Food and Recipes Appetizers Last-Minute Appetizers You Can Make in 25 Minutes or Less By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 27, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: William Dickey Whether we realize it or not, most appetizer spreads are like an impromptu pageant of bite-sized snacks, particularly if we're talking around the holidays. Everyone can tell which appetizers are scoring high by how quickly they're disappearing and how frequently they're being raved about by partygoers—and some of the best appetizers are the ones that don't come off like you're trying too hard. That's where it'll get you. We'd pick homemade pimiento cheese topped with Wickles over crème fraiche drizzled with caviar any day. We like quick and easy-to-make, especially during busy times—and those are the real winners of the party-snack pageant anyway. Because the best appetizers are those we can make in under an hour, and the hardest-working are those that save us when we only have a spare 25 minutes. Next time you're in panic mode, try these last-minute appetizers that steal the show every time and can be ready to serve in less than 25 minutes. 01 of 36 Cranberry Brie Bites Southern Living Recipe: Cranberry Brie Bites This takes everyone's favorite appetizer—baked brie—and turns it into the perfect bite of creamy cheese, sweet cranberry, crispy phyllo, and roasted salty pistachios. Those four ingredients are all it takes. 02 of 36 Crispy Cheese Wafers Recipe: Crispy Cheese Wafers You'll love the snappy crunch on these cheese straws that get a flavorful punch from hand-grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese. Serve alongside pepper jelly for spreadable flair. 03 of 36 Shrimp with Honey-Garlic Sauce Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Shrimp with Honey-Garlic Sauce Serve this 15-minute shrimp dish on skewers for an easy as a party appetizer. Want to spice it up? Add a kick to this dish by stirring grated fresh ginger or diced jalapeño chile in the pan along with the garlic. 04 of 36 Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes While this 15-minute recipe calls for quick homemade chicken salad made with a rotisserie chicken, you can also pick up a pint from your favorite deli or lunch spot to fill the tomatoes. 05 of 36 Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan Recipe: Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad It doesn't get easier than this throw-together salad that does not call for too much of the green stuff. In fact, maybe that's why it is always the most popular salad on the spread... 06 of 36 Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole Any party deserves three standout ingredients: bacon, pimiento, and avocados. This fresh guacamole recipe combines all of them and turns a classic dip into something special. 07 of 36 Baked Brie with Jezebel Peaches Iain Bagwell Recipe: Baked Brie with Jezebel Peaches Melty cheese? At a party? It's a no-brainer. This peach-topped Brie bakes for only 15 minutes, making it the express route to party success. 08 of 36 Smoky Snack Mix Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Smoky Snack Mix Good thing it's easy to double or even triple this smoky mix recipe, because people won't be able to stop munching on it. From game days to birthdays, it fits in anywhere. 09 of 36 Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Hummus Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Hummus We can justify adding black-eyed peas to just about anything, and this hummus is no exception. It blends a country-cooking staple with a traditional Middle Eastern dip and turns it into a real crowd-pleaser. 10 of 36 Baked Brie Bites Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Baked Brie Bites Five ingredients and 18 minutes later, these melty baked Brie bites will start showing up every other appetizer around. Red pepper jelly, pecans, and flaky sea salt add major texture and flavor. 11 of 36 Creamy Crab Dip Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Crab Dip We're revisiting an old classic with this creamy crab dip. Fresh lump crabmeat, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, and scallions combine for a cool, no-cook dip for any Southern soiree. 12 of 36 Mini Caprese Bites William Dickey Recipe: Mini Caprese Bites On a table of dips and spreads, these fresh skewers will stand out with the combo of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic. They're almost too easy to pop into your mouth without missing a beat at the party. 13 of 36 Stuffed Endive with Herbed Goat Cheese Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Stuffed Endive with Herbed Goat Cheese Trade in the carb-filled crackers for crisp endive lettuce. It plays the vessel for creamy herbed goat cheese in this cool appetizer that'll save room for more snacking. 14 of 36 Beef-and-Asparagus Bundles Ralph Lee Anderson Recipe: Beef-and-Asparagus Bundles Make a quick appetizer that feels a little fancy with these fresh bundles of lettuce-wrapped beef and asparagus. The garlic-and-herb cheese is the cool, creamy ingredient that pulls it all together. 15 of 36 Basic Pimiento Cheese Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Basic Pimiento Cheese Is it really a party without pimiento? We think not. The two game-changing steps to perfect pimiento cheese: hand-shredding the cheese and using diced jarred pimientos (not sliced). 16 of 36 Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers Jennifer Davick Recipe: Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers A skewer-sized snack with juicy melon, salty prosciutto, and creamy mozzarella hits all the right flavor notes in a single bite. They're easy to make (and even easier to take) for last-minute get-togethers. 17 of 36 Texas Caviar Southern Living Recipe: Texas Caviar This classic party-perfect dip gives a little twist with green tomatoes. They bring a bright, almost citrusy note to the mix. This 20-minute appetizer is always an easy option when in a pinch. 