11 Holiday Appetizers That Will Disappear First
Here’s a thing I’ve learned from years of holiday parties: nobody talks about the main course on the drive home. They talk about the appetizers. That’s where everyone gathers, where the catching up happens, and where the best recipes get passed around on the back of a napkin. So if you’re bringing something this season, you want it to be the dish people ask about! Here are 11 of our favorite holiday appetizers. Some are family recipes, some are brand new to our kitchen, and every single one is the kind of thing that disappears first. (And all are 12 Tomatoes tested.) It never hurts to make a double batch, trust me!
Cranberry Brie Pull-Apart Bread
To know brie is to love it, and when it’s stuffed into every nook and cranny of a warm sourdough round with tart cranberry sauce and herbs? That’s a head over heels situation. It has all the magic of baked brie, but the pull-apart delivery makes it easy to share and very fun to eat. Get the full recipe here!
Mom’s Cold Spinach Dip
This dip has been at every holiday gathering in my family for as long as I can remember, and it’s still the thing I look forward to most. My mom’s one simple trick makes it the best spinach dip I’ve ever had. (And I’ve brought it to enough parties to know I’m not the only one who thinks so.) Click here for the recipe!
Brown Sugar Bacon Little Smokies
When you walk into a party and see some Lil Smokies, it’s always a happy sight. Wrap them in bacon, shake them in brown sugar, and bake them until they’re crispy and caramelized, and you’ve got just about the easiest party app there is. Three ingredients, that’s it! Get the recipe here!
Cran Slam Dip
This sweet and spicy dip is a fun change from the usual creamy dips, but it still checks every festive box. Fresh cranberries and jalapeño really pack a punch, and since it chills ahead of time, it’s one less thing to do the day of the party. Get the full recipe here!
Grandma’s Deviled Eggs
Every family has that one deviled egg recipe nobody ever wrote down, the one that shows up at every holiday and every potluck. This is how my family has been making them as long as I can remember, with one teensy little trick that makes them taste exactly like deviled eggs are supposed to. Click here for the recipe!
4-Square Foldovers
Fancy snacks don’t need to be difficult to make. With just five ingredients and a fun little folding technique, these puff pastry bites bake up flaky and golden with a sweet and savory filling (and the teensiest kick of heat). Your guests will never guess how easy they were. Get the full recipe here!
Cranberry Brie Bites
I love an appetizer that looks like you worked really hard even when you didn’t, and these little bites are exactly that. Melty brie and jammy cranberry sauce get tucked into crispy wonton cups that bake right in a mini muffin tin. They’re golden, crunchy, and oh so festive! (And they only take about a half hour, start to finish.) Get the full recipe here!
Pecan Blue Cheese Ball
Cheese balls are elegant, delicious, and shockingly easy to make, and the holidays are their time to shine. This one brings together cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and blue cheese before getting rolled in chopped pecans. It’s even been known to win over folks who claim they don’t like blue cheese! Get the recipe here!
Sausage Stuffing Balls
Not quite a meatball and not quite your traditional stuffing, these are cheesy, savory, and gone in a bite or two. They’re an excellent use for leftover stuffing, but honestly, they’re good enough that you’ll want to make them just because. Get the full recipe here!
Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
I have a relative who brings stuffed mushrooms to every family gathering, and everyone rushes to grab one before they’re gone. Packed with a creamy, cheesy garlic-herb filling, they’re bite-sized but hearty without spoiling your dinner. (Unless you make a meal out of them. No judgment here.) Click here for the recipe!
Cranberry Pistachio Praline Dip
Want to know a secret? Serving something impressive at the holidays doesn’t have to be hard. A plain block of cream cheese gets topped with a warm, glossy mix of pistachios, tart cranberries, and brown sugar, and in about ten minutes you’ve got the prettiest appetizer on the table. Get the full recipe here!