The holidays are the perfect time to indulge in delicious treats and gather with loved ones, but sometimes you just want to keep things simple, especially when it comes to appetizers. That’s why I love creating no-bake appetizers for Christmas. They’re quick, easy, and allow you to focus on spending quality time with your family and friends rather than sweating in the kitchen. If you’re like me, you’re always looking for fun and creative ways to celebrate the season without the stress of complicated recipes.
So, I’ve put together a list of 30 festive and delightful no-bake appetizers that are perfect for your Christmas spread. Whether you’re hosting a party, bringing something to a potluck, or just want some holiday cheer on your table, these appetizers will have everyone talking (and reaching for seconds!).
30+ No-Bake Appetizers For Christmas
1. Charcuterie Wreath
You know how much I adore a good charcuterie board, but for Christmas, why not go the extra mile and turn it into a wreath? This no-bake appetizer for Christmas is a showstopper and is surprisingly easy to assemble. Just pop your favorite cheeses, cured meats, olives, and crackers onto toothpicks and then arrange into a circular wreath shape, then garnish with some fresh herbs or cranberries for that holiday flair. It’s visually stunning, and I promise it will impress your guests as much as it satisfies their taste buds.
2. Cucumber Toothpick Trees
These little cucumber trees are the cutest thing to grace your holiday table! Slice a cucumber lengthwise and delicately fold onto a toothpick, making the folds smaller as you get to the end creating that cascading tree look. You can cut a piece of cheese or a carrot into a star or use a cookie cutter like this one. Then use a cherry tomato (cut the bottom to make is stand) for the tree stump and you got yourself cutest Christmas tree appetizers! It’s refreshing, crunchy, and perfect for those wanting a healthier option at the party.
3. Caprese Stocking
The classic Caprese salad gets a Christmas twist in this no-bake appetizer! Simply arrange the mozzarella for the white fluff sock rim, sliced tomatoes into the shape of a stocking and basil leaves to marry the two together. Why not add a drizzling with balsamic glaze for an extra burst of flavor. It’s quick, easy, and the perfect balance of savory and fresh. A festive spin on a beloved appetizer!
4. Christmas Tree Mini Sandwiches
Mini sandwiches are always a hit, but turning them into Christmas trees takes them to the next level. Layer your favorite sandwich fillings (think turkey, cheese, or even ham and mustard) between pieces of bread and use a star cookie cutter to shape them. You can add some fun garnish, like a cut red pepper, cherry tomatoes or cheese, as a star at the top. No cooking involved, and your guests will love them!
Related: 25 Christmas Finger Food Ideas to Try This Year
5. Cucumber Bites Appetizers
I love how refreshing, easy and festive this one is! Slice the cucumbers, combine softened cream cheese, mayo, and ranch and pipe on top, add a half of a cherry tomatoes, and your cucumber bites are ready to be served! Yes, that’s literally all you do! If you like salmon, there is another similar recipe I made that you can check here – Cucumber Bites with Cream Cheese & Smoked Salmon Appetizer.
6. Olives and Feta Cubes
Here is a super creative way to serve olives and cheese platter. All you need it to get your favorite olives, and feta (or any other hard cheese you like) – cut the cheese into cubes and arrange it on a plate. You can drizzle olive oil on top if you want and garnish with fresh dill. Super easy, no bake, and insanely fancy appetizer!
7. Banana Santas
These little treats are the cutest and the sweetest! Slice a banana in half, and layer on a skewer with marshmallows and strawberries for Santa’s hat. These mini Santas are light, healthy, and just the thing to bring a smile to everyone’s face. Again, so easy and will delight everyone!
8. Christmas Tree Charcuterie
Take a traditional charcuterie board and arrange it in the shape of a Christmas tree. Use different cheeses, crackers, fruits, and meats to build your tree. Not only is it a visually pleasing no-bake appetizer for Christmas, but it’s also a crowd-pleaser that lets everyone pick their favorite bits from the board.
9. DairyLea Cheese Trees
Cheese lovers, this one’s for you! I love using DairyLea cheese for its rich flavor and smooth texture. Unwrap a DairyLea triangle, press gently into a plate of herbs, and then slide a pretzel stick into the bottom to create mini Christmas trees. If you blinked you may have missed it, it’s so quick and easy. It’s simple, indulgent, and just too cute.
10. Fun Glass Treat Appetizers
You don’t need to be serving wine at your party to bring the wine glasses. Why not fill beyond the brim with a fun selection of treats? Fill the bottom of wine glasses with anything you want, but here I did pistachio nuts, gingerbread men from the store, then top with different sweets like candy canes and other charcuterie types on skewers. It’s an easy, no-bake appetizer for Christmas that adds some personality to your wine glasses.
