Food and Recipes Holiday and Occasion Food 20 Easy Finger Food Appetizers To Serve This Christmas By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 4, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit