Christmas

71 Easy Christmas Appetizer Recipes (and Hors d’Oeuvres Too)

These are so good you might skip dinner.

December 8, 2020

A vintage relish tray with vegetables makes for an easy Thanksgiving appetizer.

Sometimes Christmas appetizers are the first bites of an epic meal—the snacks that keep you going as you roast a goose or baste a pork roast. But this year there's a case to be made for a festive dinner made solely of easy Christmas hors d'oeuvres—the snacky things you want to fill up on anyway. These are a few of our favorite options, including creamy dips, deviled eggs, savory toasts, well-dressed oysters, homemade snack mix, sweet and tender shrimp, and many more.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
1/71
Pickled Shrimp
We love Christmas appetizers that balance richness with fresh, bright flavors, like these easy pickled shrimp, made with cider vinegar, English-style dry mustard, coriander seeds, and just-cooked shrimp.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
2/71
Relish Tray
This retro-style platter of pickled vegetables and crudités makes a refreshing addition to a decadent holiday dinner table.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
3/71
Tonnato Eggs
Wake up deviled eggs with a bright and briny tonnato-inspired filling. Top with crispy fried capers and salmon roe for extra salty pop.
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Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
4/71
Cheesy Sesame Phyllo Bites
You can use purchased frozen phyllo dough for these easy, seedy crackers, and serve with cheese—or make any of our favorite dip recipes.
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Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
5/71
Swiss Chard–Tahini Dip
Want us to make a dip suggestion? Sure. How about this luscious, dairy-free dip, which is made with Swiss chard, olive oil, tahini, lemon, and garlic. It's about as easy as hors d'oeuvre ideas get, but much better than a package of store-bought hummus or baba ghanoush.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
6/71
Pigs-in-a-Blanket With Sauerkraut and Mustard
You could buy frozen pigs-in-a-blanket, but this recipe bumps up the flavor in a wonderful way. (And working with frozen puff pastry is truly nbd.)
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Photo by Peden + Munk
7/71
Salted Buttered Pecans With Orange and Nutmeg
The orange zest and nutmeg say holiday, but you can switch up the spices as long as you keep the butter and salt.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
8/71
Roasted Oysters With Warm Butter Mignonette
Shucking oysters is a little intimidating. But you can skip that effort with this easy technique: Quickly roasting oysters in the oven pops the shells open a bit, so you can easily get them the rest of the way by hand. Top your warmed oysters with our rich, butter-based mignonette for the full festive bite.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
9/71
Warmed Spiced Olives
Maybe you want to keep your Christmas appetizers easy—perhaps you're busy cooking something more complicated for dinner? The answer is these elegant, richly-spiced olives.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Frances Boswell
10/71
Bacon and Cheddar Toasts
Crispy-crusted toasts get a little kick from bottled horseradish, sharp cheddar, and chopped bacon. Warning: The smell of these in the oven is likely to make you very, very hungry.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini
11/71
Crudités With Chile-Lime Salt
Maybe you had a big Christmas brunch. Maybe you're planning a big Christmas dinner. Then maybe you don't actually need much in the way of Christmas appetizers. How about some crispy, crunchy, well-seasoned vegetables?
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
12/71
Polenta Bites With Wild Mushrooms and Fontina
You know those logs of pre-made polenta that are sold in grocery stores? They're the ultimate easy appetizer move: just slice and toast in the oven, top with wild mushrooms and Fontina, then bake until everything's warm and melty.
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Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
13/71
Smoky Carrot Dip
Trying to fit more vegetables into your holiday week? Blending roasted carrots with canned chickpeas, hot smoked Spanish paprika, and fresh lemon makes a dip that's great with pita, crackers, sliced red bell peppers, or crusty bread.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li
14/71
Lemon-Pepper Salami Bites
This easy snack is the kind of thing you'll want to nibble all day: Savory cured salami and Marcona almonds, punched up with lemon zest and lots of fresh pepper.
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