15 Classic Holiday Appetizers Made With 5 Ingredients or Less

From cheese straws to deviled eggs, baked brie to sausage balls, these easy, classic appetizers deserve a place on your holiday table.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published December 05, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Baked Brie
Elise Bauer

No matter what you're putting on your holiday table this year, great appetizers are a must. And these classics are guaranteed crowd-pleasers, with recipes like Million Dollar Deviled Eggs, Easy Baked Brie in Puff Pastry, and 4-Ingredient Cheese Puffs. What's even better is these recipes come together with 5 ingredients or less (not including basics we all have on hand like salt, pepper and oil). They're easy to whip up alongside more involved mains and delicious enough to be well-worth a spot on your holiday menu.

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  • Million Dollar Deviled Eggs

    Overhead shot of a ceramic serving plate with deviled eggs, garnished with chopped chives and paprika

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Since deviled eggs are a party food, I usually try to make the filling ahead of time and assemble the eggs right before serving. I will spoon the filling into a heavy-duty Ziploc bag or into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (which is then stored in a larger Ziploc bag) and then leave it in the fridge up to 24 hours ahead. Once I’m ready to assemble, I snip the edge off the corner of the bag and pipe it into the half eggs before serving." —Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

  • Brussels Sprouts in a Blanket

    Bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts on a large oval serving plate

    Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

    "Don’t skimp on the bacon. My family uses Wisconsin-made Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon because it has got a great fat-to-meat ratio and a delicious sweet-salty flavor that works beautifully with the sprouts’ bitterness. Use whatever locally made bacon you like. Just make sure it’s the thinner slices and not thick-cut, which can be difficult to wrap around the sprouts." —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

    Baked Brie

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "If you're new to buying Brie, find a good cheesemonger who can help you pick a wheel—one that's about 8 ounces for this recipe—that's to your taste. You can also use a wedge for this recipe, but it will be more difficult to wrap." —Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Chutney Cheese Appetizer

    Platter of cheese chutney appetizer with crackers on the counter next to it

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "You’ll definitely want to use whipped cream cheese for this recipe—the fluffy and scoopable kind that comes in a tub, not a bar. It’s easily spreadable straight out of the tub, and no softening is required." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 15 below

  • Sausage Balls

    Sausage balls in a bowl at a table with glasses of wine and some table napkins

    Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph

    "These three-ingredient gems are incredibly easy to make, but I will note one big tip: temperature is key. Your sausage has to be room temperature and your cheese has to be cold. Otherwise, it’s too hard to mix and all of the cheese will melt out as soon as it hits the oven." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Spiced Cottage Cheese Dip

    A plate with crudites and spiced cottage cheese dip, ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Ivy Manning

    "For the creamiest texture, I recommend using small curd, full-fat cottage cheese. Look for “4% milk fat” somewhere on the label. The stuff made with 2% milk fat tends to be thinner and not as satisfying." —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

  • Cheese Straws

    Cheese Sticks on a Lined Baking Sheet

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "If you don’t have self-rising flour, simply substitute with all-purpose flour and add 2 teaspoons baking powder and an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Angels on Horseback

    A plate of angels on horseback, ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "These bacon wrapped oysters originated in Victorian England. Initially, hosts served them after dinner, but in modern times, we serve them as appetizers. Their name most likely comes from the curled-up bacon edges that look like angels' wings. When stuffed prunes or dates replace the oysters, the name changes to devils on horseback." —Hank Shaw, Recipe Developer

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  • Slow Cooker Spinach Feta Dip

    Spinach feta dip in the slow cooker

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "You can use fresh or frozen spinach for this dip! My preference is fresh, because when you sauté with olive oil and a pinch of salt, it really brings out the spinach flavors." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Ami’s 3-Ingredient Boursin and Chutney Crackers

    Overhead view of a white plate of Ritz crackers topped with Boursin cheese and mango chutney

    Simply Recipes / Shayma Saadat

    "I love the buttery crunch of the classic Ritz for this recipe, but you can swap these out for other crackers or even thinly sliced cucumbers if you are in the mood for something lighter." —Shayma Saadat, Recipe Developer

  • Candied Walnuts

    Candied walnuts in a bowl
    Alison Conklin

    "Around the holidays, candied walnuts make a great party snack. You can make them a day or two ahead, and then just set them out in small bowls or serve them alongside a cheese plate for people to snack on. You can even add a sprinkle of minced rosemary or a dash of cinnamon when you stir in the walnuts for some extra holiday flavor." —Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Alabama Fire Crackers

    Bowl of Alabama fire crackers surrounded by a bottle and glasses of beer and a light maroon table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood

    "Ideally, eating them plain is best. They'd also be delicious for dipping into pimento cheese, French onion dip, or with tinned fish. If you do have any left, crumble the crackers over mac and cheese, chili, chowder, or a salad." —Myo Quinn, Former Associate Editorial Director

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  • 4-Ingredient Cheese Puffs

    Retro cookies on a white serving plate with sprinkles of color, with one cookie flipped over to show browned bottom

    Simply Recipes / Stephanie Ganz

    "For this recipe, you have to shred your own cheese. Preshredded cheddar is coated with anti-caking agents that prohibit the cheese from coming together, so break out the box grater, and do this step by hand." —Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer

  • Smoked Salmon Dip

    Overhead view of a white bowl of smoked salmon dip topped with green onions and surrounded by crackers, baguette slices and sliced cucumbers

    Simply Recipes / Maren Ellingboe King

    "I find that a 7-inch round dish is the perfect size for this dip, but any medium oven-safe baking dish will work. If you have any leftovers (doubtful!), the smoked salmon and cream cheese mixture is delicious served on a toasted bagel the next morning or stirred into scrambled eggs!" —Maren Ellingboe King, Recipe Developer

  • Millionaire Crackers

    Closeup view of a serving board of millionaire crackers appetizer on top of a striped cloth napkin

    Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

    "To make things easier, I like to use kitchen shears to cut cleanly through the bacon pack and the slices all at once. That will make all the pieces roughly equal and is easier than slicing each individually." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

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