15 Easiest Finger Foods Ever

Instead of making one big cheesecake for a dessert buffet, make individual cheesecakes in mini-muffin pans. Serving them in their paper liners make them even easier to pick up and eat.

Recipe: Mini Peppermint and Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes

More: Finger Food Recipes

Cut refrigerated pie crust dough into rounds and bake in mini-muffin cups for these bite-size tartlet shells. The 3-ingredient filling is simply cheese, fruit spread, and almonds, or you can use a number of other flavor combinations.

Recipe: Peach and Blue Cheese Bites

Pecan pie is always a welcome treat during the holidays but is sometimes a bit messy to serve. With these little pecan tarts, there's no need for a fork since you can simply pick one up and pop it in your mouth. The raisins in the filling add a bit of extra sweetness.

Recipe: Pecan-Raisin Mini Tarts

Mini open-faced sandwiches are ideal for a light supper or appetizer buffet and a great way to stretch the number of servings you get from a pricey cut of meat. For another small and elegant appetizer sandwich, try Smoked Salmon Triangles.

Recipe: Seared Beef Tenderloin Mini Sandwiches with Mustard-Horseradish Sauce

Eliminate the need for cute party spreaders or knives when you offer bite-size cheese balls that guests can either pick up with their fingers or with wooden picks.

Recipe: Modern Cheese Balls

A packaged brownie mix is the shortcut ingredient in this fudgy favorite. You might need to make an extra batch as your guests will have a hard time stopping with one. For a dessert ball without bourbon, try Peanut Butter Oat Bites.

Recipe: Brownie Bourbon Balls

The tails of fresh shrimp beckon you to pick them up with your fingers and dip them into a savory sauce. If you need a few shortcuts, buy steamed shrimp at the seafood counter and use bottled green salsa and horseradish sauce instead of making your own.

Recipe: Classic Shrimp Cocktail with Red and Green Sauces

Start with refrigerated crescent roll dough to make these cheesy little roll-ups. You can freeze the unbaked roll-ups for up to one month, and then bake just before serving.

Recipe: Savory Parmesan Bites

Endive leaves make a perfect container for the crumbled cheese, orange sections, and walnuts in this appetizer that's basically a hand-held salad.

Recipe: Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Mini phyllo shells are definitely a "go-to ingredient" when you need to serve a sweet treat that doesn't require a fork or spoon.

Recipe: Goat Cheese Tarts with Lemon-Fig Compote

Instead of cooking a frittata in a skillet, bake the egg mixture in a baking dish and then cut into rectangular pieces. You can serve them either warm or at room temperature. For another frittata recipe that you can eat with your fingers, see Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese.

Recipe: Onion Frittata Bites

Pizza wedges are perfect when you need a hearty party appetizer. Because of the sturdy Boboli crusts and a small amount of sauce, you can hold these pizzas bites in one hand and not make a mess.

Recipe: Barbecue Pizza Bites

The panko crumbs make these bite-sized crab cakes crispy and easy to pick up. In fact, they might be way too easy to pick up and pop in your mouth. If you're expecting a crowd, you'd better make extras because these will be gone fast.

Recipe: Panko-crusted Crab Cake Bites with Roasted Pepper-Chive Aoili

These 4-ingredient appetizer skewers are the perfect pick-up party food and an elegant addition to an appetizer menu.

Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Skewers

Offer a slightly more sophisticated version of pigs-in-a-blanket for your next football party. You only need 3 ingredients: chicken sausage, frozen puff pastry, and whole-grain mustard.

Recipe: Pigskins in a Blanket