Easy winter appetizer ideas are ideal for all of your cold weather celebrations!
While the appetizers here are great for Christmas, I’ve rounded up appetizer recipes decidedly with winter in mind, not specifically the holiday season.
You’ll still be entertaining in January and February and won’t want your birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, and other social gatherings to feel too Christmasy. I selected easy winter appetizer ideas with these occasions in mind.
Easy winter appetizer ideas
1. Pomegranate cheeseball
How Sweet Eats’ pomegranate jeweled cheeseball has so much flavor and texture, thanks to three kinds of cheese, toasted almonds, and crispy sage. Pomegranate arils add the perfect pop of color and tart finish. Make the cheeseball a day or two ahead of time to let the flavors meld, and then add the pomegranate arils right before serving.
2. French onion dip
Blue Jean Chef’s warm French onion dip combines the flavors of French onion dip and French onion soup in a dip that’s best served straight out of the oven. It’s ideal for dipping Parmesan crostini or sturdy crudites, such as carrots and celery.
3. Squash and prosciutto pizza
The Original Dish’s winter squash and prosciutto pizza is loaded with garlicky kale, burrata, and fontina cheese. It’s such a comforting seasonal dish. You’ll be looking for excuses to make it multiple times throughout the cold months of the year.
4. Honey-baked Brie
Simply Scratch’s honey-baked Brie features a double cream Brie topped with honey. Once it’s baked, making it soft and creamy, you top it with fig jam, toasted walnuts, and rosemary. Serve it with crostini and your favorite white wine or champagne. It’s such an easy recipe but will wow guests every time.
5. Cranberry jalapeno dip
Sparrow and Lily’s cranberry jalapeno dip combines tart cranberries, spicy jalapenos, and sweet sugar for the ultimate sweet and savory flavor palette that has just the right amount of kick. With only eight ingredients, this dip will become your new go-to appetizer for all of your winter social gatherings.
6. Andouille sausage bites
Cooking LSL’s andouille sausage bites are the perfect mini winter skewer. Each one has a slice of andouille sausage, a cube of cheddar cheese, and a cranberry sauce cranberry. It’s simple and seasonal with a wonderful flavor palette.
7. Cinnamon popcorn
It doesn’t get much cozier than Eating on a Dime’s cinnamon popcorn. Mix freshly popped popcorn with melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to make this irresistible snack. For a party, serve popcorn in individual cups. Cinnamon popcorn is also a wonderful afternoon treat or movie night snack any time during the winter.
8. Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts
Food Lovin’ Family’s bacon-wrapped water chestnuts are a fun twist on the popular bacon-wrapped smokies. They have a wonderful combination of salty and sweet with just the right amount of crunch. The homemade barbecue brown sugar glaze takes the flavor over the top.
9. Winter greens and pomegranate pizza
The Curious Plate’s winter greens and pomegranate pizza is so flavorful and colorful. It’s a white pizza recipe with mozzarella and pesto, topped with collard greens, red onion, and pomegranate arils. Homemade or storebought pizza dough and pesto work well here.
10. Baked Brie with cranberries, pecans, fig jam, and thyme
You can’t have too many baked Brie recipes on hand. Switching up the toppings keeps this classic appetizer concept fresh and interesting for any season. Foodiecrush’s baked Brie is topped with dried cranberries, candied pecans, fig jam, and fresh thyme, which I love for the winter months.
11. Caramelized cauliflower hummus
Cook Republic’s caramelized cauliflower hummus features sticky, jammy pan-caramelized cauliflower and roasted garlic-infused olive oil. You’ve never tasted anything quite like it before. Chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, sea salt, and cumin bring the hummus together. For a social gathering, top your hummus with smoked paprika, parsley, and more cumin and olive oil.
12. Rosemary and thyme Chex mix
Wandering Chickpea’s rosemary and thyme Chex mix is healthy and hearty with three kinds of Chex cereal, pretzels, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. The rosemary and thyme give it a savory depth that’s unexpected but just as addictive as the popular sweeter Chex mix flavors.
I have a round-up of 50 Chex mix recipes, which has lots more Chex mixes that are ideal for the winter months.
13. Mini roasted beef and gruyere savory tarts
Weekend at the Cottage’s mini tarts consist of mini tart shells filled with juicy roast beef, shallot-sauteed mushrooms, creamy egg, horseradish, thyme, and gruyere cheese. Frozen pre-made mini tart shells make this adorable, delicious appetizer recipe come together quickly and easily.
14. Cranberry cream cheese spread
Dinner Then Dessert’s cranberry cream cheese spread is so colorful. It’s ideal for the holiday season and will carry you straight through the remaining winter months. You get the flavor of a traditional cheeseball without all of the work. The appetizer contains just five ingredients and comes together in five minutes.
