This snowman veggie tray makes a festive Christmas appetizer with plenty of vegetables to keep holiday snacking lighter. It is an easy way to prepare something to nibble on and it looks pretty too. You do not need anything fancy to make it, just a few bowls and your favorite dip or dips. And if you need, you can make it ahead.
I like to serve two or three different dips with a 5 minute preparation, because they are perfect for this simple Christmas veggie tray. No fuss, just a few veggies turned into a winter theme.
I use three of my favorite cold dips for this snowman veggie tray: a simple veggie dip, creamy dill pickle dip and smoked salmon dip. You can make them from the recipe card below or check out their full posts for more tips and serving ideas.
Other favorite Christmas appetizers of ours are the snowman cheese board and Santa charcuterie board. If you plan on doing a lot of holiday entertaining, they are worth a look.
How to make a snowman veggie tray
Prep your dips first and keep them in the fridge. Next, prep the vegetables and keep them in an airtight container if you are not using them right away.
Then, simply assemble everything together. If you have a serving board that is not meant for direct contact with food, line it with parchment paper first.
Substitutions
- Carrot for the nose: red or orange bell pepper
- Black olives for the eyes and buttons: green olives, capers or blueberries
My tips
- Cut the veggies into bite size pieces. It is easier to eat and helps prevent possible double dipping.
- I included three cold dips from my blog. You can simply choose two dips and you should have plenty. This vegetable tray can serve about 10 to 12 people. When using small bowls like mine, you will have leftovers, so you can top them up if needed, or use larger bowls.
- For the best flavor and crunch, avoid using old vegetables.
Recipe Q&A
Any white or pale looking dips are best to keep the snowman theme.
Yes, you can. Prep the dips in advance and keep them covered in the fridge. For the vegetables, I suggest cutting them an hour or two before serving to keep them as fresh as possible.
Anything you or your guests like and that can be easily used as a dipper. Carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, radishes and more of your favorites all work well.
Chips go so well with both the veggie dip and dill pickle dip, so why not include them for those who are not really that keen on vegetables? Simply serve them in a separate bowl.
Tortilla chips: you can keep it festive with Christmas tree shaped tortilla chips.
Use any round bowl. They can be similar sizes or different. If you do not have three, do not worry, you can just go with two instead. The only thing to remember is that they need to fit on your tray or serving platter. To fill a large bowl, you will need to double or triple the dips.
Other easy Christmas appetizers to try
- Mini Brie Christmas Trees – Easy, tasty and festive.
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip – This is not only the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer, but it also fits the holiday season.
- Candy Cane Caprese Board – A simple and quick festive board with mozzarella and tomatoes. If you are looking for last minute holiday appetizers, this is it.
Snowman Veggie Tray
Ingredients
Veggie Dip:
- ½ cup mayonnaise (120 grams)
- ½ cup sour cream (120 grams)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to taste)
Dill Pickle Dip:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (about 225 grams)
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ cup dill pickles (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Smoked Salmon Dip:
- ½ cup cream cheese (120 grams)
- 2 ounces smoked salmon (60 grams)
- ¼ cup sour cream (60 grams)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (60 grams)
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Other:
- 3 large carrots
- 3 whole bell peppers (different colors)
- 1 celery (about 1 small bunch)
- 1 English cucumber
- 4 black olives (about 3 to 4, pitted)
Instructions
- If you already have your favorite dips ready, you can skip straight to the assembly step.
Veggie dip:
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, except for the lemon juice. Add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice, mix and taste. Add more, up to 1 tablespoon in total, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Dill pickle dip:
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Cover and refrigerate.
Smoked salmon dip:
- Transfer all the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and refrigerate.
To assemble:
- Line a serving tray with parchment paper. Position two or three bowls (depending on how many you have or want to use) in a vertical line with the smallest at the top. Fill them with the dips.
- Cut 2 black olives to get 4 buttons and slice another olive into circles. Take 1 circle and cut it in half for the eyes. Use a piece of carrot for the nose.
- Cut all the vegetables into bite size sticks or pieces and arrange them in the gaps around the bowls.
- Enjoy as is, or add chips or crackers on the side as well.
Notes
- There will be plenty of dip when using three different kinds, so you can easily go with two only if you prefer. If using small bowls like mine in the photos (4 and 6 ounces/120 and 180 milliliters), you will still have plenty of dip to top up whenever needed.
- You can use any vegetables you like, such as cauliflower, broccoli, radishes or tomatoes.
- If you like these dips, you can also find them as separate recipes on the blog: veggie dip, dill pickle dip and smoked salmon dip.
- Servings note: Enough for about 10 to 12 people.
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