With these holiday appetizers, there’s no need to stress out when you realize you were invited to a party and forgot you offered to bring an app—or if you have several to make for a party you’re hosting.
From dips and spreads to charcuterie sticks, these appetizers are fun and festive and can be put together in 15 minutes or less. Recipes like our Whipped Feta Honey Toast and Apricot-Stilton Bites will become holiday favorites for years to come.
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Cucumber Salmon Bites
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Look no further for your impromptu snack—these 3-ingredient cucumber salmon bites are a surefire hit. Beyond being an ideal choice for midday, this quick and easy recipe doubles as a satisfying appetizer. If you have a bit more time and a few extra ingredients at your disposal, try enhancing the cream cheese with chopped fresh herbs like dill or chives.
Whipped Feta Honey Toast
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
This whipped feta toast gets a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of your favorite fresh herbs. This easy appetizer takes only 10 minutes, making it perfect for last-minute guests. Using a food processor gives the feta mixture a light and airy texture. You can mix it by hand for the same great flavor with a coarser texture.
Apricot-Stilton Bites
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Prop stylist: Holly Dreesman, Food stylist: Gabriel Greco
Savory blue cheese and sweet-tart dried apricots combine for an impressive last-minute appetizer for any gathering. Light agave syrup has a sweet, neutral taste, whereas dark agave syrup will add more caramel flavor. If you don’t have agave syrup, you can use honey in its place.
Whipped Feta with Pomegranate, Pistachios & Honey
This easy, quick appetizer is perfect for any gathering. Be sure to process the feta and cream cheese together until you see a smooth texture and ribbons start to form. Doing so will ensure any bits of feta are broken down, and you’ll avoid a grainy texture. The drizzle of hot honey adds a pleasant spice and plays well with the salty pistachios, but you could substitute regular honey or date syrup if preferred.
Cheddar-Apple Cracker Bites
This easy recipe comes together in just 5 minutes, making it a quick snack or appetizer. The sweetness of the Fuji balances well with the Cheddar, but you can use another variety of apple if you prefer. This recipe calls for 3 thin apple slices per cracker, but feel free to use just one if you’re craving a more cheesy bite.
Cherry & Goat Cheese Crostini
Cooking Light
These flavorful crostini come together in just 10 minutes, making them an easy appetizer for any occasion. When fresh cherries aren’t available, substitute thawed frozen cherries. Gently pat them dry before assembling.
Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers
Ted & Chelsea Cavanaugh
A quick spread of pimiento cheese stuffs these mini bell peppers for an easy, three-ingredient appetizer.
Garlic-Butter Steak Bites
Jacob Fox
These protein-boosting garlic-butter steak bites are great to pull together for a party or gathering. Serve these tasty bites skewered with toothpicks alongside skewered veggies.
Apricot, Prosciutto & Parmesan Bites
Jamie Vespa, M.S., R.D.
These 3-ingredient apricot, Parmesan and prosciutto bites are as simple to make as they look, and they taste even better. Simply layer each ingredient on top of the other and secure with a toothpick for an easy bite-size starter.
Rich & Creamy Crab Dip
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
Matthew Raiford considers this creamy crab dip to be an ode to the people who worked at the now-closed Lewis Crab Factory in Brunswick, Georgia. His dad was a boilerman, which meant he worked all night cooking crabs. Once they cooled, women typically did the work of picking the crabmeat from the shells. We love the light tang that the goat cheese adds to his version. Serve with slices of warm beer bread or crunchy vegetables.
3-Ingredient Cranberry-Brie Crostini
Alex Shytsman
With just three ingredients, you can pull together an impressive appetizer perfect for holidays or dinner parties. The tangy cranberries cut through the richness of the cheese to create a balanced bite. This quick appetizer can be easily doubled to feed a crowd.
Turmeric-Ginger Tahini Dip
Flavored with turmeric, ginger and garlic, this tahini dip recipe is perfect for dipping vegetables or topping your next falafel.
Whipped Feta Dip with Roasted Red Peppers
Victor Protasio
This super-creamy whipped feta dip is savory with just a hint of sweetness from honey. This healthy dip is perfect for veggies, whole-grain crackers or bread.
Roasted Beet Hummus
This vibrant hummus recipe couldn’t be easier—just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Roasted beets make this healthy dip extra flavorful. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.
Baked Brie with Blackberry Jam
Jamie Vespa, M.S., R.D.
Baked Brie is a classic, crowd-pleasing party appetizer, whether it’s wrapped up in a pastry, in bite-size form or covered in a fruity jam, like in this recipe. In this easy 3-ingredient appetizer, we top a wheel of Brie with blackberry jam, bake for 10 minutes and serve with crisp apple slices or crackers. It’s so simple yet so delicious, that you’ll wonder why you don’t make it more often!
Lemon-Thyme Whipped Ricotta
This stunning yet easy appetizer recipe infuses creamy ricotta with fresh herbs and lemon. Serve with whole-grain crackers and cut-up vegetables or use as a spread for sandwiches or sauce for pasta.
Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp
Marinating precooked shrimp in garlic- and lemon-infused oil is a simple yet elegant appetizer.
