The Best Christmas Appetizers of All Time

These elegant Christmas appetizers offer a full range of festive deliciousness from cheesy or meaty to crispy or creamy to spicy or tangy.

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Keep it classic with crowdpleasers like Bacon-Wrapped Dates and Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip, or pair Calamari Toast with Hawthorn Sweet and Sour Sauce and Garlic-Butter Steak Bites for surf-and-turf-style snacking. Read on for even more ideas to serve the best Christmas appetizers at holiday gatherings.

01 of 25

Green Peppercorn-Marinated Feta

Marinating cubed feta is a low-effort move with big-flavor results. Pair it with crackers and fruit to anchor a cheese board.

Get the Recipe

02 of 25

Grape, Walnut, and Labneh Crostini with Spicy Honey

Grape, Walnut & Labneh Crostini with Spicy Honey — Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Toasted sourdough is topped with creamy and tart labneh, roasted red grapes, toasted walnuts, and a drizzle of hot honey in this recipe adapted from cookbook author Adeena Sussman.

Get the Recipe

03 of 25

Gougères with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Prosciutto

Smoked Salmon and Caviar Gougeres — Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

These cheesy puffs look fancy and come together in minutes. We topped ours with slivers of prosciutto and smoked salmon and dollops of caviar and crème fraîche, but any toppings will do.

Get the Recipe

04 of 25

Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne

Mushroom Toasts with Delice de Bourgogne — Eva Kolenko

Délice de Bourgogne, a triple-crème cheese that's even more luscious than Brie, is topped with pan-roasted mushrooms and herbs in this elegant appetizer from Top Chef winner Kristen Kish.

Get the Recipe

05 of 25

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip

Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip. You can also try preparing these make-ahead meatballs with ground beef or a plant-based meat alternative, such as Impossible.

Get the Recipe

06 of 25

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

These two-bite quintessential cocktail party scallops are quick and easy to prepare. The bacon adds a nice smoky flavor, but you can also use prosciutto or pancetta.

Get the Recipe

07 of 25

Four-Layer Caviar Dip

Layers of creamy egg salad, crisp red onion, herbed cream cheese, and salty, briney caviar come together in a beautiful molded dip that serves up an entire caviar platter in one dish.

Get the Recipe

08 of 25

Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip

Filled with four kinds of cheese and plenty of tender artichoke hearts, this dip is creamy with a crisp, golden top. Be sure to drain the thawed frozen spinach well to avoid excess water, which can break the cheese sauce.

Get the Recipe

09 of 25

Calamari Toast with Hawthorn Sweet and Sour Sauce

This crunchy party appetizer from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Lucas Sin is inspired by classic Chinese shrimp toast. Here, Sin combines calamari and shrimp for the crispy fried toast-topper. Sweet and tangy haw flakes — Chinese sweets made from the fruit of Chinese hawthorn — flavor the dipping sauce.

Get the Recipe

10 of 25

Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans

This iconic Southern hors d'oeuvre is a classic for good reason — it's easy to put together, looks polished on a platter, and boasts an irresistible savory flavor. Be sure to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes in advance so it has plenty of time to soften before mixing up the cheese ball.

Get the Recipe

11 of 25

Smoked Sausage Wreath

Smoked sausage encased in crisp puff pastry forms a festive, edible wreath that’s perfect for holiday entertaining. A layer of lingonberry jam lends a sweet-tart flavor that balances the smoky sausage.

Get the Recipe

12 of 25

Carrots en Croûte

Carrots en Croute — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This filling appetizer stars roasted carrots wrapped in flaky puff pastry. For best results, look for carrots that are five to six inches in length. Pre-roasting carrots with curry, honey, and thyme balances their natural sweetness with rich, savory flavor, making them a satisfying stand-in for sausages.

Get the Recipe

13 of 25

Cheesy Sausage Cocktail Toasts

For these tasty toasts, cookbook author Andrea Slonecker borrows from the nostalgic flavors of her childhood and swaps creamy mascarpone and robust Taleggio for the Velveeta in her grandmother's original version. "The topping can be made a few days ahead, and it's as straightforward as browning some Italian sausage and melting in the cheeses," she writes.

Get the Recipe

14 of 25

Garlic-Butter Steak Bites

These quickly stir-fried beef bites deliver all the savory luxury of a steakhouse-caliber steak. The buttery, velvety sauce coats every piece nicely, and the vermouth's herbal richness pairs perfectly with the savory Worcestershire. Serve as an appetizer with toothpicks, or enjoy over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Get the Recipe

15 of 25

Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives

Buttery, mild Castelvetrano olives add just enough salt and tang to these fried sausage snacks that pair beautifully with a crisp martini or chilled glass of wine. Use a high quality Italian sausage for the best texture and flavor.

Get the Recipe

16 of 25

Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush

After a whirl in the food processor, brussels sprouts and tahini come together to form a creamy dip in this riff on baba ghanoush. Chef Michael Solomonov serves it topped with more roasted brussels sprouts and hazelnuts alongside warm pita for dipping.

Get the Recipe

17 of 25

Stilton-Stuffed Pickled Peppers

Two high-impact ingredients — funky Stilton cheese and pickled sweet or spicy peppers — come together to form the ultimate one-bite snack. Pickled peppers, like spicy peperoncini and mild Peppadew, are packed with enough flavor to stand up against strong cheeses. You can use most blue cheeses here, including Gorgonzola and Roquefort.

Get the Recipe

18 of 25

Duck Liver Pâté with Blackberry Conserva

The tartness and texture of the blackberry conserva is a nice contrast to the rich, silky pâté. Spoon leftover blackberry conserva on pancakes, waffles, or ice cream.

Get the Recipe

19 of 25

Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas

Bourekas are crisp, savory little parcels filled with anything from vegetables and cheese to ground meat. Inspired by his grandmother's recipe, Zahav chef Michael Solomonov's version is stuffed with sweet potato, Bulgarian feta, dill, and olives.

Get the Recipe

20 of 25

Ricotta and Roasted Grape Crostini

Culinary and visual storyteller Athena Calderone's signature aesthetic comes through in this striking appetizer. Roasting the grapes concentrates and deepens their sweetness. Serve with a fresh, fruit-forward Champagne.

Get the Recipe

21 of 25

Crudités and Fermented Soybean Dip

Crudites and Fermented Soy Bean Dip — Greg DuPree

Chef Katianna Hong keeps this appetizer simple, pairing just-picked vegetables with a thick, tangy soy dip. Her dip is the perfect way to show off whatever fresh vegetables you can get your hands on. You can find soybean paste and fermented soybeans in syrup at Korean markets or online.

Get the Recipe

22 of 25

Herbed Salmon Tartare with Chips

Impress your Christmas dinner guests with this easy-to-make herbed salmon tartare. The combination of both fresh and hot-smoked salmon, cucumber, cornichons, and crème fraîche comes together in a snap for an appetizer with an appealing range of textures and flavors.

Get the Recipe

23 of 25

Pigs in a Blanket with Black Pepper Pastry

Chef Jen Pelka loves serving Champagne with playful bite-size foods like pigs in a blanket. To take them up a notch, she brushes the puff pastry with a tasty mix of honey, mustard, and fresh black pepper before rolling up with the hot dogs and baking.

Get the Recipe

24 of 25

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

A perfect cocktail snack, bacon-wrapped dates are chewy, crispy, sweet, savory, and smoky all at once. Plump and tender Medjool dates are stuffed with a mixture of blue cheese and cream cheese, and a toasted walnut stands in for the pit. Fresh goat cheese could easily be swapped for the blue cheese, and roasted salted almonds can replace the walnuts. For sweeter stuffed dates, drizzle them with honey before serving.

Get the Recipe

25 of 25

Pimento Cheese with Salt-and-Pepper Butter Crackers

Chef and television personality Carla Hall makes her own crunchy crackers to serve with her cheese spread, a riff on a Southern classic. The pimento cheese can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for one week.

Get the Recipe

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!