These Easy Holiday Appetizers are perfect whether you are enjoying an evening for two or are able to entertain on a larger scale. All of the appetizers I’m sharing in this post are either easy to put together at the last minute or make ahead wonders that will make any celebration more fun.
Healthy and Easy Holiday Appetizers
I almost always start with a vegetable tray as part of my appetizer selection. Even when there are only a few of you, it’s lovely to have some cut up veggies to enjoy with dips or hummus.
The veggies can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until serving time. Sliced vegetables are a healthy choice, plus they look so colourful and go perfectly with just about any dip, especially this one.
Easy Holiday Appetizers
Served with tortilla chips as well as a veggie tray, My Easy Nacho Dip is definitely the easiest of easy holiday appetizers. It takes less than ten minutes to put together and everyone loves it.
You can make my Red Pepper Crostini Topping ahead of time. It’s incredibly versatile and can be used for canapés, crostini or even to top mini pizzas. It also makes a great meze dish.
My Easy Crab Paté can be used to make canapés or top biscuits or bruschetta and it can be made up to a couple of hours ahead of time too.
More Easy Holiday Appetizers
Cut my Easy Crab Melts into slices to make easy holiday appetizers that will disappear before your eyes! Or try my Crab and Shrimp Melts instead.
This Easy Bacon and Cream Cheese Appetizer is a real show-stopper. Cut open the deliciously easy crust (made from crescent rolls or chilled ready made croissant dough) to reveal melted cream cheese laced with bacon, onions and parsley. Guests can cut pieces off to enjoy or dip crackers into the creamy cheesy goodness. There’s a vegetarian option as well. Let’s just say I usually make two!
More Holiday Entertaining Tips
I sometimes serve cookies or squares with coffee to round out the evening. An alternative to this is a fruit plate, a little taste of summer in the cooler months.
The great thing about these easy holiday appetizers is that you can keep the ingredients for many of them on hand. This makes them perfect for serving to last minute guests as well as at parties planned in advance. I generally keep a bowl of Red Pepper Crostini Topping on hand in the fridge ‘just in case’, as well as the ingredients for Nacho Dip and the Bacon Cream Cheese Appetizer. And although I like to use fresh crab meat for my Crab Pate, you can use canned in a pinch. This means you can keep the ingredients for that in your store cupboard and fridge as well.
Easy holiday appetizers are definitely the key to relaxed holiday entertaining – so you can have just as much fun as your guests!
More Holiday Recipes
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
Chocolate and Cranberry Quick Bread with Cinnamon Glaze
Cranberry Orange and Ginger Loaf
Comments & Reviews
The appetizers look so delicious , festive and easy to put together, April!
Thank you, Hadia 🙂
These appetizers all sound so good. I love anything that you can easily throw together with things you have on hand.
Thank you, Stephanie 🙂
I love anything that makes Christmas day easier. Such great ideas! I especially love that red pepper crostini topping.
Me too, Tara! I have to say, the red pepper crostini topping is one of my favourites as well 🙂
These all look and sound delicious! And I agree…simple and flavorful is the way to go for a stress free party!
Thank you, Lisa 🙂
I totally agree, the host needs to have a good time too. These are all delicious appetizers to serve, thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, Janette 🙂
Such a great post.. Those appetizers look so delish..!! Love ideas that help make Christmas day easier.
Thank you, Veena! When it comes to Christmas, I love easy 🙂
Hi April,
What a great collection of appetizers and perfect for all the holidays! Hope you have a fantastic weekend and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! They really do make holiday entertaining easy. Hope your weekend is wonderful too 🙂
April, I love your selection of easy holiday appetizers you can assemble quickly. So colorful and festive! Shared around! Happy Holidays my friend!
Thank you so much, Linda, and thank you for sharing too, my friend! Happy Holidays!
April, I just love your collection of holiday appetizers…so festive and easy to make! Enjoy the holiday season my friend!
Thank you so much, Linda! I hope you are enjoying the holiday season too, my friend!
Some lovely ideas here April, making me hungry 🙂 Thanks for sharing at The Wednesday Blog Hop.
Thank you, Claire! 🙂
These all look delicious but I’ve been tasked with veggie duty these days and that combination looks good and easily chillable. I love using red, yellow and green peppers. The red and green ones will be fun to use this Christmas.
Thank you, Jeanna! Isn’t it lovely when the healthy stuff is so pretty and colourful, as well as delicious? I hope you have a lovely Christmas!
Appetizers are my favorite food! We would have them instead of full meals if I could get away with it!
That’s a lovely idea, Cherryl!