Christmas Eve Appetizers That’ll Disappear in Minutes collage

25 Christmas Eve Appetizers That’ll Disappear in Minutes

ByAnnie Brown

Christmas Eve appetizers are one of the best parts of the holiday, whether you’re serving a few bites before dinner or putting together a festive spread for family and friends.

This collection has everything from cranberry brie bites and creamy dips to festive cheese balls, charcuterie boards, and more.

If you just need one appetizer to serve before Christmas dinner, any of these recipes can work on its own.

Or, if you’re hosting a larger gathering, use the ideas below to put together a festive Christmas Eve spread with plenty of variety.

How to Build a Christmas Eve Appetizer Spread

(These are great tips if you’re planning your Christmas menu and hosting for the holidays. If you’re not looking to make a full spread, just scroll down to the recipes.)

You don’t need to make a dozen different appetizers.

For most gatherings, picking a few recipes with different flavors, textures, and serving styles creates a spread that feels plentiful without making Christmas Eve stressful.

A good formula is:

1 festive centerpiece: Christmas wreath charcuterie board, candy cane charcuterie board, or Christmas tree cheese platter
1 hot appetizer: Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, grape jelly meatballs, pigs in a blanket, or bacon-wrapped little smokies
1 creamy dip: Crab dip, spinach artichoke dip, cranberry jalapeño dip, or smoked salmon dip
1 easy finger food: Ham and cheese pinwheels, cranberry turkey pinwheels, cranberry brie bites, or mini cheese ball bites
Optional fresh or lighter choice: Caprese wreath or cranberry salsa

You can mix and match these categories depending on how many people you’re serving and what else is on your Christmas Eve menu.

Choosing a combination of hot and cold appetizers can also make hosting easier since everything doesn’t need to be heated at once.

Christmas Eve Appetizer Menu Ideas

Not sure which appetizers to serve together? Here are a few easy combinations using recipes from this collection.

Classic Crowd-Pleaser: Pigs in a Blanket Wreath + Spinach Artichoke Dip + Cranberry Brie Bites + Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board

Easy & Casual: Grape Jelly Meatballs + Ham and Cheese Pinwheels + Cranberry Jalapeño Dip + Christmas Tree Cheese Platter

Festive Christmas Eve: Cranberry Pomegranate Baked Brie + Smoked Salmon Dip + Caprese Wreath + Pesto Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

Kid-Friendly: Pigs in a Blanket Wreath + Snowman Cheese Ball + Christmas Tree Veggie Pizza + Grape Jelly Meatballs

Make-Ahead Friendly: Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball + Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels + Mini Cheese Ball Bites + Candy Cane Charcuterie Board

Use these combinations as a starting point, or mix and match your favorites from the 25 Christmas Eve appetizers below.

Christmas Eve Appetizers

1. Cranberry Brie Bites

Golden pastry cups filled with cranberry sauce and candied nuts, arranged on a white plate with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs. — Photo Credit: Blue’s Best Life

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Brie Bites

2. Pigs in a Blanket Wreath for Christmas

Wreath-shaped arrangement of golden crescent-wrapped sausages, decorated with rosemary sprigs, cherry tomatoes, and star-shaped cheese on a white surface. — Photo Credit: Savvy Honey

Get the Recipe: Pigs in a Blanket Wreath for Christmas

3. Cranberry Jalapeño Dip

White dish with cream cheese topped by cranberry relish, surrounded by crackers, orange slices, parsley, cranberries, and jalapeño on a light surface. — Photo Credit: Blue’s Best Life

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Jalapeño Dip

4. Reindeer Cheese Ball

Cheese ball coated in nuts decorated as a reindeer with pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and tomato nose, surrounded by crackers, pretzels, cheese cubes, and cherry tomatoes on a tray. — Photo Credit: Savvy Honey

Get the Recipe: Reindeer Cheese Ball

5. Candy Cane Charcuterie Board

Wooden board with strawberries, pomegranate, cheeses, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and candy canes decorated with rosemary sprigs. — Photo Credit: Savvy Honey

Get the Recipe: Candy Cane Charcuterie Board for Christmas

6. Caprese Wreath

Circular wreath of skewered grape tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil around a bowl of balsamic glaze, decorated with gold beads on a festive red-and-white plate. — Photo Credit: Nourish and Fete

Get the Recipe: Easy Caprese Wreath

7. Christmas Cheese Trees

Triangular white chocolate treats shaped like Christmas trees with pretzel trunks, topped with chopped nuts and dried fruit, arranged on parchment-covered board. — Photo Credit: Savvy Honey