18 of 36 Bacon Bow Tie Crackers Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers This two ingredient wonder couldn't be easier, Bacon is the center of attention, wrapped around your favorite buttery crackers for a salty snack to enjoy with pre-dinner drinks. 19 of 36 Picnic Egg Salad Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Picnic Egg Salad These elegant egg toasts take a picnic staple and transform it into a party favorite. The flavor of radish eliminates the need to add black pepper to the mix. It elevates the egg salad, making sure that adults will love it too. 20 of 36 Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers Southern Living Recipe: Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers Inspired by fond memories of munching on saltines with a hunk of butter as an after-school snack, these simple crackers are as delicious as they are nostalgic. Serve with a variety of quick dips for an easy party spread. 21 of 36 Creamy Avocado Dip Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Creamy Avocado Dip Short on avocados, but still craving guacamole? This lighter and tangier dip made with sour cream only require two avocados, but is a similarly creamy compliment to tortilla chips or crudités. 22 of 36 Creamy Spinach-Ricotta Crostini Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Creamy Spinach-Ricotta Crostini These crostini look so fancy that guests will never know they come together in a matter of minutes. A food processor takes all the leg-work out of this recipe so you can skip all the chopping and simple combine all these ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse. 23 of 36 Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Recipe: Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip This one is for the cheese lovers. This recipe is made with sharp Cheddar cheese, pepper Jack cheese, cream cheese, crumbled blue cheese, and ranch dressing to create its rich, creamy consistency. 24 of 36 Smoked-Fish Dip Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Smoked-Fish Dip Simply stir together all the ingredients for this tasty dip and its ready to go. It can be served with your favorite crackers, but also happens to be a great gluten-free dip served with crudités or rice crackers. 25 of 36 Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups Frozen mini phyllo pastry shells are the unsung hero of entertaining. The flaky cups can be filled and baked with anything on hand for an impressive looking appetizer. This recipe fills them with a delicious blend of gourmet mushrooms, fresh herbs, and Gruyère. 26 of 36 Turnip Green Pesto Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Turnip Green Pesto Turnip greens aren't just edible they're delicious. While more bitter than basil, a touch of honey in this pesto balances sauce, that full of nutrient-rich greens. 27 of 36 Lump Crab Mornay Recipe:Lump Crab Mornay This dip comes together in one pot on the stovetop. The base is a French Mornay sauce, their term for a rich, velvety cream sauce made with Gruyère that has a pound of sweet lump crab meat folded in. 28 of 36 Crudités Platter Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs Recipe: Crudités Platter Sure, you could buy a pre-made crudités platter from the grocery store, but it won't beat this seasonal spread. The trick to this inexpensive snack for a crowd is color: select a variety of in-season veggies in all the colors of the rainbow for the most stunning presentation. 29 of 36 Austin Diner-Style Queso Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Austin Diner-Style Queso It will be hard for guests not to fill up on this melty, bowl of queso. Canned chopped green chilies and sliced jalapeños add the right amount of heat to this rich, creamy dip. 30 of 36 Pimiento-Stuffed Summer Squash Hector Sanchez Recipe: Pimiento-Stuffed Summer Squash Name a cuter appetizer than these pimento stuffed patty pan squash. We bet you can't. Can't find pattypans? Pipe the filling on thinly sliced squash rounds, or stuff it into squash blossoms. 31 of 36 Caesar Salad Bites Photo: Jennifer Davick/Prop Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell/Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Recipe:Caesar Salad Bites Caesar is always a crowd-pleaser, but this finger-food version makes its both easier eat at your next gathering. Bottled salad dressing takes the stress about prepping this salad, boiling down the prep work into just a bit of chopping. 32 of 36 Grilled Yellow Squash Roll-Ups Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Yellow Squash Roll-Ups These vegetarian roll-ups are made with thin strips of grilled yellow squash filled with creamy goat cheese mixed with lemon and tarragon. You can prepare them a day in advance or throw them together in minutes and serve right away. 33 of 36 Orange-Basil Yogurt Dip Iain Bagwell Recipe: Orange-Basil Yogurt Dip Dunk an assortment of grilled bites into this refreshing yogurt-dip. From veggies to grilled bread, or shrimp skewers, the sweet and tangy dip is a perfect match. 34 of 36 Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise Victor Protasio Recipe: Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise Alternating layers of yellow and red tomatoes make for a beautiful take on a BLT in this appetizer. In this mini version of the classic sandwich, bacon is folded into the mayo and like a club sandwich, there is a third layer of bread in the middle. 35 of 36 Beer-Cheese Fondue Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Beer-Cheese Fondue This creamy fondue is infused with mustard, Gruyère, Cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, and a lager beer. It will be the centerpiece of any appetizer spread, with sliced bratwurst, pretzels, and potatoes for dipping. 36 of 36 West Indies Crab Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: West Indies Crab Salad This little-known Southern salad (it is believed to have originated in Mobile, Alabama) is one to add to your appetizer rotation. Serve over crunchy Bibb lettuce leaves for a portable, but also light appetizer that doesn't spoil dinner. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit