Hanukkah might not be the holiday you associate with raucous merriment, but it is a celebration, and we’re always looking for an excuse to turn one of those into a party. Like always, the best way to do so is to serve a spread of delectable appetizers before the big meal. We’ve collected 30 of our favorites here, everything from classics to vegan/dairy-free options to enjoy if you’re keeping kosher. They’re perfect for whether you’ve got a whole crew to feed or just want a little nosh as you and your family light the menorah or play dreidel.
For the perfect appetizer spread, we like to hit a couple of categories: You’re going to want some bite-size options, so we’ve included classics like our boursin-stuffed mushrooms, our cranberry brie bites, our fried goat cheese bites, or our harissa deviled eggs (you could go with straightforward ones, but why not spice it up a bit?). Next, you’re going to need some dips. Creamy ones like our dill dip, our everything bagel dip, or our cranberry whipped feta are always fan faves, but don’t worry if your household is avoiding dairy. We’ve also included our best-ever garlic hummus, our vegan chipotle queso, or our Greek skordalia to enjoy before or alongside meat-heavy meals. Whatever you go with, don’t forget to offer a variety of dippers—we’re partial to some veggies, some pretzels or pita chips, and toasty bread, but you do you.
Want even more Hanukkah inspiration? Check out our top Hanukkah desserts, our favorite Hanukkah dinners, and our best Hanukkah latkes. (Hot tip: Make 'em small and serve potato pancakes as apps too!)
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
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Boursin-Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are THE appetizer we make for every party, and while our classic recipe is great, sometimes we like to switch it up a bit. Enter boursin cheese. It adds a little something to these that’ll have your guests coming back for more.
Hummus is a Middle Eastern dish made of chickpeas and tahini. Garlic or roasted red peppers and other spices are common additions. Sure, it's easy to buy it, but homemade is better, trust us.
Attention cheese boards everywhere: Fried goat cheese bites are coming to steal your thunder. Coated in crispy herby bread crumbs and drizzled with honey, these creamy, melt-in-your-mouth morsels will capture the hearts of all your Hanukkah guests.
Enjoy these crispy (thanks air fryer!) bean cakes as an app on their own, or sandwich them between slider buns with all your favorite burger fixin’s for really irresistible mini veggie burgers.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
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Fondue Bites
If you thought fondue belonged in the 1970s, think again! We’ve hauled this retro party classic into the 21st century by turning it into cheesy bite-sizedparty snacks, perfect for any festive occasion.
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
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Bagna Cauda
This Italian dip is a buttery sauce made from lots of garlic and anchovies (stick with us) that somehow work together to create a dip that’s a little pungent, a little sweet, and will keep you coming back for more. Trust us, this one belongs on your Hanukkah table.
Baked brie is a classic app that pleases all around: It's versatile, delicious, easy to make, and requires a pretty short cook time. We filled ours with raspberry jam, but whatever your favorite is will work (you could even go with some apple butter 😍). Drizzle it with some honey, and you have a warm, cheesy app that feels extra fancy in no time at all.
Umami-rich oyster mushrooms are lightly battered and fried for this squid-free take on a seafood favorite. You can use other mushroom varieties, but the delicate “petals” of the oyster mushrooms get especially crispy.
Herby Baked Falafel Bites with Spicy Mint Tahini Dip
Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these falafel are baked, not fried, for less mess. Chickpea flour is your new best friend in this gluten-free app.
If you ask us, you're not truly celebrating the Festival of Lights without as many crispy batches of latkes as possible. Make these miniature if you're looking for a bite-size app, but trust us—no one will turn down the full-size ones before the meal.
After roasting, the exterior petals can be pulled off, and you can use your teeth to scrape out the delicious, tender insides. We think our simple recipe for Old Bay mayo really complements the artichoke’s lemon-herbal flavor profile, but feel free to swap in everything from tahini sauce to ketchup if you prefer.
This vegan version is so good it's hard to decipher from regular queso dip. Made with cashews in place of cheese, it's awesome for serving alongside or right before a meat-heavy Hanukkah meal.
These particular pecans are our #1: SUPER-spiced, crunchy, sweet, and salty. They're great eaten by the handful, as an accompaniment to a cheese board, or even sprinkled over baked brie.
Our love for crescent roll recipes is no secret. Why make dough from scratch when everyone loves the canned stuff?! These are a fan favorite every holiday. They always disappear within minutes, probably because the combo of salty, creamy brie, sweet-tart cranberry sauce, and crunchy pecans is PERFECT.
Quicker to make and easier to eat than Buffalo chicken wings, this kosher-friendly, plant-based version swaps chicken for snackable triangles of tempeh to mimic the crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Skordalia is a creamy, garlicky Greek dip we love to serve at parties. Made from potatoes and walnuts, this dip is smooth and creamy and always a surprise hit. Serve it with toasted pita or veggies for a new Hanukkah favorite!
Arancini are basically the more sophisticated and cooler cousins of mozzarella sticks. The Italian dish is prepared by forming cooled risotto into balls, filling them with some sort of filling (typically cheesy!), then breading and deep frying them into golden, crispy perfection. 😍
Take everything bagel seasoning from breakfast to appetizer with this simple dip. We like this served with bagel chips (ofc), but it's also great with pretzels, potato chips, or veggies.
This recipe includes options classic potato & onion knishes, spanakopita-style knishes, and samosa-style knishes. The simple potato filling is ripe for riffing—feel free to invent your own!
Much like our Parmesan cauliflower bites, these little guys have just enough crunch and flavor to keep us going. Craving salt and umami but avoiding dairy? These sticky-spicy bites will save the day.
Your veggie platter deserves more than a sad store-bought dip. This easy dill dip comes together in mere minutes and makes every veggie sing with its freshness. Serve it alongside this ultimate chips and dip platter for the best Hanukkah spread ever.
These are crazy easy: Make caramelized onions and scoop a bit of them onto puff pastry squares with a little crumbled goat cheese for creaminess and tang. The final step is a light drizzle of honey for that salty-sweet combination everyone will love this Hanukkah.
Fresh feta cheese is combined with herbs, garlic, and cream cheese, whipped until super-smooth, then topped with tart homemade cranberry sauce, toasted pistachios, and honey. The result is a salty, creamy, sweet, tart, and absolutely irresistible dip that's perfect for Hanukkah.
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE
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Air Fryer Everything Bagel Avocado Fries
Meet the appetizer love child of two iconic breakfasts: toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and savory avocado toast. Their superpowers combine in these irresistible avocado fries, which rely on the magical air fryer for their crisp texture.
This cauliflower is the perfect answer when you have Buffalo wings on the brain, but need to eat more vegetables. All the Buffalo flavor you love coat these florets, which are then air-fried to perfection. It all comes together when you dip one into our perfectly creamy blue cheese dressing (but feel free to go with ranch dressing if you prefer!).
The bite-sized party classic gets a smoky kick from harissa (Tunisian chili pepper paste) in this simple but flavorful deviled eggs recipe. Topped with crispy fried shallots and fresh cilantro, it may stray pretty far from the original, but it’s just as delicious.
When your favorite latke becomes a cup, magical things happen. Feel free top these with classic applesauce and sour cream, or go wild with your toppings.
