Whimsical Christmas Food: 44 Fun Savory & Sweet Ideas

Whimsical Christmas appetizers and treats recipe finds

Looking forward to all the holiday entertaining you’ll be doing? Well, a huge part of the fun will be serving Christmas food that captures the yuletide spirit—assembled and decorated as snowmen, Santas, reindeer, elves, Christmas trees, stockings, and more! These 44 recipes we’re featuring are amazingly creative, cute, and fun whether they are savory appetizers, cheese balls, sweet baked goodies, or snack mixes. Try them out and have your holiday guests, family and friends looking forward to every celebration!

Snowmen from Sweets to Salads

Snowman themed appetizers

1 – Christmas Banana Snowmen from One Handed Cooks
Banana slices on skewers with strawberry hats and grape pom poms, currants or raisins for eyes and buttons, and carrot bits for noses

2 – Snowman Marshmallow Pops from Adventures of Mel
With marshmallows for heads and bodies, Airheads belts for scarves, mini marshmallows for ear muffs, and decorating icing to make eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons

3 – Melting Snowman Cheese Ball Crackers from On My Kid’s Plate
Ranch-flavored cream cheese balls scooped onto crackers, then decorated with shredded carrots, parsley, edible eyes, and black food coloring to resemble melting snowmen

4 – String Cheese Snowman Caprese Salad from Arts & Crackers
Mozzarella string cheese sliced to form the snowman bodies on toothpicks, then finished with fresh basil leaves, grape tomatoes, and facial details made with edible ink markers

5 – Snowman Snack Board from The Baker Mama
A 3-part snowman body formed from rounds of brie, Danish Camembert, and Chèvre spreadable goat cheese; nestled in an array of crackers, assorted cold cuts, fruits, veggies, and nuts on a wooden cheese board

6 – Melting Snowman Cookie Balls from Snack Works
Assembled from Oreo cookies, cream cheese, white chocolate candy coating wafers, decorating icing or gel, and a jaunty little mini-Oreo hat!

7 – Holiday Ranch Cheese Ball from Family Fresh Meals
A shaggy-style snowman made from cream cheese and shredded white cheese (Mozzarella), then decorated with whole peppercorns and carrot bits, and served with crackers and veggies to dip in the cheese

DON’T MISS: Easy Vegetable Dips for the Holidays

Reindeer Appetizers and Sweet Treats

Reindeer themed appetizers and finger foods

1 – Peanut Butter Celery Reindeer Sticks from Fork and Beans
Celery ribs spread with peanut butter, then transformed into reindeer with pretzel antlers, googly eyes, and fresh raspberry noses

2- Reindeer Pops from Annabel Karmel
Madeira sponge cake balls coated in melted chocolate, then decorated with pretzel pieces, red M&Ms, and a black icing pen

3 – Reindeer Sloppy Joe Sliders from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons
Ground turkey patties in mini burger buns, garnished with a cherry tomato for Rudolph’s nose, black olives for the other reindeer’s noses, white sliced cheese and raisins for eyes, and pretzel twists for antlers

4 – Reindeer Candy Cane Pudding Cups from Ready Set Eat
Peppermint chocolate cookies crumbled into chocolate pudding cups, then red gumdrop noses, craft-store or DIY eyes, and candy cane antlers to complete the look

5 – Reindeer on Rye Appetizer Sandwiches from Pam’s Party and Practical Tips
Rye bread slices, ham, and Dijon mustard form the sandwiches, while Mozzarella cheese circles, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and pretzel pieces mimic the reindeer look

6 – Reindeer Snacks from The Gunny Sack
Oval crackers topped with sliced black olives, grape tomatoes, and pretzel pieces held in place with cream cheese

7 – Chicken Nuggets as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from Cheap is the New Classy
Kid-fave chicken nuggets arranged as reindeer with ketchup noses, peppercorn eyes, and carrot pieces for antlers and legs

DON’T MISS: Holiday Wine and Cheese Ideas

Santa in Savory and Sweet Versions

Santa themed finger foods

1 – Santa Crescent Pizzas from Pillsbury
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls trimmed with pepperoni “hats,” mozzarella cheese “beards,” black olive eyes, and green olive “mustaches,” then oven baked till golden brown and served with warmed pizza sauce

2 – Strawberry Santas from Driscoll’s
Whole strawberries for Santa bodies and hats on a chocolate cookie base, blueberries for boots, cream cheese frosting for his head and beard sprinkled with shredded coconut, and mini chocolate chips for eyes

3 – Grinch Fruit Kabobs from Momables
Santa hats for green grape “Grinch” heads, made from strawberries with mini marshmallows and banana slices

4 – Oreo Santa Hats from Snack Works
Make these scrumptious treats in a jiffy with cream cheese, whipped cream as topping, and strawberries.

5 – Santa Claus at the Ritz from Annabel Karmel
Ritz crackers assembled with pepperoni slices, ricotta cheese, celery slices, and capers

6 – Santa Cookies from Dairymaid Dairy
No baking required for these Santa treats made with mini marshmallows on Graham crackers, finished with vanilla frosting, red gumdrops, and red cinnamon candies

7 – Bruschetta Santa Claus from Moshi Moshi Nippon
Baguette slices decorated with sour cream, cherry tomatoes, and black olives [the delightful Christmas tree is made from sliced avocado!]

