The best mini appetizers should be mandatory at every party. One of my pet peeves is getting a passed app at a party that you can’t eat in one or two bites. Literally, do not even get me started on passed apps you have to eat with a spoon or fork—make them illegal! But even having to juggle both a plate and a drink is a real indignity. Basically, going to the grocery store and buying the best frozen appetizers that can be eaten in one or two bites is a great way to show your friends you care about them (especially if your friends are me).
For this taste test, we bought a variety of frozen appetizers—frozen mini quiche, little puff pastry bites, even mini tacos. Format didn’t really matter; we were just looking for apps that can be eaten in one or two bites. A lot of these are called “bites,” in fact. That’s a good start! We fired up our trusty countertop oven, cooked them according to the package instructions, and then had ourselves a little cocktail soiree right there in the office, no tiny plates or bev naps needed. Here are the best mini appetizers we found at the grocery store.
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- Signature Select Chicken & Pesto Bites
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We tried two flavors of these little filo dough pastry bites—spanakopita and chicken pesto—and while both were good, the chicken pesto is more flavorful and more unique than the spinach-based filling. The filling has such a nice, bright pesto flavor that tastes so good with a little bit of savory chicken flavor. The filo crisped up beautifully in our little countertop oven. I would absolutely destroy a platter of these at a cocktail party. Invite me to your cocktail parties! I tell stories about what I watched on TV recently—it’s riveting!
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- Farm Rich Spinach and Artichoke Dip Bites
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I could tell by looking at these mini appetizers that the breading was going to be too thick—and it is too thick, but the filling makes up for that shortcoming. The spinach artichoke dip is so rich and cheesy with lots of dairy flavor and actual cheese pull when you take a bite. The best part though? You can actually taste briny bits of artichoke in the mix. I honestly wasn’t expecting that. I will say that calling these mini appetizers is a stretch (they’re about the size of chicken nuggets), but two bite appetizers are cool, too.
Credit: Merc / Farm Rich
- Good & Gather Jalapeno Cream Cheese Wontons
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The worst thing about getting cream cheese wontons at a restaurant is that they’re practically empty half the time. These mini appetizers from Target are stuffed with cool, creamy cream cheese. It’s really fatty and rich tasting. And the jalapeno bits are a perfect complement—they contribute heat, sure, but they also add some nice peppery, vegetal flavor. The wrappers don’t have that super crackly deep-fried quality you get at a restaurant, but they crisp up nicely and taste good—not like old oil like other frozen wontons. I would 100 percent serve these at a party and I bet they would go fast. If you love crab rangoon but don’t actually care about the crab part of the equation, add these suckers to your mini appetizers shopping list.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Nancy’s Petite Quiche
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Nancy’s makes the best frozen mini quiche (trust us, we did a whole frozen quiche taste test). You get two flavors in this variety pack—lorraine and florentine—which is nice for a little variety. The egg fillings are nice and custardy, and the crust is golden and flaky. In the realm of the best mini appetizers, mini quiche should feel fancy and these definitely do.
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- 365 Vegetarian Butter Chik’n Naan Bites
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This is another two bite app that we decided deserves a spot among the best mini appetizers. To be perfectly honest, the veggie chicken filling is just kind of goo—I couldn’t really get a feel for the veggie chicken itself—but I don’t think it matters because the flavor of the butter chicken sauce is so lovely. It has that authentic blend of spices you find in butter chicken and tiki masala sauce. I cooked these bites in the oven rather than the air fryer so they didn’t get super crisp, but I didn’t mind at all because the doughy pocket actually kind of reminded me of naan. These are perfect to serve to a party of omnivores.
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- Cuisine Adventures Puff Pastry Bites
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If you love little, snacky mini puff pastry appetizers, you have to get this variety pack from Costco. You get bites in four flavors: Roasted Red Pepper & Cheddar, Spinach & Parmesan, Artichoke, Monterey Jack & Jalapeno, and Caramelized Onion & Ricotta. The Spinach & Parm and Caramelized Onion & Ricotta are the two best mini puff pastry appetizers—the flavors are so creamy and rich and decadent with the buttery puff pastry. They also have a crackly topping on top that crisps up really nicely and gives them a lot of good crunch. And the filling inside the roasted red pepper bite tastes like pimento cheese. Too fun, right? In true Costco fashion, these come in a big ol’ box of 48 bites, but I think you’ll be surprised how quickly they disappear.
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Best Filo Bites
Best Dip Bites
Best Wontons
Best Mini Quiche
Best Indian-Inspired
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Guy Fieri Flavortown Kickin Crab Rangoon, Savory Cocktail Bites, Guy Fieri Chicken Parm Poppers, Jose Ole Mini Beef & Cheese mini tacos, Good & Gather chicken quesadilla poppers
