45 Christmas Potluck Appetizers
Easy Christmas potluck appetizers you'll be thrilled to bring to your next festive party. Whether you're sharing with your co-workers or bringing to your family's house for the holiday dinner, these delicious appetizers are filled with the flavors of the season.
A potluck party is such a smart way to approach the Christmas season.
Whether you're hosting a special event with your coworkers at the office or you just want some helping hands for your at-home holiday meal, asking everyone to contribute a dish to pass makes light work of Christmas dinner.
These easy, delicious, and totally festive Christmas appetizers could work as a snack before the main courses or in some cases even make perfect holiday side dishes on the buffet table.
I hope you find something you love from my list of favorite recipes below.
Why These are the Best Christmas Appetizers
I've always loved a good potluck party because it is so fun to bring something delicious to share with friends and family.
With nearly 30 years of cooking for potlucks under my belt, I can say that these are the best Christmas potluck appetizers because:
- Travel Well: These portable recipes can be easily taken from home to the party on a platter, in a bowl, or in a Crockpot.
- Festive Flavors and Colors: Your dish doesn't have to look like a snowman or Santa to be festive. Just incorporate the colors of the season and add plenty of flavor. Fresh herbs are often all it takes to brighten up the serving dish.
- Sensitive to Food Preferences: Picky eaters coming? Need something low carb or gluten free? Parties bring together folks of all kinds, these recipes have a little something for everyone, including the kids.
Cranberry Brie Bites
With a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish on the platter, these easy cranberry brie bites are so delicious your friends will swear they are made from puff pastry and not store bought crescent roll dough.
Hot Crab Dip
Rich and creamy with just the right amount of spice, this delicious hot crab dip is a festive and elegant appetizer to serve at the holidays.
Cream Cheese with Pepper Jelly
Keep the ingredients for this cream cheese with pepper jelly appetizer and you'll be ready to grab and go to any holiday potluck party this season!
Sausage Rolls
You can prep these spiced sausage rolls wrapped in flaky puff pastry in advance and just bake them before bringing to your potluck party. They taste so delicious warm but can also be a delicious finger food at room temperature.
Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini
Bake a batch of homemade crostini to make this fig and goat cheese snack board feel extra special. It only takes minutes to pull together.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
This easy cranberry cream cheese dip is my new favorite Christmas appetizer this season. I love the tangy cranberry sauce with cool cream cheese and crunchy pecans on top.
The best part is you can travel with all the elements packages safely in jars or containers and just assemble the dish at your potluck party.
Bisquick Sausage Balls
Make a batch of these freezer friendly Bisquick sausage balls from just 3 ingredients and you can have an easy fresh appetizer in just minutes.
Serve them with a cup of my easy honey mustard dip, they're perfect together!
Jalapeรฑo Artichoke Dip
There are several ways you can prep ahead this jalapeรฑo artichoke dip before a party:
- Just prep the dip but don't bake it. Bring it to the party and bake it fresh there. Be sure to check with the host to see if there will be room in the oven first!
- Prep the dip the day before. Bake it yourself just before you leave for the party so it stays warm.
- Prep and bake the dip the day before. Just reheat it gently in the oven before serving.
In any case, this is an excellent Christmas appetizer with the red peppers and green onions sprinkled throughout!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs in the Crockpot
These easy sweet and sour meatballs were made for potluck parties because they keep warm for hours in the slowcooker!
Crock Pot Little Smokies
My dad was downright giddy when he spotted the little Crock Pot of Little Smokies on our table during the holiday season.
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
I love to serve this hot spinach and artichoke dip with a platter of bright red bell peppers for dunking because it makes the dish so festive for Christmas. It's a great low carb appetizer option but tastes amazing with tortilla chips or chunks of bread, too.
Cranberry Turkey Sliders
I love these savory cranberry turkey sliders hot from the oven but they also taste great at room temperature too. They are an excellent potluck appetizer when you need to offer something a little more hearty for the buffet.
Thai Chicken Flatbread Bites
Another fun and festive red and green appetizer for a Christmas potluck, this Thai chicken flatbread can be sliced into bite-sized squares as an appetizer.
Roasted Shrimp with Dipping Sauce
Make a large pan of my easy oven roasted shrimp in advance and serve them with a buffet of dipping sauces for dunking. The shrimp can be served hot from the oven or you can roast them in advance and serve them chilled.
Sausage Cream Cheese Dip
Another stay-warm appetizer, this sausage cream cheese dip can be kept in a Crockpot for a few hours during your holiday party. Serve it with raw veggies and a big bowl of tortilla chips for dunking.
Caprese Salad Platter
If you can find big red juicy tomatoes at this time of a year, a caprese salad with fresh basil and a balsamic vinegar drizzle has all the festive colors of the season in a fresh and healthy appetizer your friends will love.
Arrange the tomatoes and basil in a wreath shape on your serving platter for even more festive fun. Use mozzarella balls instead of sliced fresh mozzarella for a better bite-sized serving.
Sausage Crescent Roll Swirls
You can prep ahead the sausage crescent roll swirl logs and freeze them in advance. Simply slice and bake them before your party. They're delicious warm or at room temperature.
Frozen Crab Cakes and Homemade Remoulade
My secret hosting trick is to mix and match store bought frozen goodies with homemade items that make everything on the platter taste fresh.
Homemade crab cakes can be a pain. Instead, buy a box of the best frozen crab cakes you can find and just make my homemade remoulade sauce for the platter. Add wedges of fresh lemons for garnish and a sprinkle of green onions and no one will mind that the crab cakes were store bought!
Oriental Chicken Layer Dip
I took one bite of this savory Oriental chicken layer dip at a potluck party in my 20s and begged the hostess for the recipe. It's been in my rotation ever since!
So many fresh flavors packed into a mixture of cream cheese and fresh vegetables with tender chicken. Serve it with round butter crackers for an easy dish to travel with to a potluck party.
Fresh Bruschetta
One of my favorite easy Christmas appetizers is a fresh bruschetta al pomodoro. You can make the diced tomato and garlic topping in advance and just slice the fresh basil before serving over warm and crispy crostini toasts.
Easy Taco Bites
These spicy bite-sized appetizers are a perfect addition to a Christmas party.
I know my own husband would be thrilled to spot them on the buffet table since many holiday dishes are a challenge for particular eaters.
You can prep the savory taco filling for these easy taco bites in advance. Just fill the phyllo cups and bake before serving.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Dipping Sauce
For guests that need a gluten free appetizer option, consider making a batch of my crispy roasted sweet potatoes with crushed red pepper flakes and thyme.
They pair perfectly with any of these festive dips:
Roast Beef Crostini with Horseradish Cream
Roast beef is such a classic main meal at Christmas time but a large beef roast can break your holiday budget.
Instead, incorporate sliced roast beef from the deli department and offer these delicious roast beef crostini with a homemade horseradish cream sauce.
Sprinkled with bright red tomatoes and fresh herbs, it would be such a pretty platter for a holiday party.
Pesto Chicken Sliders
Green basil pesto is such a fun ingredient to incorporate into your holiday parties menus. These easy pesto chicken sliders, held together by melted parmesan cheese, would make an awesome addition to a Grinch party theme in particular!
You can brighten them up and add a slice of fresh green tomato to each slider after baking if you want a pop of red.
Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza
What is better than a crescent roll crust topped with fresh vegetables and seasoned cream cheese base??
You've probably enjoyed crescent roll veggie pizza at countless parties but it is popular for good reason. To make it extra fun for a Christmas party, be sure to focus heavily on raw vegetables in a red and green color palette!
Swedish Meatball Sausage Dip
While most Christmas party appetizers are served with crackers, baguette slices, or tortilla chips, this Swedish meatball sausage dip is a fun twist because you can also serve it with hot tater tots for dunking!
This is a delicious option for the meat and potatoes guys at your party.
Taco Dip with Red and Green Tortilla Chips
One of the more perfect appetizer options for family gatherings is this delicious taco dip with fresh veggies over a seasoned sour cream base.
You can make it spicy or mild depending on whether you'll have kids at the potluck party. Be sure to load it up with lots of fresh shredded cheddar cheese.
To make it fun for Christmas, serve with a bowl of red and green tortilla chips for dunking.
Peppered Pecans
The perfect combination of sweet brown sugar and savory black pepper make these glazed peppered pecans a huge hit.
You can serve them in a large bowl or spread them out into smaller candy dishes for sprinkling all around your party table.
They're also an excellent addition to charcuterie boards with fresh apple slices and seasonal cheese.
Raspberry Mustard Dip with Seasoned Pretzels
Sometimes a simple recipe like this homemade raspberry mustard dip ends up being the hit of the party, especially when you serve it with my easy seasoned pretzels in your favorite pick from the 16 flavor options I included in the recipe!
Monte Cristo Pinwheels
Tender ham and turkey are rolled into these light and fluffy Monte Cristo pinwheels that you can serve with a bright red bowl of raspberry jam for dipping. Delicious served warm or at room temperature, this easy appetizer travels well and is a great pick for a potluck.
Strawberry Salsa with Cinnamon Pita Chips
If I were bringing my favorite strawberry mango salsa to a Christmas party, I think I would add some diced kiwi fruit for a fun pop of green in this fresh fruit salad.
Serve it with store bought cinnamon pita chips for dunking.
Hot Cocoa Cheesecake Dip
While everyone else bringing appetizers to the Christmas potluck will be focusing on savory dishes, why not be the fun party guest who shows up with this hot cocoa cheesecake dip?
This creamy dip can be enjoyed all throughout the party if you add some fresh red strawberries for dunking next to the crispy cookies.
Little Debbie Christmas Tree Dip
Few recipes scream "CHRISTMAS TIME!" quite like this adorable Little Debbie Christmas tree dip with its sweet sprinkle topping and crispy vanilla cookies for dunking.
Cannoli Dip
You might want to save serving this delicious cannoli dip until after your holiday dinner but the crispy chopped pistachios on top could make this pass as a party appetizer for the right crowd!
Snicker Salad
Go ahead and ask my Minnesotan mother-in-law and she'll tell you that this Snicker salad with fresh red and green apples totally counts as a side dish for a holiday menu.
Pistachio Fluff
For the Christmas season, I'm pretty sure it is a rule that you have to add some chopped maraschino cherries to light green pistachio fluff if you're going to serve it for your holiday party.
Ambrosia Fruit Salad
The best part about taking a dish to pass to a Christmas potluck is that there is such a wide variety of options on the table.
Bring along this easy pineapple marshmallow salad and you'll likely find that everyone loves the coconut and fresh fruit option in the mix!
More Christmas Party Ideas
Need more ideas for the most delicious time of year? Don't miss these other fantastic Christmas party ideas for your whole family:
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