Moroccan Appetizers, Snacks and Finger Food

Moroccan Olives

Olives are used in Moroccan cooking, served as condiments or starters, and of course, set out for snacking. Almost any kind of cured olive will work on your appetizer table, but consider buying imported Moroccan olives such as those found at Mustapha's Moroccan online store.

Edam Cheese

This Dutch import to Morocco, dubbed "red cheese" because of its colorful paraffin wax coating, has become a standard, all-purpose cheese in Morocco. Add slices to miniature sandwiches, or cut it into small cubes when serving it as part of a cheese plate.

Sausage Stuffed Croissants

These savory stuffed croissants can be prepared in advance with either unleavened puff pastry dough or leavened croissant dough. In Morocco, merguez sausage is very popular, but you can substitute another variety if you like. Bake and freeze ahead of time, then pop them into the oven to reheat.

Cheese and Olive Pastries

These lovely puff pastry wedges with savory cheese, herb and olive filling will melt in your mouth. The addition of cured or cooked meat is optional. The pastries can be assembled in advance and frozen until baking time.

Olive Tapenade

Easy to make ahead of time, this black or green olive tapenade can be served as a dip or offered already spread on crackers or small rounds of crusty bread. You'll want to have a little on hand to give the tapenade its signature kick.

Briouats

These little fried pastries can be stuffed with sweet or savory fillings. In Morocco, they're made with a special paper-thin pastry called warqa, but outside of Morocco you can substitute phyllo dough or spring roll wrappers. Fry them ahead of time and reheat in the oven.

Stuffed Msemen

This tutorial will walk you through the process of making the delicious stuffed "pancake" known as msemen. The one shown here features a spicy onion filling, with the tutorial also linking to a recipe for a ground beef filling. All types of msemen, plain or stuffed, can be made ahead of time for easy reheating. Cut each pastry into quarters for bite-sized servings.

Stuffed Harcha

Harcha is a semolina bread which is cooked stove-top. This version is stuffed with a savory herb and cheese filling.​​

Moroccan Style Puff Pastry Strata

This quiche-like strata is completely enclosed in puff pastry. Layered with sauteed veggies, smoked turkey, and cheeses, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Arrange pre-cut squares on a platter, or simply place the casserole on the buffet for guests to serve themselves.

Kefta Puff Pastry Wrap

These savory kefta and cheese wraps make the perfect finger food to offer as a party or tea-time refreshment. Bake them ahead of time and then reheat when needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken and Egg Tagine

Fragrantly seasoned with ginger, saffron and cinnamon, this omelet-like chicken dish can be cut into small wedges or squares.

Fekkas

Fekkas are crunchy little gems that might take on a savory, cracker-like form such as the spicy fekkas shown here, or they may be presented as a sweeter, biscotti-like cookie. All fekkas work well for snacking or to set out as a munchy when casually entertaining.

Moroccan Dips

These cooked salads and bean purees are traditionally served as dips with crusty Moroccan bread (khobz). Shown here is a popular Moroccan spinach salad which may also be prepared with common mallow leaves.

Vegetarian Berber Pizza

This stuffed Berber flatbread is oven-baked. For party purposes, you may want to prepare several small loaves which can be cut into petite wedges. The Berber pizza can be baked ahead of time and then reheated in the oven before slicing.

Goat Cheese Spread

Honey, almonds, orange flower water and spices blend with goat cheese to make an appealing spread for Moroccan bread or crackers.

Roasted Almonds

Very easy to prepare, salted and roasted almonds are a popular snack or tea time offering. Present them alone in the dish, or alongside other nuts and dried fruit such as raisins.

Khobz b'Chehma

This stove-top stuffed bread gets its well-loved, classic flavor from an onion, parsley and suet filling. It's absolutely delicious and can be served cut into small wedges or prepared as personal-sized loaves.

Batbout

Cooked stovetop, this Moroccan "pita" bread puffs up creating a pocket that's perfect for stuffing with sandwich fillers of all kinds. Batbout can be made as small or as large as you want. For a party, consider making them bite-sized for a single serving, or into 3-inch or 4-inch rounds which can be cut in half.

Batbout Stuffed With Kefta and Caramelized Onions

Caramelized peppers and onions combine with seasoned kefta to make a pleasing, savory filling. The batbouts are stuffed prior to cooking, making them ideal to offer as ready-to-eat appetizers or sandwiches.

Batbout Stuffed with Chickens, Onions and Peppers

These stuffed, ready-to-eat sandwiches can be fully prepped in advance of serving, then reheated when needed. Make the seasoning as zesty as you like.

Caramelized Peanuts

Candied peanuts are another popular snack food in Morocco. They're not difficult to make, but be sure to cook slowly over a low heat to avoid burning (and ruining) the sugary coating.

Sardine Balls in Tomato Sauce

Skip the Swedish meatballs and try offering Moroccan sardine balls instead. Traditionally shaped into petite, marble-sized balls, they can be picked up with a toothpick or appetizer fork, or stuffed into small wedges of bread. Also, consider serving the following dishes in the same manner:

• Moroccan Meatballs in Butter Sauce
• Kefta Meatball Tagine (minus the eggs)

Moroccan Brochettes

These flavorful kebabs can be threaded onto mini skewers to make perfectly sized, perfectly delicious finger food. Prep them ahead of time, then grill or broil just prior to serving.

Stuffed Dates

Orange flower water and cinnamon are used to flavor the traditional almond paste filling in this easy stuffed dates recipe. Add them to your finger food spread for a sweeter touch.

Kefta Stuffed Rolls

Seasoned ground beef (kefta) and olives are used to stuff soft sandwich rolls prior to baking them. They can, of course, be made ahead of time and frozen until needed.

Kefta and Cheese Pastries

La Vache Qui Rit (Laughing Cow Cheese) is very popular in Morocco. Here, it's used to make a cheesy ground beef filling for tender baked pastries. You can substitute another favorite soft processed cheese if you like. Have them on hand in your freezer for easy reheating.

Bocadillo

Bocadillos are Spanish-influenced sandwiches. This one features tuna, cheese, rice, eggs. olives and veggies. Prepare it on a long baguette, then slice into 2-inch-wide portions for easy eating.