Snacks, Dips and Things to Bring
These are the recipes you need at short notice and for other people. That makes two things matter that almost never do elsewhere: how well they scale, and whether they survive being carried somewhere.
A dip that separates in the car is a different recipe from one that does not, and the card will not tell you which you have.
12 recipes to start from
Each one opens as a recipe page here, with the ingredients and timings, and credits the creator who published it.
01
Cannoli Dip Recipe
andianne.com · 15 min · makes 10
Made with ricotta cheese, cream cheese at and mini chocolate chips. 15 min, makes 10, 6 ingredients.
02
Chocolate Quinoa Bliss Balls
andianne.com · 1h 30m · makes 12
Made with quinoa, whole and raw pumpkin seeds. 1h 30m, makes 12, 10 ingredients.
03
Chocolate Granola Butter Banana Bites
caileeeats.com · 2h 15m · makes 4
Made with bananas and lilly's sugar free chocolate chips. 2h 15m, makes 4, 5 ingredients.
04
Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
caileeeats.com · 4h 20m · makes 20
Made with bananas and unsweetened dark chocolate chips. 4h 20m, makes 20, 5 ingredients.
05
Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites
countryroadssourdough.com · 1h 22m · makes 8
Made with sourdough discard and instant yeast. 1h 22m, makes 8, 11 ingredients.
06
Crispy Potato Balls
drveganblog.com · 40 min · makes 4
Made with potatoes, dried oregano and smoked paprika. 40 min, makes 4, 12 ingredients.
07
Peanut Butter Protein Balls
eatwithclarity.com · 10 min · makes 16
Made with honey, quick oats and ground flax seeds. 10 min, makes 16, 7 ingredients.
08
Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites
emmasplate.com · 1h 45m · makes 24
Made with packet instant yeast, honey and pizza sauce. 1h 45m, makes 24, 18 ingredients.
09
Irish Nachos
funmoneymom.com · 40 min · makes 4
Made with russet potatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bacon. 40 min, makes 4, 10 ingredients.
10
Bruschetta Dip
funmoneymom.com · 25 min · makes 6
Made with full-fat ricotta cheese, cream cheese and grape tomatoes. 25 min, makes 6, 15 ingredients.
11
French Dip Sandwiches
grillnationbbq.com · 3h 45m
Made with round of eye roast, bread loaves and shredded swiss cheese. 3h 45m, 18 ingredients.
12
Pulled Pork Queso Dip
grillnationbbq.com · 12h 20m · makes 10
Made with pork butt, your favorite pork seasoning and mild cheddar cheese. 12h 20m, makes 10, 16 ingredients.
What makes these different to organise
- They scale by headcount, and the published servings are usually meaningless for a party.
- Serving temperature decides half of them. A dip that is good warm and bad cold needs that noted.
- Most can be made ahead, which is the entire reason to have this collection, but recipes rarely say how far ahead.
- Transport is a real constraint. Note what travelled and what did not.
How to build it
- Note how far ahead you actually made it and whether that was fine.
- Record whether it travelled well. That is the thing you will want to know at short notice.
- Scale by people rather than by servings.
- Keep the ones that need no oven separate. They are the ones you can make anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead can I make a dip?
It varies more than recipes admit, and dairy-based ones often separate. Note how far ahead you made yours and how it held, since that is the detail you will need next time under pressure.
How do I scale a snack recipe for a party?
By headcount rather than by the published servings, which are usually set for a meal rather than a table of things to pick at.