With Christmas steadily approaching, that means you’ll have hungry company, too. You’ll likely need some appetizers to tide them over while the main feast is cooking and we’re here to help you out. Listed below are 21 of the best Christmas appetizers for a festive holiday feast.
What more of a refreshing appetizer is there than fruit salad? Combining fresh fruits like pears, grapes, apples, and kiwis drizzled in honey and lime juice is sure to be a house favorite. Not to mention, the fruit colors are already festive.
Candy Cane Danish
What better way to cultivate a merry mood than with a cream cheese and cherry-filled danish? To make it even better, it’s meant to be shaped as a candy cane. This danish is heartwarming and enjoyable to make.
Christmas Popcorn
Christmas popcorn is better than just normal movie popcorn, because this snack has a festive twist. By melting candy onto the popcorn, putting it in the fridge to chill, and then adding red and green M&M’s, it creates a wonderful starter.
Savory
Sweet Potato Puffs
Sweet potatoes are not only packed with rich nutrition, but they’re also sweet and appetizing. Add some cheese, bacon, seasonings, and maybe even some yogurt, and they can be made into delicious puffs. This appetizer is perfect to snack on or kick off a delicious meal.
Potato Soup
Creamy, thick potato soup with cheese sprinkled on the top is warm and filling on a cold day. This type of soup is flavorful, seasoned well, and easy to make. It’s perfect to prepare the palate for the feast to come. Not to mention, Americans love potato dishes around Christmas time.
Deviled Christmas Tree Eggs
Deviled eggs are already a must-have appetizer around the Christmas holidays, and even more so when they resemble a traditional Christmas tree. This festive look adds to the nativity and somehow makes them even tastier to eat.
Garlic Green Beans
Garlic green beans are a great starter for any Christmas meal. All you need to do is trim the green beans, sautee them, and add some simple spices (just lemon pepper, butter, and garlic). This green bean dish is so mouthwatering, even the kids will like this vegetable!
Pigs In A Blanket
This classic appetizer can be served in both the usual way, or be made into an unusual Christmas food by adding a unique twist. There is also the possibility to make it festive by making the pigs in a blanket look like a wreath. By adding a dip for the center (either ketchup or ranch) and setting the pigs in a blanket in a wreath shape, it perfectly sets the mood for the holidays.
Salad On A Stick
Salad on a stick is a go-to appetizer or starter when you have a house full of family and friends. With cheese, meat, vegetables, and eggs placed neatly on a stick, you’re ready to go. It’s unchallenging to both make and eat and could easily have a Christmas twist to it with the food’s color and shape.
Shrimp Cocktail
Why not spoil your guests and yourself with shrimp and a scrumptious cocktail sauce? This is yet another starter that can be made aesthetically pleasing by forming the shrimp in the shape of a wreath.
Roasted Potatoes
Potatoes absorb flavor and seasonings well, and have a natural yummy taste to them. By cutting potatoes, adding spices, and roasting them in the oven, you have a starter that will be sure to give those around you the taste they are looking for.
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Bacon-wrapped asparagus can be prepped ahead of time and is an appetizer that adds variety for your guests. The contrasting textures and tastes will make for a unique, ideal starter for the holidays.
Cucumber-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are even better with a cucumber and cream cheese filling. These tasty also looks like Christmas lights or ornaments, therefore it cultivates a festive feeling.
Sauteed Mushrooms
This dish requires you to clean mushrooms, saute onions, mushrooms, and garlic, then add parmesan. It’s straightforward to cook, but adds an elegant taste and prepares your guests for your lovely Christmas dinner.
Pita Chips and Hummus
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Pita chips and hummus are a timeless snack that can be bought or made easily at home. This starter is nutritious, tastes great, and will likely be popular for those waiting for their food. It’s also possible to set this up as a wreath for the festivities.
Crispy Chicken Wings
Although it may not be the first thing you think of for a Christmas snack, why not try it? You can never go wrong with breaded chicken wings, and it’s fairly straightforward to prepare!
Christmas Tree Finger Sandwiches
Finger sandwiches shaped like a Christmas tree are a fun idea and leave you with a variety of filling options. You can choose from a ham, turkey, cheese, or egg sandwich filling to name a few.
Sweet & Savory Appetizers
Christmas Chex Mix
With some red and green M&M’s, white chocolate chips, pretzels, nuts, and rice chex, an exemplary appetizer is formed. This recipe is great for munching and creates an ideal Christmas feeling.
Christmas Charcuterie Boards
You can easily make your charcuterie board look like a Christmas tree! This can be done by using salami, cheese, pretzels, star cookies, raspberries, and blackberries then forming them into a tree shape. This will not only look impressive and fancy, but it will also be tasty.
Candied Pecans
Candied pecans are great to munch on, so much so that they’re addicting. All they take are pecans, egg whites, vanilla, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Nothing suggests it’s Christmas time more than nuts does!
Crackers And A Cheese Ball
Make a simple and tasty cheese ball and pair it with crackers to keep your guests snacking. Even better, you could make the cheese ball look like Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer! Add some chopped pecans for color, pretzels for the ears, blueberries or olives for the eyes, and a cherry tomato for the nose, then you’re all set.
The Christmas holidays are speedily approaching, and this means you need to have ideas for easy and delicious appetizers. The 21 delicious treats above are a good start, and they will help you to save preparation time and please your hungry guests.
