15 Easy Mother’s Day Appetizers

Most Mother's Day appetizers don't all need to be made at the same time. Some can wait in the fridge while you prepare coffee, drinks or the main meal. Others are better finished closer to eating, especially anything with toasted bread, puff pastry or phyllo.

Collage of easy Mother’s Day appetizers with strawberry bruschetta, mini quiches, asparagus pastry twists and smoked salmon cucumber rolls.

I've grouped these appetizers by when to make them, so you can divide the work if you want to. The dips, sandwiches and chilled bites can be done first. The crostini and warm pastry appetizers are better left for later.

If you're hosting brunch, the cold and make-ahead recipes will do most of the work. If the meal is later in the day, you'll have more time for the warm bites, but I still suggest choosing at least one appetizer that can be made in advance.

Make these ahead and chill

These are the ones I would start with. If you are tight on time, you could choose only recipes from this section and still have enough small bites ready before everyone arrives.

Whipped Feta Dip

The food processor does most of the work here. Add feta, sour cream, olive oil, garlic and black pepper, and you'll have a smooth, salty dip in a few minutes. You can make it ahead and keep it chilled until you are ready to add vegetables, pita chips, breadsticks or crackers.

Sour Cream and Chive Dip

This is a quick cold dip made with sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh chives, garlic and black pepper. It takes only a few minutes, so you can either make it ahead or leave it for the end if you already have crackers or vegetables ready. I like this kind of recipe when there are a lot of other things going on in the kitchen.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are hollowed out and filled with a cream cheese mixture with parmesan, dill, parsley, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika. You can make them several hours ahead and keep them chilled. They are small, colorful and easy to pick up.

Mini Cucumber Sandwiches

Salt the cucumber slices first and pat them dry. This helps keep the bread from getting soggy. The cream cheese filling has mayo, mustard, dill, black pepper and a small amount of soy sauce, which adds a savory flavor without taking over. You can make these a few hours ahead, but if you want them to look their best, I suggest preparing them shortly before serving.

Rainbow Fruit Platter

You can wash and cut the fruit ahead, then arrange everything closer to eating. The platter has strawberries, raspberries, mandarins, pineapple, grapes, blueberries, mini marshmallows and a lemon cream cheese dip. It's a good one to add if you want a Mother's Day snack idea that is lighter and a little sweet, but not a full dessert.

Puff Pastry Mini Quiches

Mini quiches are a good choice when you want something more filling but still small enough to eat by hand. These are made in puff pastry cups with eggs, parmesan, spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper, spring onion and parsley. You can eat them warm or cold, so they are easier to fit around the rest of the meal.

Freshly baked mini quiches in a muffin tin.

Assemble shortly before eating

You can prep parts of these ahead, but I would finish them closer to serving time. Bread, cucumber, mozzarella and fruit all look and taste better when they have not been sitting too long.

Caprese Salad Bites

Use cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls and fresh basil for these small skewers. A little olive oil, salt and pepper is enough. They don't take long to make, so I would leave them for later rather than having the mozzarella sit out too early. Skip the cups unless you like serving skewers that way.

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls

Thin cucumber strips are wrapped around cream cheese, smoked salmon and arugula, then finished with dill. I would roll these near the end of prep because cucumber releases moisture as it sits. They are no-cook, so you don't need oven space for them.

Strawberry Bruschetta

Toast the baguette first, then add cream cheese and the strawberry topping closer to eating. The strawberries are mixed with balsamic vinegar, basil and honey, so you get a sweet and tangy bite without making dessert. It's a nice one for Mother's Day brunch if you want something with berries.

Smoked Salmon Crostini

Let the toasted baguette slices cool before adding cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon, dill and chives. This one is simple to assemble once the bread is ready. It also feels right for brunch without being too heavy.

Pear and Goat Cheese Crostini

Toast the baguette ahead if you want, but keep the topping separate until just before serving. The goat cheese and ricotta mixture goes on with pear slices, honey and hazelnuts. If the crostini sits too long after assembling, the bread will start losing its crunch.

Prosciutto Fig Crostini

You only need a baguette, three figs and a little prosciutto to make 24 crostini. That makes this a good appetizer when you want a salty-sweet bite without buying a lot of ingredients. Arugula and pesto keep it from tasting too sweet.

Bake or finish warm near the end

I would leave these until the chilled appetizers are already done. Anything with puff pastry, phyllo or melted cheese is better when it has just been baked.

Parmesan Asparagus Pastry Twists

Asparagus is wrapped in puff pastry, brushed with egg, sprinkled with parmesan, and baked until golden. They take about 25 minutes from start to finish. You can put them in the oven while the last brunch dishes are coming together.

Baked Feta Bites in Phyllo Pastry

Feta cubes are wrapped in phyllo pastry, baked, and finished with honey and sesame seeds. Make sure the phyllo does not dry out while you are working with it. These are best when the pastry is still crisp and the cheese is warm.

Pesto Crostini with Cheese and Tomatoes

I make these crostini quite often, especially when I have a jar of pesto open. The baguette slices are topped with pesto, cheese, cherry tomatoes and basil, then baked until the cheese melts. Assemble them shortly before baking so the pesto does not soak too much into the bread.

Make these ahead and chill

Assemble shortly before eating

Bake or finish warm near the end

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