26 Easy Christmas Appetizers: Festive Ideas and Make-Ahead Tips

Christmas trees, snowmen and wreaths make appetizers a little more fun to put out. I've included those festive ideas first, followed by cold bites, dips and warm finger foods for a Christmas party, Christmas Eve or a family get-together.

You don't need to make everything here. Pick a few that work well together, perhaps one festive centerpiece, something cold and a warm appetizer for later. The make-ahead notes at the end will help you decide what to prepare early and what to leave until the day.

26 easy Christmas appetizers, including a charcuterie tree topped with a cheese star, a snowman cheese board, mini brie trees and cranberry cream cheese dip.

Festive Christmas appetizers

Only the Christmas tree pizza needs baking. The other seven appetizers are assembled without cooking, so you can have a few Christmas-looking dishes without using the oven.

Mini Brie Christmas Trees

I used a mini brie for these and got 16 little wedges from one 4.4-ounce (125-gram) cheese. Pistachios, dried cranberries and apricots make the decorations. Toothpicks worked better for the trunks than pretzel rods, which can soften and break if they sit too long. Finish with a little honey before serving.

Festive brie Christmas trees appetizers, topped with dried fruits and nuts, arranged on a slate board.

Christmas Tree Sandwiches

These are regular ham and cheese sandwiches with the crusts removed, then cut into little trees. I would stick with a simple cutter rather than anything too fiddly. For kids, you can use jam or Nutella instead of the savory filling. Adults can try horseradish or sweet Thai chili sauce with the ham and cheese version.

Christmas Tree Pizza

Basil pesto gives this pizza its green Christmas tree look, with little cheese circles for ornaments and a cheese star at the top. I like homemade pesto, but a jar from the store works too. Bake the leftover pieces of dough alongside the tree instead of throwing them away.

Christmas Wreath Cheese Board

I started with a rosemary wreath, then arranged mozzarella, prosciutto, tomatoes, cheese and fruit around it. Some of the little bites go inside the ring too, rather than leaving the middle empty. Serve with crackers, crostini or bread, especially if this is your main cheese board.

Christmas Charcuterie Tree

There's a little more assembly involved with this one. Salami, cheese, grapes and olives go onto a plastic-wrapped foam cone, with rosemary tucked into the gaps. The small tree serves about four, so if you're not serving a main meal, put out a few dips or bacon wrapped dates with it.

Snowman Veggie Tray

Raw vegetables form the snowman, with olives for the eyes and buttons and a carrot nose. I like serving two or three different cold dips so everyone has a choice. For guests who prefer chips, the Christmas tree tortilla chips further down would work nicely too.

Snowman Cheese Board

Two round cheeses make the snowman's body, with a cheddar hat, a scarf made from thinly sliced cured ham and little salami arms. Arrange fruit, nuts and crackers around him so there's plenty to snack on.

Candy Cane Caprese Board

Tomato and mozzarella slices make the red and white stripes of a candy cane, with basil and olive oil to finish. I don't recommend using buffalo mozzarella for this one. Put out some small plates and forks, with baguette or crostini nearby.

Cold bites, dips and dippers

Here are more finger foods and cold appetizers for people to choose from. The tortilla chips and the shells for the smoked salmon puffs need baking first, but everything in this section is served cold or at room temperature.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Cranberries, green onion, cilantro and jalapeño go over a layer of whipped cream cheese. I tried assembling the whole dip the night before, but thought it lost some of its freshness. Keep the topping separate until closer to serving and put out crackers or crostini for dipping.

Christmas Tree Tortilla Chips

Flour tortillas are cut into little trees, seasoned with rosemary and chili flakes, then baked until crisp. You can make them 4 to 5 days ahead and keep them in an airtight container, which is handy when there are plenty of other things to prepare. They're good with dips, not just on their own.

A small bowl of creamy dip surrounded by Christmas tree-shaped tortilla chips on a wooden board.

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls

Long cucumber strips hold smoked salmon, cream cheese and a little arugula, with dill for seasoning. I got 10 slices from one 11-ounce (320-gram) English cucumber.

Smoked Salmon Puffs

The pastry shells are baked empty, then cooled before adding the filling of smoked salmon, cream cheese, lemon and chives. These are served cool rather than warm, and I wouldn't overfill the little cases.

Honey Pistachio Goat Cheese Log

A ready-made goat cheese log is handy when you have several other things to prepare. Roll it in chopped pistachios and raisins, then drizzle with honey. Put out crackers, baguette or sliced apple so people can help themselves.

Olive Cheese Skewers

The Christmas colors come from green olives, cheddar cubes and dried cranberries. I prefer stuffed olives here, and I toss them in oil and dried herbs before threading everything onto toothpicks. There's no extra decorating needed, but they still look festive on a plate.

Olive Cheese Balls

There's a pepper-stuffed olive inside each little ball of cream cheese, cheddar and oregano. I roll mine in cracker crumbs for a bit of crunch, but you can leave that coating off. These need some time in the fridge to firm up, so they're not a last-minute appetizer.

