Finger food for adults is pretty easy, mostly consisting of exotic fruits, fancy cheeses, and vegetables filled with a plethora of herbs and spices.
However, appetizers for children are entirely different. Children can be picky eaters, and it can be difficult to find foods that they will enjoy.
However, we have created a list of our top 20 tastiest appetizers that no child can fail to love! So, if you’re planning a kid’s birthday party and need some delicious food ideas, read on for more!
1. Homemade Mac And Cheese Bites
Mac and Cheese is not just a tasty dinnertime meal, it can also be an amazing appetizer that kids will love!
We love this homemade mac and cheese bite recipe, it has all the nostalgic flavors that make mac and cheese so good in the first place, like soft macaroni and tangy cheese.
And, if you need to make it fancier for an adult party, you can always add some delicious pulled pork (and the kids may love this, too!)
This tasty recipe is very easy to follow, just make sure you wait 5 minutes after the bites have finished cooking so they can cool down.
2. Individual Taco Dip Cups
Everybody loves tacos. However, not everybody loves trying to eat a messy taco, especially children, who are almost doomed to get their food everywhere!
This is why individual taco dip cups are perfect for them, all the delicious food, the guac, salsa, and cheese, are contained without one cup and can be eaten almost mess-free!
The recipe calls for 7 layers of dip, but you can alter the recipe based on your kids’ likes and dislikes. In total, this recipe takes just 15 minutes to make.
3. Mini Pancakes
Did you know that appetizers can be sweet instead of savory? These mini pancakes make for an excellent appetizer! They’re fluffy, sweet, and great to serve with some yogurt and fresh berries.
You can also freeze these tasty appetizers, so if there are any leftover you can use them for a sweet breakfast the next day. These mini pancakes take just 20 minutes to make and the recipe provides 18 servings.
4. Homemade Dunkaroo Dip
Dunkaroo dip is a great appetizer to mix with other appetizers. This tasty dip works with just about anything – from fruit to vanilla wafers, to cookies, and even pretzels!
This particular dunkaroo dip recipe is great because it requires just 6 ingredients and can be whipped up in no time.
The vanilla extract used in the recipe is optional, but we recommend including it because it’ll elevate all of the other flavors and the dip will disappear from the table in seconds. This delicious appetizer takes 2 hours and 5 minutes to make.
5. Spinach Rolls
Who says healthy has to be boring? These spinach rolls are anything but! These are perfect for outdoor picnic parties and are sure to be the highlight of the day!
Spinach is one of those vegetables that doesn’t have an overpowering flavor, it’s very subtle, and when mixed with mozzarella and parmesan cheese like in this recipe, is something that kids are sure to love!
This recipe takes between 20-25 minutes to make.
6. Fruit Bug Snacks
Has your kid ever told you they want a snack, only to be disappointed when you offer them fruit? Well, all that is about to change thanks to these fruit bug snacks.
This is a very simple recipe with few ingredients, all you need is some fruit, like apples, grapes, strawberries, and melons, and some melting chocolate.
However, this recipe does require more time and effort than some others on this list. We believe it’s totally worth it, and these little bugs will, ahem, fly straight from the table and become a fan favorite amongst your kids!
7. Zucchini Fries
If your kids really hate eating their veggies, then we have a solution! You need to find creative ways to get them to eat their 5-a-day without them realizing it, and the best way to do this is by putting them into foods they love.
Take these zucchini fries as an example. Your kids may not think baked zucchini mixed with parmesan cheese and encrusted with panko-breadcrumbs sounds all that appealing, but they will change their minds once they try them, especially if they have a delicious ranch dip to go with them! This recipe takes just 40 minutes to make.
8. Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
Most kids love pizza, so this is a tasty appetizer that is sure to go down well! These pizza rolls are best cooked in the air fryer because this will dramatically reduce cooking time.
The air fryer is a great tool to have in the kitchen because you don’t need to use any oil, making the food healthier! Although, feel free to spray some oil on these pizza rolls because they will come out extra crispy.
The best thing about this appetizer is that you can serve it with your favorite dipping sauce, from ketchup to ranch, you decide!
9. Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
These cinnamon sugar donuts are sure to be a popular appetizer among your kids!
However, you don’t have to worry about this appetizer being too unhealthy, because it substitutes sugar for maple syrup as a healthy alternative, and gives you the choice between coconut sugar or granulated pure maple sugar for the cinnamon sugar coating.
Both of these are excellent, healthy alternatives to sugar but still just as tasty. This recipe takes around 30 minutes to make.
10. Loaded Tater Tot Skewers
Loaded tater tot skewers are sure to be a crowd pleaser requested time and time again. This is another simple yet delicious recipe that does not require many ingredients.
And, you can easily find them all at your local supermarket! Necessary ingredients include tots (of course), bacon, cheese, and ranch seasoning. Green onions are optional, and will really take your appetizer to the next level!
11. Peanut Butter And Oat Bites
Peanut butter and oats are a popular breakfast combo, but did you know they work just as well as tasty, kid-friendly appetizers? We love this dish because it is totally customizable!
The recipe calls for rolled oats, but you can use whatever you have in your pantry. It also uses milk chocolate chips, but you can substitute these too for whatever your children like best – how about some raisins or white chocolate?