8 – Santa Hat Appetizer from Bubba Pie
Such a cute treat to make with Monterey Jack cheese, cut bell peppers, flatbread crisps, and cream cheese.

Easy Elf-inspired Christmas Treats

Elf themed Christmas appetizers and treats

1 – Elf Hat Snacks from It’s a Keeper
Bugles with Christmas M&Ms in red and green, held in place with white chocolate melts

2 – Cupcake Elves from Tasty Kitchen
Homebaked (or store-bought) cupcakes topped with waffle ice cream cones, sprayed with edible green dye, then finished with icing, whole cashews, and Red Hot candies

3 – Elf on the Shelf Cookie Weights from Pillsbury
Pillsbury’s holiday shape ready-to-bake cookies, mounted on peppermint sticks to resemble “gym weights,” then trimmed with frosting and sprinkles; the “gym bench” is assembled from 3 candy canes

4 – White Chocolate Elf Hat Party Mix from Layers of Happiness
Another fun version of an elf mix with Bugles for hats, coated with green candy melts, red M&Ms, sprinkles and colored sugar; then combined with mini pretzels, Chex, honey roasted peanuts, holiday M&Ms, and white chocolate for melting

5 – Elf Cookies from Taste of Home
Prepared sugar cookie dough baked as instructed and cut into diamond shapes; decorated with tinted frosting, sprinkles, candies, and almond slices

6 – Elf Munch from Gonna Want Seconds
Kettle popcorn with a melted butter-and-marshmallow coating tinted with green food coloring, then tossed with M&Ms and Whoppers 

Christmas Tree Appetizers, Cheese Balls, and More

Christmas tree themed food

1 – Easy Cheesy Christmas Tree-shaped Appetizers from An Alli Event
Bread slices cut with a Christmas tree cookie cutter; spread with mayo, cheddar & Parmesan cheese and dry ranch seasoning mix; broiled until the cheese is bubbly, then garnished with red and green bell pepper strips

2- Christmas Tree Mini Pizzas from Julie’s Eats and Treats
Puff pastry cut into tree shapes, then topped with pizza sauce, green pepper, slices of pepperoni snack sticks, and grated cheese

3 – Mini Christmas Tree Appetizers from Let’s Cook French
Puff pastry with pesto filling cut into triangles, brushed with egg wash, and baked for 20 minutes until crisp

4 – Mini Christmas Tree Snacks from A Healthier Michigan
Make a healtheir appetizer this season with cream cheese and pesto spread on cut triangles of Naan bread. Top with diced bell peppers and carrots. Use pretzel sticks as the tree stem. Viola!

5- No-Bake Cheesy Christmas Tree Dip Appetizer from This Mom’s Confessions (Janine Huldie)
A brick of cream cheese cut in triangle halves to form a tree shape; then spread with a layer of basil pesto and diced tomatoes, and a pretzel rod “trunk” added; to be served with crackers

6 – Pita Christmas Tree Appetizers from Real Mom Kitchen
Pita bread cut into triangles, mounted on pretzel sticks; spread with sour cream, guacamole, and parsley; then decorated with red bell pepper and rosemary sprigs

7 – Chicken Nugget Christmas Trees from Great British Chefs
Homemade chicken fillet nuggets cut into holiday shapes, and coated with a breadcrumb coating with crushed cheese and onion crisps

8 – Savory Christmas Trees from An Italian in My Kitchen
Puff pastry rolled out with a filling of cream cheese mousse and thinly sliced salami, arranged on skewers accordion-style, then baked till golden brown and topped with green olives

9 – Christmas Tree Cheese Ball from Confetti and Bliss
A blend of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, RO*TEL® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, and crumbled pieces of bacon and sliced green onion formed into a cone shape; covered with chopped fresh parsley; then decorated with sprigs of fresh rosemary, sliced almonds, pomegranate ariels, grape tomatoes, and a yellow bell pepper “star topper”

10 – Christmas Tree Quesadillas from Eat Drink Love
Fajita-sized tortillas with a filling of cream cheese, a little bit of salsa, and cheddar cheese; then spread with guacamole topping and trimmed with red and green bell pepper pieces for “ornaments”
 
11 – Christmas Tree Mini Quiches from Happy Kitchen Rocks
“Nests” made from grated potato baked until crisp, then filled with a mixture of egg, milk, broccoli, and melted goat cheese (Note: the mini “Christmas trees” are cut from the unique Romanesco broccoli and each topped with a pomegranate seed “star”)

12 – Christmas Tree Snack Board – The Cozy Cook
Create a festive cheese and crackers’ tree. Fill the layers with olives, grapes, nuts, and baby tomatoes.

Christmas Stocking Starters and Sweets

Christmas stocking themed food

1 – Hot Dog Stockings from Maple Lodge Farms
Pieces of cooked chicken franks on skewers to resemble a Christmas stocking, trimmed with cream cheese, red bell pepper pieces, and parsley

2 – Pizza Stockings from Life According to Jamie
Pizza dough cut with a stocking-shaped cookie cutter; spread with pizza sauce, grated Mozzarella, and chopped basil

3 – Stocking Sugar Cookies from Betty Crocker
Traditional sugar cookies decorated with Betty Crocker Decorating Cookie Icing in red, green, and white and garnished with matching sanding sugar 

4 – Rice Krispie Treats for Christmas from This Lil Piglet
Packaged Rice Krispie Treats cut into stocking (or other holiday) shapes, then trimmed with fondant cutouts and sparkle gel to complete the look

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