• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Aleka's Get-Together
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Drinks
  • Entertaining
  • Keyword Training
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Follow AGT!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Drinks
    • Entertaining
    • Keyword Training
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Follow AGT!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cold Appetizers

    Easy COLD Appetizers

    Published: Jan 22, 2020 · Modified: Apr 11, 2022 by Aleka Shunk · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Share This Recipe!

    1.6K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Cold Appetizers are always the best kind of food to serve at parties because you can make them ahead of time. Pop them in the fridge and pull them out COLD. No messing with sterno cans or chafing dishes! Hooray to less stress for hosts like us!

    Check out this list of make ahead appetizer ideas, all of which can serve a crowd!

    Crostini appetizer on cutting board.

    The best appetizers are ones that don't require reheating! This allows us to stress less and focus on the party more.

    Small bites that actually TASTE delicious when they are at room temperature or even cold, are hard to come by. Most are lacking texture which affects the overall flavor.

    Mushy or soft food is not always appealing. The added crunch that most baked or fried foods have are what makes them that much more delicious!

    With that said, the recipes I chose to share below are ones that are not just meant to be served cold, but also have a crunch factor that I believe most people unknowingly appreciate.

    Don't know how many appetizers to make? Let me help you determine the approximate number of finger foods to prepare!

    Cold Appetizer Ideas

    jarcuterie in a glass mason jar.

    Jar-Cuterie Appetizer

    These individual charcuterie appetizer cups are the perfect snack to serve guests at any party. They are easy to take on the go and super fun to nosh on!

    mini toast topped with cheese and a fig

    Mini Cheese and Caramelized Onion Fig Toasts

    These sweet toasts are made with a sweet cheese topping, caramelized onions and topped with fig honey. Those mini toasts are super crunchy too! The perfect bite sized appetizer!

    pimento cheese stuffed celery sticks

    Pimento Cheese Celery Boats

    These Pimento Cheese Stuffed Celery Sticks are so easy to make and can be made a day or two ahead of time! Stuffed with cream cheese and pimento peppers, I like to serve these during the day or as a brunch time snack!

    cold pear appetizer with pecans and cheese

    Pear n' Gorgonzola "Bruschetta"

    Have you ever eaten a salad without a fork? Well this is for you! Made with a light vinaigrette dressing and topped with crunchy pecans and sweet craisins.

    mini peppers stuffed with feta cheese

    Mini Roasted Feta Stuffed Peppers

    These baby peppers are delicious cold. In fact, they are even better a day later! Stuffed with feta cheese, onion and sprinkled with oregano, they are simple but delicious.

    Stuffed Greek Salad Cucumber Cups on a white plate

    Greek Cucumber Salad Cups

    These cucumber cups are the best parts of a Greek salad all in one bite! The creamy feta is what gets me every time. They are a fun way to eat a salad without a fork!

    red pepper ricotta crostini

    Roasted Red Pepper and Ricotta Crostini

    Roasted red peppers and fresh ricotta cheese spread over crispy garlicky crostini. A delicious appetizer that is best served at room temperature!

    burrata cheese with cold roasted peppers

    Burrata Cheese With Roasted Peppers and Balsamic Glaze

    This appetizer is so flavorful and meant to be served chilled with lots of crispy bread for dipping! The peppers and garlic are roasted ahead of time and then meant to chill to allow all the flavors meld. Guests will LOVE this one!

    Cream cheese spinach dip in bread bowl

    The Best Cream Cheese Spinach Dip

    This spinach dip is made without mayo and with cream cheese and sour cream. Cream cheese freezes well so this dip is great to make ahead. It is super creamy and can be served with everything from crackers, to pita bread to veggies and more!

    cheesy bread sticks with marinara sauce

    Cheesy Garlic Italian “Dunkers”

    Cheesy bread sticks made with refrigerated pizza crust and lots of melty cheese! These can be frozen and reheated later on!

    three ingredient gougeres on a baking sheet

    Three-Cheese Gougères

    A classic French baked pastry that we don't see enough of! These are the perfect snack that pairs so well with wine! I love how easy they are to make considering how fancy they sound! Bake ahead of time and keep in a sealed container.