This recipe can be made in no time at all and the instructions are very easy to follow – just don’t forget to refrigerate the mix for 30 minutes before rolling them so they’re easier to manage!
12. Pigs In Cheesy Blankets
Sure, pigs in blankets are delicious, but pigs in cheesy blankets? Now that’s a whole new ballgame! Not only will kids enjoy eating these, but they’ll enjoy making them, too!
This is a very easy recipe to follow and it contains very few ingredients, so you can make as many batches as you need for your dinner party.
On top of that, the recipe calls for American cheese but you can use whatever cheese you like! Overall, this recipe takes just 15 minutes to make.
13. Cheesy Cauliflower Tots
Cheesy Cauliflower tots are another great way to encourage your child to eat their veggies. The cauliflower is mixed with tangy cheese, and these two foods taste amazing when paired together!
This recipe also calls for a zesty Greek yogurt dip, which is very easy to make.
All you need is Greek yogurt and some extras like lemon juice, which makes the dip taste so fresh, and garlic, which enhances the flavors and will make everyone reach for more! This recipe takes just 25 minutes to make.
14. Muddy Buddies
Muddy buddies, also known as puppy chow, is a great appetizer for the holidays. This may seem like a complex recipe, but it is actually very simple and extremely tasty!
All you need is some Rice Chex cereal, chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
You’ll get a range of flavors with this tasty appetizer, from salty to sweet, it’ll be difficult not to eat all of these sweet treats in one sitting! Overall, they take just 10 minutes to make.
15. Air Fryer Onion Rings
If you need a quick appetizer that can be enjoyed by all, then you need to make these air-fryer onion rings!
This recipe calls for buttermilk to be used when making the batter so the onion rings can be placed in the air fryer and be ready to eat in just 10-12 minutes! It’s best to use Vidalia onions for this recipe.
These onions are usually quite sweet, which is great because kids are usually dissuaded from onions because of how sharp they are. This appetizer pairs perfectly with onion dip.
16. Ham, Cheese, And Pickle Roll-Ups
These ham, cheese, and pickle roll-ups are perfect for dinner parties where you want something new and interesting! To make these delicious appetizers, it is best to drain the pickles before rolling them, or else they will get soggy.
It’s also a good idea to use cream cheese which is easy to spread. This recipe tastes amazing with ranch dip and takes just 30 minutes to make.
17. Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs
Do your kids prefer a burger to nuggets when it comes to the fast food drive-through? If the answer is “yes”, then you need to make these bacon cheeseburger meatballs as an appetizer!
This recipe is simple and fun to make – you’ll mix the beef with flour, egg, milk, fried onions, and the best ingredient: bacon bits.
There’s also some delicious cheese at the center of the meal, and they’re so tasty even the adults may try to steal one from the plate. In total, this yummy appetizer takes just 35 minutes to make.
18. Ranch Pretzels
Pretzels are an all-time party classic, and this recipe makes them the perfect appetizer for kids to enjoy.
This recipe makes it so easy to make pretzels from scratch, and it adds garlic powder and ranch dressing mix to the bowl so the result is even more flavorful than store-bought pretzels.
Plus, your house will smell amazing while they are cooking. Overall, this recipe takes just 1 hour and 5 minutes to make.
19. Baked Potato Chips
Many people are reluctant to let their kids eat too many potato chips because let’s face it, they’re not the healthiest appetizer around. However, these baked potato chips are ready to change all of that.
This recipe requires the potato chips to be baked, rather than fried, so they’re a lot healthier than store-bought chips. Plus, they can be custom-made to suit the flavors your kids like best.
Will you choose to top your potato chips with salt, salt and vinegar, or many even chili? The choice is yours! Best of all, these chips take just 25 minutes to make in total.
20. No-Bake Granola Bars
This is another fun recipe that your kids can help with. It’s very easy to follow, so you can just supervise while they mix the ingredients together.
This recipe contains a lot of chocolate and unhealthy ingredients, so if you want to make it a more suitable, healthier appetizer then you can substitute the chocolate and mini candies with pumpkin seeds, almonds, or raisins.
Alternatively, you can use macadamia nuts or dried cranberries, there are endless possibilities and that’s why this is such a popular appetizer!
This recipe takes 10 minutes to make but needs 2 hours to chill in the refrigerator, so make sure you make them ahead of the party!
Final Thoughts
Kids are often picky eaters, but we have created an eclectic list of appetizers with tasty recipes they are sure to love, no matter if they prefer something salty and savory, or sugary and sweet!
Frequently Asked Questions
An appetizer is a small dish, usually food but sometimes a drink, that is eaten before the main course to appease an appetite.
Appetizers can be eaten at kids’ birthday parties or fancy dinner parties. Appetizers are also called a starter, finger food, or hors d’oeuvre.
Typically, appetizers are savory food, but there’s no reason why they cannot be sweet! Appetizers are served before the main course of a meal and are usually small bites.
So, as long as the portion size won’t make you too full to eat your main meal, it can be anything, savory or sweet, especially when it comes to kids’ appetizers!
It’s good to wait around 15 minutes after the appetizer to serve the main course.
Cooking is great for your mental, physical, and emotional health. What’s the worst that could happen? Find a recipe that you like the sound of and cook it along with me. You might even unlock a new passion!
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