11. Christmas Hummus Wreath
You can’t go wrong with hummus, and this one is crazy easy — no baking, no stress, and ready in just a few minutes. Just grab your favorite premade hummus and spoon it onto a plate in a wreath shape. Sprinkle freshly chopped greens like parsley on top, then cut cherry tomatoes in half and place them around the wreath like ornaments. Finish it with a little cucumber bow on the bottom. That’s it. Check out the video to see exactly how she builds this beautiful plate.
12. Chocolate Orange Slices
Chocolate and oranges are a classic pairing, and this no-bake treat is as easy as it gets. Separate the orange segments and dip them in melted chocolate. It’s a simple yet indulgent snack, perfect for holiday parties or just a little something sweet after a long day of gift shopping. Add some chopped nuts for the festive look!
13. Cheese and Prosciutto Board
This is a simple yet delightful board that’s sure to impress. Grab a wheel of camembert cheese, and creatively slice and arrange into Santa’s face. Spiral and fold prosciutto to form a Santa hat. It’s a whimsical and savory appetizer that’s such a cute idea, everyone will want to share.
14. Charcuterie Christmas Tree
If you love charcuterie boards as much as I do, you’ll adore this Christmas tree-inspired version. Also, this is so easy but looks like you’ve spent hours. Use various cheeses, meats, fruits, and nuts and place them onto toothpicks and arrange around a tree foam cone like this one. It’s a no-bake masterpiece that’s both a visual treat and a delicious snack that your guests will love.
15. Boursin Antipasto Trees
For something savory and packed with flavor, this no-bake appetizer for Christmas is a winner. Use Boursin cheese and shape into a tree, then arrange olives, and sun-dried tomatoes onto the sides. The creamy cheese combined with the savory veggies is simply irresistible!
16. Festive Goats Cheese Christmas Presents & Crackers
For a playful spin on the classic cheese board, turn your goat cheese into little presents by shaping it into small squares and wrapping it with herbs and chives. Serve with crackers underneath for a delightful and festive appetizer that requires no baking but delivers big flavor.
17. Deviled Egg Christmas Trees
I’m obsessed with this idea, it’s just deviled eggs, but piled high so the filling looks like tiny Christmas trees. The trick is cutting the eggs across the short side, so each half looks like a little “planter,” then make a bright green filling by blending the yolks with sautéed spinach, garlic, mayo, mustard, lemon, smoked paprika, a tiny bit of hot sauce, and a pinch of dehydrated potato flakes (that’s the trick that keeps the filling thick so you can pipe it tall). Spoon or pipe the mixture on top so it stands like a Christmas tree, add tiny red pepper pieces as ornaments, a little yellow pepper star, and shave parmesan over the top so it looks like snow. It’s fun, festive, and honestly way easier than it looks.
18. Christmas Tree Donuts
Quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some mini donuts and toothpicks to add to the side of a styrofoam cone (like this one). Simply glaze donuts and decorate them with green icing, sprinkles, and edible ornaments. They’re a fun and festive dish that’s easy to make and adds a beautifully elegant touch to the table. And you don’t have to make it sweet, you can use savory donuts and serve it as an appetizer.
Related: 25+ Best Christmas Eve Finger Food Ideas On A Budget
19. Salami Cream Cheese Roll Ups
Salami cream cheese roll ups are one of those appetizers that look fancy on a platter but take almost no effort to make. It’s basically a thin layer of creamy softened cream cheese rolled up with slices of salami, green onion, and a baby pickle on top, salty, creamy, and perfect with crackers or just straight off the cutting board. To make them, you spread softened cream cheese into a thin square between two layers of plastic wrap, layer thin salami slices over it, flip it, sprinkle green onion, roll everything up tight, chill, and slice into bite-size rounds with a pickle secured on top. They’re the kind of snack that disappears fast at parties because they hit all the cravings: savory, creamy, no-cook, and super easy to eat.
Related: 25+ No Bake Christmas Treats To Make Ahead
20. Strawberry Santas
These bite-sized treats are as adorable as they are delicious. Simply hollow out strawberries and fill them with whipped cream or cream cheese to create Santa’s face. Add a little whipped cream on top for the hat, and you’ve got yourself a delightful no-bake appetizer for Christmas that’s so adorable and fun to pop in your mouth!
21. Fruit Platter Wreath with Cream Dip
A colorful fruit platter shaped into a wreath is an easy and healthy no-bake appetizer for Christmas. Fill the center with a sweet cream dip or yogurt, and you’ve got a refreshing and vibrant snack to balance out the heavier appetizers. Quick to make and beautiful to look at!
