20 Christmas Eve Appetizers (Easy & Make-Ahead)

These easy Christmas Eve appetizers are ready before the doorbell rings! From cheese Christmas trees and a snowman veggie tray to cranberry brie bites, stuffed mushrooms, and a warm cranberry cream cheese dip, there are plenty of festive holiday party bites to set out without missing the fun.

Every recipe on this list is one of the make ahead Christmas appetizers I lean on, because each one can be made, assembled, or prepped hours or even a day early. Bake the oven bites as guests arrive, pull the cold platters and dips from the fridge, and you’ll have a full spread with very little last-minute work.

How to Plan a Make-Ahead Christmas Eve Appetizer Spread

A simple plan means the night of Christmas Eve is mostly pulling platters out of the fridge. Here’s how I split up the work:

• Pick a mix: One or two cold platters, a couple of warm, savory bites from the oven, a dip, and a cheese ball cover every taste. If a big meal follows, three or four appetizers are plenty. If the appetizers are the meal, make six to eight.
• The day before: Shape the cheese ball, whip the ricotta, stir together the baked dips in their dishes, roll the pinwheels and pigs in a blanket, wrap the bacon crackers, cook the meatballs, and cut the vegetables for the veggie tray.
• Christmas Eve morning or afternoon: Build the boards and skewers, fill the stuffed mushrooms, mix the deviled egg filling, and set the cranberry brie bites in their muffin tin. These hold in the fridge for about 2 to 4 hours.
• The last hour: Bake the warm appetizers and dips, slice the pinwheels, and add the crackers and fresh garnishes.

Cooking dinner too? These make ahead Christmas Eve dinner ideas pair well with a few of these bites.

Tips for Keeping Make-Ahead Appetizers Fresh

• Keep crackers, chips, and bread separate: Add them to boards and dips when you serve so they don’t go soft.
• Save garnishes for last: Fresh dill, green onions, rosemary, and basil look their best when they go on right before the platter comes out.
• Wrap everything tightly: Plastic wrap pressed close to the food keeps boards and dips from drying out or picking up fridge smells.
• Let cheese warm up: Pull the cheese board and other cheese platters out 20 to 30 minutes early so the cheese softens and tastes its best.
• Give cold dishes extra oven time: A dip or pastry that goes in straight from the fridge needs a few more minutes than the recipe says (the cranberry cream cheese dip needs 5 to 8), so check it before you pull it out.

Want a centerpiece too? Pick one of these Christmas charcuterie boards to anchor the table.

Warm Christmas Eve Appetizers

Easy Taco Ranch Bites

Lean ground beef simmered with taco and ranch seasoning gets spooned into tortilla scoop chips and topped with cheddar in these Easy Taco Ranch Bites. They bake for just 5 to 7 minutes. Cook the beef ahead and keep it in the fridge, then fill and bake the chips right before serving so they don’t get soggy.

Cranberry Brie Bites

Cubes of brie and a spoonful of cranberry sauce bake in bite-size puff pastry cups in these Cranberry Brie Bites, each finished with a sprig of rosemary. The recipe makes 48. Assemble them in the muffin tin up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate, then bake for 20 to 24 minutes while guests arrive.

Spinach Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

Spinach dip made with cream cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan is layered inside a puff pastry triangle, then cut and twisted into branches for this Spinach Puff Pastry Christmas Tree. Shape it earlier in the day, wrap it well, and chill it. It needs 20 to 25 minutes at 375°F, so it comes out of the oven just as everyone’s ready to eat.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach and Artichokes

Mushroom caps packed with cream cheese, spinach, marinated artichoke hearts, walnuts, and fresh herbs bake with a little Parmesan on top in these Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach and Artichokes. Fill them a few hours before the party and keep them on the baking sheet in the fridge. They need 15 to 20 minutes at 375°F, so they come out hot right as people start to mingle.

Mini Pigs in a Blanket

Each crescent triangle is cut into three narrow pieces and wrapped around a cocktail sausage, then topped with poppy seeds, to make 24 bites in these Mini Pigs in a Blanket. You can wrap them the day before and leave the covered pan in the refrigerator. Brush on the egg wash just before they bake to a deep golden brown, and set out ketchup and mustard for dipping.

Bacon Wrapped Crackers

Club crackers wrapped in thin-cut bacon and sprinkled with brown sugar and pepper bake on a rack until crispy in these Bacon Wrapped Crackers. Wrap them up to 24 hours ahead and keep them in the fridge. They bake in 20 to 25 minutes, so slide them into the oven as the first guests walk in.

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Ground chicken meatballs cook under pressure for just 7 minutes, then get tossed in buffalo sauce for these Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. Cook them up to a few days ahead and refrigerate, then reheat them with the sauce right before serving. Keep them warm in the Instant Pot on the buffet with a bowl of ranch for dipping.

Cold Christmas Appetizers You Can Make Ahead

Cheese Christmas Trees

Camembert wedges brushed with maple syrup and pressed into a walnut and herb coating become mini trees with pretzel stick trunks in these Cheese Christmas Trees. You can coat them a full day early and store them covered and chilled. Set them out 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the cheese softens.

Snowman Charcuterie Board

Cubes of white cheddar and Swiss are mounded into a snowman on this Snowman Charcuterie Board, with black olives for his hat, eyes, and buttons, plus rosemary sprig arms and a baby carrot nose. The whole board can wait in the fridge, wrapped tightly, for as long as 4 hours. Add the ring of crackers when guests arrive so they don’t go soft.

Snowman Veggie Tray

Two stacked bowls of thick ranch turn into a snowman with a red pepper scarf and an olive face on this Snowman Veggie Tray, surrounded by carrots, cucumbers, celery, and bell pepper strips. Cut the vegetables a day ahead and store them in airtight containers. Put the tray together up to 2 hours before guests arrive.

Grinch Caprese Skewers

Tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil, and string cheese stack into tiny Grinch figures, each one topped with a tomato Santa hat, on these Grinch Caprese Skewers. The recipe makes 24. Cut the tomatoes and cheese the day before, then finish the skewers up to 4 hours ahead and set out balsamic glaze for dipping.

Crab Pinwheels

Flour tortillas spread with cream cheese and filled with imitation crab, cheddar, red pepper, and green onion are rolled up tight for these Crab Pinwheels. Wrap the rolls in plastic and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours. Slice them into 24 pieces just before serving so the edges look neat.

Easy No-Cook Smoked Salmon Bites

Slices of English cucumber hold a swipe of whipped cream cheese, a piece of smoked salmon, and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning in these Easy No-Cook Smoked Salmon Bites. They need no cooking at all. Assemble them up to 4 hours in advance and add the fresh dill right before they go out.

Easy Stuffed Celery Sticks

Wide celery stalks are piped with a cream cheese filling seasoned with garlic, onion, and dill, then topped with walnuts and paprika in these Easy Stuffed Celery Sticks. Fill them up to a day ahead and store them in a container lined with a damp paper towel so the celery stays crunchy. Add the toppings when you set out the platter.

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Mashed avocado, sour cream, and lemon juice replace the usual mayo in the filling of these Avocado Deviled Eggs, topped with a sprinkle of paprika and parsley. Mix the filling a few hours ahead and press plastic wrap right onto the surface so it stays green. Pipe it into the egg whites shortly before guests arrive, because they’re best served within 2 hours.

Christmas Eve Dips and Cheese Balls

Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Cream cheese, white cheddar, and jellied cranberry sauce are stirred together with fresh cranberries and baked until bubbly and cheesy in this Baked Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip. Spread it in the baking dish up to 24 hours ahead and hold back the topping cheese. Add 5 to 8 minutes to the first bake if it goes in cold, then serve it with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

Baked Goat Cheese Dip

Tangy goat cheese blended with cream cheese, garlic, and rosemary or thyme bakes until golden on top in this Baked Goat Cheese Dip, topped with nuts and an optional drizzle of honey. Spread it in the baking dish the evening before, then give it 15 to 20 minutes in the oven on Christmas Eve and serve it with toasted baguette slices or crackers.

Whipped Ricotta Dip with Balsamic and Cranberries

Ricotta beaten with a hand mixer until creamy is spread into a dish and finished with balsamic, olive oil, dried cranberries, fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes in this Whipped Ricotta Dip with Balsamic and Cranberries. Whip the ricotta up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Add the toppings right before serving with crostini or crackers.

Layered Nacho Dip with Cream Cheese

A taco-seasoned cream cheese and sour cream base gets layers of drained salsa, shredded cheddar, and green onions in this Layered Nacho Dip with Cream Cheese. It takes about 10 minutes and uses six ingredients. Assemble it up to a day ahead, keep it covered in the fridge, and add the green onions right before you set out the tortilla chips.

Pecan Bacon Cheeseball

A coating of chopped pecans, bacon, and scallions covers a cheddar and cream cheese center seasoned with everything bagel spice in this Pecan Bacon Cheeseball. Shape and coat it a couple of days early, then leave it wrapped in the refrigerator. On Christmas Eve, all you do is unwrap this classic cheese ball and add a plate of crackers.

Frequently Asked Questions