Charcuterie Cups

Each cup is like a small cheese board that guests can carry around. I aim for four little skewers of cured meat, olives and pickled onions per glass, then add cheese, fruit, nuts and crackers around them. They're particularly useful for parties where people aren't sitting at one table.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives

For anyone who likes blue cheese, these are worth trying. The blue cheese is whipped with cream cheese and piped into green olives. They have a stronger flavor than the olive skewers above and can also be used as a garnish if you're serving martinis.

Bowl of green olives stuffed with creamy blue cheese, served on a rustic metal tray with toothpicks.

Pear Pomegranate Salsa

Pear, pomegranate and mango give this salsa its fruity side, with red onion, cilantro and lemon to balance the sweetness. If you're not a mango fan, you can leave it out. The pomegranate and cilantro also give it lovely colors for Christmas.

Warm Christmas appetizers

There's a mix of oven-baked appetizers here, plus mushroom crostini with a stovetop topping and brie made in the air fryer. Some also taste good cold, so you don't have to get everything hot at the same moment.

Beef Wellington Bites

Small pieces of beef are tucked into puff pastry with a filling of mushrooms, onion and black olives. These are more substantial than most of the little snacks here, and they're good with horseradish sauce, mustard sauce or aioli. They're worth considering if the appetizers are going to be a big part of the meal.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Not every Christmas appetizer needs decorating. Dates wrapped in bacon are quick to prepare, and you can tuck a whole almond inside each one if you want some crunch.

Mini Ham and Cheese Croissants

These work for Christmas morning as well as a party later in the day. Fresh, store-bought mini croissants are filled with ham, Gruyère and Dijon, then baked for just 6 to 8 minutes. They're best served within 30 to 45 minutes of coming out of the oven, so I wouldn't put them out too early.

Mini Quiches

I often make these ahead and reheat them, though they taste good cold too. The little puff pastry quiches have egg, Parmesan and vegetables, including spinach and cherry tomatoes. They're a useful choice when you want something more filling without much work just before serving.

Mushroom Crostini

A splash of soy sauce, dried thyme, rosemary and garlic give the mushrooms plenty of flavor, so they don't need much underneath. Just a thin slice of goat cheese on each crostini, then the mushrooms on top. You can toast the bread in a pan or toaster if you don't want to use the oven.

Puff Pastry Brie Bites

Brie and apricot jam melt together inside little puff pastry cups, with black pepper and optional pistachios on top. You can also use cranberry sauce instead of apricot jam if you have some.

Freshly baked puff pasty brie bites on a muffin tray.

Air Fryer Baked Brie

Instead of individual pastry bites, this recipe uses a whole brie, warmed in the air fryer until soft inside. The pear and cranberry compote and crispy pancetta go on top. The rind helps keep the heat in, so the cheese stays runny a little longer while everyone serves themselves.

Cranberry Meatballs

A platter of these goes well with the charcuterie cups above if you want something warm and more filling. The homemade meatballs are baked, then coated in cranberry sauce with ketchup and Thai sweet chili. You can keep them warm in a slow cooker once they're cooked.

What to make ahead for Christmas

The Christmas appetizers you can make furthest ahead are the Christmas tree tortilla chips (4 to 5 days), blue cheese stuffed olives and mini quiches (up to 3 days). Several others can be prepared partly or completely the day before, while a few are better made close to serving.

Several days before

Keep the Christmas tree tortilla chips in an airtight container at room temperature. Blue cheese stuffed olives need to stay in their brine, in an airtight container in the fridge.

Mini quiches also go in the fridge. You can serve them cold or reheat them for 8 to 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C).

The day before

Mini brie Christmas trees can be prepared the night before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The brie will become firmer and may dry out slightly, even when covered.

Christmas tree sandwiches can also be made the night before, covered and refrigerated, although I prefer serving them within 5 to 8 hours of making them.

Olive cheese balls and charcuterie cups are other options for preparing ahead. Keep the cups covered in the fridge and add the crackers just before serving so they stay crisp.

For the cranberry cream cheese dip, whip the cream cheese the night before. The cranberry topping can be made a few hours ahead and kept separate, then added closer to serving.

The mushroom filling for beef Wellington bites can be made one or two days early, but leave the beef and pastry assembly until the day you plan to bake them. The mushroom topping for mushroom crostini can also be made a day ahead and reheated gently. You can cook the pear and cranberry compote for air fryer baked brie in advance too.

For the Christmas charcuterie tree, prepare the cheese, meat, fruit and other pieces ahead and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. Assemble the tree later, and don't leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

The honey pistachio goat cheese log can be prepared ahead as well. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container and finish with honey before serving.

On the day

Prepare the dips for the snowman veggie tray early, but cut the vegetables an hour or two before serving so they stay fresh.

Mini ham and cheese croissants can be assembled and refrigerated, then baked within 12 hours. Smoked salmon puffs can be filled up to 4 hours before serving and kept chilled. Olive cheese skewers can be assembled up to 2 hours ahead.

Pear pomegranate salsa can be made several hours before you need it. Leave the smoked salmon cucumber rolls and candy cane caprese board until closer to serving, since they're better fresh.

Bake the puff pastry brie bites shortly before serving, while the pastry is crisp and the cheese is warm.

For something sweet later, you might also like these chocolate covered orange peels.