    phyllo cups filled with peppers and burrata

    Roasted Pepper and Burrata Phyllo Bites

    These phyllo cup bites are made using only THREE ingredients and can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes! They look super fancy too!

    cheese balls rolled in herbs

    Mini Cheese Balls

    Mini cheese balls are a fun and innovative way to serve cheese and crackers! These are made with cream cheese and cheddar cheese. The fun part is you can get super creative by adding any fresh herbs or spices to your cheese to kick it up a few notches!

    mini 3 ingredient parmesan cheese boats with caesar salad

    Caesar Salad Parmesan Cups

    These cups are made from melting Parmesan cheese in the oven for about 4 minutes to create these cute baskets! Then fill them with lettuce and Caesar dressing and serve! Easy, healthy and cute!

    Chicken liver pate in a ramekin on cutting board with crostini.

    An Easy & Delicious Liver Pâté

    Never tried pate before? You are missing out. This recipe is easy and so tasty! Serve cold with some mini crostini and some good wine.

    garlic cheddar biscuits with sauce

    Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

    These biscuits are way too easy to make and technically are just 2 ingredients if you don't include marinara sauce. But why wouldn't you? Dipping is the best part!

    crab dip over crackers

    3 Ingredient Crab Dip

    This crab dip is all about the crab. And when that's the case, how can it be bad? Simple is usually best. Serve with crackers, mini toasts, or veggies.

    ham and cheese roll ups sliced on a plate

    Baked Ham and Cheese Rollups

    Yes just '3' ingredients! What a filling way to keep your guests tummies full! This appetizer is made with store-bought pizza dough so it is a simple shortcut that saves time and ingredients! I would serve this room temperature with a dipping sauce like ranch.

    sausage cheese and cranberry skewers on a plate

    Andouille Sausage Appetizer Bites With Cranberry Cheddar

    These appetizer bites are made with cranberry cheddar cheese! They are a flavorful and delicious appetizer, perfect for the cooler months since they are loaded with fall and winter flavors.

    blackberries cheese and mint on a skewer

    Blackberry Cucumber Caprese Skewers

    These caprese skewers are a fun twist on the caprese salad! They are super easy to make and fun to eat! The flavor combination is unique and would go perfectly with drinks!

    cold antipasto skewers on a plate

    Marinated Antipasto Skewers

    These marinated skewers are flavorful and include the most popular bites from your traditional Italian antipasto platter! Make these ahead a few days to give them time to marinate!

    bacon tomatoes on skewers with pesto

    Avocado Pesto BLT Bites

    You can be sure that because these bites have bacon, they will not be lacking in flavor. Add the pesto, and I bet your guests wont stop at one. A refreshingly light bite for any occasion!

    cheddar cheese beer dip for pretzels.

    Beer Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Dip

    This cheesy beer pretzel dip is best when made ahead of time! It allows all of those flavors to meld together resulting in a bold and robust dip!

    garlic shrimp with lemon wedge in bowl

    Spicy Garlic Shrimp

    This recipe is a simple way to prepare shrimp that’s also incredibly delicious. The shrimp are succulent, buttery and garlicky with a fantastic spicy finish. Make them a day ahead and serve chilled!

    cold salmon spread on crackers with dill

    Smoked Salmon Dill Spread

    Need a go-to appetizer that is fast and last minute? This is it! Ready in minutes but stores well in the refrigerator so you can make it a day or two in advance and serve it cold!

    creamy cheese spread on crescent rounds on a board

    Cheesy Crescent Bites

    These bites use canned biscuit dough as the base. Topped with a creamy cheese spread and some fresh herbs, you've got a deliciously easy appetizer that is perfect to serve at room temperature!

    bread dipping oil with fresh herbs on a plate

    Garlic n' Herb Bread Dipping Oil

    This bread dipping oil has been around my family for years. We never get sick of it especially because of how the flavors get better as the herbs infuse the olive oil.

