18 Delicious Christmas Appetizers That Can Be Made Ahead of Time By Ally Sorrells Ally Sorrells Ally Sorrells is a former EatingWell editorial fellow who loves to write about health and nutrition news in publications such as Food & Wine, Real Simple and U.S. News and World Report. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 9, 2024 Close Make the holidays easier and less stressful with make-ahead Christmas appetizers. These festive and flavorful dishes can be prepped a few days in advance so that when Christmas comes around you can spend more time with your loved ones instead of being stuck in the kitchen. Recipes like Crudité Vegetable Wreath with Ranch Dip and Whipped Feta with Pomegranate, Pistachios & Honey are healthy, easy and sure to put everyone in a jolly mood. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 18 Whipped Feta with Pomegranate, Pistachios & Honey View Recipe Save 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. 02 of 18 EatingWell Crudité Vegetable Wreath with Ranch Dip View Recipe Save Take your veggies and dip to the next level with this colorful crudité wreath that's the perfect make-ahead Christmas appetizer. This vegetable appetizer is a stunner with white cauliflower, red tomatoes and green broccoli, green beans, snap peas, kale and Brussels sprouts. It's also a delicious way to start your celebration with veggies—which always seem to be in short supply at parties and holidays. 03 of 18 White Bean–Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek View Recipe Save Mini bell peppers are the perfect vessel for delivering creamy bean dip with a crunchy chickpea topping in this easy snack. Crunchy chickpeas are easy to make at home, or you can buy them already prepared and flavored with spices to add your own unique twist. 04 of 18 Crispy Chickpeas over Whipped Feta Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel View Recipe Save Crispy chickpeas star in this easy appetizer. The complex blend of spices brings a smoky finish to the dish, accented by fresh oregano and an extra drizzle of olive oil to carry the flavors. We love pita bread for serving, but it also pairs well with fresh vegetables—or serve it as part of a mezze platter. 05 of 18 Avocado Deviled Eggs Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster View Recipe Save These avocado deviled eggs add a little zing to a classic recipe. Avocado combined with egg yolks adds extra creaminess, while lime juice adds an extra hit of acidity. Add chopped cooked bacon for a savory note. Look for pickled red onions in a jar, or make your own by soaking thinly sliced red onion in a solution of white-wine vinegar and sugar for 30 minutes. 06 of 18 Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball View Recipe Save Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers. 07 of 18 Whipped Feta with Cranberries & Walnuts Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle View Recipe Save This festive whipped feta dip is the perfect appetizer for any gathering. If the feta seems too thick, add 1 teaspoon water at a time until loosened. Walnuts provide a nice crunchiness, but you could easily swap in another nut like pecans or pistachios. If you have leftover cranberry sauce, try a dollop in some yogurt or oatmeal for an easy breakfast. 08 of 18 High-Protein Spinach Dip Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek View Recipe Save This spinach dip recipe gives the classic appetizer a high-protein twist. In addition to adding plenty of protein, using cottage cheese and feta instead of cream cheese and Cheddar cuts back on saturated fat and calories. Enjoy this easy dip as a side dish, appetizer or snack served with whole-grain bread and veggies for dipping. 09 of 18 Lemon, Mint & White Bean Dip CookingLight View Recipe Save This quick, healthy dip is an easy appetizer or snack. If you don't have cannellini beans, chickpeas work just as well. Serve this tasty dip alongside veggies, crackers, pita or pretzels. 10 of 18 Whipped Cottage Cheese French Onion Dip Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco View Recipe Save We swap out sour cream for whipped cottage cheese in this light and airy French onion dip. We call for vegan Worcestershire sauce to keep the dip vegetarian; you can use regular Worcestershire (which usually contains anchovies) if you like. Serve with chips, fresh veggies or as a sandwich spread. 11 of 18 Buffalo Chicken Meatballs EatingWell View Recipe Save Sautéed mushrooms, celery and garlic add flavor in this easy Buffalo chicken meatball recipe. Serve these meatballs as an appetizer with carrot and celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch-style dressing for dipping, or make them into a Buffalo chicken meatball sandwich. 12 of 18 Creamy Chicken Poblano Dip Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco View Recipe Save Scoop up this creamy chicken poblano cheese dip with tortilla chips or your favorite fresh veggies, or use it as a filling for halved baby peppers for a game-day appetizer. We like it chilled, but if you want a warm dip, spread it into a shallow baking dish and heat it in a 350°F oven for 12 minutes with a sprinkling of Cheddar cheese on top. 13 of 18 Roasted Beet Hummus View Recipe Save 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. 14 of 18 Everything-Bagel Crispy Chickpeas View Recipe Save Crispy, salty and packed with everything-bagel goodness, these crispy chickpeas are a delicious, healthy snack that can be enjoyed on their own or tossed into a salad for added crunch. Removing the skins from the chickpeas helps achieve a better crisp. Look for "everything bagel seasoning" in the spice aisle; it's now available in most supermarkets. 15 of 18 Double-Tahini Hummus View Recipe Save This easy recipe produces the lightest, silkiest hummus you've ever had. Chilling the cooked chickpeas ensures that, when they're blended with the oil and cold tahini, the hummus will come out creamy rather than oily. 16 of 18 Easy Scallion-Salmon Dip View Recipe Save Inspired by the classic combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese, this spread is perfect for slathering on a bagel or serving as a dip with bagel chips. This dip recipe is a great way to use up salmon leftovers. 17 of 18 Lovage Pesto View Recipe Save Lovage tastes like cardamom and celery had a baby. If you can't find lovage, increase basil to 1 3/4 cups and add 1 1/2 cups celery leaves. Recipe by Chef/Farmer Stacey Givens of The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen, Portland, OR. 18 of 18 Lemon-Thyme Whipped Ricotta View Recipe Save 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. Explore more: Healthy Recipes Holidays Christmas Christmas Appetizer Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit