15 Finger Foods for a Party on a Budget

Bacon Wrapped Sausages — The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

The great thing about serving finger food at a party is that it lets people move around and mingle, rather than huddling around a communal bowl of guacamole. But what if you're on a budget? You could scroll through recipes for party snacks and try to figure out how much each recipe costs to make. Or you could let us do the work for you!

And that's exactly what we've done. We picked some of our favorite finger food recipes and calculated their cost per serving, making sure that each one costs about $1 per serving. We did this by checking the cost of the individual ingredients on Instacart, dividing by the quantity each recipe calls for, and then adding up the total.

For ingredients like salt, or dried herbs and seasonings, we added a few cents to the total, but for the main ingredients, like meat, cheese, dairy, flour, veggies and so on, we calculated the exact amount, based on how much those items cost. Prices might vary a bit where you live, but we think this method will give you our best educated guess as to the cost.

01 of 15

Deviled Eggs with Bacon Recipe

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Deviled eggs are a quintessential finger food. You can prepare and fill them a day in advance, then cover and store them in the refrigerator. This recipe calls for six eggs, but at around 52 cents a serving, you might as well double it and use the full dozen.
02 of 15

Bacon Wrapped Sausages

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Smoked sausages, bacon, and brown sugar are the core ingredients in a recipe that's sure to be a hit. They're really versatile in terms of when you serve them, whether as appetizers for holiday gatherings; and with honey-mustard, homemade ketchup, or spicy salsa. This recipe is about $1.24 per serving.
03 of 15

Stuffed Mushrooms With Spinach and Ham

Diana Rattray

These stuffed mushrooms are filled with minced ham, fresh bread crumbs, chopped baby spinach and seasonings, and topped with shredded mozzarella cheese. They work out to around 43 cents a serving.
04 of 15

Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Balls

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

These air-fryer mac and cheese balls are a quick and easy party appetizer, and if you use boxed mac and cheese, it's a true budget bite. We recommend the "thick 'n creamy" variety, as they will hold together better when you are forming the balls as well as when you are air frying. These are about $1 per serving.

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05 of 15

Bisquick Sausage Balls

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Bisquick sausage balls are an easy, hearty appetizer loaded with herbs and cream cheese. It’s the ideal, no-plate-needed finger food for a party. They mix up in less than five minutes, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. These are around $1 per serving.
06 of 15

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Leah Maroney

Ham and cheese pinwheels are wildly easy finger food that only take eight ingredients to make (one is which is store-bought pizza dough!). It's easy to throw them together in no time, they're a big crowd-pleaser, and at 71 cents a serving, they'll please your budget as well.
07 of 15

Cheddar Bacon Puffs

Diana Rattray

Bacon and cheddar cheese team up in these bacon cheese puffs, which are loaded with flavor, and make a great party snack. They're around 13 cents per puff, and makes 36 puffs, so we figure this to be about 39 cents a serving.
08 of 15

Crock Pot Party Meatballs With Tangy Sauce

Diana Rattray

These meatballs are flavored with a sweet-and-tangy barbecue sauce and are perfect for parties, holidays, potlucks, or game days. After baking in a 350F oven for 30 minutes, the meatballs finish cooking in a slow-cooker for 3 to 4 hours. This recipe makes 48 meatballs for 12 servings, so it's around 77 cents a serving.

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09 of 15

Parmesan Crostini Crisps

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

These simple Parmesan crisps are long, thin, crunchy, and flavored only with olive oil and real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. They're super to be popular, so make a lot. The recipe makes 24 crisps, or 8 servings, at 54 cents a serving.
10 of 15

Nutella Pastry Puffs

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

This warm, Nutella-oozing pastry puff is quick and easy, and it's made with store-bought puff pastry, and can be ready in about 35 minutes. This recipe is perfect as-is, but you could try adding some orange zest to the filling to punch up the flavor. The puffs are around $1 per serving.
11 of 15

Classic Cheese Straws

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Cheese straws are a popular party snack in the South and they're surprisingly easy to make. Mix the dough, roll it flat, cut into ribbons, then twist and bake. Use sharp cheddar for the best flavor and don't skimp on the cayenne! This recipe makes around 48 straws, or 12 servings, at 80 cents per serving.
12 of 15

Crescent Roll Pigs in a Blanket

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

These crescent-roll pigs in a blanket are the perfect finger food for a party or casual gathering, especially with kids. Cheddar and American are great melting cheeses to use. It's about $1 per serving.

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13 of 15

Baked Cheesy Spinach Balls

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

These spinach balls are incredibly delicious, easy to make, and ready in just 35 minutes. Made with tangy Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs, they're great as a meat-free party snack. This recipe makes 48 balls, or 12 servings, at around $1 per serving.
14 of 15

Olive Cheese Balls With Cheese Spread

The Spruce / Abby Mercer

These little cheese balls are made with a surprise olive center. The cheese dough is shaped around pimiento-stuffed olives, chilled, and then baked to perfection. The recipe makes 48 balls, or 12 servings, at 68 cents a serving.
15 of 15

Quick and Easy Popcorn Balls

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

These sweet, crunchy, and slightly sticky treats are easy to put together and make fun party snacks. And since popcorn is cheap, they'll fit your budget easily. The recipe makes 12 popcorn balls, at 22 cents each.

The 15 Best Finger Foods for a Party on a Budget