Inexpensive COLD Appetizers for a Crowd – Easy Potluck Appetizers, 3 Ingredient No Cook / No Bake Appetizers & Finger Foods, Cold Dip Recipes and More Cheap & EASY Cold Appetizers For Your Party Crowd.
From cold summer appetizers to easy cold appetizer ideas for a crowd, these simple three-ingredient cheap appetizers are perfect for your party or get-together even if you’re on a budget.
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Cold Appetizers & Finger Foods
Let’s talk COLD appetizers for parties and finger foods, too.
These 13 cheap and quick 3 ingredient cold appetizers are my favorite fast and easy recipes with few ingredients.
They’re perfect for any potluck, work party, church supper, summer BBQ, picnic, for fundraiser events, cold food buffet table, cocktail party appetizers, birthday party, grazing table, anniversary, family reunion, cookout party, graduation party or family gathering.
These cold buffet party finger food ideas are also cold appetizer examples of super simple No Bake / No Cook appetizers you can make in 5 minutes on a budget – even for a fancy event like a gala, cocktail party or wedding when you need elegant bite size cheap homemade party food platters for a large group!
These are also my favorite 3-ingredient appetizers for tailgating because they travel well, too (just like these potluck ideas here).
You can even dress up these cold appetizers and finger foods for a potluck to look elegant and fancy with toothpicks or fancy single serve stick skewers – only YOU will know how super simple they were to make!
In short, these are all quick and inexpensive appetizers for a crowd that YOU do NOT have to COOK – yay!
Inexpensive 3-Ingredient Cold Appetizer Recipes
These cold appetizer recipes below all have only 3 ingredients, are CHEAP to make, are super simple and insanely good appetizers to make ahead or make last minute on those crazy, busy days.
I’ll also share some tips and tricks that I do in order to make these easy and cheap appetizers for large groups more crowd pleasing AND shortcuts to make them extra easy to make.
I don’t know about you, but I got SO tired of recipes with ingredients and procedure that aren’t even realistic or EASY – that’s why I am collecting this list of super SIMPLE 3 ingredient finger foods and party appetizers.
I also have a bunch of picky eaters in my family so I adjust these cold apps to fit my hungry and PICKY crowd.
Also, if you need make ahead cold appetizers that travel well, these 3-ingredient recipes are the best appetizers and no cook finger foods to TAKE to a party, a potluck etc.
Potluck Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
There are only 3 simple ingredients in this cold appetizer: cherry tomatoes, cream cheese and mayo.
Yep that’s it!
3-Ingredient Cold Guac Dip For a Crowd
This guacamole dip doesn’t get any easier! Just mash up some avacados with some lime juice and salt. Throw in a dash or 2 of hot sauce if your crowd likes things a bit on the spicy side.
✅ Try these Potluck Main Dish Ideas For a Crowd
Here are more inexpensive ideas for large groups:
5-Minute Crab Dip Appetizer
Yep, you guessed it, only 3 ingredients and ready in only 5 minutes (or you can make it ahead of time!
It is SO good!
Cheap Salami and Cheese Bites
I love this super simple recipe – it’s salami bites filled with whipped cream cheese and pepperoncini peppers – SO good!
One of my all-time favorite fast and easy 3 ingredient cold finger foods for any appetizer table (we even take them tailgating!)
3-Ingredient Beer Dip
This beer dip recipe can be made with real beer, near beer, non-alcoholic beer – or no beer at all.
You can serve this dip hot, if you want, but we REALLY love it cold – it’s present at EVERY SuperBowl party in this house!
Turkey Roll Ups
I make these super simple turkey rolls up for all our family gatherings and parties.
Just toss the 3 ingredients together, roll them up in flour tortillas, then cut into “pin wheel” bite-sized appetizers.
You can even put some extra honey dijon dressing in a cute bowl to use as dipping sauce.
(note: the recipe actually calls for more than 3 ingredients, but I don’t put lettuce on mine)
Simple Fruit and Cheese Appetizer
Cold appetizers don’t get any easier than these fruit and cheese kabobs. Plus, they look fancy dancy lol!
