Holiday meal prep can be a lengthy process, so keep you and your party satisfied in the meantime with these flavorful recipes. From dips to cheese balls, you can prepare these dishes as quick and satisfying snacks that everyone is sure to enjoy. Make our Cucumber Salmon Bites or Whipped Feta with Pomegranate, Pistachios & Honey for a simple and delicious pre-meal snack.
Cucumber Salmon Bites
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Look no further for your impromptu snack—these 3-ingredient cucumber salmon bites are a surefire hit. Beyond being an ideal choice for midday, this quick and easy recipe doubles as a satisfying appetizer. If you have a bit more time and a few extra ingredients at your disposal, try enhancing the cream cheese with chopped fresh herbs like dill or chives.
Whipped Feta with Pomegranate, Pistachios & Honey
This easy, quick appetizer is perfect for any gathering. Be sure to process the feta and cream cheese together until you see a smooth texture and ribbons start to form. Doing so will ensure any bits of feta are broken down, and you’ll avoid a grainy texture. The drizzle of hot honey adds a pleasant spice and plays well with the salty pistachios, but you could substitute regular honey or date syrup if preferred.
Fig Newton–Inspired Energy Balls
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman
These Fig Newton–inspired energy balls feature chewy figs just like the original snack bar. Here, we combine them with dates, almond butter and fiber-boosting oats for an easy snack.
Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
These bite-size dark chocolate almond clusters blend dark chocolate with nutty almonds for an easy snack or dessert. Stick to the three ingredients we list here, or add your own twist by including dried cherries or toasted coconut for a little variety.
Everything-Seasoned Almonds
Grinding up the everything bagel seasoning in a spice grinder will help it adhere to the almonds.
The Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman
This curried cashew snack mix features toasted edamame. A combination of spices and red curry paste brings flavor and heat to this grab-and-go snack. To keep the spice level on the mild side, you can swap out the red curry paste for yellow.
Crunch Bar–Inspired Energy Balls
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
To emulate a Crunch Bar, we packed this energy ball with crispy puffed brown rice cereal inside a milk-chocolaty, chewy center. A dark-chocolate drizzle adds more intense chocolate flavor. Cashew butter has a mild, neutral flavor that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients, but you can substitute any nut butter if you prefer.
Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Sue Mitchell, Prop stylist: Skylar Myers,
These 3-ingredient sweet treats are a breeze to make and, because dark chocolate clusters take just 15 minutes to prepare, they can be made on short notice to feed a crowd. While cashews contribute a sweet and mild flavor, don’t hesitate to swap them out for an alternative like almonds or peanuts, or try adding dried cranberries or cherries for a delightfully tangy twist.
Jalapeño Cheese Ball
Serve this spiced jalapeño cheese ball with tortilla chips or your favorite cut-up veggies.
Dulce de Leche Coconut Energy Balls
Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Dulce de leche, a sweet caramelized milk product used in Latin American desserts, adds sweet caramel flavor to these tasty energy balls. Seek out dulce de leche in cans or glass jars, typically found in the baking aisle. You can swap out cashew butter for your preferred nut butter to give them your own unique spin.
Snickerdoodle Almonds
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Tossing almonds in frothy egg whites helps the sweet and savory seasoning adhere to these festive snickerdoodle almonds. They make an excellent appetizer for holiday entertaining.
Whipped Feta Dip with Roasted Red Peppers
This super-creamy whipped feta dip is savory with just a hint of sweetness from honey. This healthy dip is perfect for veggies, whole-grain crackers or bread.
Jonathan Perno’s Spiced Candied Pecans
At home or at Campo, the restaurant he oversees at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm in Albuquerque, chef Jonathan Perno likes to welcome guests with spiced New Mexican pecans. You won’t see this in most spiced-nut recipes, but Perno blanches them to reduce some of the bitter tannins in the skin that can sometimes overwhelm the pecans’ delicate flavor.
Cheddar-Apple Cracker Bites
This easy recipe comes together in just 5 minutes, making it a quick snack or appetizer. The sweetness of the Fuji balances well with the cheddar, but you can use another variety of apple if you prefer. This recipe calls for 3 thin apple slices per cracker, but feel free to use just one if you’re craving a more cheesy bite.
Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball
Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.
Salt & Vinegar Pumpkin Seeds
Salt-and-vinegar seasoning isn’t just for chips. These roasted pumpkin seeds tossed with salt and vinegar are a briny, crunchy treat. Soaking the seeds in vinegar ensures that the deep vinegary flavor remains after baking.
Winter Charcuterie Board
A cheeseboard is an ideal stationary hors d’oeuvre for holiday entertaining. Select a variety of cheeses, making sure to include an aged variety, a creamy cheese, a blue cheese and perhaps a smoked cheese. Round out the platter with cold cuts, bread, an abundance of seasonal fruits, dried fruit, crudité, nuts and olives. We even included some dark chocolate to cap it off!
Lemon-Thyme Whipped Ricotta
This stunning yet easy appetizer recipe infuses creamy ricotta with fresh herbs and lemon. Serve with whole-grain crackers and cut-up vegetables or use as a spread for sandwiches or sauce for pasta.
Candy Cane Beet & Goat Cheese Board
This festive and easy appetizer is a colorful addition to any holiday spread. If you can find precooked beets, they help save time. The honey balances the richness of the goat cheese and the earthiness of the beets, while candied pecans add a satisfying crunch.
Everything Bagel Cheese Ball
This is not your grandma’s cheese ball. It has all the flavor of an everything bagel without all the carbs and with just 3 ingredients! Want to emphasize the bagel taste? Serve it with bagel chips and some raw veggies for dipping to keep things healthy.
Rosemary-Garlic Pecans
These savory spiced nuts are perfect for snacking, adding to a cheese board or serving as a mini appetizer.
Spiced Crackers
Give plain crackers a flavorful boost when you roast them with paprika and oregano. For a touch of smokiness, try smoked paprika instead of regular. Serve with hummus, cheese or your favorite dip.
Apple & Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
These energy balls marry two of fall’s best flavors: apples and pumpkin pie spice. You can substitute the applesauce with apple butter for a stronger apple flavor. Don’t confuse dried apples with apple chips! Apple chips have a crisp texture that will make the energy balls too crunchy. If your apple mixture is too sticky and hard to roll, lightly grease your hands with cooking spray or simply refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes before rolling.
Pizza Pistachios
Nutritional yeast mimics the flavor of cheese, lending a pizza-like flavor to these playful spiced pistachios.
