To make sure your guests don’t starve in the living room while waiting for dinner to hit the table, there’s nothing better than serving hors d’oeuvres and bites—and even if they look fancy, it’s so easy to make your own. Here are some tips and tricks to assemble canapés worthy of the chicest cocktail dinner parties.

A few bite rules

1. An appetizer should be eaten with your fingers, with as few utensils or containers as possible.
2. Avoid saucy items or foods cut too coarsely.
3. If you want to serve meat, opt for very thin shredded or sliced meats that you can put on a canapé.
4. Serve both cold bites that don’t require last-minute prep and hot bites—not too many, to avoid overcrowding the oven.
5. If you serve multiple bites, consider offering several types, such as vegetarian, cheese, vegetable, meat and deli options, as well as fish and seafood.

The right base

There are almost as many bases to put those bites on as there are actual bites. And they go far beyond a simple crouton made with a baguette. Here are some ideas to vary your bite bases:

Breads and crackers: walnut bread, bagel chips, wheat crackers, flavoured crackers

Fruits and vegetables: baby potato halves, cucumber rings, hollowed-out cherry tomatoes, stuffed endives, lettuce wraps, apple slices, pear slices

Miscellaneous: stuffed eggs, blinis, stuffed dates, corn chips

The ideal garnish

The sky’s the limit when it comes to original toppings to please your guests. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. These tips will help you come up with your own combinations.

Balance flavours and textures

To create the perfect topping without necessarily following a recipe, there must be a good balance between acidity, texture, fat and salt. By checking all these boxes, your bites should be a success.

Contrast with your base

The toppings must be in contrast with your base. For example, a dip or spread must have a solid or crispy base to support it, while a crunchy filling on a crouton may be difficult to eat.

Enhance the toppings

It doesn’t have to be complicated to make a bite that looks chic. You can enhance a simple commercial terrine or cheese on a crouton with a hint of strong mustard, a few sprigs of chives or pickled vegetables.

Dairy choices

Cheese and hors d’oeuvres go hand in hand and there are several dairy products that make fresh bites, including preparations made with labneh, sour cream or yogurt dips and spreads.

For a nice cheese platter, choose a few soft and firm cheeses and accompany them with nuts, dried fruit and an acidic condiment such as chutney or fruit compote.