Whether you’re having guests over for dinner, drinks or you’re hosting a party over the holidays, this delightful selection of canapes are the perfect appetizer that guests to nibble while they wait for the main event, or keep them going throughout the evening. 

For a fancy upgrade on chips and dips, they make the perfect accompaniment to a games’ night and work even better alongside holiday cocktails or celebratory champagne cocktails. You could even make these quick bites for a movie night or lazy lunch at home when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.  

Easy Canape Crostinis  

Want an easy canape recipe? Look no further. This easy selection can be whipped up easily within minutes. Choose one topping for speed, or make all three toppings for a little bit of something for everyone. For the crostini base, slice a baguette on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and bake for 7-8 minutes at 190C until just crisp, then rub with the cut side of half a garlic clove, before topping with one of the following:  

Tomato, Basil & Mint Topping: For a fresh topping, choose the tomato, basil, and mint. Roughly chop tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil in a small bow. Rip up the basil and mint leaves and add them alongside salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on top of the baguette slices.  

Cannellini Bean Topping: To get a protein boost, place cannellini beans in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, season, and mash roughly with a fork. Cut prosciutto slices in half. To arrange, place rocket on top of the baguette slice, spoon on the cannellini topping, then finish my scrunching the prosciutto on top.  

Goats Cheese Topping: Mash the goat's cheese with a fork in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and cut the figs into eight pieces. Spread the cheese spread over the baguette slice, arrange the fig pieces on top and scatter mint leaves on top before drizzling with a little balsamic and honey. These easy canapes are a great option if your guests have arrived and short notice, and you need to whip up some tasty nibbles in a flash! 

Ingredients 

For The Crostini Base:  

• 1 baguette  
• extra virgin olive oil  
• 1 garlic clove  

For The Tomato, Basil, And Mint Variation:  

• 2 large ripe tomatoes  
• extra virgin olive oil  
• small handful basil and mint leaves  
• pinch sugar (optional)  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper  

For The White Bean, Basil, Prosciutto, And Rocket Variation:  

• 100g/3½oz canned cannellini beans  
• 2 slices prosciutto  
• a small handful of wild rocket  

For The Goats’ Cheese, Fig And Balsamic Variation:  

• 100g/3½oz rindless soft goats’ cheese  
• 2 fresh figs  
• a small handful of mint leaves  
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar  
• honey, for drizzling 

Beetroot & Garlic Mushroom Blinis  

These vibrant vegetarian canapes make a colorful addition to a buffet spread or tray. The creamy beetroot mixture combined with rich, garlicky mushrooms makes for a taste sensation! In bowl whisk together the blini ingredients until smooth, then leave in a warm place for 30 minutes until frothy. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and brush with melted butter. 

Gently drop teaspoonfuls of batter into the pan about 5cm apart, and cook for about a minute and a half before turning to cook the other side. Cook in batches until the batter has been used up.  

You can make these in advance and heat them later for a few seconds in the microwave.  

For the topping, in a food processor, whizz beetroot, Creme Fraiche, and ricotta until coarse. Season well then stir in the chopped dill and chill until you’re serving up. Melt butter in a large frying pan, add the mushrooms and garlic, and fry until deep golden in color. 

To serve, put the blinis on your favorite platter or stand, spread with a teaspoonful of beetroot mix, add a few mushrooms and garnish with a small sprig of fresh dill for festive feels! 

Ingredients  

For The Blinis:  

• 150g buckwheat flour  
• 7g sachet fast-action yeast  
• 250ml milk warmed to blood temperature  
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten  
• 25g butter, melted, for frying  

 For The Topping:  

• 150g vacuum-packed beetroot  
• 3tbsp creme fraiche  
• 125g ricotta  
• Small bunch dill, half roughly chopped  
• 40g butter  
• 250g button mushrooms, sliced  
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp  

Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, these delicious coconut shrimp canapes are super easy to make and served with sweet and spice dipping sauce – so simple, yet so tasty, *and* they’re healthy! Bursting with coconut flavor, these are the ideal crowd-pleaser, but keep a couple back for yourself before you offer these out – they’ll be gone before you know it!  

