Best Christmas Appetizers and Finger Foods

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a photo collage of several Christmas appetizers

Christmas gatherings deserve food that brings people together—and nothing sets the mood like delicious holiday appetizers. Whether you’re hosting a formal Christmas dinner, a casual family gathering, or a festive holiday work potluck, these Christmas appetizers and easy finger foods make entertaining effortless.

From warm bites and cheesy dips to elegant handheld snacks, and make-ahead options, this collection has something for every party. Mix, match, and build your perfect holiday menu!

read more: If you’re looking for more sweet Christmas dessert options, check our our Christmas cookies and treats recipe roundup!

Holiday Classics & Crowd Favorites

These are the appetizers everyone expects at a Christmas party—warm, creamy, cheesy, and always demolished by the end of the night.

Best Cheeseball

A creamy, savory party classic that’s easy, nostalgic, and always the first dish to disappear from the snack table.

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Creamy Artichoke Dip

Rich, comforting, and perfect for dipping, this hot artichoke dip is a holiday staple your guests will hover around.

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Spinach Artichoke Dip

Decadent, gooey, and baked until bubbly, this dip is a guaranteed win for any Christmas gathering.

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Baked Cheese Onion Dip

Cheesy, caramelized, and irresistible, this simple hot dip pairs perfectly with crackers

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Antipasto Italian Focaccia Recipe

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a baked loaf of antipasto focaccia bread topped with sliced green olives, chopped meats, sundried tomatoes and herbs

Our Antipasto Italian Focaccia Recipe is the ultimate way to use up leftover charcuterie ingredients for the most delicious and easy bread recipe! You’re going to love the salty, chewy crust, tender crumb and those meaty toppings!

I was on a phone call with an important business colleague who knows his stuff. I casually mentioned that we were working on both a focaccia bread and pasta recipe that helps to use up the leftovers from a charcuterie board or antipasto board. He immediately chimed in that he loves charcuterie and is often stuck in the same dilemma; what do I do with all of this stuff?!

Why I Love Antipasto Focaccia Bread

I’m the queen of “recreate it.” I don’t love when we make something that needs a very special ingredient or a bunch of things that I just need a little of but you have no choice but to buy a lot.

I LOVE this focaccia bread because not only does it use up leftovers, but it’s also so satisfying! In fact, because of the meats and olives, it’s a hearty bread that can totally count as a main dish at dinner. It’s like pizza!

Recipe Tip

I’m a huge fan of dipping bread. This bread is perfect to serve with a little bowl of olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar!

Want to up the game? Dip in warmed pizza or spaghetti sauce. IT’S SO GOOD!

Ingredients for Antipasto Focaccia Bread

  • Flour: Adds structure and the base of our bread.
  • Water: Essential to get that yeast going and make the bread.
  • Salt: While many Italian breads skip the salt, like in Florence, I never do.
  • Sugar: Helps the yeast rise and balances the acid and salt of this dish.
  • Yeast: Get that bread rising and fluffy.
  • Meats: Grab any combination you love on a normal antipasto platter.
  • Olives: We love a mixture from kalamata to black.
  • Tomatoes: Try using fresh and sun dried for more texture and flavor.
  • Peppers: We love a touch of smokiness from a roasted red pepper.
  • Artichokes: Adds a little brine and acid to the bread.

How to Make Antipasto Focaccia Bread

  1. Stir: Make the bread by simply stirring together the flour, salt, sugar and water.
  2. Refrigerate: Let this bread dough sit overnight in the fridge for enhanced flavor and texture.
  3. Chop: Chop all of your ingredients to the same size so nothing cooks more than the ingredient next to it.
  4. Dock the Bread
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Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

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A photo of someone dipping a piece of Nutella dulce de leche puff pastry in melted Nutella.

This Nutella and Dulce de Leche Puff Pastry Christmas Tree looks impressive, but it’s actually one of the easiest Christmas desserts you’ll ever make! Layers of rich Nutella and creamy dulce de leche sandwiched between flaky puff pastry! It tastes like pure holiday heaven.

A few years ago, puff pastry Christmas tree recipes started popping up everywhere, but I hadn’t seen one featuring Nutella and dulce de leche, so of course, I had to create my own!

Every Christmas Eve, my mom made homemade donuts. Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan; they’re not quite sweet enough, yet somehow too rich at the same time. Don’t worry, she doesn’t love them either. Go figure.

Last Christmas, I wanted something that captured the nostalgia of those donuts without actually being one because deep frying is messy, smelly, and a bit of a hassle. That is how this adorable puff pastry Christmas tree was born!

Ingredients for This Recipe

This festive puff pastry tree comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients, and the result is the yummiest pull-apart Christmas Tree dessert. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 Sheets Puff Pastry, partially frozen: The base of the tree.
  • Nutella: For rich chocolate flavor.
  • Dulce de Leche: Adds creamy caramel sweetness.
  • Egg Yolk: Used as an egg wash to brush on the pastry for a glossy, golden finish.
  • Water: To mix with the egg yolk.
  • Unsalted Butter: Optional, brushed for extra richness.
  • Cinnamon Sugar: For sprinkling on top.

