Are you on a budget but still looking for finger food dessert ideas? We have you covered with a list of 25+ flavorful options that won’t break the bank.
25+ Fancy Finger Food Dessert Ideas On A Budget
1. Basket Tartlets
How adorable are these little “basket” tartlets? You’re mixing art with cooking with this idea. Start by using a baking ring to make the double circle design (you’ll see it in the video) and cut your dough into long strips that you can twist together and use as the handles of a basket.
Bake, fill with cream, and top with whipped cream and a strawberry slice.
2. Mini Churro Cannoli Cups
All-purpose flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, water, oil, vanilla extract and cinnamon come together to help you make the tasty outer cups. Fill with a mixture of ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.
3. Phyllo Cannoli Cups
Want something similar to the last recipe but even easier to make? Forget making the cups by hand and choose phyllo cups instead. Bake your phyllo cups while mixing your mascarpone, ricotta, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in your stand mixer.
Add whipped cream and continue beating until well combined.
Fold in your chocolate chips, refrigerate for an hour and then fill the phyllo cups with the ricotta mixture.
4. Raspberry Cream Cheese Bites
Cream cheese bites are perfect for a list of finger food dessert ideas. You’ll make a puff pastry base that you fill with custard and raspberry cream. Top with whipped cream and a raspberry before sprinkling with powdered sugar.
5. Peach and Cream Cheese Mini Tarts
Impress your guests with this tasty tart recipe. You’ll make a flaky crust that you cook in a muffin tin and fill with cream cheese and peaches. Sprinkle sugar on top and you’re done. This is one of the easiest recipes on the list and it tastes divine.
6. Apple Flower Bites
If you want a more intricate dessert on your table, follow this recipe. You’ll roll out puff pastry and then coat it with an apricot preserve. In a bowl, cook thin apple slices in a water and lemon juice mix until they soften.
Place apple strips along the edge of your dough and then fold the dough over on one side.
Roll the dough up lengthwise so that it looks like a rose petal. Place inside a muffin tin cup and bake.
7. Mini Raspberry Cheesecake
You’ll make two main layers with this recipe: a crust and a cheesecake. Your crust is made of crushed Graham crackers, melted butter and granulated sugar. For your cheesecake layer, use cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract and sugar.
On top, you’ll add a raspberry preserve made from cornstarch, sugar, water and frozen strawberries.
I recommend using a hand mixer for this recipe to make it easier.
8. Raspberry Crumble Bars
Fit Waffle walks you through this simple recipe where she makes raspberry crumble bars. You’ll make a simple dough made of butter, sugar and flour. Split the dough ball in half and spread one of the halves on the bottom of an 8×8 square pan.
After baking for 15 minutes, you’ll top with a raspberry topping of frozen raspberries, raspberry jam, sugar, corn flour and lemon juice.
9. Oreo Balls
In terms of budget, these Oreo balls are the finger food dessert ideas that I like the most. No baking is involved, and all you need are:
- Oreos
- Cream cheese
- Chocolate
Smash your Oreos and mix them with cream cheese into small balls. Melt your chocolate and dip them in the chocolate. Allow to cool on a baking sheet before serving.
Related: 25+ Delicious Finger Food Mini Desserts to Impress Your Guests
10. Mini Sugar Cookie Tarts
Small tarts filled with cream and topped with fruit are easy to make, healthy and taste great. For the tarts, you can buy them from the store to save you time. Fill the tarts with cream, top with blueberries and strawberries and serve.
11. Easy Mini Cheesecake Bites
Preheat your oven to 325F while lining an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Place the following ingredients in a medium bowl:
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Sugar
- Melted butter
Combine until you achieve a sand-like texture and then press the crust mix into the bottom of the pan using a measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes, add your batter over the crust and bake again. Cool for four hours or overnight.
12. Mini Fruit Tarts
Add an Italian option to your finger food dessert ideas this year. Light yet delish, these tarts are filled with cream. You’ll make your tarts from scratch using all-purpose flour, lemon, egg yolk, sugar and milk.
Sugar, eggs, lemon, vanilla extract, apricot conserves and fresh fruit are used to make the filling.
13. Berry Tart
While similar to the previous recipe, this berry tart offers smaller finger foods that taste just as good. You’ll start by spraying a mini muffin pan and filling it with homemade shortbread crust. The author recommends using a cold stick of butter to make it more tender.
You’ll then whisk custard made from milk, vanilla bean paste, egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch and unsalted butter.
Top with the berry of your choice.
