30 Tasty Last-Minute Appetizers To Make for Christmas Eve

By Southern Living Editors
November 30, 2016
Hector Sanchez

Put your Christmas crowd in a festive mood before they sit down to dinner or open a single present. All it takes is one of these delicious holiday appetizers—and you don’t have to spend hours making any of them. We gathered our favorite easy Christmas appetizers that don’t require many ingredients or time in the kitchen. Many of these recipes are even designed to be prepped a day or two advance to enable you to assemble them quickly, right before guests arrive.

Choose from classic snacks like spiced nuts, cheese balls, easy dips and spreads, meatballs, shrimp cocktails, sausage balls, and more. If you’re hosting a large crowd, most of these recipes can easily be doubled or even tripled. No matter what appetizer recipe you choose, all of these Christmas Eve appetizers look impressive but can be whipped up at the last minute with little to no effort at all. Consider this our Christmas gift to you!

Start Slideshow

1 of 30

Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs

Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs

This retro recipe will be the grooviest appetizer on the snack table. A jar of grape jelly will get you going. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 30

Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls

Photography: Caitlin Bensel Food Styling: Ali Ramee Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Recipe: Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls

Everyone loves a sausage ball, that much we know to be true. This slightly spicier rendition jazzes the classic recipe up for any occasion. 

3 of 30

Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Recipe: Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

This dip gets the party going every time, guaranteed. Whip it up when you need a quick dip in a pinch. (Hint: Rotisserie chicken keeps it extra easy.)

Advertisement

4 of 30

Chipotle Cheese Straws

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Chipotle Cheese Straws

This most impressive cheese straw recipe only requires 20 minutes of hands-on time, but looks much fancier—bonus points. 

5 of 30

Cranberry Brie Bites

Southern Living

Recipe: Cranberry Brie Bites

Cranberry sauce and creamy Brie cheese are a match made in holiday heaven, especially when baked in easy store-bought phyllo shells. Four ingredients, 20 minutes total, and you're there. 

6 of 30

Beer-Cheese Fondue

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Beer-Cheese Fondue

You can basically never go wrong with melted cheese...ever. This retro fondue-inspired appetizer takes a page from Kentucky's beloved beer cheese and is served with roasted veggies and sliced sausage. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 30

Creamy Feta Phyllo Bites

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Creamy Feta Phyllo Bites

Filled with Feta cheese, cucumbers, roasted red bell peppers, and fresh parsley, these last-minute bites make use of store-bought phyllo shells.

8 of 30

Smoked Sausage Pretzel Bites

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Smoked Sausage Pretzel Bites

This reimagined take on classic pigs in a blanket has us drooling already. Store-bought pizza dough and spicy smoked sausage brings all the fun flavor with little hassle. 

9 of 30

Baked Goat Cheese Spread with Pepper Jelly

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Baked Goat Cheese Spread with Pepper Jelly

Cream cheese makes this warm crowd-pleasing dip super smooth, while a layer of pepper jelly adds tangy flavor. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 30

Garlic Butter-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Garlic Butter-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

This warmed-up version of an old-school shrimp cocktail gets major personality from a buttery garlic sauce.

11 of 30

Romaine with Creamy Olive Dressing

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Romaine with Creamy Olive Dressing

Something simple and green on the table never hurts, and these individual romaine leaves will ensure everyone can get their own piece without making a mess. 

12 of 30

Ham-And-Cheese Sliders

Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Ham-And-Cheese Sliders

These to-die-for sliders start with Hawaiian rolls brushed with honey mustard, before being filled with topped with ham, cheese, and an indulgent homemade béchamel sauce—oh, and then topped with even more Gruyère cheese and butter before baking. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 30

Maple Bacon Smokies

Southern Living

Recipe: Maple Bacon Smokies

You're four ingredients away from total holiday joy in the form of sweet and salty bacon-wrapped little smokies. 

14 of 30

Bacon Bow Tie Crackers

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman

Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers

Sometimes, two ingredients are all you need for a crowd-pleasing snack your family and friends can grab and go. 

15 of 30

Hot Crab-and-Artichoke Dip

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Recipe: Hot Crab-and-Artichoke Dip

It's hard to go wrong with a crab dip on the spread, and this super melty one gets extra texture and oomph from artichoke hearts.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 30

Smoky Field Pea Hummus

Recipe: Smoky Field Pea Hummus

Much to many's surprise, homemade hummus is as easy as pulling out your food processor—and this recipe with field peas and crispy smoked ham is a serious upgrade from the store-bought stuff. 

17 of 30

Roasted Brown-Butter Pecans with Rosemary

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Roasted Brown-Butter Pecans with Rosemary

Toasted pecans just feel like Christmas, and the addition of slightly browned butter and aromatic rosemary is cozier than all get-out. 

18 of 30

Feta-Olive-Fresh Herb Cheese Ball

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Feta-Olive-Fresh Herb Cheese Ball

Everyone loves a cheese ball, and this one, covered in bright green parsley and scallions, looks especially festive for the holidays.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 30

Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham

Southern Living

Recipe: Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham

Who wouldn't love classic spinach dip with a Southern twist from sweet onions and diced country ham? Exactly. 

20 of 30

Cured Salmon with Dill-Horseradish Cream

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Cured Salmon with Dill-Horseradish Cream

Simple but always elegant, cured salmon instantly elevates any snack spread, and this dill-horseradish cream is the most flavor-packed accessory ever. To make it even easier, buy salmon already cured from the grocery store. 

21 of 30

Goat Cheese and Gouda Pimiento Cheese

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Goat Cheese and Gouda Pimiento Cheese

Elevate traditional pimiento cheese to feel special for the holiday season. Goat and Gouda cheeses do the trick every time. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 30

Bacon Bites

Oxmoor House

Recipe: Bacon Bites

Bacon-wrapped crispy breadsticks? Yep, might want to make a few batches—because one won't be enough. 

23 of 30

Broiled Oysters with Buttery "Dressing" Topping

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Broiled Oysters with Buttery "Dressing" Topping

Why not put a Southern spin on yummy oysters? Buttery, crumbly dressing for the win. 

24 of 30

Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

Beau Gustafson; Styling: Sissy Lamberton

Recipe: Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

You're just five ingredients from the easiest sidekick to any spinach dip, charcuterie plate, or cream cheese spread. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 30

Sparkling Cranberries

Melina Hammer; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Sparkling Cranberries

These pretty sugared berries make a nice addition to a cheese plate.

26 of 30

Chicken Liver Mousse Crostini with Pepper Jelly

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Chicken Liver Mousse Crostini with Pepper Jelly

Your holiday guests won’t be able to stop eating this smooth, velvety mousse topped with spicy-sweet pepper jelly. And you’ll love it too because it’s so easy to make in advance.

27 of 30

Cherry-Pecan Brie

Jim Franco

Recipe: Cherry-Pecan Brie

Serve this pretty cherry-topped warm Brie with plenty of baguette slices and crackers. You won’t find a holiday appetizer more impressive that only requires five ingredients.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 30

Spicy-Sweet Pecans

Helen Norman

Recipe: Spicy-Sweet Pecans

Spiced pecans are a Southern party staple for a reason: they are easy to make, you can make them in advance, and they are impossible to stop eating. We love this version with rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and ground red pepper.

29 of 30

Cranberry-Goat Cheese Canapés

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cranberry-Goat Cheese Canapés

These colorful little toasts take minutes to assemble if you make the cranberry compote ahead of time.

30 of 30

Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa

Cranberries aren’t just for relish. Try them in this festive and fiery salsa with jalapenos and fresh ginger.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Southern Living Editors