Recipes

83 Christmas Appetizers to Keep Hungry Relatives at Bay

Reduce the stress and increase the cheese.
A creamy spinach and artichoke dip recipe filled to the brim of a crusty sourdough bread bowl.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens

Overachievers, we hear you and we see you, but when it comes to Christmas appetizers, our two keywords are easy and achievable. ’Tis the season to actually enjoy your party by choosing easy appetizer recipes that are low-lift, crowd-pleasing, and make-ahead-friendly (which ensures you have time to clean the kitchen before your guests arrive). Think cheesy puff pastry pinwheels, spiced pecans, and stovetop spinach dip. Or cook even less: Dress up a cheese board with fun finger foods like marinated red peppers or festive cheese balls guests can dip into with homemade pimento crackers.

Whatever you do, remember to minimize stress: Making Christmas dinner for the family is already a big undertaking. Save the savory croquembouche for when you aren’t hosting the in-laws (gah!) and bake a tray of jalapeño popper gougères instead. With the Christmas appetizers taken care of, you can focus on glazing the ham, mashing the potatoes, and—most importantly—drinking.

  • Image may contain Food Bread Cracker Seasoning and Sesame
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li
    1/83

    Salty-Sweet Party Mix

    Whether you prefer the buttery richness of classic party mix, or you’re on the sugarcoated puppy chow team, this recipe has you covered. 

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Egg Platter and Meatball
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks
    2/83

    Kuku Sibzamini With Lemon Yogurt

    These Persian potato fritters are miraculously crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and taste best dipped in a quick ‘n’ zesty yogurt. 

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  • Image may contain Cutlery Fork Food Dish Meal and Plant
    Photograph by Isa Zapata.  Food Styling Cyd McDowell.  Prop Styling by Paige Hicks
    5/83

    Mortadella Wedge Salad

    It’s not like a regular wedge; it’s a cool wedge—and by cool we mean stuffed with pickled jalapeños and paper-thin slices of mortadella and drizzled with tangy buttermilk dressing.

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  • Yuzu Kosho Deviled Eggs recipe
    Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    6/83

    Yuzu Kosho Deviled Eggs

    The Japanese condiment yuzu kosho provides a jolt of heat and citrus that make these eggs taste as invigorating as the first warm day of spring.

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  • Rustic shrimp toast on blue plate
    Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown
    7/83

    Rustic Shrimp Toasts

    Shrimp tossed in garlic mayonnaise and griddled on thick bread—as good as a late-night snack, as a handheld appetizer, or a quick weeknight dinner. 

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Platter and Bread
    Photographs by Mamadi Doumbouya, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Shannon Maldonado
    8/83

    Creamy Shrimp on Crackers

    Tangy cream cheese and sour cream play up the shrimp’s natural sweetness in this summer appetizer.

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  • Ham and Cheese Hand Pies With Honey Mustard recipe
    Photographs by Josephine Schiele. Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    9/83

    Ham and Cheese Hand Pies With Honey Mustard

    These savory hand pies are flaky, melty, and, thanks to a package of frozen puff pastry and sliced deli ham and cheese, really simple to assemble.

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  • Spiced Pecans in a bowl
    Photograph by Jessica Pettway, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    10/83

    Spiced Pecans

    Eat these pecans by the fistful or sprinkle them liberally on salads or grilled veggies for deep flavor and crunch.

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  • This image may contain Human Person Confectionery Food and Sweets
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    11/83

    Spinach and Feta Tarte Soleil

    The most impressive appetizer to “casually” pull out of the oven when your friends come over (and it also happens to make a nice Thanksgiving snack for while the turkey rests—just sayin').

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  • Creamy French Onion Dip recipe
    Photographs by Emma Fishman
    12/83

    Creamy French Onion Dip

    The love child of French onion soup and French onion dip. Need we say more?

