I’m throwing a holiday party this year and I’ve been practicing making some short-eats. Since my friends and I play a lot of board games at our parties, I’ve been focusing on recipes that are light and delicious.
These are all super easy to make and don’t require too much time or energy!
1. Cranberry Brie Bites
These mini bites have totally taken over holiday parties because they’re sweet, melty, and require nearly zero effort. They look fancy but truly anyone can make them.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 wheel brie cheese
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- Fresh rosemary
Instructions:
Cut the puff pastry into small squares and press each piece into a mini muffin tin, then place a small cube of brie inside each one and top with cranberry sauce; bake at 375°F until the pastry puffs and the cheese melts, then garnish with rosemary and serve warm.
2. Honey Garlic Cocktail Meatballs
Everyone on TikTok is making these right now and they disappear the second they hit the table. They’re sticky, sweet, and finger-licking delicious.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 bag frozen meatballs
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp sriracha (optional)
Instructions:
Simmer honey, soy sauce, garlic, and sriracha together, then add in the meatballs and cook on medium heat until they’re hot, glazed, and shiny, stirring occasionally so everything gets coated.
3. Caprese Christmas Skewers
Pretty, festive, and super easy. These go viral every December because they take 5 minutes to assemble and instantly make your table look fancy.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mini mozzarella balls
- Fresh basil
- Balsamic glaze
Instructions:
Thread a tomato, basil leaf, and mozzarella ball onto small toothpicks, arrange on a platter, and drizzle with balsamic glaze just before serving so everything looks glossy and fresh.
4. Pigs in a Blanket Wreath
A classic appetizer turned into a Christmas wreath — it’s cute, festive, and everyone fights for the last piece.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 can crescent roll dough
- Cocktail sausages
- Egg wash
- Sesame seeds
Instructions:
Wrap each sausage in a small strip of crescent dough, arrange them in a circle on a baking tray to form a wreath, brush with egg wash, sprinkle sesame seeds, and bake at 375°F until golden.
5. Whipped Feta Christmas Dip
This creamy, tangy dip is going viral for one reason: it tastes way fancier than it looks and pairs with everything from crackers to veggies.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 block feta
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- Pomegranate seeds
Instructions:
Blend feta, yogurt, olive oil, and honey until smooth and fluffy, spread onto a plate, drizzle with extra honey, and top with pomegranate seeds for a jeweled holiday look.
6. Garlic Butter Pull-Apart Christmas Tree
This one goes insanely viral every year because it’s adorable and smells like heaven. Perfect for dipping in marinara.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 18 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 can refrigerated pizza dough
- Mozzarella cubes
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Fresh parsley
Instructions:
Cut dough into pieces, wrap around mozzarella cubes to form balls, arrange in a Christmas-tree shape, brush with garlic butter, bake at 375°F until golden, then brush again and sprinkle parsley.
7. Baked Spinach Artichoke Christmas Dip
A holiday classic that TikTok brought back to life; warm, cheesy, and absolute comfort food.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 cup cream cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella
- ½ cup parmesan
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder
Instructions:
Mix everything in a bowl until combined, spread into a baking dish, and bake at 375°F until bubbly and golden around the edges.
9. Stuffed Mini Peppers
Colorful, juicy, and super festive — these are trending because they taste like creamy little Christmas bites.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- Mini sweet peppers
- 1 cup cream cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Slice peppers lengthwise, remove seeds, mix cheese filling, spoon inside each pepper, and bake at 375°F until the tops melt and blister slightly
10. Holiday Deviled Eggs
Classic deviled eggs but decorated with paprika “snow,” dill “trees,” and cute toppings. They always stand out on a party table.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tsp mustard
- Paprika
- Dill
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Halve the eggs, mash the yolks with mayo and mustard, pipe the filling back in, sprinkle paprika, and top with tiny dill sprigs for a festive touch.
I hope you loved these! Be sure to check out my additional Christmas recipes here:
