37 Delicious and Easy Make-Ahead Christmas Appetizers

Homemade pimento cheese from Big Bear’s Wife
Good pimento cheese is a major crowd-pleaser at any time of year. Serve with crackers or bread, and use up the leftovers by making a killer grilled cheese as a midnight snack – we won’t tell.

Slow cooker meatballs from Damn Delicious
This recipe makes things easy by using ready-made turkey meatballs, but thanks to the yummy BBQ glaze, you’d never be able to tell they weren’t homemade.
Bacon-wrapped dates with goats cheese from Pinch of Yum
Assemble these wrapped dates in advance and refrigerate until they are ready to be cooked. Don’t forget to stock up on cocktail sticks, so they can be easily turned to get crispy on both sides.
Warm and cheesy crack dip cheese from Real House Moms
This hot cheese dip is super addictive, don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Roasted cranberry and orange crostini from Tastes Lovely
Being able to prepare these crostini 5 days ahead will be a brilliant timesaver for the holidays. Make sure you have an airtight container to keep the toasts nice and fresh.
Snowman cheeseball from Number 2 Pencil
As much a decoration as food, no one at your party will want to be the first to dig into this cute snowman cheese ball appetizer.
Garlic knots from Two Peas and Their Pod
Using ready-made pizza dough will help make this a speedy appetizer. You can freeze the knots in advance and defrost before you want to bake them. To make sure they don’t get stuck together in a big lump in your freezer, spread them out on a baking sheet to freeze on a shelf for the first couple of hours. As soon as the knots are frozen hard, gather them up and put in a freezer bag so they take up less space.
Sweet and spicy Christmas nuts from Garlic and Zest
These moreish nuts have all the flavors of Christmas, you could even put some in jars as party favors.
Baked zucchini fries from Pinch of Yum
You’d never believe that these yummy and healthy zucchini fries are baked. Coat them and store on a covered baking sheet in the refrigerator until ready to go into the oven.
Ham and cheese pinwheels appetizer from Dinner at the Zoo
Even fussy eaters will be bowled over by these baked pinwheels, these make-ahead Christmas appetizers have a classic flavor and are brushed with a buttery glaze.
Bacon cream cheese bites from Garnish with Lemon
The only thing better than a cheese appetizer is a bacon one – but this delicious recipe gives you the best of both worlds.
Lobster roll bites from Food Network
Once the bread that’s used in these lobster cups is flattened and baked, it takes on a pastry-like quality, almost like a mini quiche. You could also use a crab mix or any other type of filling in them. As with any bread items, just keep the cups in an airtight container so they don’t go stale.
Cranberry glazed chili chicken wings from Flavour and Savour
Kick your party off with these spicy wings. Cranberries give these 3-ingredient wonders an unmistakable holiday hue.