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  • A platter of crushed ice topped with poached tailon shrimp lemon wedges and a bowl of cocktail sauce with a spoon.
    Photo by Alex Lau
    13/83

    BA’s Best Shrimp Cocktail

    Shrimp cocktail is all about the shrimp: big, fat, perfectly cooked gorgeous shrimp. Here’s how to do it.

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  • Image may contain Food Bread Dish and Meal
    Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
    14/83

    Rye and Caraway Crackers

    The caraway is just a starting point. You can use another whole spice if you like (fennel seeds and cumin work well); keep the quantity the same.

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  • Jalapeño Popper Gougères recipe
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    19/83

    Jalapeño Popper Gougères

    These light and eggy cheese puffs are channeling your favorite bar snack.

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  • Image may contain Food Food Presentation and Plate
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman
    20/83

    Marinated Peppers With Basil and Garlic

    On a cheese plate, in a sandwich, over scrambled eggs—is there anything that isn't improved by a spoonful of silky marinated peppers? (No.)

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  • Boiled Peanuts with Chile Salt at Tailor in Nashville TN
    Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    27/83

    Boiled Peanuts With Chile Salt

    Boiled peanuts tossed with chile and coriander remind Vivek Surti, chef at Tailor in Nashville, of Cajun peanuts from Southern gas stations, but also of India.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Egg Platter Animal and Bird
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Jennifer Ophir
    28/83

    Basically Buffalo Wings

    Want crispy-spicy chicken wings without having to deep-fry at home? We got you.

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  • Image may contain Plant Dish Food Meal Fruit and Platter
    Photo by Alex Lau
    31/83

    Figs With Bacon and Chile

    This figs recipe is sweet, salty, sticky, and acidic—everything you want in a one-bite appetizer.

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  • A bowl of quartered marinated eggs sitting in their soybased pickling liquid topped with sesame seeds.
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel
    32/83

    Soy-Marinated Eggs

    What’s better than a jammy egg? One that’s been sitting in a tangy-salty marinade.

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  • This image may contain Food Dish Meal Pizza and Tent
    Heidi's Bridge
    35/83

    Garlic Knots

    Dusting with garlic powder first, then flour, is essential for a proper rise.

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  • Smoky Carrot Dip recipe
    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    36/83

    Smoky Carrot Dip

    A sweet and smoky roasted carrot dip with chickpeas, almonds, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. We could eat it by the bowlful.

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  • Plate of deviled eggs garnished with parsley with tobasco sauce on the side
    Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi
    37/83

    Simple Does It Deviled Eggs

    The filling for these eggs is coarsely mashed and studded with crunchy celery and scallion.

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  • This image may contain Food Pork Ham Cake Dessert and Birthday Cake
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
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    Mortadella Moments

    This party-ready dish hits all the right notes—bready, fatty, pickle-y—in a single bite-sized portion, delivering maximum satisfaction with the least amount of friction.

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  • This image may contain Plant Food Dish and Meal
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    43/83

    Lemon-Pepper Salami Bites

    Bright citrus and fresh-ground pepper put a festive spin on two party staples: Cured meat and Marcona almonds.

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  • Popcorn with buffalo dressing on white and red plate
    Photograph by Jarren Vink
    44/83

    Buffalo Wing Popcorn

    Why this spicy caramel popcorn didn’t already exist, we have no idea.

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  • Image may contain Food Bread Croissant and Bun
    Jarren Vink
    45/83

    Hogs in a Pretzel Blanket

    Put a tray of these in the oven when the first guests show up.

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  • This image may contain Food Seasoning Sesame Burger Confectionery Sweets and Plant
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    46/83

    Pimento Cheese Crackers

    The highly addictive, melt-in-your-mouth cheddar cracker is all grown up thanks to a little heat from the cayenne and a hint of sweet pepper from the pimento.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Lunch and Platter
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    47/83

    Onion-Dip Potato Chips

    We made these homemade onion-flavored chips to be even more addicting than the store-bought versions.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Bread Produce Fruit Dish and Meal
    Alex Lau
    48/83

    Herbed Baked Brie

    Big group? Go for the show-stopping giant baked brie recipe. Smaller party (or can’t find the large size)? Smaller wheels are perfect, and the cook time is the same.

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  • Image may contain Bowl Food Dish Meal Breakfast and Plant
    Alex Lau
    57/83

    Cacio e Pepe Chips

    Cacio e pepe works on so many things, this chips recipe is just our latest obsession with using the whole flavor combination.

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  • This image may contain Food Plant Dish and Meal
    Photo by Laura Murray
    58/83

    Toasted Sambal Cashews

    Double the recipe. Triple the recipe. Quadruple the recipe. Whatever. It doesn’t even matter. However many cashews you make, it will never be enough.

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  • Image may contain Confectionery Food Sweets Bread and Hot Dog
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    63/83

    Crispy Cheese Twists

    Store-bought puff pastry + shredded cheese = the easiest, flakiest, most irresistible dinner party snack of all time.

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  • Image may contain Food Breakfast Egg Bowl and Meal
    Alex Lau
    64/83

    Relish Tray with D.I.Y. Eggs

    Smoked almonds and black olives are our suggestions for this appetizer, but use any nut or olive that you like.

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  • Image may contain Food and Bread
    Photo by Chelsie Craig
    71/83

    Spicy Cheddar Cheese Spread

    An easy, cheesy dip you can serve this with pretzels, your favorite kind of crackers, or a platter of crudités.

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  • A platter of breaded fried mozzarella sticks with a sidecar of marinara for dipping.
    Alex Lau
    72/83

    Mozzarella Sticks

    If you’re short on dried herbs for this mozzarella sticks recipe, just compensate by using more of another. But please, don’t use pre-seasoned fine crumbs; the crunch factor will suffer.

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  • wedges of honeydew melon wrapped in thinly sliced lox and garnished with dill.
    Peden + Munk
    77/83

    Honeydew and Lox

    This recipe puts a spin on prosciutto and melon by swapping in smoked salmon for the salty dry-cured ham.

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  • This image may contain Food Bread Cracker and Pretzel
    Photo by Chelsie Craig
    78/83

    Pretzel Bites

    These pretzel nubbins are crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

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  • Image may contain Food Bread and Plant
    79/83

    Roasted Eggplant and Pickle Dip

    Plenty of creamy Greek yogurt keeps this baba ganoush-esque dip light and tangy. Briny half-sour pickle bits provide bright pops of contrast, but any chopped pickle-y thing—think spicy peperoncini, giardiniera, or full-sour cukes—would work great too.

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  • Clam dip recipe
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    80/83

    Clam Dip

    If what you really want is a delicious clam dip that comes together in less than 15 minutes, this recipe is for you.

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  • This image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable Meal Bean Green Bean and Dish
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
    81/83

    Cucumbers With Ajo Blanco Sauce

    This ajo blanco sauce is rich from almonds, tart with sherry vinegar, and plenty garlic-pungent, it’s what we’re putting on everything we’re making this season.

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  • Image may contain Food Breakfast Oatmeal Plant and Produce
    Alex Lau
    82/83

    Seedy Oat Crackers

    This crackers recipe features a variety of seeds—the combination of colors and textures is certainly impressive.

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  • Curried Egg Tartines recupe
    Photographs by Emma Fishman
    83/83

    Curried Egg Tartines

     Fried bread is good. A slice of fried bread piled with creamy, curried egg salad is even better. 

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Mehreen Karim was formerly the Recipe Production Assistant at Bon Appétit, where she built recipes and stories for bonappetit.com. She also developed recipes and wrote stories to help readers discover unlikely food combinations (caramelized dates and asparagus) and cooking hacks (how to grill chicken without a grill) to inspire home ... Read More
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