22. Italian Sushi
Here is another take of the roll ups – this time it’s the Italian “sushi” that looks fancy on the plate and there’s zero cooking involved. To make this beautiful no bake appetizer, wrap soft prosciutto around a little burrata, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil, then slice it into bite-size pieces so it feels like a savory Italian roll you can eat with your fingers. A quick balsamic glaze on top makes it look gorgeous and adds that sweet tangy finish, honestly one of the easiest party appetizers to make.
23. Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella Bites
I’m obsessed with these prosciutto mozzarella bites because they’re salty, creamy, and shockingly easy to make. You get that crispy prosciutto on the outside, soft mozzarella inside, and they honestly look way fancier than the effort it takes to put them together. You can make them for Christmas, parties, movie nights, or honestly just when you need a good snack. Give them a try, they’re the kind of appetizer people ask you the recipe for before they even finish the first bite.
24. Crudités Appetizer Cups with Pesto Dip
I love serving these little veggie cups when I want something fresh and pretty with zero effort. It’s basically a pesto dip at the bottom of each cup, then a rainbow of crisp veggies standing upright so everyone gets their own mini snack, no double dipping and no sad soggy veggies sitting out. You can use carrots, Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, mini peppers, radishes, snap peas, and a crunchy seed cracker in each cup, but you can also mix it up with whatever looks good. For the dip, just mix pesto with mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then spoon (or pipe) a couple tablespoons into each cup, add the veggies like little edible bouquets, and that’s it. They look gorgeous on a tray with a cold glass of wine and take maybe 20 minutes to put together. Perfect for a Christmas dinner, parties, showers, holidays, honestly anything.
25. 5‑Minute Boursin Appetizer with Pistachios & Hot Honey
When I need something elegant that takes almost no effort, I make this Boursin cheese appetizer with honey and pistachios. It’s literally a wheel of creamy garlic-herb Boursin topped with chopped pistachios and a drizzle of honey, sweet, salty, crunchy, and so good with a glass of wine. Just unwrap the cheese, pile the nuts on top, drizzle the honey so it runs down the sides, add a little fresh thyme, and serve it with crackers or toasted baguette. Five minutes, zero cooking, and everyone thinks you made something fancy. This one is perfect for holiday boards, last-minute parties, or when you just want a snack that feels special without actually doing anything.
26. Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Fancy Platter
I made this recipe the last time I hosted my family and they loved it. It looks amazing and all you need is cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon, red onion, and freshly chopped dill. I skipped the capers because I don’t like them, but you can sprinkle some on top if you do. Serve with crackers or toasted baguette.
27. Roquefort, Walnut and Grape Skewers
If you like blue cheese, this recipe is exactly for you. Just skewer a cube of Roquefort, a walnut, and a grape on each skewer and serve. Easy, no-bake, and such a delicious combo.
28. Cream Cheese Salmon Cracker Bites
These little cream cheese cracker sandwiches are my go-to when I want something fancy but don’t feel like cooking. I just mix soft cream cheese with chopped smoked salmon and my favorite herbs, spread it between two small crackers, and then roll the edges in freshly chopped dill for that pretty, green “party” look. They take five minutes, taste amazing, and everyone always asks how I made them. Perfect for last-minute hosting.
29. Stuffed Mini Peppers
These stuffed mini peppers are the perfect bite-sized appetizer or snack. Filled with a creamy, cheesy mixture of cream cheese, chives and Mayne diced bacon, they’re great for party food, holiday platters, or even a healthy snack idea. Colorful, easy, and ready in minutes!
30. Beef Carpaccio with Balsamic Glaze Recipe
When you watch this video, you suddenly realize how easy it is to make carpaccio. All you need is a piece of high-quality beef fillet, raw. Honestly, you don’t even need to marinate it. Slice it thin, then roll it with a kitchen roller to make it even thinner. Lay the slices on a big platter, drizzle with balsamic glaze, add some rocket leaves in the center, and sprinkle shredded parmesan, salt, and black pepper. That’s it! Serve with toasted bread.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it—30 fun and easy no-bake appetizers for Christmas that will help you celebrate the holiday season without spending hours in the kitchen. Whether you’re hosting a family get-together or attending a Christmas party, these appetizers are sure to impress. I love how they’re not only delicious but also bring so much cheer to the table. The best part? You don’t need to turn on the oven to enjoy these festive treats! I hope this list has inspired you to create your own holiday spread filled with fun, flavor, and all the joy of Christmas.
