20 Easy Canape Recipes

These easy canape recipes are guaranteed to impress at your next party.

A French word for finger foods, canapes are basically fancy appetizers.

It doesn’t get much fancier (or delicious!) than these impressive and inventive recipes.

You can eat these snackable, scrumptious treats in one bite.

Serve them around at parties for the ultimate hors d’oeuvres, or just make a bunch for brunch. There are canape recipes for all occasions!

There are a lot of delightful options here, no matter your food preferences or dietary needs.

This list of 20 canape recipes includes vegetarian bites, gluten-free nibbles, and low-carb snacks. 

If you like the sound of tangy goat cheese canapes, pear and pancetta crisps, or cranberry brie puffs read on. Let’s get canape crazy!

1. Cucumber Canapes

Light and fresh, cucumbers are a great choice when you want a canape that won’t weigh you down.

Here, cukes team up with feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil.

It’s a deceptively simple appetizer that looks as if you’ve been laboring over it for hours, but it comes together in minutes.

Oh, and it tastes amazing, too. 

2. Beef and Caramelized Onion Canapes

Juicy roast beef and silky caramelized onions are the perfect pairing. 

This recipe makes them even better by loading them onto a crusty baguette along with a hint of horseradish. 

Serve as an easy hors d’oeuvre, or make double (or triple!) and enjoy for lunch.

3. Shrimp Canapes

Plump shrimp, fresh herbs, and melty cheese make up this canape.

Up your app game with these delightfully different bites.

Guests will gobble them up, and the family will fight for more. It’s best to make a big batch before things get out of hand.

4. Mushroom Canapes

Have vegetarians coming for dinner? Don’t sweat it.

Kick things off with a plate of these yummy mushroom canapes, and everyone will go home happy.

Chopped mushrooms are blended with parmesan, mayo, and onion rings to make a rich, salty, savory paste.

Spread on tiny rounds of rye bread and watch them disappear.

5. Goat Cheese Canape

These tangy, fresh goat cheese canapes are a must-try for cheese-lovers, vegetarians, and fussy foodies.

Goat’s cheese is whipped together with cream cheese for a rich, silky spread.

Loaded onto crusty baguette rounds, and topped with pesto, this is the ultimate dreamy, decadent appetizer.

6. Canapes with Garlic Herb Cream Cheese and Avocado

Flavorful finger food doesn’t get any better than these tiny treats.

Herbed cream cheese is infused with garlic and topped with avocado on a slice of sourdough. 

This is the recipe for you if you want a creamy crostini that looks just as fresh, summery, and delicious as it tastes.

7. Smoked Salmon Dill Canapes

You’ll need a mini-muffin pan to make these smoked salmon appetizers with a croustade base.

What’s a croustade? It’s a bread or pastry crust – made here by pressing brown bread into small muffin moulds and baking until firm. 

Once you have your crust, things get really interesting.

The delicious mini-bread bowls are filled with a mix of creme fraiche, dill, smoked salmon, and a hint of zesty citrus.

8. Caprese Canapes

If you love Caprese salad, you’ll love this easy recipe that piles the classic Italian favorite onto tiny rounds of crusty bread.

It takes about ten minutes to pull these fancy Caprese canapes together.

They’re bursting with Mediterranean flavor. They have thick slices of juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and marinated basil.

Yes, you read that right. The secret ingredient here is fresh basil marinated in balsamic vinegar to ramp up the flavor.

My mouth’s watering just thinking about it.

9. Tuna and Egg Canapes

These simple but satisfying canapes are great as an appetizer, but work equally well as a light lunch.

Rich in healthy protein, they’re satisfying, nutritious, and very irresistible.

Flaky tuna is mixed with shredded egg and a creamy garlic mayo. Spread on a baguette and snack away!

10. Roasted Garlic Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Canapé

This vegetarian recipe delivers a classy canape with complex flavors.

The richness of roasted garlic is perfectly balanced with sweet sun-dried tomato and tangy goat’s cheese.

Easy yet elegant, it’s one of those recipes that makes you look like a culinary wiz.

You can even make them ahead of time to cut down on your party prep.

Serve, smile, and glide around the party like you were born to host upscale gatherings with amazing nibbles.

11. Canapes with Egg and Chives

If you have a lot of eggs in the fridge, I highly recommend whipping up these protein-rich, oh-so-good canapes.

Simply mix together creamy cheese, garlic mayo, egg, and fresh chives. Pile it onto whatever bread you have handy, and voila!

This is a breakfast/lunch/anytime kind of light bite. 

12. Pear, Goat Cheese, And Pancetta Crisps Appetizer

Have the in-laws coming round? Make an impression with these classy pear, goat cheese, and pancetta crisps.

Ripe, late-summer pears are perfect for this aromatic app.

They add a bright but subtle sweetness to the salty pancetta and rich cheese.

Drizzle with spiced honey before serving and you’ve got a wow-worthy dinner party favorite.

13. Whipped Feta Apple Hazelnut Canapés

Nuts, fruits, and cheese – these veggie canapes are loaded with dazzling tastes and textures.

They’re also ideal if you’re gluten-free. Unlike conventional canapes, there’s no bread in this recipe. 

Instead of toasting a baguette or slicing up sourdough, the crunchy base here is apple.

Yep, thick rounds of crisp, firm apple are topped with smooth, whipped feta, toasted hazelnuts, and a light drizzle of honey.

It’s so light, fresh, and delicious, you won’t even miss the bread.

14. Mushroom Bell Pepper Canapes

These guilt-free nibbles achieve the holy grail of canapes, being both healthy and delicious.

Bell peppers are one of the most nutritious veggies out there.

High in vitamin C and disease-fighting antioxidants, they’re not just yummy, they’re a great way to sneak more superfoods into your diet. 

Both red and yellow bell peppers are loaded onto garlicky cream cheese and served on sliced bread.

It’s a colorful plate-full of goodness that works for both easy snacking, casual get-togethers, or just served on the side at your next brunch.

15. Beet Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Basil

These colorful canapes certainly look the part with vibrant red beets, creamy goats cheese and fresh green basil to garnish. 

But it’s not just about appearances. These morsels follow through with loads of flavor from the sweet earthy beets to the aromatic basil.

You can prep these ahead of time, but don’t assemble them too soon or your bruschetta might turn soggy.

It’s also a good idea to bring the cream cheese to room temperature first. No one likes fighting with cheese that refuses to spread. 

16. Parmesan Crisps

Something magical happens when you grate and bake parmesan. First it melts, then it hardens into a crispy, crunchy, golden brown delight.

Is it a crisp? It is a chip? Who cares. This is the canape of your dreams, so stop asking questions and just make them already.

17. Salami and Cream Cheese Bites

Canapes aren’t just about putting stuff on bread. If you’re grain-free or just want something a little different, you can mix it up with these mini-rolls.

Cream cheese is swirled around salami slices and rolled up into a tiny wheel of yum.

With just three ingredients, you can put together a platter within minutes.

18. Apricot and Goat Cheese Canapes

Goat’s cheese has a unique, tangy taste that’s often combined with fruit to offset the sour with a little sweet.

Here, apricot adds balance to this rich, creamy snack.

A touch of fresh rosemary adds even more flavor and crunchy toasted almonds provide the perfect finishing touch.

They may be small, but these bite-sized nibbles contain some big tastes.

19. Tomato Basil Bruschetta

This is the perfect appetizer for people who like their canapes filling, flavorful, and delicious.

And it’s surprisingly simple.

Just pile chopped tomatoes over toasted bruschetta, throw in some fresh basil, and drizzle with olive oil. 

Snack time is fun time with this gloriously fresh and flavorful recipe.

20. Cranberry Brie Puffs  

If you never know what to cook for holiday dinners or festive feasts, bookmark this never-fail recipe.

Tart cranberry and creamy brie shine in a soft, flaky pastry crust. Serve them warm and watch them vanish. 

And these can be as simple or as complicated as you like.

Use store-bought puff pastry and cranberry sauce on busy nights, or go the extra mile and make your own.