34 Christmas Snacks Even the Busiest Hosts Can Pull Off
Did you know this holiday season is one of the shortest ever? With just 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there isn’t much time to check all that shopping off your list, get the kids out the door to the school pageant, and make all the dips, bites and treats. Problem solved: We’ve got 34 savory and sweet Christmas snacks that even the busiest hosts can pull off.
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1. Mom’s Easy Fudge Recipe
Let your refrigerator do the work when you whip up Heidi Larsen’s homemade fudge. The secret? It’s all in the evaporated milk.
2. Roasted Mixed Nuts
The best pairing for a winter cocktail: a handful of mixed nuts. Make your own in just 15 minutes (they’re great to keep on hand, then pull them out when someone pops by).
3. Avocado Toast with Persimmon, Pomegranate and Fennel
A healthy Christmas snack that includes winter ingredients like persimmon and pomegranate on our trusty favorite, avocado toast.
4. Mushroom Bruschetta with Triple Cream Brie, Sage and Truffle Oil
Hosting tip 101: Find go-to recipes that look fancier than they are. Case in point? This bruschetta topped with a triple cream Brie (ooo), mushrooms and drizzled truffle oil.
5. Healthy French Onion Dip with Leeks and Shallots
Canned soup? Surely you jest. You can make French onion dip from scratch in just 30 minutes. Phoebe Lapine shows you how.
6. Cheesy Bacon Holiday Crack
It’s called “crack” for a reason: cheese and bacon. Yes and yes.
7. Holiday Cheese Board
Learn how to dress up even the simplest cheese board for a serious hostess wow factor. Prepare for your creation to be featured on every one of your friends’ Insta stories.
8. Three-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles
It doesn’t get much easier for a busy host than three-ingredient chocolate truffles. (Thanks for the recipe, Dorit Jaffe.)
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9. Baked Coconut Shrimp
Honestly, we’d eat coconut shrimp on any day of the year. But it’s Christmas, so we’re having seconds. And thirds.
10. The Best No-Bake Haystack Cookies
No-bake cookies shave precious time off the whole gotta-make-something-for-the-holiday-bake-sale dilemma. Phew, Katie Workman to the rescue.
11. Easy Candied Walnuts
A knock at the door? Toss together Maria Lichty’s candied walnuts in ten minutes. “Oh, so good of you to drop by. Would you like a snack?”
12. Small Batch Chocolate Guinness Cake
Beer bread takes on new meaning with this chocolate Guinness stout cake that’s decadent enough for the holidays (and easy on the host, too).
13. Simple Vegan Creamed Spinach
Dietary restrictions? Everyone will love Gena Hamshaw’s vegan creamed spinach. It’s made with tofu and nutritional yeast, but the carnivores at the table will never know the difference.
14. Actually Crispy Baked Chickpeas
If you’re tired of nuts, try your hand at these crunchy baked chickpeas. They’re packed with spices and ready in less than an hour.
15. French Onion Cups
Anything is possible with store-bought pastry dough. Now, go enjoy your holiday party with these bite-size French onion cups.
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16. Lamb Chops with Crispy Shallots and Pomegranate Sauce
Hearty snacks are great for balancing out all the holiday sweets—and let’s be real, the alcohol too. That’s why we love these 25-minute lamb chops.
17. Easy Yogurt Fruit Dip
Heidi Larsen, you’re a genius. This three-ingredient dip takes minutes to make, and guests who have been to three holiday parties this week will secretly appreciate the fresh fruit option on the buffet.
18. Fluffy Beer Biscuits
These little guys are like savory muffins, but with beer. They’re about to become our new holiday tradition.
19. Roasted Grape and Goat Cheese Rounds
Grab a biscuit cutter to perfect the round wheat bread bases for Carlene Thomas’s grape and goat cheese hors d'oeuvres.
20. Ham Sweet Potato Frittata
How to clean out the fridge: Throw your leftovers into a frittata for a quick and easy appetizer. Your guests will be none the wiser.
21. The Most Perfect (and Easiest) Sugar Cookie Recipe
Stash this recipe where you can easily access it. It will quickly become your holiday go-to, whether you decorate your cookies with frosting, sugar or little gold beads…or who are we kidding, all three?
22. Buffalo Chicken Bites with Blue Cheese Dressing
There’s no deep-frying involved in these stovetop chicken bites doused in buffalo sauce. Just add blue cheese.
23. Christmas Guacamole
Guacamole’s allure extends far beyond taco Tuesday. Gaby Dalkin tops the avocado dip with pomegranate seeds for a festive touch.
24. Christmas Cookie Dough Dip
Who has time to actually make cookies? No one, which is why this cookie dough dip is the best Christmas snack.
25. Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Fudge
Five ingredients, a few minutes of prep and a gorgeous final product? We’re making this treat for everyone on our Christmas list.
26. Turkey and Kale Butternut Squash Egg Muffins
Gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo—Ali Maffucci’s egg muffins work for plenty of your guests’ dietary restrictions.
27. Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
If you’re feeling stressed about hosting this year, these are the easiest treats in the universe. They take only a few ingredients and minutes to “bake.”
28. Eggnog Bread
Maria Lichty’s eggnog quick-bread can be served for breakfast through dessert, making it one of the most versatile holiday snacks for a busy hostess.
29. Roasted Squash and Pepita Pesto Dip
Big party? Don’t sweat it. Aida Mollenkamp’s roasted squash and pumpkin seed pesto dip serves up to 12 guests.
30. Oreo-Stuffed Brownie
Cookies or brownies? We vote both. Bonus points: These Oreo-stuffed goodies are ready in less than an hour.
31. Mac and Cheese Cups
If it were up to us, we’d eat mac and cheese for every meal. Get one step closer by making your favorite dinner a finger food, and eat it as a snack all day long.
32. Loaded Christmas Tree Bark
You probably remember a neighbor always gifting you Christmas bark—it’s a tried-and-true easy holiday recipe. Give it a festive twist by adding sprinkles and white chocolate chips.
33. Salty, Sweet and Smoky Popcorn Snack Mix
Liz Harris’s savory and sweet snack mix—including popcorn, cranberries and smoked almonds—can be made two days in advance. Unexpected guests will be completely floored by your savvy hospitality.
34. Tahini Buckeyes
Jess Larson’s buckeye balls get a nut-free update with tahini. That means they’re safe for everyone at the school holiday party.