Easy New Year's Eve Party Food Your Housemates Will Love

It’s almost time to bid farewell to 2020. Whether you’re celebrating New Year’s Eve with your roommates, gathering with your immediate family, or throwing a virtual party, one thing’s for sure—you need a good menu. But you don’t have to make elaborate entrées to impress your guests. Whip up some easy New Year’s Eve party food for a more laid-back end to a highly stressful year. The dips, small bites, and other tasty finger foods on this list come from our favorite California bloggers and will have all of your guests talking for all the right reasons.

Easy New Year's Eve Food to Try Next

From simple NYE appetizers to decadent desserts, there’s no shortage of New Year’s Eve party food options on this list. The only question is: Which recipe will you try first?

Easy New Year's Eve Appetizers

Muffin Tin Lasagna Cups

Gooey mozzarella, flavorsome marinara, and pasta—this easy and cheesy recipe from Just a Taste has it all. The easy New Year’s Eve recipe eliminates the messy process of layering a lasagna dish by swapping the noodles for wonton wrappers. Genius, right?

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 12 lasagna cups

Ingredients

Cooking spray

24 wonton wrappers

½ pound Italian sausage

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)

½ cup Parmesan, grated

⅓ cup whole-milk ricotta

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 egg

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Line each cup with two (slightly overlapping) wonton wrappers.

3. Add oil and sausage to a skillet set over medium heat. Break apart the sausage with a spatula, and continue cooking until sausage is browned and cooked through. Add marinara sauce and stir. Remove from heat once all ingredients are combined.

4. Place Parmesan, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and egg in a bowl.

5. Divide the cheese mixture among the 12 muffin cups. Top each one with the sausage mixture.

6. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over each cup, then bake for 12 to15 minutes, until the edges of the wonton wrappers are crispy.

7. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the muffin tin, and serve.

Burrata Tomato Toast

If you ask us, the best New Year’s Eve appetizers have all of the flavor and none of the confusing steps. Enter: burrata tomato toast. What’s Gaby Cooking is the author of this Mediterranean-inspired creation that tastes like Italy on a slice of bread.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

6 thick pieces of bread

9 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic

6 cups cherry tomatoes

Salt and pepper

3 balls of burrata cheese

Fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Drizzle bread with olive oil on both sides. Place on a baking tray, and bake for 10 minutes, or until toasted. Remove bread slices, and rub them with garlic cloves.

3. Drizzle cherry tomatoes with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

4. Top each slice of bread with a big spoonful of burrata. Add cherry tomatoes and basil, and serve.

Creole Chicken Wings

These aren’t your average chicken wings. Spicy, tangy, and flavorsome, this New Year’s Eve party food recipe from Ev’s Eats is so good that you don’t even need to serve a dipping sauce with it.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

½ cup butter, at room temperature

12 chicken wings

Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine all spices in a bowl. Mix in butter.

3. Season chicken wings with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

4. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat, until the oil temperature reaches 350 to 375 degrees.

5. Once the oil reaches the desired temperature, add wings and fry them for three to four minutes on each side. Remove from oil when golden and crispy.

6. Toss wings in the spiced butter mixture until they're entirely coated.

7. Place wings on a baking tray, and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the wings over halfway through baking. Serve immediately.

Easy New Year's Eve Desserts

Cranberry Streusel Bars

This New Year’s Eve dessert from Food Between Friends looks fantastic, tastes delicious, and is surprisingly easy to make. We suggest making a double batch of these zesty treats because the first batch will disappear in minutes.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30–40 minutes

Total time: 50–60 minutes

Servings: 9–12 bars

Ingredients

4 cups fresh cranberries

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon grated ginger

¼ cup orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

2 sticks butter

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 square cake pan with parchment paper.

2. Place cranberries, sugar, ginger, and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes thick and jam-like. Stir in orange zest and ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Set aside.

3. In a bowl, whisk together both flours and ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Set aside.

4. In a stand mixer or bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining vanilla on medium speed for two minutes, until light and creamy. Add flour mixture and beat until well combined. Set aside ⅔ cups of the dough. Spread the remaining dough evenly into the cake pan.

5. Mix the separated ⅔ cup of dough with the pine nuts, rolled oats, and remaining sea salt to make the streusel.

6. Spread cranberry filling over the crust. Scatter the streusel on top of the filling, and gently press it down.

7. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Let it cool completely before cutting into bars of your desired size.

Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies

Crispy on the outside and wonderfully fudgy on the inside—these chocolate cookies from Sippity Sup are unbelievably good. The slight kick from the added ginger in this easy New Year's Eve dessert will surprise your guests in the best way.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time:  30 minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

⅓ cup cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped and divided

¼ cup unsalted butter

2 eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Candied ginger slices

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

3. Place butter and 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Pour 1 inch of water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Place the bowl on top (making sure it doesn’t fall in), and melt the butter and chocolate together. Once melted, remove from heat.

4. Add eggs, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat until pale and fluffy. Add ginger and vanilla, and beat to combine.

5. Reduce the beater to medium speed, and add melted chocolate, beating until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed until well combined. Add the rest of the chopped chocolate and fold it in.

6. Scoop out one-tablespoon portions of the dough, and place on a baking tray 3 inches apart. Top each cookie with some candied ginger slices. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the surface is crinkled and the edges are firm.

7. Let the cookies cool before serving.

Easy New Year's Eve Snacks

Roasted Eggplant Yogurt Dip

This Middle Eastern-inspired dip is a great option for those in need of an easy New Year’s Eve snack. Tori Avey has blessed us with this quick recipe that not only tastes great, but also looks wonderful on a festive table.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 2½ cups of dip

Ingredients

2 medium-sized eggplants

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup labneh (or Greek yogurt)

2 tablespoons tahini

 2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

For Garnish

Pomegranate seeds

Chopped mint leaves

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Wash and dry eggplants, then pierce a few times with a fork to vent. Place on a baking sheet under the broiler, and let them roast for 20 to 30 minutes, giving them a quarter turn every five to seven minutes. Remove eggplants from the oven once they are soft and charred.

2. Meanwhile, pour olive oil into a small saucepan and add garlic cloves. Heat oil on medium for two to three minutes, or until the cloves start to sizzle.

3. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the garlic cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

4. Remove garlic from the oil, and set the oil aside. Mince the garlic cloves.

5. Slice the roasted eggplants open, separate the insides from the skin, and place them in a large bowl. Remove large clumps of seeds to avoid a lumpy texture.

6. Add minced roasted garlic, 2 tablespoons of the garlic-infused oil, labneh, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Hand-stir the mixture until well combined.

7. Transfer the dip to a bowl. Drizzle the remaining garlic-infused oil on top, and garnish with pomegranate seeds and mint leaves.

Smoky Chipotle Parmesan French Fries

Looking for something other than crackers or bread to serve with your dip? This smoky chipotle Parmesan french fry recipe from Cooking on the Weekends will work perfectly. This easy New Year's Eve party food also tastes good enough on its own.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

3½ tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon canned chipotle pepper

2 tablespoons Parmesan, grated

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ pounds potatoes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, chipotle, Parmesan, paprika, lemon juice, and salt.

3. Peel the potatoes and cut them into fry-sized pieces. Add fries to the chipotle mixture, and toss until they are completely coated.

4. Spread the fries on a baking tray and place them into the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the fries over halfway through. Remove when golden and crispy.

5. Let the fries cool, then serve.