    grilled polenta with mozzarella and tomatoes on a slate

    Grilled Polenta with Mozzarella and Tomatoes

    These grilled polenta cakes are topped with mozzarella cheese, balsamic vinegar and fresh tomatoes! The grilling step adds a huge flavor bonus here!

    stuffed grape leaves on a white plate

    Stuffed Grape Leaves

    These are a Greek staple. Grape leaves are stuffed with rice and herbs and lots of fresh lemon juice! Best when served cold, they transport incredibly well!

    peach slices wrapped in bacon drizzled with balsamic vinegar

    Grilled Bacon Peaches

    These bacon wrapped peaches are so flavorful! Grilled and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar! Such as easy appetizer that is is delicious served at room temperature and even easy to transport!

    chicken avocado salad rolled up inside tortilla

    Chicken Avocado Salad Roll Ups

    These roll ups are perfect for transporting! Just roll them up, cut and stack them in layers separated with parchment paper! Perfect!

    italian oil crackers on a table

    Fennel Seed Taralli (Italian Olive Oil Crackers)

    Crisp, biscuit-like Italian crackers! These are called "Taralli" and are similar in texture to a breadstick or a pretzel and are totally addicting! Transportation? No problem!

    corn salsa with beans over crostini

    Grilled Corn and Bean Salsa

    It's all about the grilled corn here. Your best bet is making the salsa ahead of time and keeping it in a separate container. Add the pre-sliced bread in a separate bag and set out when you arrive! Guests can serve themselves!

    celery sticks snack with cream cheese filling topped with everything bagel blend

    Everything Bagel Stuffed Celery Sticks

    These every bagel stuffed celery sticks are one of the easiest breakfast or brunch appetizers! Made with just 3 ingredients, they are hard to mess up and hard to resist!

    ham and cheese rolled around a pickle

    Ham and Pickle Roll Ups

    This cold, tasty snack is so easy and can be made in advance! Pickles are wrapped in ham, ranch dressing, and a cream cheese filling. They are always a hit at parties and could not be easier to make!

    Final Tips

    I hope you were able to find at least one cold appetizer that made you drool just a little. Remember, the appetizers that are served on top of bread or crackers are meant to be served crispy.

    So if you let them sit with cold, wet food on top for more than an hour or so. They may get soggy! With that said, even though your making most of these recipes ahead of time, you may want to finish assembling some last minute!

    Don't run out of appetizers! Read how many appetizers you should be serving!

    I am a big believer in WHITE dishware as it seems to make food look more appetizing and clean.

    Here are my favorites!!

    Shallow Porcelain Serving Bowls

    Porcelain Serving Platter with Handles

    Large White Serving Tray

    All check out my list of Tortilla Roll-Up Ideas!

    « Jersey Disco Fries (Gravy Mozzarella Cheese Fries)
    Cheesy Garlic Italian "Dunkers" (Using Pizza Dough) »

    Share This Recipe!

    1.6K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Yamini

      October 15, 2021 at 2:07 am

      5 stars
      These finger food (appetizers ) shared really wow!! thanks for sharing

      Reply

    Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts below! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Search a recipe!

    Welcome to Aleka's Get-Together where I share recipes and tips for entertaining at home! If you love hosting like me, sign up to receive FREE recipes and tips below! More about me...

    Spring Is Here!

    • Mini Egg Custard Tartlets (Using A Muffin Tin!)
    • Mother's Day Games
    • English Tea Finger Sandwiches (3 Recipes!)
    • 23 Mini Sandwich Ideas (Party Appetizer Sliders)

    Aleka's Favorites

    • Easy COLD Appetizers
    • Mini Cinnamon Sugar Brioche French Toast Bites
    • Starbucks Copycat Egg Bites Recipe (In Oven)
    • EASY Beer-Battered Onion Rings (w/ Red Pepper Aioli)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy

    Work With Me

    • Work With Me
    • Media Kit

    Contact Me

    • Contact
    • Sign Up to receive FREE recipes!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Aleka's Get-Together.

    1560 shares
    Cookies are used to ensure that you receive the best experience on this site. Click okay if you approve.OkayLearn More