At Christmas time, one of the things we love to do is eat! Whether it is Christmas snacks, breakfast, dinner or a Buffet filled with goodies, we look forward to the food.
That is, until it is our turn to host the party, main dinner or bring a dish to a Christmas Pot Luck. Then we are never sure what to create.
Any gathering usually starts with something simple. I like to call these ‘Christmas Snacks’. These are usually things that are easy to make, delicious, and looks good on a table.
Are they Christmas Snacks, or Appetizers?
Ah, I am so glad you asked that! I confess to being a snacker. If I am at a Christmas party, I would much prefer it be a Buffet. That way I can sample a wide variety of Christmas snacks, (including cookies!) instead of a plate with only three or four items.
But don’t think you need to have a Buffet to offer Christmas snacks. If you are planning a sit down meal, those ‘snacks’ now become ‘appetizers’.
You may already be envisioning some of the delicious tiny finger foods you have sampled before. But whether you want to call them appetizers or Christmas snacks, they all taste just as delicious.
Suggestions for Christmas Snacks
You may already know most of the things you would consider Christmas Snacks (or appetizers). Instead of listing everything, I am going to give you a few other ideas you and your guests may enjoy.
Have you gotten your copy of Have a Merry, Simple Christmas yet? If so, then the Christmas snacks highlighted in RED can be found in it. If it is highlighted in GREEN, then that is a link directly to the recipe.
But The Mini Cheeseball Recipe is a free download that can be printed out and added to your Christmas notebook!
Seasoned Crackers
This one is a very versatile recipe. When going through my recipe box, I found two – one that my Mom makes, and one that Alona makes. Although similar, there is enough difference to make creating both recipes enjoyable.
Oyster Cracker Christmas Snacks
Seasoned Oyster Crackers are smaller, which makes them perfect for a Buffet. Where Alona’s Seasoned Crackers have a bit of spice to them, Mom’s Seasoned Oyster Crackers have a Zing!
Place them in a festive bowl, and allow your guests to grab a handful of these Christmas snacks. They also take fewer ingredients.
Alona’s Seasoned Crackers
Alona’s Seasoned Crackers recipe starts with a Saltine Cracker. This means they are a bit larger, and designed more for Christmas snacks to keep on hand at home. Kids, adults, friends, and family will barely say ‘hello’ to you as they walk in the door. Instead, they will head directly for these snacks to enjoy while they visit!
Sausage Bites
We serve Sausage Bites all year round. They are perfect Christmas snacks all by themselves, excellent before a main meal, and look enticing on a Buffet!
Miniature Cheesecakes
These are one of the more festive appearing Christmas snacks. They are perfect for your Christmas Buffet or a Christmas Tray you are giving as gifts. The one problem with these is keeping your family from eating them all before they are ready to be served!
My favorite thing about Miniature Cheesecakes is that they can be easily made ahead of time, and placed in the freezer. About an hour before you plan on serving them, remove them from the freezer and place on a serving tray. Add the dollop of Cherry Pie filling, and put the tray in place on the table.
Now, finish up the rest of the plating and placing, and get ready for some hungry guests!
Mini Cheeseballs
Another more elegant offering in the Christmas Snacks arena, these take tradition and shrink it down a bit.
A traditional cheeseball means having to slice or spoon some onto your plate, and then finding an easy way to add some to a cracker.
Mini cheeseballs are small enough to eat by itself, place on a cracker, and even better, can be picked up by its pretzel ‘handle’!
These are also great when made ahead of time. In fact, giving them time to ‘age’ helps to meld all those flavors together, and creates an even more flavorful appetizer.
I also love them as Christmas snacks for the family. Make some ahead of time, and keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Keep a jar of pretzel sticks on the counter (be sure to use a container with a lid) for easy access.
Grab a pretzel or two, open the cheeseball container, stab a couple with the ‘handle’, and then snack away!
Get Ready For Christmas!
Creating Christmas snacks ahead of time are a great way to bake ahead for those holiday parties and gatherings. Any one of these items can be festively plated and taken to a holiday gathering as your contribution.
Knowing what types of Christmas Snacks and appetizers you want to make is just one ‘stripe on the candy cane’ though. You still need to make a few gifts, plan ahead for the main meals, and wrap the presents for under the tree.
You can find great ideas for all of these things and more in Have a Merry, Simple Christmas. This e-book is 90 pages of organization tips, Recipes, DIY gift ideas and decorations, and printables for every area of Christmas planning you can think of! The printables include gift and shopping lists, menus, budgets to mention just a few.
Go ahead. Get your copy today, and then print out this free Mini Cheeseball Recipe to add to your Have a Merry, Simple Christmas notebook. You will be so glad you did when you end up with all that spare time to enjoy your holidays!
These look tasty! I haven’t had a homemade seasoned cracker before. They sound good! Thanks for sharing! I’m visiting from the Tuesdays with a Twist link up today. Have a great week Julie!
Thanks, Marielle! Let me know if you make them. I’d love to hear how they turn out!