Loaded Baked Potato Dip
Just 3 ingredients: sour cream, shredded cheese and bacon – it can’t get much easier than that!
(note: the recipe calls for hot sauce – which is totally optional and depends on your crowd’s tolerance of hot food lol!)
There are a LOT of easy ranch dip recipes for veggies or chips here if you want more easy cold dip recipe ideas.
Salad On a Stick
These are another big hit at our family potlucks.
In fact, I make them for all the wedding and baby showers I throw and as a simple super appetizer for ANY occasion.
And they look so pretty, don’t they?
Ranch Vegetable Cups
Now, these are pretty to look at, but my crowd doesn’t care for ALL those types of cold vegetables to dip. I make these vegetable cups with pre-cut carrots and celery and toss on some cherry tomatoes. Naturally you can use any fresh vegetables that YOUR crowd likes.
TIP: on really lazy or busy days, I’ll just squirt some Hidden Valley ranch dressing in the bottom of the cups.
If you want the Dill Vegetable Dip recipe:
Pickles In A Blanket
Now this easy cold appetizer can be made as fancy as you want, but let me tell you MY secret for making it SUPER easy.
You know those flavored Philadelphia cream cheese flavors?
Use one of those instead of trying to work that fancy cheese the recipe calls for.
SO much easier and, in my opinion, they taste better too.
3-Ingredient Chicken Salad Dip
I feel like I’m giving a secret here, but this chicken salad dip is THE easiest 3 ingredient cold party dip I’ve ever made.
It is SO good – and people think I actually COOKED the chicken and BOILED the eggs… haha!
What makes this such a fast and easy appetizer is that I use canned chicken breast (drained of course) and pre-boiled hard boiled eggs (yes, your local grocery store probably sells them right next to the carton of eggs).
I also toss in some sweet dill pickle relish – it gives it an extra good taste.
Set out some crackers and serve this appetizer dip COLD.
Roast Beef Bites
Want a cold MEAT appetizer idea? These roast beef bits are really good and they’re filling.
Plus they’re a nice addition to all the chips and dips and vegetables on the appetizer table.
Sometimes, we just need some MEAT, right?
Now, the recipe calls for some fancy bread you toast first, but I don’t do that.
I get those cute little bread squares in different flavors in the bakery area of my grocery store and put these together on that bread without toasting it.
That makes this cold finger food even easier to make – plus, my crowd likes them better that way.
Easy Appetizers For a Crowd
Ready for MORE easy, crowd-pleaser appetizer ideas?
Take a look at these 25 simple recipes (hot AND cold appetizer ideas)
More Easy Party Food Recipe Ideas
More Ideas For Cooking on a Budget:
– Large Group Breakfast Ideas You Can Make Ahead
– Simple Chicken Breast Dinner Recipes with Few Ingredients
– Leftover Thanksgiving Food Ideas
– 12 Simple Christmas Party Punch Recipes For a Large Groups
– Super Simple CHOCOLATE Fudge Recipes
– Fast and Easy Instant Pot “Dump Dinner” Recipes
– Easy Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas For a Crowd
– Cheap and Quick Potluck Ideas
– Make Ahead Smoothie Packs Recipes and Ideas
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==>> Inexpensive Cold Appetizers For a Crowd
Go back to a specific cold appetizer recipe:
- Cold Appetizers & Finger Foods
- Inexpensive 3-Ingredient Cold Appetizer Recipes
- Potluck Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
- 3-Ingredient Cold Guac Dip For a Crowd
- 5-Minute Crab Dip Appetizer
- Cheap Salami and Cheese Bites
- 3-Ingredient Beer Dip
- Turkey Roll Ups
- Simple Fruit and Cheese Appetizer
- Loaded Baked Potato Dip
- Salad On a Stick
- Ranch Vegetable Cups
- Pickles In A Blanket
- 3-Ingredient Chicken Salad Dip
- Roast Beef Bites
- Easy Appetizers For a Crowd
- More Easy Party Food Recipe Ideas
- St Patrick’s Day Potluck Ideas For Work or ANY Party Crowd
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