15 Christmas Appetizers for Kids

Vegetable Christmas Tree with Broccoli

Pepper strips serve as garlands, while cherry tomato ornaments sit between a tree of broccoli florets in this healthy and fun festive platter. Serve with hummus or your favorite dip. "A lovely raw appetizer during Christmas that can double as decorations on your Christmas table!" says recipe creator barbara.

Cream Cheese Penguins

"These were really a hit with the kids at our Christmas family gathering," says reviewer RLAFRENI. "Instead of using frilly toothpicks I purchased toothpicks with the flags from different countries. I also made a cheese ball in the shape of an igloo and placed my little guys all around it. Very cute!"

Cranberry-Turkey Pinwheels

A creamy cranberry sauce is spread on soft flour tortilla wraps, topped with turkey, Swiss cheese, and sliced Granny Smith apples. The pinwheels are rolled up tightly and sliced into party-sized pieces. Try using spinach tortillas for an even more festive look.

Santa Finger Food for Christmas

Individual crackers (topped with a savory cheese topping, celery, and red bell pepper) are arranged to look like Santa's face for an irresistible appetizer to add to your Christmas selection. Try using a resealable plastic bag with a small corner cut off to pipe Santa's cheese cream beard onto the crackers.

Easy Appetizer Meatballs

These festive meatballs are the perfect size for kids to enjoy. "There is a major problem with this recipe, you just can't stop at eating a couple of these addictive meatballs!" says Allrecipes Allstar bd.weld. If you are serving older kids, try adding brown sugar and cider vinegar for more of a sweet and sour flavor.

Savory Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

This fun savory puff pastry appetizer is filled with goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto. "There are so many varieties to make with this! I used herbed cream cheese and Parmesan and it turned out amazing!" says home cook Moira Marelli Gallagher. "I made it a second time using pesto and ricotta! Also delicious!"

Easy Ham and Cheese Appetizer Sandwiches

Deli ham and Swiss cheese are baked inside soft bread rolls to make these delicious little sandwiches that are perfect for parties. "I actually got this recipe from my mom who received it from a lady at her church and it continues to be passed on from there," says reviewer DREGINEK. "These are sooooo goood!!"

Fun Santa Vegetable Tray

Kids will love to help make Santa's face out of vegetables using cauliflower florets for the beard, red bell peppers for hat and mouth, cucumber slices for the face, cherry tomatoes for the nose and shoulders, and olives for the eyes. Serve with a ranch dip.

Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

Serve these tasty, deep-fried mac and cheese balls at your next Christmas party for a fun appetizer that the kids will gobble up. All the prep can be done beforehand, which is an added bonus.

Christmas Pizza Appetizer

Crescent rolls are shaped and baked into a holiday tree, topped with a savory cream cheese spread, chopped broccoli florets, and diced red peppers. This is a festive pizza that features all the colors of Christmas.

Festive Bean Spread

Here's a tasty, taco-inspired cheesy bean dip that is a great Christmas appetizer for older kids. You can experiment with different types of mild and spicy salsa for varying flavors. If your kids love Mexican food, they'll love this dip. Serve with tortilla chips and watch it disappear!

Parmesan Puff Pastry Stars

You only need puff pastry sheets, Parmesan cheese, and a star-shaped cutter to make these festive puffs. Serve them warm with a pizza sauce for dipping and kids will adore them. "Very straight forward. They were beautiful and SOOO easy! Will definitely make them again," says home cook Dawnhc.

Christmas Tree Appetizers

Soft pita bread triangles are topped with guacamole and decorated with red and yellow bell peppers. Pretzel sticks are poked into each pita bread triangle to make a "tree trunk" in this cute Christmas appetizer for kids. They are healthy, yummy, and easy to make.

Garlic Chicken Puffs

These golden, crescent dough puffs are filled with a creamy chicken and garlic filling. This recipe creates the perfect two-bite party appetizer that kids can easily manage.

Grinch Kabobs

"These simple grape, strawberry, banana and mini marshmallows appetizer skewers look exactly like a bunch of Grinch wearing red hats. "I made these for Christmas Eve," says reviewer Mistrish. "They are easy to make and the kids can help. Everyone thought they were cute!"

More Inspiration

Try one of Our Favorite Super Easy and Cute Christmas Treats. Plus, explore our entire collection of Christmas Recipes.

• Mini Strawberry Santas
• Reindeer Cookies
• White Chocolate Covered Pretzels