When I’m in a little black dress with a glass of champagne in one hand, the last thing I want in the other hand is anything on a plate that requires a fork and knife.
Here are 25 bite-sized and finger-food ideas to help make your night a smashing, forkless success. Many are vegan and gluten-free, and as a bonus for the cook many recipes are ready in just five minutes so you can spend more time perfecting your eyeliner and less time in the kitchen. Or if you’re like me on New Years Eve, more time on the couch with my remote control.
Dips
Double Melted Cheese and Red Pepper Dip (GF) – Make in 5 minutes in microwave
“Cheater’s” Guacamole (veagn, GF) – Make in 5 minutes
Corn and Double Cheese Dip (vegan, GF, serve warm or cold) – Make in 5 minutes
Stovetop Hot Pepper Jelly (vegan, GF) – Ready in an hour, no canning required. Serve over warm brie with crackers. Heavenly
Spinach & Artichoke Dip (vegan, GF, fat-free option, serve warm or cold) – Make in 5 minutes
Appetizers
Roasted Grapes and Balsamic Reduction with Cheese and Crackers
Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastries (easy to keep vegan)
Mini Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches
Baked Parsnip Fries with Creamy Balsamic Reduction Dip (vegan, GF)
Tempeh and Cucumbers on a Stick with Brown Sugar Balsamic Reduction Dip (vegan) – Make in 5 minutes
Snacks and Munchies
Vanilla Cake Batter and White Chocolate Chip Caramel Corn
Parmesan Ranch Snack Mix – Make in 5 minutes
Rosemary Chipotle Roasted Almonds – (vegan, GF)
Eat Your Booze
Baked Eggnog Vanilla Donuts and Mini-Donuts with Eggnog Rum Glaze
Pina Colada Dip (vegan, GF) – Make in 5 minutes
No Bake Rum Cake Balls (vegan, GF) – Make in 5 minutes
Dark Rum Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chocolate
Cinnamon Sugar Chocolate Pretzels (no-bake, vegan, GF) – Make in 5 minutes and one of the best things I made in 2012 on the work-reward scale and my husband begs for these
Nutella Brownie Truffle Bites (no-bake with vegan and GF options) – Make in 5 minutes
Thin Mints (vegan, no-bake) – Make in 5 minutes
Quintuple Chocolate Fudgy Brownie Cookies – The most decadent cookie I’ve ever made or eaten
Quench Your Thirst
Bananas Foster Shooters (vegan, GF) – Can be made with or without alcohol
Peach Mango Pineapple White Sangria – A great way to stretch a bottle of wine and serve a crowd
Coconut Water Champagne Fruit Punch (Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, No Sugar Added)
What are your New Year’s Eve Plans? What do you like to eat at New Years Eve parties?
I am happily plan-less and we’ll be staying home. Not in the bars or on the roads sounds like the best kind of NYE to me. I’ll be catching up on laundry, email, and whatever has accumulated on my DVR since I’ve been traveling for a month. I’d prefer to be at home, read cookbooks, and strategize when I’m cooking next. Back in the day, I used to love going out and I still do love champagne but who says I can’t have a glass. On my couch.
Feel free to share your favorite recipe links or tell me about your fabulous plans.
This is so fun! You got me in the mood for party food! PS: I know everybody has their favorite way to make spinach artichoke dip. I need to try your version.
Like you, we are happily staying in. It has been a number of years since we have enjoyed going out on New Year’s Eve and honestly, I do not miss it at all. Seraphim and Simeon are having some friends over to hang out and play games, Isaac and I will lurk somewhere in the background making sure everyone has yummy things to eat and drink all night long. You have so many great recipes listed here! So many good things to choose from!
If I had two teenage boys (not that they give you any reason to not trust them) but I wouldn’t be going out either if I had them and their friends hanging out in my house! Lurking in the background is just fine :)
ooh oooooh ooooooooh! I LOVE this post. I’m especially in love with the puff pastries that look like mini empanadas, the mini grilled cheese, and I’ve been thinking of those parsnip fries A LOT lately…
Sadly, I won’t be feasting on sweet and savory mini snacks while sporting an LBD and a glass of champagne – more likely I’ll be rocking yoga pants and a cold beer, but all of these will go with that, too, right?
Happy (almost) New Year, A.!!!
Yoga pants and a cold beer…sounds about perfect. I don’t drink beer but I’d be more than happy to drink say a Bartels & James Wine Cooler <-- I had one in Aruba and it brought back such memories from like 1996. Lol
I really dislike going out for New Year’s Eve. In Berlin, people set off fireworks EVERYWHERE and they think it’s hilarious to throw them at your feet. Or to throw them in tunnels where it’s especially loud. Or to be jerks in general. Ugh. We stayed home last year so it’s husband’s turn to accept a party invitation this year. I’m not excited but am happy that I get to bake something!
Malibu Fruit Loops treats? Hahaha. You’re like some kind of evil genius, aren’t you? Everything on the list looks delicious but that’s my takeaway from this post. :)
Okay so we just got home from Aruba and the reason we always leave by the 29th or 30th is b/c the fireworks there are insane! The year my daughter was 18 months, we were out on a walk and had her in a stroller and although they’re always setting off fireworks there nonstop starting about Dec 24th or so – one came dangerously close to her stroller and that was it – we now are out of there by now because with each day leading up to NYE, it’s almost like a warzone with so many explosions going off!
Glad I’m not alone with the fireworks set off by normal people dislike!
Coming from the suburbs, where fireworks are banned, I was just like, “This is legal? What? Why? This is the city. This is so STUPID.” You hear sirens almost constantly on the 31st. Gee. I wonder why.
My husband bought his 2 1/2 nephew fireworks for this year. Despite his family being extremely uptight, *this* is okay. Ugh. Rant over. Enjoy your quiet night tomorrow! :)
I think I’ll be drinking a glass of champagne on the couch this year, too! It’s far more comfortable than the crowded (and loud… and expensive!) bars in the city. Your round ups always get my stomach growling, Averie! And I’m wishing you and your family the sweetest New Year! xx
Going out is definitely loud, not as comfy, and way more $$ Good call to stay in!
I’m all about the champagne on the couch and a few of these little bites…I love those roasted grapes!
And I love the balsamic they’re drenched in – which is why I love all your sauces and chutneys and condiments you create!
Love the healthy and vegan “bites” here – so agree about the necessity of the “one bite”, especially at a crowded cocktail party. Happy New Year, neighbor!
And Happy NYE right back at you! I don’t suspect you and L will be out at any bars going crazy or anything on Monday night :) Enjoy whatever you end up doing!
I love roundups like these. So many great ideas that I want to try! Especially those donuts…mmm!
Everything looks so tasty and delicious, I will take one of each please!
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Excellent post Averie with fabulous nibbles!!! Thanks for such a helpful round up :)
You are awesome! And you made a great work over here. 25 ideas for a NYE food, big wow and Happy New Year!
Where do I begin? Everything looks amazing! Your photos are so appetizing!! I really can’t wait to see what you come up within 2013!!
We are going to a wedding reception New Year’s Eve. I’ll still be up early that day, so it will be a long night for me. I hope my husband doesn’t have to wake me for the midnight toast! I made 2 mini loaves of raisin bread..with barely enough vertical clearance once the dough had risen in the pans! As a result, one side of each loaf browned a bit more (next time I’ll rotate the pans). The taste is wonderful–a hint of sweetness in the dough itself and lots of raisins!
I am so happy to hear the bread was a hit! Can you copy/paste this and put it onto that post
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/12/raisin-bread-for-raisin-lovers.html
— “I made 2 mini loaves of raisin bread..with barely enough vertical clearance once the dough had risen in the pans! As a result, one side of each loaf browned a bit more (next time I’ll rotate the pans). The taste is wonderful–a hint of sweetness in the dough itself and lots of raisins!” — that way other people know that it works (and in two pans). Thank you, Paula!
And a NYE wedding – fun for them. And their guests. And I hope he doesn’t have to wake you up for the toast either :)
Just took care of that–I’m happy to share my kitchen experiences. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
And thank you!
Lovely work, i wish you an happy new year!
Wow, what an awesome roundup. And what girl doesn’t want to spend more time perfecting her eyeliner than being in the kitchen moments before guests arrive? Not I! If someone asked me to define what you were really, really good at, it would be gooey bars and appetizers. Wow, you have such an assortment of delicious snacks!
Thanks, Leanna, I feel like I’m good at those things, too. I wish I could make gooey bars every day of week :)
We prefer plan-less as well. We will usually make a nice dinner or something, but otherwise it’s low key. I can’t stay up that late anymore anyways! :)
Enjoy your low key night, too!