The 19 Best Christmas Snacks

Dips are an essential part of the Christmas snacking experience. Too often, however, you're left with an unappealing gelatinous goop, bought from the store, for which to dip your amazing homemade Christmas appetizers into.

It doesn't have to be this way! You can whip up a dip in no time at all. A dip that tastes amazing in its own right. Something to make those little festive finger foods sing.

This harissa aioil is the perfect dip for anything from raw vegetables and crisps to patatas bravas and harissa prawns. Aioli is a garlic and mayonnaise dipping sauce, typically served in the Catalonia region of Spain, while the harissa puts a Tunisian twist on things.

With a wonderful depth of flavour and a pleasant nuttiness, this dip is a great way to add some pizzazz to any appetizer for Christmas.

The sweet secret to this delightful dip, however, is cinnamon. It gives it a subtle sweet spiciness that makes it taste like something that would be served in a restaurant.

Homemade nibbles don't come any easier than this spicy little recipe. It's super straightforward and doesn't take much time at all. All you need to do is add spices to the chickpeas in a roasting tray and let the ingredients do the work.

Use your creativity and see what spice concoction you can come up with. Then serve these roasted chickpeas up at your Xmas party, for a wonderful little appetizer.

A classic Christmas recipe, smoked salmon pate might seem a bit outdated, but there's a reason people have been enjoying this recipe for decades. Quality lasts and once you've tasted this amazing pate smoothly spread across a cracker, paired with a luscious full bodied-white wine, you'll be swooning in festive delight.

This recipe consists of smoked salmon, double cream, lemon juice and traditional seasoning, making for a supremely balance smoked salmon pate. It's also an adaptable recipe – you can even add different seafood, such as prawns or crab, for added flavor.

This clever little canapé is guaranteed to wow your guests at your Christmas party. They'll love the divine taste that combines the zing of the tomatoes, the creamy meatiness of the crab, the kick of the chilli and the fragrance of the coriander.

Some like it hot. If your guests do, tweak the recipe and increase the chilli a bit.

A simple, fresh bruschetta recipe that pairs salty parma ham with earthy broad beans for a delicious flavor combination. It's very straightforward to create and is a little different to most bruschetta recipes.

It's a versatile recipe too. So, experiment with your favorite ingredients until you've tailored it to your tastes then dig in!

These incredible Christmas appetizers take cheese fritters to new heights. If you've never had a blue cheese fritter, this Xmas is the time to discover the absolute pure joy of biting into one of these bad boys. Best of all, this recipe is very easy – anyone could whip up these blue cheese fritters.

The ideal finger food at a Christmas party or as a starter to keep hungry monsters at bay before the Christmas feast, this recipe is quick and easy – it takes around half an hour from start to finish to cook these fritters.

So, if you want a quick, easy light bite, this is the recipe for you. Add a dry white wine to bring a little Christmassy joy to the experience.

This seriously tasty Sicilian dish is comfort food at its finest. Making use of risotto leftovers, it combines some basic flavors for a incredibly simple yet utterly delicious dish that fits right in with the Christmas spirit.

This recipe is about simple, unashamed indulgence, with cheese added to the risotto leftovers, which is then coated in breadcrumbs and cooked on a high heat.

If you want to make a memorable Christmas for kids, or anyone who's a kid at heart, serve up a parmesan arancini and watch the smile spread on their face after the first bite. They'll absolutely love this recipe, that only the Italians could ever dare to come up with. Simply delicious!

These incredible steamed dumplings will bring an Asian twist to your Christmas. Appetizers don't get much more appetizing than these little heavenly bundles and the dipping sauce is off-the-chart tasty. If you want to impress friends and family this Christmas, this is the recipe for you.

Making prawn dumplings is a great way to serve up a restaurant quality dish at home. Although this recipe may seem a little complicated, you'll soon get into the swing of things. In fact, once you've got the recipe mastered, this one will become a favorite to whip up for any party in the future.

These mischievous little morsels make for a marvellous festive finger food during the Christmas holiday period. If you've never tried these sinful little devils, you're about to experience pure Christmas bliss!

Pairing prunes with goats cheese, wrapping them in bacon and baking them in the oven until crisp and delicious is a recipe for sweet sumptuous success. When cooked, the cheese and bacon bring an umami flavour that is simply out of this world.

The dates bring a little bit of fruity sweetness that works so well with the other flavors. Simple, yet utterly delicious. You could add a little twist with this bacon wrapped dates cream cheese recipe.

A versatile gourmet delight, these little ham and cheese puff pastry tartlets are a wonderful treat, especially for an Xmas party. A simple recipe that pairs two ingredients that go so well together, these elegant light bites are something the whole family will love.

There's nothing like homemade puff pastry tartlets. Eating authentic food that you've put your heart and soul into is what Christmas is all about.

In the UK, Christmas wouldn't quite be the same without sausage rolls. Scrap the frozen, store bought stuff and whip up your own. Try it once and you you'll never look back!

Homemade sausages rolls are tasty enough as it is. Just the flaky pastry and the rich sausage are enough to make the mouth water. Add chestnut and cranberry and you take things to a whole new level!

Using minimal ingredients but packing in maximum taste, these BBQ meatballs will go down a storm at Xmas. The sticky, succulent sauce alone is enough to make your mouth water. Bite into one of these BBQ meatballs, however, and you'll get a sensational taste that's next level stuff.

As I said, it's the sauce that really elevates this recipe. All American BBQ sauce is the perfect way to put a smile on everyone's face during the holiday period. Everyone will like these amazing meatballs!

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” ahhh... as Nat King Cole knew, nothing says Christmas quite like chestnuts. One of the most incredible things at Christmas is the smell of roasted chestnuts. If you've never roasted your own, take a look at this recipe. You'll love how simple and tasty it is!

The warm, creamy, nuttiness of chestnuts is enough to soothe your soul on the coldest winter morning. Roast a big old batch to please the whole family – any leftover chestnuts can be made into a delicious chestnut soup.

This unusual, adventurous recipe is one way to get your party guests talking! A sweet, sumptuous surprise of a recipe, if you're a fan of popcorn recipes, or just a curious person, you'll want to give this one a try.

The perfect snacky treat to munch on during your Christmas film marathon, you can always adapt the recipe to make it quicker and easier. m

This Scottish oatcakes recipe is perfect for Xmas. Healthy Xmas treats can be few and far between, what with all the chocolate and other delicious indulgences on display.

Well, these Scottish oatcakes are an excellent choice for those fancying something sweet yet healthy. The best part thing about this recipe is that you only need four simple ingredients.

Serve these rough little rascals with a glass of milk. Or, better yet, a glass of eggnog!

These sweet, healthy little coconut balls make the perfect snack to go with your Christmas cup of team or coffee. With the sweetness of the dates, the beautiful coconut flavour and the crunchy, nutty pistachios, this recipe tastes great. So, avoid the store bought snack and bake up a tray of these delights.

They'd even be perfect party food for your Xmas get together. The recipe is quick and easy, so it's completely stress free and these date balls with coconut and pistachio can be made in less than an hour from start to finish.

You could even tweak this recipe by adding some dried fruit into the mix to make them all the more festive. Cranberries, raisins, sultanas, cherries or dried apricots would all taste fantastic with this festive finger food recipe.

These irresistible little festive baubles are so incredibly simple to bake and will go down a storm during the Xmas holiday. Bake one batch and they'll be gone in an instant.

So don't worry... you'll be getting plenty of practice baking these peanut butter coconut balls. They're so delicious, yet healthy too.

Baked with natural ingredients and sweetened with dates instead of sugar, they make for a nutritious, sweet and easy snack around the holiday season. The coconut flavor makes them feel festive and the peanut butter brings the rich, lip smacking taste.

If you feel like being naughty rather than nice, you could always add some chocolate chips into the mix. Just make sure you leave one of these tasty little Christmas snacks out for Santa on Christmas Eve, alongside a splash of brandy of course.

A chocolatey dream of a holiday recipe, these chocolate flapjacks are packed full of flavour and make the perfect snack for Xmas. The whole family will love this recipe, which is so easy to make.

In fact, the hardest part is stopping your little helper elves (or yourself) from eating the flapjack mixture before it goes in the oven. These sweet chocolate flapjacks are so good, they'll hardly last a few hours – so be sure to bake a big bunch.

When they're ready, you can dip them in dark and white chocolate sauce (see recipe) to turn the decadence up a notch. The perfect Christmas snack for chocolate lovers!