Whisk all the chili sauce ingredients in a small bowl, cover with wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to dip! To make the coconut shrimps, peel and devein the raw shrimps with their tails left on, then in three separate bowls, dip the shrimp in the flour mix, then the egg mix, then the breadcrumb and coconut mix. Place the shrimp on a prepared baking tray and bake for about 12 minutes, or until crispy and lightly golden.  

Serve with your sweet chili sauce and some lime wedges. If you want to turn up the spice, add paprika to the seasoning breadcrumb mix. If you have a sweet tooth, try adding some pineapple to the sweet chili sauce. Plus, these can work well without the coconut too if you’re not a fan. Instead, add more panko breadcrumbs. For the coconut mix, shredded, rather than flakes are best, but it doesn’t matter if it's sweetened or unsweetened. 

Ingredients 

 For The Shrimp:  

1 Large Shrimp, 21-25 count peeled and deveined with tails left on  

• ¼ Cup Whole Wheat or gluten-free flour  
• ½ Tsp Kosher Sal  
• ½ Tsp Garlic Powder  
• ¼ Tsp Onion Powder  
• 2 Large Eggs beaten with a fork  
• 1½ Cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut  
• ½ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs  
• Olive oil cooking spray  

  For The Sweet Chili Sauce:  

• ¼ Cup Sugar-free apricot preserves  
• 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar  
• 1 Garlic Cloves minced  
• 1 Tsp Chili Flakes or to taste 

Turmeric Chickpea Fritters 

This tasty vegetarian canape can also be used as an easy plant-based meal, to serve with a salad, or in a pitta, for a quick, healthy lunch idea. It’s super simple and contains a wealth of good-for-you ingredients. Turmeric is the wonder spice, traditionally used in Ayurveda, that delivers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It fights chronic stress on the body to keep you healthy, and nutritionists often recommend a helping of the superfood every day. Chickpeas are packed full of protein and fiber to keep your gut healthy and are willing to keep cravings at bay too.   

To make, add flax egg to a food processor or high-speed blender. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and minced garlic, sauté until brown, struggling often, for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly then add to the food processor with the flax egg. 

Next, add panko breadcrumbs, parsley, vegan parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, coconut sugar, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper, and 1tsp of olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend until small bits remain, scraping down the sides if you need to. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

For the coating, mix vegan parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs then set aside. Scoop out 1tbsp of dough and gently roll into balls, until you have about 15. Roll each ball in the coating mixture. Heat the same pan as before, once hot, add enough oil to form a thin layer on the bottom of the skillet, then add fritters.  

Add more oil as needed. Brown than for 4-5 minutes. Shake the pan to roll them around and brown them on all sides. Transfer to a baking tray and oven bake for 12-15 minutes. At this point, you can make some delicious dipping sauce. 

Once they’re golden brown and fairly firm to the touch, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for one month. Plus, they’re gluten-free and vegan! 

If you’re entertaining this holiday, why not apply some simple Feng Shui updates to attract good energy into your home?  

To nail the ultimate gin and tonic, try this guide to crafting a sharp, tasty one, even if you’re going alcohol-free. 

Ingredients 

 For the Chickpea Fritters:   

• 1 batch flax egg (1 Tbsp (7 g) flaxseed meal + 2.5 Tbsp (37 ml) water as original recipe is written)   
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (divided // plus more for sautéing)   
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 cloves yield – 2 Tbsp or 12 g)   
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (gluten-free for GF eaters)   
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)   
• 3 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese   
• 1 Tbsp hulled white sesame seeds or hemp seeds (optional)   
• 2 tsp coconut sugar   
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric   
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin   
• 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper   
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (1/2 lemon yields – 1 Tbsp or 15 ml)   
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (drained, rinsed, and thoroughly dried)   

   For The Coating:   

• 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese   
• 3 Tbsp panko bread crumbs (gluten-free for GF eaters)   
• For Serving (Optional):   
• Pita or Lettuce Cups   
• Onion (sliced)   
• Tomato (sliced)   
• Fresh parsley (chopped)   
• Garlic Dill Sauce