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It isn’t officially the holiday season if the family isn’t putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it with colorful ornaments and the shiny star on top! It’s a tradition many families follow every year to bring out the festive atmosphere. But don’t stop with the beautifully decorated tree in the living area and make your Christmas dinner exude the holiday spirit!
Take the holiday feast to the next level and make Christmas tree appetizers to set the tone for the moment your loved ones arrive to feast on delicious food. Seeing those aesthetic dishes may feel intimidating, but anyone can prepare them with the right recipe. Whether you’re looking to make something sweet or savory, there is always an easy tree-themed starter to serve.
Check out these amazing Christmas tree appetizer ideas that will leave your guests impressed and asking for seconds even before the main course arrives.
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More delicious and healthy recipe ideas for you:
- 15 Easy and Delicious Christmas Dinner Ideas
- 15 Easy and Healthy Christmas Appetizers For Parties
- 15 Easy Christmas Cupcakes Ideas to Help You Get into the Holiday Spirit
- 40 Easy Christmas Desserts For Any Winter Holiday
1. Healthy Christmas Tree Cupcake
These cupcakes can cater to various diets as they are vegan and gluten-free. Everyone will be shocked by this revelation because they taste just like any freshly-baked chocolate cupcakes.
The best part is the dairy-free cashew matcha frosting, which is the main element of the tree design. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcake and top it off with sprinkles, then they are ready to serve, it’s that easy and requires no fancy schmancy baking skills!
If not a starter, these cupcakes make an easy and healthy Christmas dessert that no one will feel guilty about!
2. Christmas Tree Cookie
No one can say no to Christmas cookies, they will always be a huge hit! This platter of cookies will be the conversation starter of the party as they look eloquently made without the baking process being complicated at all.
It’s made of a sugar cookie base with a buttery frosting and sprinkles for detail. To make it look even more like the tree, mini pretzel sticks are used to act as the trunk.
3. Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadsticks
Give the plain old breadstick starter an upgrade with this rich and creamy spinach dip breadstick recipe. The spinach will naturally color the dish to emulate the tree’s appearance while giving more flavor with all that cheese and seasonings.
Don’t worry, this pull-apart breadstick pastry is so easy to shape, using thin pizza crust and a pizza slicer. You’ll only need half an hour and you’ve got a starter you can roll out as you prepare the remaining dishes for dinner.
4. Fruit Christmas Tree
This is another sweet and healthy starter that can serve as an edible centerpiece. That way, the kids can still eat a bit healthier during the holidays without realizing it. It’s also so easy to set up since all you need is a large pineapple and toothpicks to keep the fruits standing tall and looking as pretty as a colorful holiday tree.
You can adjust the recipe according to what fruits you have or what you believe everyone loves. Add blackberries, kiwi, raspberries, and other refreshing fruits to decorate the tree as well!
5. Christmas Tree Nachos
Nachos are the ultimate finger food but you might be wondering, how can you make these look more like the holidays? You’ll stun everyone with this recipe because no one would think it was possible to combine nacho chips, guac, and Christmas trees!
Instead of the usual platter of nachos topped with everyone’s favorite toppings, make individual nachos stuffed with guacamole and diced tomatoes to make it really look like a tree. Top it off with your desired herbs and seasonings for color and flavor, and even cubed mangoes for a bit of a sweet, tangy taste that delights tastebuds.
6. Christmas Tree Veggie Tray
Holiday feasts don’t always have to be filled with high-caloric dishes. You can start the dinner right by serving up a veggie tray decorated as a tree, which can delight children and adults alike. It’s a way to get everyone to eat their vegetables because we all know everyone will be putting less healthy food on their plate later on!
Besides that, it’s such an easy starter to assemble and requires no cooking at all. Just prep your broccoli on a plate, decorate it with tomatoes and bell peppers, then top it off with a star-shaped cheese slice for decor. Don’t forget to pair it with a good dip, too!
7. Christmas Tree Snack Board
This is another healthy snack board with added elements, sprucing everyone’s appetites. Besides veggies like broccoli, you can also add other greens like snap peas, pickles, green bell peppers, pears, and grapes. Add other light food in festive colors like deli meats, red grapes, raisins, crackers, and cheese.
This grand snack board won’t last long, because everyone will be happily munching on everything… Right after taking a photo to post online!
8. Christmas Tree Cheese Platter
Whether it’s a grand holiday party or a simple one with family and friends, you can never go wrong with serving a cheese platter. You can make any meal a fancier one by bringing out a well-decorated cheese platter with crackers and grapes to balance the flavors.
Take a step further than laying the cheeses neatly and shaping them to look like a very bright, colorful tree to match the season! Serve it with bowls of different crackers and wine, and you’ll have everyone work up an appetite, craving for more.
9. Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
Roll this out as a starter and leave everyone shocked, asking how you managed to make such an eloquent-looking dish that exudes the festive vibe! You don’t need to tell them how easy it takes to prepare this puff pastry, because while you can make it from scratch, you can “cheat” and get store-bought ones to make the process quicker.
It takes mere minutes to form this starter, without any baking skills needed. Opt for savory fillings and toppings like pesto and garlic butter, which work beautifully with the flaky pastry.
10. Nutella Christmas Tree
Go beyond the usual starters and make this sweet and decadent Nutella puff pastry in the shape of a tree. The thick hazelnut spread is the perfect filling if you’re looking for a sweeter version of the pull-apart breadstick. The surprising part about this recipe is that you only need five ingredients!
Make it taste almost like a churro by dusting it with cinnamon sugar and make sure to grab a bite before serving it. Once it’s out on the table, every part of the sweet, flaky pastry will be gone within minutes.
11. Pita Bread Christmas Tree Appetizer
Need a starter that takes ten minutes and no cooking at all? If you forgot to prep for appetizers and need one ASAP, then this is a quick recipe to follow, people won’t think you were rushing to make it unless you say so!
Using pita bread, bell peppers, cheese, and a rich, umami avocado hummus, you can create a healthy starter to keep everyone’s tummies settled until the main course is ready.
12. Healthy Christmas Tree Brownies
Your loved ones don’t have to wait for dessert to get their sweet tooth fix, nor do they have to go over their calorie limit to enjoy moist, chocolatey brownies. These brownies come in big servings but are only less than 300 calories apiece, decorated with icing, chocolate sticks, and little sugar balls.
It’s also a fool-proof recipe where you make the brownies from scratch. Non-bakers can create these brownies in about an hour without hassle!
13. Popcorn Christmas Tree
Not only is this recipe so simple and easy to make, but it’s also an affordable one if you’re looking for dishes to make on a budget. You just need marshmallows, butter, and food coloring to color the popcorn and easily form it into a tree that stays in shape. Afterward, decorate your simple tree with M&M’s or other favorite candies.
You only need less than 15 minutes for this one, and you can even prep this for your next movie marathon with all the holiday films!
14. Olive Christmas Tree Appetizer
Even the olive haters will be dazzled by the aesthetics of this starter, which you must pair with crackers and a good glass of wine. To keep the shape of this olive tree, use a foam cone wrapped in clear plastic wrap, then assemble everything using toothpicks.
Besides olives, add more color and flavor to this recipe with cream cheese, peppers, and fresh rosemary.
15. Christmas Tree Appetizer Pin Wheel
And finally, this adorable pinwheel holiday tree appetizer will delight the tastebuds as it’s each spinach tortilla wrap is filled with bacon, cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing. It possesses the savory, tangy, and rich cheesy goodness to begin the feast on the right track. Everyone will be grabbing this finger food!
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