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Christmas gatherings always start with a table of little bites. Guests arrive hungry, the main meal is still hours away, and a few good appetizers keep everyone happy while you finish in the kitchen.
Below are 16 Christmas appetizer ideas that I would be glad to set out on my own table. Some bake, some need no cooking at all, and most can be made a day ahead. Each one says what it is, how to make it and how to serve it. When you plan the rest of the day, pair them with our Christmas Eve dinner ideas and our Christmas cookies recipe.
1. Cranberry brie crescent wreath
SaveCredit: Tasting With Tina
This is the appetizer that makes people stop and look. Crescent dough is shaped into a ring and tucked with creamy brie and tart cranberries, so it looks like a holiday wreath on the table.
Bake it until the dough turns golden and the cheese softens, then serve it warm. Let guests pull off a piece, and keep a few extra cranberries nearby for garnish.
2. Cranberry baked brie
SaveCredit: WonkyWonderful
A wheel of brie baked until soft and topped with glossy cranberries is as easy as Christmas appetizers get. Nuts on top add a little crunch.
Bake just until the cheese is warm and gooey, then spoon on the cranberry topping. Serve it with crackers, sliced baguette and a few rosemary sprigs on the side.
3. Cranberry brie bites
SaveCredit: Chef Savvy
These little cups hold a bit of brie, a spoonful of cranberry sauce and a few chopped pecans. They are a one bite treat that disappears from the tray first.
Press crescent dough into a mini muffin tin, fill each cup and bake until the edges brown. You can fill them ahead of time and bake them right before the guests arrive.
4. Caprese wreath
SaveCredit: Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen
Tomatoes, basil and little mozzarella balls make a red and green wreath that needs no oven at all. The star shaped bowl in the middle holds balsamic glaze for dipping.
Thread or arrange the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella in a circle on a round plate. Drizzle with olive oil and glaze right before serving so the basil stays bright.
5. Christmas tree pull apart appetizer
SaveCredit: Reluctant Entertainer
Dough rolls with cheese are arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree, and everyone just tears off a piece. Kids love this one, and it is fun to bring to a potluck.
Fill the dough, set the pieces in a tree shape on a baking sheet and bake until golden. Sprinkle on a little parsley, serve with marinara and set it on a wooden board.
6. A Christmas charcuterie wreath
SaveCredit: Blackberry Babe
A wreath shaped board is a no cook way to feed a crowd. Sprigs of rosemary form the greenery, and salami roses, cheese, grapes and berries make it look festive.
Lay the rosemary in a ring on a round board, then add the cheese cubes, folded salami and fruit in groups. Tuck nuts and olives into the gaps and set crackers on the side.
7. Pigs in a blanket wreath
SaveCredit: Crayons and Cravings
Little sausages wrapped in crescent dough are a party favorite, and shaping them into a ring makes them look like a wreath. A bowl of ketchup sits right in the middle.
Wrap each sausage, arrange the rolls in a circle around an oven safe bowl and bake until golden. Brush on a little butter and add rosemary sprigs for the greenery.
8. Sausage stuffed mushrooms
SaveCredit: Natasha’s Kitchen
Mushroom caps filled with savory sausage and herbs are a warm bite that suits a cold night. They are hearty enough to hold people over until dinner.
Brown the sausage, mix in the filling and spoon it into the caps. Bake until the tops are golden and the mushrooms are tender, then finish with fresh parsley.
9. Cream cheese sausage balls
SaveCredit: The Country Cook
Sausage balls are a holiday classic in a lot of homes, and the cream cheese makes them extra tender. Sharp cheddar gives them a golden, cheesy crust.
Mix the sausage, cheese and biscuit mix, roll the dough into small balls and bake until browned. They freeze well before baking, so you can make a big batch in early December.
10. Cranberry pecan cheese ball
SaveCredit: Gimme Delicious
A cheese ball rolled in pecans and ruby red cranberries looks like an ornament. It is creamy, a little sweet and a little savory, and it takes about fifteen minutes.
Mix the cream cheese with cheddar and chives, shape it into a ball and roll it in the nuts and cranberries. Chill it until firm and set out plenty of crackers.
11. Bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese
SaveCredit: Lena’s Kitchen
Sweet dates, tangy goat cheese and salty bacon are a perfect mix for a grown up party. These are the kind of appetizer people ask you about.
Stuff each pitted date with cheese, wrap it in a half slice of bacon and bake until crisp. A little honey or a rosemary sprig on top finishes them.
12. Smoked salmon cucumber bites
SaveCredit: Skinnytaste
These light bites are a nice contrast to all the rich cheese and pastry. Cucumber cups hold a creamy smoked salmon filling with fresh dill.
Scoop out the middle of thick cucumber slices, spoon in the filling and chill until serving. They taste best on the day you make them.
13. Easy shrimp cocktail
SaveCredit: Dinner, then Dessert
Shrimp cocktail is a holiday favorite that looks elegant with almost no effort. The shrimp are poached gently, chilled and served with a zippy red sauce.
Poach the shrimp in seasoned water just until pink, then cool them quickly in an ice bath. Make the sauce ahead of time so the flavors have time to blend.
14. Christmas deviled eggs
SaveCredit: Dinner in 321
Deviled eggs are always the first to go, and tinting the whites in holiday colors makes them look like ornaments. Rosemary around the plate looks like greenery.
Boil and peel the eggs a day or two ahead, color the whites and pipe in the filling just before serving. If you keep hens like we do, fresh eggs make these taste even better.
15. Garlic parmesan puff pastry twists
SaveCredit: Veena Azmanov Kitchen
These buttery twists are made from store bought puff pastry, garlic and parmesan. They are crisp, golden and easy to eat while standing and chatting.
Spread the pastry with the garlic mixture, fold, cut into strips and twist. Bake until puffed and deep golden, and serve warm or at room temperature.
16. Cranberry jalapeno cream cheese dip
SaveCredit: An Affair from the Heart
Sweet cranberries and a little jalapeno heat spooned over cream cheese is a surprising crowd pleaser. The red color is perfect for Christmas.
Chop the cranberries with jalapeno, green onion and a little sugar, let them rest in the fridge and spoon the mixture over the cream cheese. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.
How to plan Christmas appetizers
Pick four or five and mix the kinds, one warm bite, one cold dip or board, one thing guests can pick up with their fingers and one that looks like a holiday centerpiece. That way nothing fights for oven space at the busiest hour.
Count on about five or six bites per guest if dinner is coming later, and double that if the appetizers are the meal. Do as much as you can the day before, like mixing dips, shaping cheese balls and filling cups, and bake the hot things as people arrive. Set the food away from the kitchen so guests do not crowd around you while you cook.
Christmas appetizer FAQ
What are easy Christmas appetizers? A cranberry baked brie, a cheese ball, a caprese wreath and a charcuterie board all come together with very little work. Pigs in a blanket and puff pastry twists use store bought dough and bake in about twenty minutes.
What can I make ahead for Christmas? Cheese balls, dips, deviled eggs, cucumber bites and shrimp cocktail all hold well in the fridge. Sausage balls can be frozen before baking, and brie bites can be filled a day ahead.
How many appetizers should I serve? Four to five kinds is plenty for most gatherings. Choose a mix of hot, cold and bite sized so there is something for everyone without filling people up before dinner.