That’s it! Just a few ingredients for a dessert that looks impressive and tastes incredible. Now let’s get baking!

Other Fun Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Fillings To Try

This puff pastry tree is a versatile base for all kinds of delicious fillings! While we love the classic Nutella and Dulce de Leche version, you can easily swap in apricot jam, strawberry jam, raspberry jam, fig jam, or even chocolate sauce! Feeling savory? Try ham and cheese, pesto with chicken, or chicken and Parmesan for a flavor-packed alternative.

How to Make This Puff Pastry Christmas Tree?

These Christmas Trees look fancy but are surprisingly easy to make! Flaky puff pastry layered with rich Nutella and creamy dulce de leche makes a festive, show-stopping dessert everyone will love.

  1. Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat. (Parchment paper also works, but be warned: melted dulce de leche tends to stick more to parchment than to Silpat.)
  2. Cut: Unfold the puff pastry sheets and stack them on top of each other. Using a sh
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Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

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Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

This easy baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip is the perfect holiday appetizer this season. Only a few simple ingredients (cheese, cream cheese, leftover cranberry sauce, cranberries and spices) to this savory hot dip. Ever wondered what to make with leftover cranberry sauce? This is the answer!

This cheese dip is one of my favorite holiday dip recipes! I love that it looks as festive as it tastes and the kids love that it’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty!

The holiday season is here and that means a lot of parties, get-togethers and food. From the family Thanksgiving dinner to the “favorite things party” with girlfriends, our calendar is packed. When I need to bring a dish to share, quick and easy recipes are the way to go… like this Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip.

We Love Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip!

Our family has a list of recipes that are a tradition every year. It’s not the holidays without our best cheeseball, soft and chewy gingerbread men cookies, peanut butter balls, and the best Christmas cookies ever! So why do we love this savory cranberry dip?

  • Easy to make: There are only a few simple ingredients so no running to a million different stores to get what you need.
  • Sweet and Cheesy: The tangy flavor of the cranberries are balanced with the savory cheeses and then you get that hint of sweet from the cranberry sauce.
  • Everyone Asks For the Recipe: I love that this is the dip we often get asked for the recipe, guests just love it!
  • Uses Up Leftovers: I don’t know about you, but I’m often googling “what to make with leftover cranberry sauce” This festive recipe solves that problem!
  • Make Ahead: This dip is easy to make ahead of time, so you can spend more time with your guests. See more below.

Carrian’s Secret Sandwich!

Not only is this an amazing dip, it’s also to-die-for as a spread for sandwiches or grilled up into a grilled cheese sandwich with ham or turkey. Try it and share on instagram by tagging @ohsweetbasil and #ohsweetbasil.

Ingredients for our Holiday Dip Recipe

  • Extra-Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, grated
  • Mozzarella Cheese, grated
  • Cream cheese, 
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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

a plate of saucy hawaiian meatballs with chunks of pineapple and chopped green onions

You will LOVE these Sweet and tangy Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs recipe made with pineapple, BBQ sauce, and frozen meatballs. Easy to make for weeknight dinner, as an appetizer for parties or for meal prep as an easy freezer meal recipe!

What to Make For Dinner Using Frozen Meatballs

If you’re looking for what to make for dinner tonight, something that’s easy and kid-friendly, these Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs are perfect! You can have dinner prepped in 10 minutes and then just let it cook! Serve with rice and veggies to sop up that delicious sauce!

Recipe Shortcut!

I use barbecue sauce instead of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. You see, in Hawaiian meatballs recipes most people add those ingredients with ketchup which is essentially just making your own barbecue sauce. Why put in extra effort? Just take a shortcut!

Why Readers LOVE Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

Our family have always been obsessed with my meatball recipe. But I tire of the same thing every month, so I’ve come up with a few new recipes for meatballs. Have you tried our juicy Chicken Meatballs with Orzo? Gosh, I could eat bowl after bowl!!

This time I’ve gone tropical and easy by combining meatballs, chunks of pineapple, and a sweet, tangy sauce for the best family-friendly Crock Pot recipe!

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

  • Frozen Meatballs: Fresh works too, we use ground beef meatballs but turkey meatballs would work too
  • Pineapple: Fresh chopped or canned works too
  • BBQ Sauce: Adds a depth of flavor to the sauce
  • Soy Sauce: Adds a touch of salt for flavor
  • Rice Wine Vinegar: Acid to balance the sweet and salty
  • Brown Sugar: A little sweetness
  • Ginger: Adds a little bite and depth of flavor
  • Garlic: Rounds out the sauce

How to Make Crockpot Hawaiian Meatballs

  1. Dump: No need to thaw, just add the meatballs to the slow cooker.
  2. Pineapple: Add the chunks on top of the meatballs.
  3. Mix the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
  4. Pour: Pour the
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