Some families go to church before they go on a community Easter egg hunt, some families go out for brunch, and some families enjoy a relaxed morning snacking on the contents of Easter baskets before doing a chill egg hunt at home with the neighborhood kids. But all familes who celebrate Easter have one thing in common: We're all about getting together and enjoying the community of the day. With that in mind, it doesn't matter to those who are hosting this year whether we're planning a big Easter dinner or an Easter brunch — there's always a need for appetizers ahead of time. Little ones' tummies (and if we're being honest, our own tummies!) tend to get pretty rumbly after a day of egg hunting (and for those of us who have an especially lazy Easter Bunny, egg hiding, too).
This is why planning a few appetizers for Easter is just an extremely solid plan for everyone involved. These don't have to be extremely snooty-fancy hors d'oeuvres, although to be honest, some of the absolutely easiest ideas we have really do feel extremely high-end, despite taking basically zero effort. Sometimes it's nice to make a tray of snacks that feel kind of elegant (and that taste great). That said, we have a couple of just super laid-back, kid-friendly options. (Spoiler: One of them involves frozen fried pickles. Okay, fine, they are frozen fried pickles. We just love these things, kids love them, and they're so much fun to snack on.) Most of the others, however, are that great balance of being super-tasty, phenomenally quick and/or easy to make, and they look refined enough on a platter that we can feel really, really good about serving them to anyone — including a very particular mother-in-law.
Psst: If purchasing an item on this list, CafeMom may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
Whole Foods Market Mini Quiche Assortment
How snazzy do these little things look? Tasty whether served hot or at room temperature, these are perfect to bring to an Easter gathering or set out after the egg hunt but before the big Easter feast.
Mini Quiche Assortment ($7, Amazon)
Asparagus Wrapped in Parma Ham
There are very few two-ingredient dishes that inspire as much love and delight as asparagus wrapped in Parma ham. It's also incredibly, intensely seasonal, using one of our favorite spring offerings (asparagus!) with one of our favorite Easter foods (ham!).
P.F. Chang's Home Menu Vegetable Mini Egg Rolls
Pick up a few boxes of these mini egg rolls, toss them in the oven, and boom — cute appetizers that everyone adores. It's not that homemade is overrated; it's that sometimes frozen is just as good.
P.F. Chang's Home Menu Appetizer for Two, Vegetable Mini Egg Rolls ($4, Amazon)
Veggie Cups with Hummus
DIY hummus is as simple as pouring some ingredients in a blender, but this dish is also wonderful with regular hummus bought from the store. To make these veggie cups with hummus, just spoon the hummus in the bottom of the cups, and people can walk around with a healthy little snack.
Boursin, Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese
Why is this stuff so perfect? Throw the whole thing on a serving platter, a couple of those little knives, and some crackers, and boom — that's an app everyone is going to love and took about four seconds to put together.
Boursin, Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese ($4, Amazon)
Pink Pickled Deviled Eggs
Pink pickled deviled eggs look so incredibly Easter-y, and although they're more complex than some of the other food on this list (we admit it's not "just open the container" levels of easy), this really is a very simple recipe that's great made a day ahead, too.
Salmon Mousse on Toast or Cucumber Slices
If a blender is available, making salmon mousse on toast or cucumber slices is a snap. For an even easier appetizer, use a premade salmon spread.
Blue Hill Bay Smoked Wild Alaskan Salmon Spread ($8.50, Instacart)
Fiorucci Pepperoni Panino
Pepperoni wrapped around mozzarella is s a classic for a reason. These are the perfect addition to a meat-and-cheese tray, or arrange them on their own for a simple app.
Fiorucci Pepperoni Panino ($6, Amazon)
Easy Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Artichoke is in season, and we just love this incredible, easy spinach-artichoke dip (even if we're using canned or frozen artichoke hearts, which, uh, yes, we are). Basically this dish just requires we know how to stir. Yes, please
Smoked Salmon Crostini
Wanna know a secret? "Crostini" is one of those words that sounds fancy – -and the little bites sure look fancy — but making them is really as simple as slicing up a baguette, throwing the slices on a cookie sheet, toasting them for a couple of minutes, and topping them with whatever. These smoked salmon crostini take 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven.
Roasted Beet Hummus
We love how incredibly colorful and bright this hummus is — feels super Easter-y to us! — not to mention how healthy a snack this is to keep everyone's blood sugar stable while waiting for Easter supper.
Whole Foods Market Spanakopita
We are so into these simple, elegant little phyllo dough pockets filled with a delicious, lightly spiced blend of spinach and cheese. Just throw them on a baking tray and toss them into the oven (turning once for maximum crispiness), and a few minutes later, out come perfect bites. They're best hot but also taste good once they've cooled.
Whole Foods Market Spanakopita ($5, Amazon)
Greek Lamb Meatballs
Um, yum. These Greek lamb meatballs are everything we adore about the Easter season — while we definitely celebrate spring produce, it's lamb that might be among our favorite spring flavors. Very classic.
Farm Rich Crispy Fried Dill Pickles
Look, sure, these don't necessarily scream Easter, but they do scream "extremely tasty apps that kids and adults are both going to be super duper into," which, frankly, is more to the point. Everyone will adore these.
Farm Rich Crispy Fried Dill Pickles ($8.50, Amazon)
Easy Shrimp Cocktail
Easy shrimp cocktail is a wonderful dish for providing a variety of semi- and demi-homemade variations. Pick up pre-cooked shrimp or steam at home, purchase bottled sauce or whip it up with a couple of simple ingredients.
Tuna-Stuffed Deviled Eggs
Tuna-stuffed deviled eggs are such an incredible, protein-packed snack — and they look delicious and elegant and wonderfully perfect for Easter, too. We adore this interesting variation on classic deviled eggs.
Crostini Topped With Brie
Crostini topped with Brie is basically a two-ingredient dish that looks and feels so fancy. Feeling extra? Throw a slice of strawberry and some chopped basil on top for serious va va voom.
Creamy Crab Dip
Creamy crab dip is one of those dishes that seems a lot fancier and more complex than it is. Just start with a tin of canned crab from the grocery store, and stir in some other stuff to create a delicious dip. Easy peasy.
Mini Frittatas
How incredibly cute are these mini frittatas? Using paper cupcake liners keeps the egg mixture from sticking to the pan. (Even if a nonstick is used, sometimes eggs get grabby.) Keep cleanup easy!
Guacamole in a Hurry & Sliced Veggies
This gucamole in a hurry recipe is such a lifesaver. It takes two seconds to make, and it's perfect served with crudites (or chips). And if time is really of the essence, pick up a tub of guac at the store.
Pin It!
Save these Easter appetizers to your Pinterest boards to make a tray of snacks that feel kind of elegant, but cook very easy!
