31 Christmas Eve Appetizers To Get the Party Started

These candied pecans are sugar and spice and everything nice! And because they keep well at room temperature, you can send your guests home with some as well. 

What holiday gathering would be complete without classic cocktail meatballs in cranberry sauce? "These do very well in a slow cooker, as you can simmer them before serving, as well as keep them hot for the duration of your party," says recipe creator Lara. 

Take a little inspiration from the North Pole and make these cream cheese penguins that will have your guests talking. "Stuffed olives with cream cheese has always been a favorite of mine but I would never have thought to shape them like a penguin. CUTE!" says reviewer Sherri. 

Add a little red and green to the appetizer table with these caprese-inspired skewers. Cherry tomatoes and cubed mozzarella (or use mozzarella pearls) are tossed in a olive oil and basil mixture and served on a toothpick. 

A wheel of Brie cheese is topped with sliced almonds, bundled in puff pastry, and baked to make the most elegant three-ingredient appetizer. To prevent the cheese from seeping out of the pastry, reviewers suggest brushing the edges with egg white before bundling. Serve with crackers and fruit on the side. 

Grape jelly, barbeque sauce, and cocktail sausages are simmered together in a slow cooker until a sweet-smoky flavor develops. You can also use cut-up beef hotdogs or meatballs in place of cocktail sausages. 

No need for a 39-and-a-half-foot pole, everyone will reach for these festive Grinch kabobs. Serve with chocolate sauce for dipping. 

"You can make these ahead and freeze them without the glaze, then the day of the party, defrost them and simply reheat in the sauce," says Chef John of these holiday-themed meatballs. 

This mayo-free spinach and artichoke dip is loaded with red bell peppers for a festive color palette. Serve with sliced baguette, crackers, or tortilla chips. 

"I look forward to this simple, traditional cheese ball every year. It has been served during family Christmas Eve parties since before my time," says recipe creator Love2Cook87. "The ingredients are few and inexpensive, and might be made year-round, but I reserve this one special appetizer for the holidays only to maintain its specialness."

This Mexican-inspired bean dip has a red and green topping that's perfect for the holiday season. Reviewer AmyMc says, "I took this dip to a New Years gathering last night. It was by far the most attractive dip on the table and it disappeared faster than the rest -- faster even than the similar dips." 

Don't be intimidated by this pastry Christmas tree — it's much easier to make than you'd think: "This was a Christmas dessert hit this year," says reviewer jdragonheart. "I'd never made it before but it's SO easy!"

These deceptively simple olive puffs are so easy to make: Simply wrap a belt of puff pastry around each olive and bake. You can make them with a variety of olives to add color to the plate. 

Whether you're serving a dip (see next slide for Chef John's pine cone cheese ball) at your Christmas Eve party or not, these homemade flatbread crackers are good enough to enjoy on their own, and so much better than store-bought. 

This show-stopping cheeseball is layered with almonds and served with fresh rosemary sprigs to resemble a pine cone. "My husband made this for Christmas Eve dinner. It was delicious," says reviewer Ranice Fife Butterfield. 

Mini phyllo tart shells are filled with Brie, diced pear, thyme, and honey and baked until golden-brown. You can easily customize this recipe by adding dried cranberries, walnuts, sliced sausage, etc. 

Serve this festive snack mix in a large punch bowl with small disposable cups for guests to fill. It can also be packaged in mason jars and given as a party favor! 

These savory cheese wafers are prepared much like icebox cookies — the dough is formed into a roll, refrigerated overnight, and sliced into thin wafers before baking. You can even make the dough several days in advance! 

Use any dried fruit of your choice (cranberries are always a festive pick) in this simple, five-ingredient cheese ball. It's a lot sweeter than your typical cheese ball, thanks to the fruit and honey. 

Puff pastry pinwheels are stuffed with a spinach and ricotta cheese mixture and arranged into a Christmas tree. Don't forget the cherry tomato "ornaments!" 

Kids and adults alike will enjoy this sweet holiday treat. Plus, it's easy enough for kids to help make! "Ideal replacement to the cookies for Santa!" says recipe creator Melinda Johnson. Cereal squares, pretzel sticks, peanuts, and milk chocolate pieces (such as M&Ms) are tossed in white chocolate. 

When in doubt, add red and green! This creamy shrimp dip does just that with the addition of diced red and green bell pepper. Reviewer jody says, "This made an excellent contribution to our Christmas Eve appetizer table. It's very festive and colorful thanks to the red and green peppers."

A savory mixture of softened cream cheese, Havarti, Parmesan, fresh basil, lemon, and garlic is shaped into a cone and covered in chopped herbs to make a Christmas tree! "This turned out so cute and festive! I could see adding some tiny diced red & yellow pepper pieces as "ornaments" on the tree as well!" says Allrecipes Allstar Kim's Cooking Now. 

Here's a savory take on the puff pastry Christmas tree. This time, puff pastry is stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto and goat cheese. Use any excess dough to make a tree topper! 

Save yourself some much-needed oven space by making sugared pecans in the air fryer! This is a great small-batch recipe for a celebration for two to four people, although you can make as many batches as you'd like! 

This unique, seasonal salsa is made with fresh cranberries, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, and sugar. "You can serve it in a bowl if you like, but I prefer to spread softened cream cheese in the bottom of a pie plate and pour this dip on top," suggests reviewer Deborah Lilly Gonzales. 

These vanilla-orange pecans make the best of seasonal flavors.The sugar coating "gets its depth from cinnamon, pepper, rosemary, and a bit of Kahlua and Grand Marnier," says recipe creator itsshellebelle. 

Not only does this festive appetizer resemble a holiday wreath, the fresh rosemary will fill the room with a delicious, herbal aroma. The best part? There's no cooking involved! 

Skip the store-bought veggie tray and go for this low-cost, Santa-shaped veggie tray instead. Serve with a veggie dip on the side. 

Canapés always make for an elegant, throw-together appetizer with a stunning presentation. Here, mashed avocado is spread over pumpernickel bread and topped with a piece of smoked salmon, cucumber slices, and half an olive. 

If you have frozen puff pastry and grated Parmesan (and a star-shaped cookie cutter) then you have all you need to make this simple appetizer! "They were beautiful and SOOOO easy!" says reviewer Dawnhc.