15. Chorizo-stuffed mushrooms
Half Baked Harvest’s chorizo-stuffed mushrooms contain spicy fontina spinach and artichokes, and of course, your favorite chorizo sausage. A winter social gathering is the perfect excuse to make stuffed mushrooms, and I love this hearty version for winter.
16. Winter cheese board
Mixing up your cheese board spread for different seasons keeps the concept fresh and interesting. Platings and Pairings’ winter cheese board is intended for the months of the year with limited fresh produce. Her board boasts aged cheddar cheese, dried figs, almonds, pecans, and honey. Springing for raw honeycomb and high-quality olives adds the perfect finishing touches.
17. White bean dip with crudites
Cupcakes and Cashmere’s white bean dip with crudites is a simple, healthy, and colorful appetizer that can be as straightforward or fancy as you like for any occasion. Everyone will be impressed that you made the dip yourself.
18. Chocolate cranberry trail mix
Homemade trail mix is so easy and allows you to customize the mix exactly to your tastes or simply what you have on hand. Bananas About Life’s chocolate cranberry trail mix has two types of nuts, two types of seeds, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and chopped dates.
19. Beet salad on a stick
Salty Canary’s beet salad on a stick looks so fancy and makes a colorful addition to any party spread without a ton of work. I recommend roasting the beets ahead of time, so your appetizer comes together quickly the day of the party. Each skewer has beet, arugula, and goat cheese, and is then topped with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey balsamic vinaigrette.
20. Crispy Brussels sprouts with Dijon aioli
Dash of Mandi’s crispy Brussels sprouts with Dijon aioli are the perfect vegetable appetizer to balance out more indulgent party food. They feel very fancy but are so easy to prepare. Air frying and oven baking both work well for the Brussels sprouts.
21. Whipped Brie dip with roasted olives
Nuts for Cheese’s whipped Brie dip with roasted olives is such a great flavor pairing. The rich roasted olive flavor compliments the creamy whipped Brie perfectly. Nuts of Cheese promotes their own dairy-free products for their recipes, but any Brie and butter work well here.
22. Winter fruit platter
When you entertain often, having seasonal variations on popular appetizers, such as fruit platters, keeps your menus fresh. Simmer and Sauce’s winter fruit platter features dried fruits and nuts paired with seasonal fruits, such as apples, pears, grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, and figs.
23. Mini baked potatoes
Mini versions of recipes allow guests to try that many more foods during a party, which is always fun. Veggie Desserts’ mini baked potatoes are baby or new potatoes loaded with sour cream and chives. She has lots of tips to ensure that your potatoes turn out perfectly every time.
24. Beef Wellington bites with Dijon sauce
Sunday Table’s beef Wellington bites with Dijon sauce are another mini food that’s great for entertaining. They’re made with puff pastry, prosciutto, mushrooms, and beef tenderloin. The Dijon sauce takes the flavor over the top.
25. Mascarpone-stuffed dates
Amee’s Savory Dish’s mascarpone-stuffed dates with maple drizzle taste just like pecan pie but are much healthier. You only need four ingredients for this simple, delicious, and sweet appetizer recipe.
26. Savory palmiers with bacon, gruyere, and caramelized onions
Striped Spatula’s savory palmiers with bacon, gruyere, and caramelized onion are such a versatile appetizer concept. There are so many ways that you could switch up the ingredients. Prepare the palmiers in advance and even freeze them for later for stress-free entertaining.
27. Winter fruit salad
Simply switch up your ingredients to keep making fruit salads all year long. Chelsea’s Messy Apron’s winter fruit salad features clementines, pomegranate arils, kiwis, and pears. She finishes it with a simple lemon-poppy seed dressing.
28. Roasted vegetable platter with whipped feta dip
Brooklyn Supper’s roasted vegetable platter with whipped feta dip is a winter take on a crudite platter. She includes broccoli, carrots, endive, purple cauliflower, mushrooms, hakurei turnips, and radicchio, served with a whipped feta dip that has lemon and red pepper flakes.
29. Cream cheese and hazelnut-stuffed mushrooms
Electric Blue Food’s cream cheese and hazelnut-stuffed mushrooms feature hazelnuts, which completely transforms this popular recipe concept. She recommends using the tiniest mushrooms that you can find to up the fancy factor.
30. Sweet potato rounds with herbed ricotta
The Roasted Root’s sweet potato rounds with herbed ricotta are topped with dried cranberries, walnuts, and honey. The sweet potato base is unexpected but so flavorful, and the toppings add just the right amount of texture and flavor contrast.
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