Whether you’re hosting an ugly sweater party, organizing your family’s annual Secret Santa or watching Christmas movies with friends, there’s one thing that no holiday gathering can go without: snacks. The cheesy, the savory and the chocolaty all belong on the menu, and no matter which you decide to serve, your guests are guaranteed to be impressed. Without further ado, here are 50 of our absolute favorite holiday finger foods to nosh on all season long.
food
50 Holiday Finger Foods to Nosh on All through December
Published Nov 15, 2022
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Prediction: These delectable rolls will be gone ten seconds after you set them out. Chalk it up to crispy bacon and gooey provolone.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, kid-friendly
You already know we love cauliflower. Like, a lot. Get even more of it in your life with these cheesy, crunchy bites that taste just as good as their potato predecessors.
3. Mini Nachos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
This well-designed, sized-down version of nachos lets you enjoy cheesy goodness in every bite. Bye, naked tortilla chips.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
What’s better than mac and cheese? These poppables, obvi. The gooey baked bites are crispy on top yet tender and chewy on the inside.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Apple cider adds a seasonal touch—and also happens to make the mini doughnuts impeccably moist.
6. Saucy Asian Meatballs
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, crowd-pleaser
Who doesn’t love a meatball amped up with umami? Stick them with toothpicks so your guests can help themselves.
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
All the flavor of the O.G., minus the mess. (And the boiling noodles—we use crispy wonton wrappers instead of pasta.)
8. Paleo Almond Butter-Stuffed Soft Pretzel Bites
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, Paleo-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
Soft pretzels are our weakness, and these nutty gems are just right for gluten-free and Paleo guests alike.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Think of it as savory monkey bread. All you need is five ingredients for this unconventional, elegant-yet-casual crowd-pleaser.
10. One-Bite Shrimp Tacos
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Presenting the cutest finger food ever: Teeny-tiny tacos that are equal parts spicy, filling and refreshing. Chalk it up to adobo chipotle sauce and pico de gallo.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? No, the answer is no—and your picky kids will agree.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
You love French onion soup. Now, imagine it baked into bite-size bowls of puff pastry with a ton of gooey Gruyère. Swoon.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
These lightened-up bites are the perfect way to indulge in dessert without going overboard. Thanks, Greek yogurt.
14. Churro Bites with Chocolate Sauce
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
These treats are shockingly easy to make at home. Serve them with plenty of chocolate sauce and dulce de leche for dipping.
15. Baked Quinoa Chicken Nuggets
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
These baked quinoa chicken nuggets are crispy, moist, ready in 30 minutes and way tastier than the frozen kind.
16. Mozzarella Bites
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
Never trust a person who doesn’t like mozzarella sticks. (It’s fried cheese, people—what’s not to love?)
17. Brie-Stuffed Pretzel Bites
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
We should warn you: These Brie-stuffed pretzel bites won’t last long. Top them with flaky salt and dunk them in honey mustard.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, kid-friendly
Cute, compact and, dare we say, better than regular sized pizza. Go wild with additional toppings, like black olives, mushrooms and pepperoncini.
19. Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprout Bites
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Dish these sprouts up with tangy dipping sauce and toothpicks, then watch them vanish before your eyes.
20. Mini Tortillas
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Warm, fresh homemade tortillas kick the store-bought kind to the curb. And guess what? They’re incredibly easy to make, and the filling possibilities are endless.
21. Mini Chocolate Snowball Cakes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
Confession: Sometimes, we get a little lot nostalgic for a classic Hostess snack cake, specifically coconut-encrusted Sno Balls. Luckily, they're easy to make from scratch.
22. Strawberry, Cardamom and Pistachio Pavlova Bites
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
These light-as-air meringue bites are begging to be shown off on your Instagram.
23. 15-Minute Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, high protein
Oh, hi, mind-blowingly easy sammies. (No one needs to know it’s rotisserie chicken and store-bought Buffalo sauce.)
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan
A vegetarian version of our favorite childhood finger food. Pass the green goddess dip, please.
25. Loaded Baked Potato ‘Chips’
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We love potatoes in all forms. Add to that list this ingenious recipe that reinvents its classic namesake.
26. Pimento Cheese-Stuffed Shishito Peppers
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
A classed-up version of jalapeño poppers. Did we mention you'll only need four ingredients to pull them off?
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
What a delicious way to celebrate citrus season. It’s definitely OK to devour two (er, five) in rapid succession.
28. Itty-Bitty Sandwich Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
The most adorable, bite-sized cookies we’ve ever seen. Eat your heart out, Oreos.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
As sophisticated as it is incredibly simple to make. Now, would you like one with smoked salmon or cranberry-almond topping first?
30. Caramel Pecan Pies with Cinnamon Roll Crust
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Want a dessert that looks impressive but is ready in under an hour? These decadent cuties will do the trick.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Make a second batch of the garlicky horseradish aioli to spread on sandwiches, drizzle on chicken wings or serve with steak.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
A medley of fresh herbs, dry spices and flaky sea salt transforms this old-school bar snack into an appetizer worth sharing.
33. Prosciutto Bites
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Salty prosciutto meets easy store-bought pizza dough and sharp grated Parm to create an irresistible savory bite. Dunk them in ranch dressing, marinara sauce or nothing at all.
34. Delicata Squash Rings with Garlic-Lemon Sauce
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
It's not like this autumn gourd is suddenly out of season after Thanksgiving. These crispy fry alternatives will be ready in just 40 minutes to boot.
35. Crispy Mushrooms
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, crowd-pleaser
We're betting you have just about all the necessary ingredients to make these crunchy creminis in your kitchen right now.
36. Bacon, Fig and Ricotta Tartines
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Top anything with a quartered fig to make it look a million times fancier in an instant. (Even better, they're cooked in maple syrup and bacon fat.)
37. Turnip Fries
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan, beginner-friendly
This root vegetable is peak delicious in the winter. Show the turnips some extra love by baking them to crispy perfection and dusting them with Old Bay seasoning.
38. Cranberry-Brie Pie Crust Bites
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
These cuties straddle the line between appetizer and dessert. Not only does the recipe call for a mere six ingredients, but the bites will be ready in 15 minutes flat.
39. Potato Latkes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Hanukkah or not, no one can turn down a shatteringly crisp potato pancake. Serve them with lots of applesauce and sour cream.
40. Mini Quesadillas
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, vegetarian
Psst: Wanna know how to get the world's crispiest quesadillas? Swap tortillas for easy wonton wrappers.
41. Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Bites
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
This one hits us right in the childhood every time. Slather mayo on the white bread before grilling the sammies for an extra crispy exterior.
42. Katsu Bites with Chipotle-Gochujang Sauce
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
These blow standard chicken fingers way out of the water. Drown us in the tangy, spicy, umami-kissed dipping sauce, please.
43. Mini Spinach-Ricotta Calzones
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Thanks to store-bought pizza dough, these come together faster than you'd think. Spruce up the filling with crumbled Italian sausage if you'd like.
44. Cheesy Polenta Bites with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
You know how the crispy corner pieces of cornbread are the best part? That's basically what every one of these bites is like—the cheese and pancetta are just a bonus.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
No meat, no problem. Swap honey for agave in the tofu marinade to make it vegan.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, one pan, beginner-friendly
This just might be the most low-lift slider recipe of all time. Simply assemble, brush with butter and bake until the cheese melts.
47. Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
When in doubt, you can never go wrong with a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies. Good luck stopping after just one or two.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
This spin on traditional latkes incorporates everyone's favorite holiday veggie. (And in case you need help shredding the sprouts...)
49. Goat Cheese and Honey Bites
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Uh oh, your guests are arriving in 10 and you don't have an appetizer planned. Not to worry: Frozen puff pastry will save the day once again.
50. Mini Cranberry, Pistachio and Chocolate Panettone
- Time Commitment: 2 hour and 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
You only think this holiday classic is outdated. We gave it the update it deserves with a few wintry ingredients in a fun-sized package.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
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