Yay! You are hosting a party! Look at you, you social butterfly, you. But, uh oh, now you have to feed all these (five) people (sure, it’s not a huge party, but we’re still proud of you). Whatever shall you do?! Never fear, because we have a snack for every partygoer—sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy, gluten-free, and everything in between. So, peruse our helpful list of the best snacks for parties, and I’m sure you’ll find something that floats your esteemed guests’ respective boats.
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Some of the best snacks for parties are tried-and-true classics. And Classic Lay’s have “classic” right there in the name. If someone at your party doesn’t like these, they are simply wrong. Ask them to leave. Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo called these “exceptional” and “delightfully fatty and rich,” as well as “pleasantly greasy and salty, making them one of the more addicting chips out there.” If your guests are all huddled around a bowl of addicting Lay’s having an engaging chat, there’s no way they aren’t going to have a great time.
Related: No Need for a Chip Clip, It’s the 12 Best Lay’s Flavors
- Good & Gather Classic Onion Dip
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What can I say? She is beauty, she is grace, she is the absolute queen of all things oniony. Good & Gather Classic Onion Dip is just as good as anything you’d make yourself, and all you have to do is take the lid off the container, scoop it into a bowl, and lie to everyone about how you made it yourself. “This tastes homemade in the best way possible,” Sporked senior writer Jordan Myrick wrote in their ranking of the best French onion dips. “It’s super thick and creamy, and tastes more like cream cheese than sour cream, which is heavenly.” This stuff goes well with everything from crudité to Lay’s potato chips to Wheat Thins. It is my firm belief that there is not much you could dip in this dip that would not taste good.
Related: Best French Onion Dip: Get Ready to Party with the Best French Onion Dip
- Fresh Finds Cheese Puffs
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Every party needs cheese puffs. To remember that, here is a fun li’l mnemonic, PPPP: puff parties p-are p-better. Was that helpful to you at all? Probably not, but it was fun to write. And since you must have cheese puffs at your party, you may as well have the best. Not only are these cheese puffs “completely orange throughout” unlike Cheetos, which are yellow in the middle, Danny also found that the “salt, fat, and powerful cheesiness of the Fresh Finds Cheese Puff was too decadent to be beat.” These puffs beat out Cheetos in the Sporked team’s taste test, believe it or not! Get some of these for your next party and you will not be disappointed. The cheese flavor is truly extreme with these ones.
Related: Best Cheese Puffs: Start Cheesin’ With the 9 Best Cheese Puffs
- A Bowl of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos That Are Damp for Some Reason
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Why are they always damp? Am I just at the wrong parties? Please advise.
- Cool Ranch Doritos
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In their ranking of the best Doritos flavors, Jordan called these “absolute perfection … literally zero notes.” Agreed, Jordan. And you know who else will agree? Every guest at your dod derned party, that’s who! What can I say, the people love Cool Ranch, they just do. Those who don’t like cheesy snacks can eat them, those who don’t like spicy snacks can eat them, and even people who flat-out hate everything have been known to still love Cool Ranch Doritos. Get them—the crowd will, indeed, be pleased.
Related: The Best Doritos Flavors, Ranked
- Kettle Honey Dijon
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Honey mustard pretzels are a dime a dozen, but mustard-flavored potato chips? These’ll get your guests talking. In his ranking of the best Kettle Chips, Danny called this flavor “powerfully rich and deliciously savory.” Plus, they’re really loud and crunchy, so if guests want to drown out any cringey conversations, they can just stuff their faces with these.
Related: The 10 Best Kettle Chip Flavors, an Extra-Crunchy Ranking
- Glutino Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels
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What?!? A gluten-free option?! Yep, this list is cool like that. Plus, it is a gluten-free option that is actually better than some of the non-gluten-free brands of the same product. These are that good. Don’t believe me? Jordan called these “sensationally crunchy” and “some of the best chocolate-covered pretzels we tried, including the regular gluten-full pretzels!” If you are going to have chocolate-covered pretzels at your party, these are a great way to ensure that every guest can partake in the sweet-and-salty glory that is chocolate-covered pretzels—whether or not their body is able to handle the mighty protein that is gluten.
Related: Best Chocolate Covered Pretzels: The Top 4 Will Make You Flipz
- Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah
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If you were reading this article and thinking to yourself, “But Jessica, none of these things are snazzy enough for my sensational charcuterie soiree,” then this one’s for you. Never fear, you sophisticated adult, you. This cheese is just the thing for your meat and cheese board. Jordan called this “one of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted in my life,” and having tried it myself, I can vouch for the fact that this is one deliciously well-balanced cheese. Jordan said it was so good it didn’t even need salami or fig jam. Plus it has “the most wonderful element you can find in a hard cheese: crunchy flavor crystals.” This is a cheap cheese that both looks and tastes expensive. What’s not to love?
Related: Best Trader Joe’s Cheese: 7 Best Cheeses at Trader Joe’s
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!