12 Make-Ahead Appetizers for New Year's Eve

Ring in the new year with these 12 make-ahead appetizers.

By Robin Shreeves
Published December 26, 2025
Side view of Caesar-ed deviled eggs

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

If there’s ever a night for laying out a spread of appetizers, it’s New Year’s Eve. Even if you’re serving dinner, it’s usually later in the evening, and you’ll need plenty of snacks to nibble on while the cocktails flow. These 12 appetizers can all be made ahead—either entirely or in parts—making them easy to assemble the day of. They’re all crowd-pleasers, worthy of the occasion.

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  • Whipped Feta Dip Recipe

    20190614-whipped-feta-vicky-wasik-11
    Vicky Wasik

    Feta cheese (splurge on the good stuff, if you can) and Greek yogurt combine to create a tangy dip that also doubles as a spread. Blend them in a food processor with garlic and olive oil, and feel free to embellish with roasted red peppers, harissa, or oven-dried tomatoes. You can make it up to five days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

  • 3-Ingredient Devils on Horseback

    A plate of baconwrapped appetizers on a countertop served with small dishes and drink glasses

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    Sweet, salty, savory, and a little funky, these three-ingredient apps are simply blue-cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in par-cooked bacon. You can assemble them up to three days in advance and bake them just before guests arrive to devour these deeply flavored treats.

  • Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip

    spinach-artichoke dip hero

    Serious Eats/Morgan Hunt Glaze

    This crowd-pleasing dip—made with a trio of cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, two cheeses, spinach, and canned artichokes—never disappoints. To get ahead, assemble the dip without baking. On the day of, top it with a little extra cheese and bake for about 40 minutes.

  • Oysters Rockefeller Recipe

    20181115-oysters-rockefeller-vicky-wasik-26
    Vicky Wasik

    This rich dish of baked oysters on the half-shell—topped with a buttery green sauce made from butter, garlic, shallots, celery, fennel, scallions, parsley, panko, and a splash of absinthe—is roasted or broiled. You'll want the oysters as fresh as possible, of course, but you can make the topping a day in advance and refrigerate it. Once the oysters are shucked, they're ready to top and cook.

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  • Dirty Martini Dip

    A dish of dip garnished with olives and crackers on the side

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    Make this dip up to three days in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve. Soak olives, jarred pimentos, and lemon strips in gin, vermouth, and olive brine for 30 minutes to 24 hours. Strain and mix with cream cheese, crème fraîche, blue cheese, and seasonings to create a thoroughly modern dip your guests will love.

  • Chicken Liver Pâté With Bourbon and Cranberry Gelée Recipe

    20141113-chicken-liver-pate-cranberry-gelee-bourbon-vicky-wasik-4.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    This version of the rich spread—made from sautéed chicken liver, bourbon, cider, and plenty of butter—is topped with a cranberry juice–gelatin glaze. It’s divine on toasted baguette. You can make it up to five days ahead—if you can resist sneaking a rich bite before the party starts.

  • Easy, Ultimate Clams Casino

    20150910-clams-casino-vicky-wasik-21.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    Cooked clams, bacon, butter, and panko—toasted in bacon fat—come together in a savory mixture that’s packed into clam shells and baked. Because both the clams and their shells are cooked before assembling the clams casino, they can be covered and refrigerated a day in advance. On party day, all that’s left is the final bake before serving.

  • Silky-Smooth Vegetarian Pâté With Roasted Cauliflower and Pecans

    20161118-cauliflower-pate-vicky-wasik-9.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    Creamy and deeply savory, this pâte is packed with roasted cauliflower, pecans, soy sauce, brandy, butter, heavy cream, and garlic—yielding a spread as rich as any meaty pâté, without the meat. Make it a day or two ahead and store it tightly covered, with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface.

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  • Deviled Egg Dip

    A hand dipping a potato chip into deviled egg dip, surrounded by vegetables on a tray

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

    This dip version of deviled eggs means that if a cooked egg white chips while peeling, it doesn’t matter—it all gets blended anyway. Half the eggs are cooked until the yolks are just jammy, which helps the mayo mixture emulsify more easily. Well seasoned, the dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.

  • Smoky Candied Almonds Recipe

    20141218-spiced-nuts-daniel-gritzer-21.jpg
    Daniel Gritzer

    So simple, yet so delicious, these almonds are coated in egg white and spiced with brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne, Old Bay, and black pepper. Baked until lightly toasted, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. The same method works with raw walnuts, cashews, or pecans.

  • Caesar Deviled Eggs

    Side view of Caesar-ed deviled eggs

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    A mash-up of Caesar salad and deviled egg flavors, these eggs are filled with a mayo that’s peppery, briny, cheesy, and packed with umami. Each is topped with an anchovy fillet, a shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a piece of romaine. To make them ahead, keep the egg white halves and the filling separate until the day of serving. Then fill the whites, garnish, and serve.

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  • Plump and Tender Shrimp Cocktail

    Shrimp cocktail on a ceramic plate with cocktail sauce and sliced lemons, on a stone background with a yellow dish towel.

    Serious Eats / Debbie Wee

    There’s nothing unusual about making this party staple a day in advance. Cook the shrimp, then refrigerate until just before serving. The cocktail sauce can be made ahead, too. Even if you’re hesitant to cook the shrimp early, you can still get a head start by prepping the flavorful sauce.

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