20 Christmas Finger Foods to Keep Your Guests Happy
Whether you're buying some time before dinner or hosting a fancy holiday cocktail party, having enough appetizers on hand is the key to keeping guests happy. But it's also important to provide appetizer options that can be eaten without a knife and fork, so guests can mingle with ease. Here are 20 of our favorite Christmas finger foods that are sure to be a hit!
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Easy Stuffed Mushrooms
This healthy stuffed mushroom appetizer is a nice balance of soft mushrooms, creamy filling and crunchy topping. This combination tastes downright decadent, but it's actually good for you. Be sure to get all of the moisture out of the chopped mushrooms before moving on to the next step; if not, the filling will be soggy and make the mushroom caps watery.
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Slow-Cooker Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Turn classic chicken parm into meatballs with this easy load-and-go appetizer recipe with a cheesy surprise inside. Making meatballs for a party? Switch your crock pot to warm for serving all party long, and set up toothpicks nearby so guests can help themselves.
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Pomegranate, Cranberry & Brie Bruschetta
Make this simple festive appetizer for your holiday guests. Toasted baguette slices with creamy, melted brie are topped with an orange-cranberry-pomegranate mixture—each bite delivers an explosion of flavor and texture!
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Pumpkin Kibbeh (Kebbet Laa'tin)
"Kibbeh" describes dishes made with bulgur, onions and spices. That mixture is combined with everything from tomatoes to goat. It's layered and baked, shaped into balls or footballs, stuffed, deep-fried or eaten raw. This vegetarian kibbeh recipe is made with pumpkin and stuffed with seasoned greens. Sorrel adds a lemony flavor, but you can use chard or kale and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the filling. Use fine bulgur or the texture of the dough will be gritty.
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Winter Meat & Cheese Board
A cheeseboard is an ideal stationary hors d'oeuvre for holiday entertaining. Select a variety of cheeses, making sure to include an aged variety, a creamy cheese, a blue cheese and perhaps a smoked cheese. Round out the platter with cold cuts, bread, an abundance of seasonal fruits, dried fruit, crudité, nuts and olives. We even included some dark chocolate to cap it off!
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Mini Sausage Stuffing Tarts
These bite-size tarts turn traditional holiday stuffing into a clever appetizer, with an easy homemade crust and a quick sausage-mushroom filling. Prep the crust and filling in advance, then bake just before serving.
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Almond-Thyme Party Toasts with Goat Cheese
These small appetizer bites boast big flavor! Toasted pumpernickel slices are an ideal base for goat cheese sprinkled with almonds, thyme and a touch of sweet honey. Your guests will love these, so be sure you make enough for a second round.
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Spiced Crackers
Give plain crackers a flavorful boost when you roast them with paprika and oregano. For a touch of smokiness, try smoked paprika instead of regular. Serve with hummus, cheese or your favorite dip.
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Pear & Camembert Crostini
Up your appetizer game with this fruit-topped cheese crostini recipe. Warm preserves give the pears a shiny glaze and prevent them from browning.
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Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites
These savory muffin-like quinoa bites are low in carbs and a good source of protein—plus we love their cheesy flavor.
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Apricot-Honey Mustard Sausage Bites
Let your slow cooker do the work of making these tasty appetizers.
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Air-Fryer Crispy Chickpeas
Air-fried chickpea snacks are intensely flavored and incredibly crunchy. Drying the chickpeas is essential to a good crunch, so don't skip this step. If you have time, leave them out on the counter to dry for an hour or two before frying.
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Harissa Mackerel & Endive
Harissa, the flavorful chili paste from Tunisia, gives this mackerel salad a spicy punch. If you need an alternative, try another chili paste, such as gochujang, sambal oelek or chile-garlic paste.
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Mediterranean Appetizer Board
Channel the flavors of the Mediterranean in this bountiful appetizer board. A duo of classic hummus and roasted eggplant dip offers dunking options for seeded crackers, carrot sticks and raw fennel slices. Juicy grapes and dried apricots provide a sweet counterpart to salty prosciutto and feta cheese.
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Parmesan Carrot Crisps
Dress up a cheese board or snack spread with these homemade carrot crackers.
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Artichoke & Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
For this healthy stuffed mushroom recipe, marinated artichokes and Parmesan cheese are mixed with thyme and panko breadcrumbs for a delicious filling. If serving at a party, you might consider doubling the recipe. These stuffed mushrooms will be devoured quickly!
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3-Ingredient Cranberry-Brie Bites
Baked Brie is a perennially popular appetizer. Here, we complement the Brie with tart cranberry sauce and bake it in pretty individual tartlets using premade pie crust for an ultra-easy crowd-pleasing appetizer.
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Serrano-Wrapped Plums
In this simple appetizer recipe, cloaking juicy stone fruit with rich ribbons of cured meat is a quick and simple route to salty-sweet perfection. Serve on your next cheese board with Spanish Manchego cheese and Marcona almonds.
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Pear, Pancetta & Tarragon Crostini
Up your healthy appetizer game and make this veggie-topped crostini recipe instead of go-to bruschetta. If you can't find tarragon, any soft herb, such as basil or dill, works well too.
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Spiced Pistachios
Chinese five-spice powder is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns; it adds subtle flavor to these pistachios. Look for it in the spice section at the market or with other Asian ingredients. Omit the added salt if you use salted pistachios.