20 Easy Finger Food Appetizers To Serve This Christmas

Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Perfect for socializing and catching up, these no-fuss finger foods are easy to pick up and chow down. While we rounded up these appetizers with Christmas in mind, you can serve them from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve when partying seems to be nearly non-stop. Whether you're hosting or attending, you're going to need a deep repertoire of holiday finger food recipes. Lucky for you, we've compiled the best and the easiest holiday finger food appetizers for you to prepare that don't require silverware to be enjoyed.

Some of these finger food recipes can even be made ahead of time and frozen. There are also holiday finger foods that can be thrown together at the last minute with ingredients likely to be found in your pantry. Start clicking to get your wheels turning on the best holiday finger foods to please guests this season.

01 of 20

Spicy Cheese Twists

Spicy Cheese Twists
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Spicy Cheese Twists

Cayenne pepper adds a little kick to this appetizer that we'll describe as a slightly elevated version of cheese straws.

02 of 20

Cranberry Baked Brie Bites

Cranberry Baked Brie Bites
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Cranberry Baked Brie Bites

A cup of fresh cranberries gives these brie bites a touch of sweetness and festive color.

03 of 20

Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups

Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups

Frozen mini phyllo pastry shells help these mushroom cups come together in just 25 minutes.

04 of 20

Warm Cheese Box Bites

Warm Cheese Box Bites
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: Warm Cheese Box Bites

These cheesy bites can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer, which makes them great to keep on hand for last-minute celebrations that come up during the busy Christmas season.

05 of 20

Ham-and-Cheese Sliders

Ham-and-Cheese Sliders
Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin

Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Sliders

If you're looking to serve a more substantial appetizer, you can't go wrong with these classic sliders that start with Hawaiian rolls.

06 of 20

No-Stuff Deviled Eggs

No-Stuff Deviled Eggs
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Recipe: No-Stuff Deviled Eggs

Crackers serve as the base for this appetizer that includes all the delicious flavors of deviled eggs. Plus, they come together in just 15 minutes.

07 of 20

Mini Potato Skins

Mini Potato Skins
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop styling: Claire Spollen; Food styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Mini Potato Skins

These potato skins are pretty, but can also be made to travel. Simply bake and then reserve the sour cream and chives to add when you reach your destination.

08 of 20

Roasted Fennel-and-Prosciutto Flatbread

Roasted Fennel-and-Prosciutto Flatbread
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Roasted Fennel-and-Prosciutto Flatbread

We love this flatbread as is, but you can also substitute sweet onion for fennel and bacon for prosciutto if desired.

09 of 20

Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls

Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls
Photography: Caitlin Bensel Food Styling: Ali Ramee Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Recipe: Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls

No matter the time of day, sausage balls are guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

10 of 20

Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese

Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese

We gave the classic duo of pepper jelly and cream cheese a holiday-ready upgrade by adding jumbo shrimp and seasoning the crackers before piling them high with toppings.

11 of 20

Creamy Spinach-Ricotta Crostini

Creamy Spinach-Ricotta Crostini
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Creamy Spinach-Ricotta Crostini

Impressive yet simple, this crostini appetizer will come together in just 15 minutes.

12 of 20

Bacon Bow Tie Crackers

Bacon Bow Tie Crackers
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman

Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers

You need just two ingredients to pull this appetizer together.

13 of 20

Bacon-Cheese Gougères

Bacon-Cheese Gougères
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Bacon-Cheese Gougères

Bacon and two types of cheese are a winning duo in this pastry appetizer.

14 of 20

Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites

Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites

We've reimagined this signature Kentucky sandwich of bacon, turkey, and cheese sauce into beautiful bite-size cups.

15 of 20

Buttery Toasted Pecans

Buttery Toasted Pecans
Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Buttery Toasted Pecans

Make these a few days ahead and store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

16 of 20

Petite Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pulled Pork and Slaw

Petite Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pulled Pork and Slaw
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Petite Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pulled Pork and Slaw

The sweet potato biscuits freeze beautifully—thaw, bake, and top them just before serving.

17 of 20

Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers

Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers
Southern Living

Recipe: Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers

Turn a sleeve of saltines into a company-worthy appetizer by baking them in butter.

18 of 20

Party Poppers

Party Poppers
Hector M. Sanchez Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Party Poppers

Cream cheese helps balance out a little bit of spice from the jalapeno chiles that serve as the base for these party poppers.

19 of 20

Baked Brie Bites

Baked Brie Bites
Laurey W. Glenn

Recipe: Baked Brie Bites

This appetizer is quick, easy, and requires just five ingredients to pull together.

20 of 20

Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

You can keep the queso blanco warm in a fondue pot or 1-qt. slow cooker. These are hearty, and would be a winner for a tailgate too.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles