on standby for lingering guests. Set them out on a board with knives so people can help themselves. It’s easy entertaining at its finest.
Be prepared for impromptu entertaining
Keep your freezer and fridge stocked with entertaining essentials. Savoury pastries, mini pizzas and blini freeze beautifully. Just pop them in the microwave to half-thaw, then crisp up in a hot oven.
Stock unopened packs of smoked salmon, quality cheeses, salami and dips in your fridge, plus olives, nuts and gourmet crisps in the pantry. You’ll always be ready when friends drop by.
Pre-dinner nibbles
If dinner’s the main event, go for finger food ideas that are light and easy to handle. Nobody wants to juggle cutting and spreading food while holding a drink and plate mid-air. Simple, one-bite options work best.
What is a fancy finger food called?
Hors d’oeuvres, canapés and appetisers are all fancy versions of finger foods that have slightly different meanings. Hors d’oeuvres (pronounced “or derv”) is a French term for small savoury foods served before a meal – typically with cocktails and drinks – and is often used interchangeably with ‘appetiser’. But canapés are technically a type of appetiser with a bread or biscuit base and simple spread or cheese topping.
In fact, the variety of finger foods means sometimes other ‘fancy’ terms could apply, such as mezze, antipasto, charcuterie or tapas. But it does depend on what nibbles you’re serving and making. So if you want a fancy term that covers most dishes, hors d’oeuvres or appetisers are both usually safe bets.
Finger food ideas for your next party
Ready to get cooking? Browse our favourite finger food ideas and find your perfect party menu today.

Spanakopita puff pastry pies
Easy spanakopita pies

poached chicken salad in lettuce leaves with a green tahini dressing in a bowl
Chicken lettuce cups with green tahini dressing

Air fryer salt & pepper squid

air fryer sausage rolls with sauce
Air fryer sausage rolls

Sticky chicken wings sprinkled with sesame seeds

Beetroot chips with citrus & rosemary salt

Little chicken and leek pies
Little chicken and leek pies

Mushroom arancini on a plate

Popcorn-coated chicken with honey BBQ sauce
Air fryer popcorn-coated chicken with honey BBQ sauce

Korean-style crunchy chicken wings

Pumpkin fritters natural yoghurt, lime pickle, fresh mint and salad

air fryer arancini on a serving dish with wedges of lemon

air fryer sweet potato fries in cups with sour cream in a bowl on the side

Salt and Pepper Calamari

Barbecued chicken satay skewers

Espresso martini cocktail
Espresso martini cocktail

Watermelon mocktail
Watermelon mocktail with strawberry & mint

Julie Goodwin's devilled eggs on a serving platter for Christmas

Julie Goodwin’s French onion tarts on a serving platter

Air fryer chicken drumsticks

lemon & ricotta-filled zucchini flowers

Tomato & goat’s cheese pissaladière
Tomato & goat’s cheese pissaladière

mini chicken and asparagus quiches recipe

small tartlets filled with apple and berries and topped with crumble, on a baking tray

Baked brie fondue cooked on the BBQ served with grilled vegetables and ciabatta bread
Baked brie fondue on the barbecue

zucchini fries on a plate with a bowl of yoghurt sauce alongside

air fryer chicken nibbles in a basket with glaze in a small pot

Air fryer zucchini balls with lemon yoghurt
Air fryer zucchini balls with lemon yoghurt

Pork skewers with satay sauce & coconut rice

Mini crustless quiche with bacon & tomato

Baked brie with quince and walnuts, and sliced pear and crackers on the side

Three mango daiquiris in cocktail glasses

Classic mojito
How to make a classic mojito

Air fryer avocado fries

Fried broccolini

Fried harissa-stuffed green olives
Fried harissa-stuffed green olives

Ham and cheese croquettes

salt and pepper squid
Salt and pepper squid

Buffalo chicken wings

Blinis with smoked salmon

Bruschetta
Bruschetta

chile con queso

Five-ingredient tomato fritters
Five-ingredient tomato fritters

frickles withsriracha mayonnaise

Artichoke and asparagus fritters with olive relish

Zucchini koftas with harissa yoghurt

Beef, haloumi and spinach borek
Beef, haloumi and spinach borek

Dolmades

Roasted garlicky pumpkin and sage pies
Roasted garlicky pumpkin and sage pies

Rosé sangria
Rosé sangria

Pork and noodle spring rolls

Air fryer pickle chips with ranch dipping sauce
Air fryer pickle chips with ranch dipping sauce

Spiced=m Paneer & eggplant fritters =m
Spiced paneer and eggplant pakora

pork dumplings
Crispy fried pork dumplings

Individual spanakopita

Roasted mushroom bruschetta

Spinach and feta pinwheels

Air fryer chicken nuggets
Air fryer chicken nuggets
Make a batch for your next party or a dinner the kids will love.

arancini with tomato and balsamic sauce
Arancini with tomato and balsamic sauce

CHOCOLATE AND SMOKED ALMOND ICE-CREAM SANDWICHES
Chocolate and smoked almond ice-cream sandwiches

Mini felafel with cucumber yogurt

Strawberry and elderflower mocktail
Strawberry and elderflower mocktail

trout blini on a platter
Spelt blini with hot smoked salmon and crème fraîche

Bread crisps with confit tomatoes
Bread crisps with confit tomatoes

baked brie recipe
Baked brie with pine nut dukkah

Caramelised leek and brie tartlets
Caramelised leek and brie tartlets

bacon and cheese arancini recipe
Bacon and cheese arancini

Mulled “wine” mocktail
Mulled “wine” mocktail

Cocktail recipes
Passionfruit and pineapple spritzer

Chicken and mango rice paper rolls
Chicken and mango rice paper rolls

eggs and smoked salmon on blini
Poached eggs and smoked salmon on blini

fetta and spinach stuffed potato balls
Feta and spinach stuffed potato balls

Marinated baby bocconcini with prosciutto