14. Cherry Cheesecake Bites
Small, decadent cheesecake bites like this are packed with the flavor of a sweet cherry pie filling. You’ll use a puff pastry sheet for the “cup” and then make a filling with:
- Cherry pie filling
- Cream cheese
- White granulated sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
For the icing, you’ll need powdered sugar and milk.
15. Mini Vanilla Cheesecake Bites
Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners. Combine butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar together. Press 1 tbsp into each liner and then work on your filling of:
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Salt
Beat until everything combines well together and then spoon into your crusts until it’s near the top. Bake for 20 minutes and allow to cool.
16. Boston Cream Pie Cookies
Thirty-six mini cookies that taste this good? Sign me up. You’ll use yellow cake mix for the shell. Use cream, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla pudding for the filling. Top with semi-sweet baking chips.
Related: 25+ Simple No-Bake Desserts to Impress Your Guests
17. Tiramisu Tartlets
Delightful Italian tartlets like these are made with a homemade coffee ganache and a cream mixture made of:
- Whipping cream
- Mascarpone cheese
- Caster sugar
- Vanilla extract
Remodr walks you through this recipe step-by-step, but you need to start the prep at least three days ahead.
18. Snickers Brownie Bites
Soft brownies made from real cocoa, vanilla, eggs, flour, salt, granulated sugar and butter are topped with a “Snickers” frosting made of:
- Butter
- Caramel sauce
- Cream
- Powdered icing sugar
- Peanut butter
- Chopped salted peanuts
You’ll combine your brownie ingredients in a bowl and spoon them into your prepared pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes and set aside to allow it to cool. Make your frosting using a stand mixer, spoon it into a piping bag and then decorate the top of the brownie.
Add your caramel sauce and chopped peanuts at the end.
19. Mini Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bites
Bite-sized finger food dessert ideas like these are made with a cheesecake and a caramelized topping. You’ll make your cheesecake bites out of a handful of ingredients:
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Sugar
- Vanilla
Simple and easy to make, place your crackers in a food processor and pulse. Add your melted butter and sugar next. Place into muffin tins and then make your cheesecake filling. Fill the graham cracker cups, bake and refrigerate for at least four hours.
20. Lemon Meringue Pie
A crisp, buttery shell and a tart lemon curd come together perfectly with the golden meringue on top. Use all-purpose flour, fresh lemon juice and zest, unsalted butter, vanilla paste and ice water for the crust.
Lemon filling consists of salt, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and three large eggs.
For your meringue topping, you’ll need sugar, egg whites, salt and vanilla extract. The hardest part? Making the meringue requires constant mixing and just the right consistency.
21. Nutella Wontons
Fill your wontons with a rich Nutella filling and butter. While you’ll find a lot of variations to this recipe, one of the best uses hazelnuts, wonton wrappers, Nutella, egg white, powdered sugar and oil for deep frying.
It’s as simple as filling your wrappers, frying and then sprinkling powdered sugar on top.
22. Mini Cheesecakes
Graham cracker crumbs and butter make up the base of these cheesecakes. Similar to many recipes on the list, you’ll combine with melted butter and then press into a lined muffin tin. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
- Softened cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs (one at a time)
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy cream
- Cornstarch
Pour your mix into your cooled cups and then bake. Remove, cool and then add a thin layer of brown sugar.
23. No Bake Banana Cream Pies
Hello Yummy shares a banana cream pie that has a graham cracker exterior, creamy banana filling and small banana pieces on top. And all this recipe requires is mixing, so there’s no wait time before you bite into them for things to cool.
24. Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets
Mini tartlets filled with an intense chocolate ganache and caramel practically melt in your mouth. You’ll make your tarts from plain flour, icing sugar and salt. Place the ingredients into a food processor and once mixed well, add in your cold cubed butter.
Related: 15 Easy Puff Pastry Desserts to WOW Your Guests
25. Berrylicious Cheesecake Tacos
Dessert tacos like this are such a fun idea. You’ll make a sweet shell filled with a cheesecake mix. Top with your favorite berry jam, such as cherry or grape. And for your tortilla, you’ll only need:
- Tortilla
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Unsalted butter
26. Mini Peach and Cream Cheese Tarts
For the final idea on the list, we have a mini peach and cream cheese tart that you’re going to love. Your ingredients are all-purpose flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, granulated and powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, butter, cream cheese and water.
And of course, once you’ve made your tart, you’ll top it with your cream cheese and then a peach slice. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top before serving.
