Easy Show Stopping Holiday Appetizers for all your entertaining from Thanksgiving and Christmas through New Year’s Eve!
Because sometimes we’re so preoccupied with the main course and the desserts that we forget all about the hungry hoards camping out in our living rooms beforehand! Here are some of my favorite holiday appetizers guaranteed to keep everybody happy.
Quick jump links
- Stuffed Olive Cocktail Picks
- Festive Olive Wreath Appetizer
- Baked Brie
- Best Bourbon Meatballs Ever
- Baked Caramelized Onion Dip
- How To Make an Antipasto Platter
- Salmon Mousse
- Mini Cheese Ball Holiday Platter
- Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms
- Crispy Crab Balls
- Relish Tray
- An Epic Cheese Board
- Baked Feta Cheese with Olives and Lemon
- Jarcuterie!
- Naughty and Nice Party Mix Recipe
- Sweet Hot Red Pepper Jam
- Latke with smoked salmon
- Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail
- Copycat Raincoast Crisps® Crackers
- Hot Crab Dip
- Holiday Appetizer Wreath
- 7 Layer Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe
- Grand Aioli
- Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail
- Easy RITZ Cracker Canapés
- Rainbow Crudités with Fire Feta
- Olive Cocktail Penguins
Stuffed Olive Cocktail Picks
Holiday appetizers don’t need to be elaborate, and sometimes less is more! Olive lovers (and cocktail lovers!) will appreciate this simple starter.
Festive Olive Wreath Appetizer
Some of the best holiday appetizers are simple, light, grazing platters that allow guests to nibble without filling up before the main event. Plenty of fresh herbs provide the greenery for this cheese and olive wreath.
Baked Brie
Baked Brie has to be the ultimate party appetizer. How convenient that it also happens to be one of the easiest. Just pop it in the oven for a few minutes until it gets all warm and oozy, and let hungry guests have at it!
Best Bourbon Meatballs Ever
Personally, when I go to a party this is what I hope to find. Juicy cocktail meatballs in an irresistible bourbon barbecue sauce! Stash these in a crock pot to keep them warm so you can re-fill the plates as needed.
Baked Caramelized Onion Dip
If you caramelize the onions ahead of time, this dip is a snap to make. And everybody, literally everybody, flocks to it. It’s one of those cozy holiday appetizers that doesn’t need any bells or whistles, it’s just good.
How To Make an Antipasto Platter
This is how I love to entertain during the holidays. I load up my biggest board with all the good stuff ~ nobody even notices that the turkey is way behind schedule!
Salmon Mousse
A delicate appetizer that will keep the hungry hoards at bay without filling them up!
Mini Cheese Ball Holiday Platter
I absolutely love this festive holiday appetizer platter! The cheese spreaders for the ‘trunk’ of your tree, and crackers look like presents piled around the base. It’s a show-stopper.
Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms
This holiday appetizer is as simple as can be: just 2 ingredients. But when those ingredients are juicy button mushrooms and creamy garlicky Boursin cheese, you’ve got a winner on your hands.
Crispy Crab Balls
If your holiday crowd likes to hang out by the tv with plenty of beer, I suggest these crispy crab balls. You can never, ever, go wrong with something fried. Maybe try my Fried Olives or Beer Battered Fried Mushrooms too 🙂
Relish Tray
An old fashioned holiday appetizer from the Mad men era!
An Epic Cheese Board
It might look complicated, but it’s mostly a matter of unwrapping store bought items and arranging them on a (ginormous) platter. I even made you a labeled chart so you can’t go wrong! This is the ultimate party appetizer.
Baked Feta Cheese with Olives and Lemon
This easy baked cheese is an oldie but goodie from the holiday appetizers archives. People are always amazed at what happens to feta cheese when you bake it!
Jarcuterie!
Cut the cord! Nobody has to be tethered to the coffee table when you serve these individual charcuterie cups. How adorable, how delicious, how sanitary is this?! Every jar is a little bit different because I randomly pack them with all the best charcuterie basics. Don’t think of this as just a holiday appetizer, it works year round.
Naughty and Nice Party Mix Recipe
As holiday appetizers go, this is one of the easiest. And truth be told, this is what we serve in our house most of the time. We can make it ahead, and people go crazy for it.
Sweet Hot Red Pepper Jam
Hot pepper jam, cheese, and crackers. It doesn’t get any better. The cheery red color makes it a festive holiday appetizer.
Latke with smoked salmon
The very definition of a show stopping holiday appetizer!!
Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail
When you really want to impress, there’s nothing like a shrimp cocktail. This spiked version is over the top delicious, and such fun to eat!
Copycat Raincoast Crisps® Crackers
Pair these homemade crisp crackers with any cheese you like, they’re easy to make and turn plain cheese and crackers into a gourmet experience.
Hot Crab Dip
Crab instantly elevates any appetizer into a holiday appetizer. Use convenient canned crab to make this popular dip.
Holiday Appetizer Wreath
This one is almost too pretty to eat!
7 Layer Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe
The salmon lovers in your crowd will be in heaven! With 7 colorful layers including Boursin cheese and cranberry horseradish spread, this is one memorable holiday appetizer.
Grand Aioli
Grab your biggest platter for this classic French appetizer. It’s healthy grazing at its best. No one’s going to care of the holiday turkey or ham is late, trust me.
Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail
When you really want to make a splash, serve this ultra creative shrimp cocktail. It’s an elegant not-too-filling starter.
Easy RITZ Cracker Canapés
This classic holiday appetizer favorite is always welcome because it’s actually true ~ everything does taste better on a Ritz 🙂 Make these as simple or as elaborate as you like.
Rainbow Crudités with Fire Feta
All the veggies in this colorful platter are available year round, so you can totally do crudité in the dead of winter, why not? The fire feta turns up the thermostat on this healthy appetizer!
Olive Cocktail Penguins
An army of cheesy olive penguins is guaranteed to start your holiday party off on the right foot! I’ll show you how to make them, step by step, they’re easy!
I enjoy your recipes & following you, but I do not agree with bringing politics onto your site. Not interested in what you would feed Kamala.
Old fashioned can’t be beat! Deveined eggs are always the first to go and celery with pimento cheese?! Oh yes! Thanks for the reminders we have “the boys” (all over 70 years old 😆) as guests today. Happy holidays gobble gobble !
Pimento cheese is one of my faves 🙂
These ideas are fantastic, refreshing, and a great variety of appetizers to hit every style of taster! Your site has amazing, delicious, and beautiful foods. I’ve made a few in the short time I’m following you! All worked out well and your insights, tips, and techniques are most welcome! Thank you!
Thanks so much Sheryl, and welcome in to the ‘family’ 🙂
Stunning, creative and each looks delicious. Sue, you are very talented!