For those times when friends and family drop by at short notice, or when guests happen to be a little hungrier than expected, you need some simple but tasty snacks on hand. These quick canapés and brilliant bites are here to help. Some can even be made ahead and stashed in the freezer, ready for whenever they're needed. 

On the hunt for perfect party bites and quick canapé ideas? Click or scroll through our gallery for the best prep-ahead and 'throw it all together' appetisers and snacks around.

For the ultimate sweet and savoury combination, this easy three-ingredient canapé sees ripe figs sliced in half and topped with tangy goats’ cheese and honey, then baked in a hot oven for 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is just starting to melt. They're at their best when hot, so prepare ahead of time and cook once your guests arrive.

Cheese and pastry are all you need to make utterly moreish, beautifully buttery cheese straws. Place a block of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, scatter generously with grated Parmesan and fold in half. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of around 0.4in (1cm), sprinkle with more Parmesan and dust with black and white sesame seeds (if you like), then cut into 0.4in (1cm) strips. Transfer to a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 220°C/430°F/gas mark 7.

Fresh guacamole can be rustled up in minutes and tastes far superior to anything you can buy at the shops. Roughly mash ripe avocados in a bowl, then add finely chopped tomatoes, red onion and coriander leaves, plus a good squeeze of lime juice. Stir in finely diced red chilli (to taste) and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with piles of warm tortilla chips or toasted pitta bread for a casual pre-dinner snack.

Garnished with freshly chopped dill, thinly sliced red onion and punchy capers, shop-bought gravadlax (salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill) served on squares of rye bread makes for a straightforward but impressive pre-dinner nibble. It takes all of 10 minutes to assemble, and you could also make a similar version with smoked salmon.

Ring the changes by serving homemade falafel as an appetiser. To make 12-15 small falafels, put a chopped onion, clove of garlic, a can of drained chickpeas, 1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander, a handful of parsley and an egg in a blender, and blitz to combine. With damp hands, form the mix into balls or patties, then shallow fry until crisp and golden. Serve with lemon wedges and a yogurt dip. You can prepare and cook the falafel the day before, ready to reheat in the oven just before serving.

It's the combination of sweet figs, salty ham and tangy halloumi cheese that makes this snack so moreish. Cut your figs in half lengthways and top with a basil leaf and a cube of halloumi. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around the fig and transfer to a baking tray. Drizzle with honey and roast in a hot oven for 10 minutes or so, until the ham is beginning to crisp. Serve warm as a canapé, or add a few salad leaves for a simple yet sophisticated appetiser that's ready in under 30 minutes.

Here the classic British snack is given an upgrade thanks to a layer of salty-sweet Parma Ham and a sausagemeat filling packed with garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and dried oregano. And while that might sound fancy, these sausage rolls only take 15 minutes to prepare. The recipe makes 16 rolls, so depending on how many guests you have (or how hungry they are), you can always pop a few in the freezer for another day.

Get the recipe for Parma Ham sausage rolls here

Toastie makers aren’t just great for sating late night cravings; you can use them to whip up tasty retro party nibbles too. Prep your toastie as you normally would, though you might want to upgrade the fillings a little (think top-quality aged Cheddar and a posh chutney). Once cooked, slice the sandwiches into delicate triangles with a sharp knife. Offer little pots of relish, cornichons and cocktail onions on the side, and you’ll be all set.

While you can make blinis from scratch, they're easy to find in the supermarket and taste great once warmed through in the oven. Keep things classic and top them with smoked salmon and cream cheese or crème fraîche spiked with lemon juice, horseradish sauce and plenty of black pepper. Scatter with snipped chives to serve.

These little veggie parcels can be made 24 hours ahead, stored in the fridge and then baked (for around 6-8 minutes) when you need them. Slices of aubergine are lightly roasted until golden and tender, then filled with tomato, oregano and halloumi, and held together neatly with a cocktail stick. Serve with fresh tomato salsa for dipping, or with salad leaves as an appetiser.

Get the recipe for aubergine and halloumi wraps here

A Middle Eastern–style grazing plate makes for a simple but seriously pretty appetiser or picking platter. Either make hummus from scratch or jazz up a shop-bought offering, folding through thick Greek yogurt and finely blended beetroot or garden peas. Serve in bowls topped with fresh herbs, jewel-like pomegranate seeds and a generous scattering of spices. Offer flatbreads, tortilla chips or toasted pitta on the side, for scooping.

A popular way to serve shucked oysters, here they're topped with chopped bacon and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then grilled until the bacon is golden and starting to crisp. Or, for an even easier appetiser, arrange oysters on the half-shell on a plate with wedges of lemon and a bottle of Tabasco, and let everyone help themselves.

These little tarts are filled with a creamy mix of mascarpone, wafer-thin ham and Stilton cheese. Buy ready-made shortcrust pastry to save on time and, to guarantee a stress-free evening, make and bake your tartlets the day before. Then just reheat them in a hot oven for 15 minutes or so before serving. If you don't have Stilton to hand, you can use any blue cheese you like, or even swap it for a mature Cheddar.

Get the recipe for ham and Stilton tartlets here

Salty and full-flavoured tapenade – a black olive paste that originates from the Provence region of France – can form the base of a quick and simple party snack. For ease, buy ready-made tapenade, then spread over little toasts to serve (cut a baguette into slices and brush the rounds with oil, then bake in a hot oven until crisp). Larger versions also make a lovely accompaniment to soup.

A Spanish tortilla makes a great appetiser, and can be made the day before. In a large, deep frying pan, gently fry onion and potato slices until tender, then throw in extras like roasted red peppers, Manchego cheese and chilli flakes and pour beaten eggs over the lot, to cover. Continue to cook over a medium heat, until nearly set (you can brown under the grill, if you like). If you do make it in advance, gently reheat in the oven when it's time to serve, then cut into wedges. For extra flavour, top with crisp slices of fried chorizo or a little tomato salsa.

Soft goats' cheese spread on crostini or bruschetta is a quick-to-assemble classic canapé for good reason. The salty cheese pairs particularly well with sweet beetroot, toasted hazelnuts and a drizzle of honey. You could also go retro and top your toasts with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, or try chicken liver pâté dotted with red onion chutney.

Juicy, sticky-sweet dates stuffed with cheese and nuts make fabulous canapés or snacks. Simply slice each date on one side lengthways and remove the stone, then gently stuff with soft cheese and finish with chopped nuts. Cream cheese works particularly well with toasted almonds, while punchy blue cheese goes brilliantly with walnuts. As a general rule, allow around 3oz (75g) cheese for 12 dates.

Cheese gougères are seriously moreish, savoury puffs of choux pastry. They’re impressive looking, easy to make and, best of all, you can freeze them and bake from frozen. Use our recipe for choux pastry below then, at the end, add salt, a pinch of paprika and 2oz (55g) grated gruyere cheese. Pipe or spoon the mixture onto a lined baking tray, then scatter more grated cheese over the top. Open-freeze on the tray, then pack into bags once solid. Bake in a hot oven until well-risen and golden, which should take around 30 minutes.

Get the recipe for choux pastry here

Colourful dips served with crisps or crudités are an almost instant, reliably popular appetiser. To make this vibrantly hued beetroot number, blitz vacuum-packed beetroot in a blender with cream cheese, a little garlic, a few thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and serve with strips of toasted rye bread, posh crisps and crunchy carrot, cucumber and celery sticks.

Probably one of the quickest – and most flavourful – canapés ever, these olive, anchovy and pickled pepper skewers are known as gilda, and hail from northern Spain’s Basque Country. The key is to seek out the best-quality pitted olives, anchovies (preferably ones that come packed in oil) and peppers (such as guindilla peppers) that you can find, then simply arrange them on skewers.

Utterly delicious and really simple to whip up, these rich, cheesy biscuits are perfect for parties. To make the dough, put 8oz (225g) each of plain flour, butter and strong grated cheese in a food processor with a pinch each of salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and dried mustard powder and an egg. Pulse briefly to combine, then roll out in a rectangle approximately 0.5in (1.5cm) thick and cut into small squares. Bake at 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 for around 10 minutes.

Guests will love these sweet and salty nuts, so be sure to make plenty. Toast 14oz (400g) of mixed unsalted nuts (macadamias, pecans, almonds and peanuts are all great options) at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put 1 tbsp each brown sugar, sea salt and chopped rosemary into a large bowl with 1 tsp smoked paprika. Add the hot-from-the-oven nuts, toss to coat and (ideally) serve while still warm.

These little paneer and spinach bites are a great veggie appetiser. Chilli and ginger give the bites a delightful kick, while korma paste and fresh coriander pack in extra flavour. You can make them the day before, then reheat in a hot oven ready to serve with a yogurt and mint dip or a spicy chutney.

Get the recipe for spicy paneer and spinach bites here

The irresistible combination of sweet Parma Ham, tangy sun-dried tomato paste and salty Parmesan means these savoury palmiers will be gone in minutes. Using ready-rolled puff pastry, this is an easy snack to prepare too. Serve warm from the oven for maximum impact.

Get the recipe for Parma Ham palmiers here

Spicy potato wedges always go down a storm at a party and have the added bonus of being very simple to prepare. Cut unpeeled potatoes into wedges and place in a large bowl. Toss in olive oil, smoked paprika and salt. Add a few tablespoons of cornmeal or polenta to coat, then spread out on a baking tray and bake in a hot oven until crisp, golden and cooked through. Serve with tomato salsa or chilli mayo, for dunking.

Muffins aren't just a sweet treat – they make for super-satisfying savoury snacks too. These feta and dill delights take very little time to prep and cook, plus you can freeze them once baked and reheat in a hot oven. Serve as a warming snack or as an appetiser with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Get the recipe for feta and dill muffins here

We say it's time to bring back the vol-au-vent once and for all. This 1970s favourite still goes down a treat and, to save time and effort, we recommend buying the pastry cases ready-made. Why not keep the retro theme going and fill these dainty bites with classic creamy mushrooms or a prawn cocktail mix?

Homemade smoked salmon pâté takes mere minutes to rustle up. To make 12-15 canapés, whizz together 5oz (150g) smoked salmon, 7oz (200g) cream cheese, the juice of a lemon and a generous handful of fresh dill or chives. You could use smoked salmon trimmings here, or opt for smoked mackerel or trout instead. Serve on circles of rye bread or wholemeal toast for an easy yet delicious treat.

Skewers make perfect party picking fare and look seriously pretty, too. The flavour and ingredient combinations are endless, but for an easy win try roasting cubes of butternut squash (drizzled with olive oil, chilli and honey) in the oven until tender, then thread onto skewers along with slices of Manchego cheese, ribbons of Parma Ham and crispy sage leaves.

You'll need to make lots of these little fritters, as guests always come back for more. The recipe is basically a thick white sauce, flavoured with basil and goats' cheese, then cooled and formed into balls. They're then coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Serve as canapés, or offer as an appetiser alongside a leafy green salad.

Get the recipe for goats' cheese fritters here

The ultimate cocktail party canapé, the retro devilled egg is back in style. In its simplest form, hard-boiled egg yolks are mashed with mayonnaise, mustard and seasoning, then piped back into the egg and topped with a sprinkling of paprika or curry powder. Take things in a fancier direction by topping your eggs with smoked salmon or even caviar, or add tahini to the egg mix instead of mayonnaise, sprinkling with za’atar to finish.

Intensely rich and chocolatey, if you hand around a plate of these easy homemade truffles towards the end of your party everyone will be impressed. To make 24 truffles, break 7oz (200g) dark chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Heat 6 tbsp double cream in a small saucepan, until bubbling. Pour the cream over the chocolate, whisking until smooth. Pour into a container and chill completely in the fridge. Dip a teaspoon in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture. Transfer to a plate and dust all over with cocoa powder.

Finish your party in style with these individual, no-bake cheesecakes. Per portion, crush 1-2 digestive biscuits to crumbs and tip into a serving glass. Beat 3 tbsp cream cheese with 1.5 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp mascarpone, 2 tbsp icing sugar and the seeds from a small vanilla pod. Spoon half the mixture over the crushed biscuits. Hull and slice 5-6 strawberries, add on top of the cheese mixture, top with the remaining cream cheese mix, then decorate with the reserved strawberries.

There’s zero cooking called for when putting together these bite-size delights. To end the evening on an impressive note, all you need to do is pipe good-quality chocolate mousse into shop-bought mini pastry cases. Decorate with curls of dark chocolate and a generous dusting of cocoa powder. For something different, you could finish the tartlets with caramel sauce, chopped hazelnuts and sea salt flakes. Either way, we guarantee your guests will be impressed.

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