Get the Recipe: Christmas Cheese Trees Appetizer

8. Grape Jelly Meatballs

Plate of glazed meatballs garnished with herbs, some skewered with bamboo picks, set beside a jar of skewers and green napkin. — Photo Credit: Blue’s Best Life

Get the Recipe: Grape Jelly Meatballs

9. Christmas Tree Smoked Salmon Dip

Wooden board with creamy Christmas tree-shaped spread decorated with crackers, cheese cutouts, pretzel trunk, green beans, and pine sprigs, with “CHRISTMAS” spelled in letter crackers. — Photo Credit: Savvy Honey

Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Smoked Salmon Dip

10. Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board

Circular charcuterie wreath of cheese cutouts, cured meats, olives, blueberries, pomegranate, pistachios, crackers, and pretzels with decorative flowers and leaves on wood. — Photo Credit: Savvy Honey

Get the Recipe: Christmas Wreath Charcuterie Board

11. Cranberry Pomegranate Baked Brie

Baked brie topped with cranberry-pomegranate sauce, garnished with rosemary, pecans, and honey drizzle, served with crackers on a white plate. — Photo Credit: Nourish and Fete

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Pomegranate Baked Brie

12. Christmas Tree Pizzas

Wooden board with Christmas tree-shaped pastry bases topped with creamy spread, decorated with broccoli florets and colorful bell pepper pieces like ornaments. — Photo Credit: Savvy Honey

Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Pizzas

13. Spinach Artichoke Dip

Skillet of baked spinach artichoke dip topped with golden cheese and parsley, surrounded by baguette slices, pretzels, breadsticks, tomatoes, celery, and carrots. — Photo Credit: Dinner at the Zoo

Get the Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Dip

14. Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball

Nut- and cranberry-coated cheese ball with creamy interior, served on a white platter surrounded by crackers, with spreading knife and green checkered cloth. — Photo Credit: Blue’s Best Life

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball

15. Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Golden flaky roll filled with ham and melted cheese, topped with poppy seeds and herbs, served on a white plate with baking dish in background. — Photo Credit: Dinner at the Zoo

Get the Recipe: Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

16. Christmas Tree Cheese Ball

Cheese or dip shaped like a Christmas tree, coated in herbs with red pepper ornaments and a yellow cheese star topper, surrounded by golden crackers on a white plate. — Photo Credit: Princess Pinky Girl

Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Cheese Ball

17. Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Plate of crispy bacon-wrapped bites secured with toothpicks, garnished with parsley, on a decorative rimmed plate over a reddish surface. — Photo Credit: Life Love Liz

Get the Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

18. Pesto Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Appetizer

Wooden board with skewered puff pastry twists topped with pesto and tomato spreads, surrounded by basil, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and sauce bowl. — Photo Credit: xoxoBella

Get the Recipe: Pesto Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Appetizer

19. Crab Dip

Red baking dish of cheesy dip topped with tomatoes and green onions, with toasted bread slices and a hand dipping crostini into the melted mixture. — Photo Credit: Dinner at the Zoo

Get the Recipe: Crab Dip Recipe

20. Cold Turkey Pinwheels with Cranberry Sauce

Wooden surface with sliced tortilla pinwheels filled with turkey, lettuce, cheese, and cranberry spread, showing colorful spiral layers. — Photo Credit: She’s Not Cookin’

Get the Recipe: Cold Turkey Pinwheels with Cranberry Sauce

21. Ricotta Cheese Dip

Creamy ricotta topped with roasted cherry tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and pepper, served with toasted bread slices in background. — Photo Credit: Quiche My Grits

Get the Recipe: Ricotta Cheese Dip

22. Mini Cheese Ball Bites

Three mini cheese balls on crackers with pretzel sticks, coated in cranberries, nuts with herbs, and mixed seeds, surrounded by scattered toppings. — Photo Credit: She’s Not Cookin’

Get the Recipe: Mini Cheese Ball Bites

23. Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

Ceramic plate of bacon-wrapped sausages glazed with caramelized brown sugar, crispy and golden, with more pieces visible in background. — Photo Credit: Amanda’s Cookin’

Get the Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

24. Christmas Tree Cheese Platter

Festive Christmas tree made of cheese cubes, grapes, and crackers, topped with leafy greens, set on wood with evergreen branches and bowls of crackers nearby. — Photo Credit: Amanda’s Cookin’

Get the Recipe: Christmas Tree Cheese Platter

25. Cranberry Salsa

Bowl of cranberry salsa with cilantro garnish, surrounded by yellow tortilla chips and scattered cranberries. — Photo Credit: Dinner at the Zoo

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Salsa

More Christmas Appetizer Recipes

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