The Best Christmas Appetizers for a Holiday Dinner Party

Whether you’re looking to serve something cold or hot before your holiday meal, these are the best Christmas appetizers for the job. From cranberries and pomegranates to festive shapes and flavors (plus a few must-have favorites), these recipes are perfect for the holiday season.

The best easy and tasty Christmas appetizers

I love entertaining during the holidays, but with everything going on I am always crunched for time.

So I like to serve Christmas appetizers that will give everyone something to munch on while I’m putting the finishing touches on the holiday dinner.

They need to taste great and be easy to make.

And I like to have at least one for guests with different diet restrictions, such as vegan and gluten-free. (But it has to be good so everyone will eat it.)

Here are some of my favorite recipes.

1 | Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadsticks

Christmas tree spinach dip breadsticks

Spinach dip breadsticks are an awesome appetizer on their own.

But making them in the shape of a Christmas tree is makes them perfect for a holiday party appetizer!

Find the recipe at itsalwaysautumn.com.

2 | Slow cooker spinach artichoke dip

chips being dipped into artichoke dip

If you prefer a traditional dip, then making spinach artichoke dip in a slow cooker is the way to go.

You can set it up ahead of time and don’t have to worry about it getting cold.

Then put out tortilla chips, pita bread, crackers or even vegetables on a platter for dipping and you’re all set.

Get the spinach artichoke recipe

3 | Crock pot cheese dip

Crockpot Velveeta Rotel cheese dipe

If spinach and artichoke aren’t your thing.

Or you just want a super-easy dip that still tastes amazing, this crock pot cheese dip is for you.

I make it for every get-together I host. It’s that good.

Get the cheese dip recipe.

4 | Cranberry and Brie Bites

Just the mention of either cranberries or brie makes me start thinking about the holidays.

So combining the two of them together makes a perfect holiday party appetizer.

Get the recipe from kitchensanctuary.com.

5 | Cranberry Salsa Bites

Speaking of cranberries, these cranberry salsa bites are really easy to make and everyone loves it.

This cranberry salsa tastes so good, I’m even thinking of replacing the turkey dinner cranberry sauce with this recipe.

I like to combine them with guacamole on chips to create a green and red holiday tray.

Get the cranberry salsa recipe.

6 | Sparkling cranberries

sugared cranberries on a cutting board with a piece of brie cheese

For a sweeter cranberry appetizer, these sugared cranberries are delicious and super-easy to make.

I usually put them out around the room in small dishes. Sometimes with nuts, trail mix or brie cheese. And they always disappear quickly!

But they would always work really well on a Christmas charcuterie board.

Get the sugared cranberries recipe.

7 | Tamari roasted almonds

tamari roasted almonds recipe

Similar to the sugared cranberries, these tamari roasted almonds are perfect for putting out in small dishes or adding to a Charcuterie board.

They’re easy to make in advance and add a little pizzazz to standard almonds.

Get the recipe.

8 | Slow Cooker Cranberry Orange Meatballs

Anything made in the slow cooker is perfect for a party in my books.

And when it’s meatballs with cranberry and orange, it definitely makes the list of holiday appetizers.

Find the recipe at momontimeout.com.

9 | Christmas Tree Cheese and Cracker Tray

For a holiday version of cheese and crackers, lay them out in the shape of a tree and you’ll have an appetizer that doubles as holiday decor.

Get the recipe from mynameissnickerdoodle.com.

10 | Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites

Looking for a healthier appetizer?

Then these finger food appetizers made with spinach, feta and quinoa are just the thing.

And they’re naturally gluten free, in case you have guests with that dietary restriction.

Find the recipe at aggieskitchen.com.

11 | Spiced Pear and Pomegranate Crostini

Spiced pear and pomegranate crostini

How pretty are these spiced pear and pomegranate crostini appetizers?

With the spices and pomegranate, they’re a little slice of the holidays on a plate.

Get the recipe from goodlifeeats.com.

12 | Mini Cheese Ball Bites

Mini cheese ball bites on a cutting board

These appetizers come with a built-in toothpick, which makes them really easy to serve.

And who wouldn’t love their own mini cheese ball on a pretzel?

Get the recipe from fivehearthome.com.

13 | Three Cheese Ball

triple cheese ball with crackers on a plate

For a little less work, you can always make a traditional cheese ball.

This recipe uses 3 different cheeses to create a great flavor combination.

And it’s super easy to make.

Get the three cheese ball reicpe.

14 | Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

Vegan stuffed mushrooms

For the vegetarian in your crowd, these vegan stuffed mushrooms are just the thing.

But they taste so good that the meat eaters will love them, too!

Find the recipe at theprettybee.com.

15 | Classic deviled eggs

Overhead of classic deviled eggs on a plate

I serve deviled eggs at pretty much every get-together I host. (And often take them with me to other people’s parties, too.)

This classic recipe is loved by everyone. (And is naturally gluten-free).

And it has a couple of secrets to making them that drastically cuts down the prep time.

Get the deviled eggs recipe.

Other Christmas recipes you might like

Or browse all our appetizer recipes.

Have comments or questions on are Christmas appetizers for a crowd? Tell us in the section below.

This post was originally published on December 11, 2018 but was updated with new content on March 19, 2024.


Sharing is caring!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *