30+ Must-Try Christmas Side Dishes & Appetizers
When it comes to planning the perfect holiday menu, Christmas Side Dishes always steal the show. Whether you’re hosting a cozy family dinner or a glam Christmas Eve celebration, the right side dish or appetizer totally elevates the entire meal. And honestly, after cooking all the Thanksgiving classics (and eating leftovers for what felt like forever), thinking of new recipes for Christmas can be so overwhelming. No one wants to serve the exact same menu again, right?
That’s why this roundup of 30+ Must-Try Christmas Side Dishes & Appetizers is here to save you! These recipes are festive, comforting, impressive without being complicated, and full of seasonal ingredients everyone loves. Think creamy potatoes, caramelized veggies, warm spices, and all the cozy holiday flavors.
People love classic Christmas Side Dishes like creamy mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, stuffing, scalloped potatoes, and green beans because they’re nostalgic and comforting. At the same time, veggie-forward dishes like maple-roasted Brussels sprouts or bacon-wrapped asparagus bring a fresh yet festive twist that keeps your holiday table balanced, colorful, and delicious.
So if you’re looking to refresh your holiday menu, add new dishes, or finally create a Christmas dinner that feels different from Thanksgiving… this list is filled with cozy, crowd-pleasing, and awe-inspiring options.
Christmas Side Dishes
Below are the best Christmas Side Dishes that bring comfort, coziness, and tons of flavor to your holiday meal. These pair perfectly with turkey, ham, prime rib, roast chicken, or whatever main you’re serving this year!
Spicy Bacon Jam Brussel Sprouts
This side dish recipe is perfect for any holiday. Spicy Bacon Jam Brussel Sprouts will wow your guests and leave everyone running for seconds!
Spicy Creamed Corn Recipe with Jalapeño
This Creamed corn with Jalapeño, with a fiery twist is your regular favorite! The garlicky cream sauce with earthy paprika makes it a recipe everyone clears their plate for.
Herby Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Give your holiday table a herby, tangy twist with my Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe. Creamy-dreamy, cheerfully colored, and flavored with a wintry blend of rosemary, garlic, parsley, and protein-packed Greek yogurt, these sweet spuds are perfect for pairing with all your cold-weather favorites.
Maple Ginger Glazed Carrots (Oven Roasted)
Perfectly sweet and delicious, these Maple Ginger Glazed Carrots will add a beautiful pop of color to your dinner table! They couldn’t be easier to come together and make a great side dish to just about anything!
Glazed Carrots
This easy Glazed Carrots recipe is so darn good I can barely resist eating the whole pan. Just 3 ingredients and one skillet to make the best quick side dish!
Creamy Savory Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
These savory mashed white sweet potatoes are the perfect fall side dish. Creamy, smooth, and just slightly sweet, they’re made with simple ingredients that let the natural flavor of white sweet potatoes shine. A touch of fresh garlic keeps them savory, and they’re absolutely delicious topped with gravy or a pat of butter.
Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
These delicious and elegant Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect side dish for any family dinner. Beautifully golden and slightly crispy on top and filled with a rich and cheesy cream sauce, they are sure to have your guests coming back for more!
Garlic Double Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Double Cheddar Mashed Potatoes are ultra creamy, warm, and packed with melty white cheddar and sharp cheddar. The potatoes get mashed until they’re silky, then baked with a blanket of bubbly cheese on top. They’re the kind of holiday side dish everyone loads their plate with first.
French Onion Mashed Potato Gratin
French Onion Mashed Potato Gratin is the ultimate comfort food side! Creamy mashed potatoes topped with jammy caramelized onions and thinly sliced scalloped potatoes under a blanket of grated cheese.
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
This bacon-wrapped asparagus turns out crispy and delicious, making it a perfect dinner side dish or appetizer. Low carb but full of flavor!
Crispy Parmesan Asparagus with Garlic Butter
This Garlic Butter Asparagus with a crispy Parmesan topping is bursting with flavor! It makes an irresistible crunchy side dish or even a tasty little snack.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
This Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries dish is perfect for the holidays. The colors pop beautifully, and every bite has amazing texture. The sprouts roast until crisp-tender, while cranberries, grapes, feta, and pecans add sweet, savory, and crunchy goodness. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a sweet-tangy touch. It’s ready in about 30 minutes and can be prepped ahead.
Crispy Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
These maple bacon Brussels sprouts roast up perfectly crisp and coated in a delicious sweet-and-savory glaze. For extra crunch, heat your baking sheet first and arrange the sprouts cut-side down in a single layer. The combination of rich maple syrup and salty, crispy bacon makes this side dish completely irresistible!
Loaded Broccoli Salad
The best Broccoli Salad you’ll ever make. Filled with bacon, cheese, nuts and dried cranberries – and paired with a delicious & creamy dressing to pull it all together!
Soy Green Bean Bundles
Green Bean Bundles are incredibly simple to make—just canned green beans, a quick brown sugar–soy–butter sauce, and smoky bacon. The result is a sticky, salty-sweet little bundle that’s full of flavor and perfect for holiday entertaining.
Garlic Mushrooms with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Rich, buttery garlic mushrooms get a delicious upgrade with a savory herb and sun-dried tomato butter sauce. They’re so flavorful, you’ll want to add them to every meal!
Brown Sugar Roasted Honeynut Squash
Caramelized Brown Sugar Roasted Honeynut Squash is sweet, a little spicy, and incredibly delicious. The magic comes from a buttery blend of pineapple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chipotle that makes every bite irresistible.
Best Christmas Appetizers
Let’s also talk about Christmas appetizers for a second. There’s just something magical about holiday finger foods—especially when they involve brie, goat cheese, fig jam, cranberries, honey, or a buttery puff pastry moment. These ingredients feel like Christmas: sweet, savory, rich, warm, and perfect for mingling with a glass of wine in hand. They turn simple appetizers into “OMG what did you put in this?!” masterpieces without any extra effort.
Puff Pasty Brie Appetizer
This tasty Brie Appetizer is made in flaky puff pastry cups. Try this easy recipe this holiday season to find out why everyone loves them!
Pear and Honey Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizer
This pear and honey blue cheese puff pastry appetizer is crispy, flaky, and full of sweet and savory flavors. It’s easy to make and perfect for any party!
Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
This Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip is the ultimate festive appetizer, creamy, tangy, lightly spicy, and perfectly sweet. It features a fresh cranberry-jalapeño salsa layered over smooth cream cheese, making it an irresistible addition to any holiday gathering.
30 Minute Appetizer: Goat Cheese and Puff Pastry Bites
These Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizers are the perfect little one-bite treats to make for parties and holiday gatherings. Featuring flaky pastry, apricot or cherry jam, and goat cheese, these sweet and savory bites will fly off the plate!
The Easiest Baked Brie with Jam
This simple baked brie with jam makes the perfect holiday appetizer, with only 10 minutes and five ingredients needed, and you can prep it ahead of time!
Quick and Easy Maple Pecan Baked Brie Appetizer
This Quick and Easy Maple Pecan Baked Brie Appetizer is the ultimate holiday crowd-pleaser! Warm, gooey brie is topped with sweet maple syrup and crunchy pecans for a cozy, elegant Christmas party bite. Simple to make, ready in minutes, and guaranteed to impress your guests all season long.
Sausage Cranberry Brie Bites
Sausage Cranberry Brie Bites are the ultimate Christmas party appetizer, flaky, golden, and filled with savory sausage, creamy brie, and a pop of sweet-tart cranberry. These easy, bite-sized holiday appetizers come together fast and always disappear first from the tray. Perfect for Christmas gatherings, holiday potlucks, or New Year’s Eve parties!
Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce
Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce is the ultimate holiday appetizer, warm, creamy, and perfectly sweet-tart. This easy Christmas starter comes together in minutes and looks stunning on any festive spread. Serve it with crackers, a toasted baguette, or fresh fruit for a crowd-pleasing bite everyone will love!
Prosciutto Wrapped Baked Brie in Pastry
Indulge in the ultimate holiday appetizer with this Prosciutto-Wrapped Baked Brie in Pastry. Buttery puff pastry, salty prosciutto, and warm, melty brie come together for a show-stopping Christmas party dish that’s surprisingly easy to make. Perfect for entertaining, this elegant appetizer looks impressive on any holiday table and delivers rich, savory flavor in every bite.
Baked Goat Cheese Cranberry Appetizer
This fancy but easy baked goat cheese cranberry appetizer recipe is easier to make than it looks! It is the best cranberry appetizer recipe for the holiday season that your guests will love.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
This Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip is a festive, sweet-tangy holiday appetizer that comes together in minutes. With creamy cheese and a bright cranberry topping, it’s the perfect Christmas party dip to serve with crackers or crostini.
Bacon Wrapped Crackers
Bacon Wrapped Crackers are the ultimate Christmas party appetizer, salty, crispy, and totally addictive. They’re easy to make, always a crowd-pleaser, and perfect for holiday gatherings, potlucks, or festive snack boards.
Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts are the ultimate holiday appetizer, crispy, savory, and coated in a deliciously sweet glaze that everyone devours. They’re easy to make, endlessly crowd-pleasing, and perfect for Christmas parties or festive family gatherings.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Rosemary Honey
Indulge in these festive Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates drizzled with fragrant rosemary honey—a sweet and savory holiday appetizer everyone will love. Perfect for Christmas parties, they’re easy to make and sure to impress your guests!
Fig Boursin Dip Recipe
This creamy Fig Boursin Dip is a festive holiday appetizer that’s sweet, savory, and irresistible. Perfect for Christmas parties, it pairs beautifully with crackers, bread, or fresh fruit for easy entertaining.
Sausage Baked Brie
Indulge in this savory Sausage Baked Brie, the ultimate holiday appetizer that’s warm, cheesy, and packed with flavor. Perfect for Christmas gatherings, it’s easy to make and sure to impress your guests!
Roast Beef Crostini Appetizer
These Roast Beef Crostini make a festive and flavorful holiday appetizer that’s easy to serve at any Christmas gathering. Tender roast beef on crispy crostini, topped with savory spreads and fresh herbs, is sure to impress your guests!
Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer with Fig Jam & Pecans
This easy goat cheese appetizer with fig jam and pecans is a festive and flavorful addition to any holiday spread. Sweet, nutty, and creamy, it’s perfect for Christmas parties or cozy winter gatherings.
Strawberry And Goat Cheese With Honey
Sweet and savory come together in this festive Strawberry and Goat Cheese appetizer drizzled with honey, perfect for holiday gatherings. Quick to assemble and bursting with flavor, it’s sure to impress your guests this Christmas season.
Ricotta and Pear Crostini with Salty Pumpkin Seed Pistachio Crunch
These ricotta and pear crostini are a festive holiday appetizer that perfectly balances creamy, sweet, and crunchy flavors. Topped with a salty pumpkin seed and pistachio crunch, they’re an elegant bite that’s sure to impress at any Christmas gathering.
Christmas Side Dishes & Appetizers
Planning the perfect holiday menu doesn’t have to feel stressful, especially when you have a mix of crowd-pleasing Christmas Side Dishes and festive appetizers ready to go. Whether you’re craving something cozy and classic or fresh and elegant, this list gives you tons of inspiration to create a menu that feels new, exciting, and completely Christmas-worthy.
Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today!
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future‘” (Jeremiah 29:11).
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