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When holiday hosting rolls around, it’s easy to create a festive spread that feels casual, classic, or a little bit of both. Crowd-pleasers like bacon-wrapped dates and warm spinach dip pair beautifully with snacks such as marinated feta and seared steak bites, especially when rounded out with a relish tray or charcuterie board to give guests plenty to graze on. Whether you’re planning a cozy get-together or a full-blown celebration, these Christmas appetizers will help you kick things off deliciously.
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
These are the perfect sweet-savory, juicy-crispy bites for your holiday appetizer table. Dates and bacon are dressed up with walnuts and herbs plus savory cream cheese and blue cheese. Drizzle them with honey for an extra-sweet touch.
Cacio e Pepe Potato Croquettes
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall
Cacio e pepe takes the shape of crisp, golden croquettes in this playful appetizer reinterpretation. A blend of riced russet and Yukon Gold potatoes is seasoned with Pecorino Romano, plenty of black pepper, and a touch of garlic, then wrapped around a cube of Fontina cheese that melts into a gooey center as they fry.
Clams Casino
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
With buttery breadcrumbs and crispy bacon, clams casino is always a good bet. Assemble the stuffed clams up to a day ahead of time, then top with the panko mixture and pop them in the oven when your guests arrive.
Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne
Délice de Bourgogne, a triple-crème cheese that’s even more luscious than Brie, is topped with pan-roasted mushrooms and herbs in this elegant appetizer from Top Chef winner and host Kristen Kish.
Grape, Walnut, and Labneh Crostini with Spicy Honey
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Cookbook author Adeena Sussman’s festive recipe is full of contrasting textures, with creamy labneh, roasted grapes, and crunchy nuts layered atop sourdough toasts.
Green Peppercorn–Marinated Feta
Cubed feta takes on marinades and seasoning beautifully. Put this elegant app together in five minutes, then enjoy its full-bodied flavor on your cheese platter eight hours later.
Crispy Hash Browns with Crème Fraîche
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Baked and grated russet potatoes are fried to golden brown perfection then blanketed in crème fraîche and topped with briny fish roe for this over-the-top appetizer from San Diego chef Charlotte Sandoval.
Gougères with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Prosciutto
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman
Made with nutty Gruyère, these airy cheese puffs are the perfect vessel for crème fraîche plus silky smoked salmon and caviar or salty prosciutto and fresh thyme.
Smoked Sausage Wreath
This elegant wreath appetizer will be prettier than any other smoked sausage dish on the holiday table. Lingonberry jam and rosemary and thyme sprigs add a delicate, floral touch to lighten the otherwise hefty sausage.
Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip
Juicy lamb meatballs seasoned with warm spices inspired by North African sausage merguez meet a cool, herb-packed green goddess dip. Bake or pan-sear the meatballs ahead, then rewarm before serving; the creamy dip can chill until guests arrive.
Cheese Tarts with Bacon and Fingerling Potatoes
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
A golden layer of puff pastry is topped with creamy French cheese, crisp bacon, caramelized onions, and fingerling potatoes for this craveable appetizer from 1994 F&W Best New Chef Terrance Brennan.
Pickled Crudités with Buttermilk Dip
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl
Punch up your crudité platter by quick-pickling the veggies, then serve with a cool, creamy buttermilk dip to complement the tang.
Carrots en Croûte
In this hearty plant-forward appetizer from F&W’s Justin Chapple, roasted carrots are wrapped with flaky puff pastry for a charming, curry-spiced version of pigs in a blanket.
Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans
Recipe developer and tester Liz Mervosh brings us this appetizer that’s as classic for the holidays as it is year-round in the South. Flavors of maple syrup, smoked paprika, and pecans shine through in this cheesy holiday treat.
Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush
Brussels sprouts stand in for roasted eggplant in chef Michael Solomonov’s version of baba ghanoush. A colorful topping of hazelnuts, parsley, and more roasted brussels sprouts completes the festive dip.
Garlic-Butter Steak Bites
A velvety pan sauce rich with garlic, butter, Worcestershire, and vermouth makes these steak bites as luxurious as any steakhouse-level dinner, but just right for serving with toothpicks as an appetizer.
Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Made extra-rich and flavorful with four kinds of cheese — cream cheese, Gouda, mozzarella, and Parmesan — this crowd-pleasing baked spinach artichoke dip is especially effortless thanks to the use of frozen veggies.
Dirty Martini Shrimp Cocktail
Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Renu Dhar / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Upgrade the classic by poaching big, beautiful shrimp in a broth infused with lemon and shrimp shells, brining them in olive juice, and infusing jarred cocktail sauce with gin and vermouth.
Deviled-Egg Crisps
Inspired by the deviled egg toast Missy Robbins serves at Lilia, Justin Chapple pipes creamy deviled egg puree over crisp artisan crackers, then finishes with a shaved jalapeño crown plus sprinkles of smoky-sweet Urfa biber and lime zest.
Crab Rangoon Dip
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Props Styling by Josh Hoggle
This indulgent crab rangoon dip turns the beloved appetizer into a creamy, oven-baked party starter: Sweet lump crab meets rich cream cheese and sharp cheddar, garnished with scallions and served with crispy wonton chips.
Duck Liver Pâté with Blackberry Conserva
Fruit-forward, tart blackberries shine against Angie Mar’s rich duck pâté. Enjoy with grilled bread slices and whole-grain mustard.
Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas
Frozen puff pastry sheets make easy work of these crisp and savory little parcels. Inspired by his grandmother’s recipe, chef Michael Solomonov’s version is stuffed with sweet potato, Bulgarian feta, dill, and olives.
Herbed Salmon Tartare with Chips
Impress your Christmas dinner guests with this tangy salmon tartare from Nadine Levy Redzepi. Fresh and hot-smoked salmon combine with cucumber, cornichons, and crème fraîche for an enticing range of textures and flavors.
Crab and Avocado Toasts
© Lucy Schaeffer
This recipe layers sweet crab meat tossed with fresh mint and lime juice over creamy mashed avocado and crisp toast, making for a simple but elegant starter. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s an easy way to bring a little holiday magic to the table.
Pigs in a Blanket
In this playful appetizer from Jen Pelka, classic pigs in a blanket are brushed with a glaze of honey, mustard, and black pepper.
