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When the holidays arrive with a hungry horde to feed, you want to do more than slake their appetite. You want to wow them with festive treats that reflect the seasonal spirit.
However, you don’t have to transform into Martha Stewart overnight to put together an impressive spread. Many recipes that look complicated don’t require excess prep work. Here are ten fun Christmas food ideas guaranteed to wow your guests and make your gathering one to remember.
Do you want an appetizer that scores high on the adorable quotient and low on the prep time component? If so, look no further than this fruit-based dish that requires zero cooking and only has one processed ingredient.
You’ll need grapes, strawberries and bananas to make your “Grinch.” Other than that, the only ingredients you’ll need to assemble are some mini marshmallows and skewers. Chop the top off your strawberries to create a hat and layer the fruit to make your character, topping your creation with a mini marshmallow to represent the fuzzball atop the cap.
Who said that holiday treats have to be unhealthy? This delicious treat uses a pineapple for the base, making the fruity goodness extend right down to the core.
Busy moms, this appetizer is an ideal way to keep little fingers occupied while you work on your other meal prep duties. Even those who are too young to cook can pop grapes or orange slices onto a stick to create a “branch.” Tiny tots will delight in helping you in the kitchen, and you’ll appreciate the freedom from cries of “I’m bored” for a few brief, shining moments.
Are you looking for a sweet treat that you can give someone to pop in their mouth as they stand under the mistletoe? If you want a cruelty-free delight, these homemade kisses are vegan and show your love for the animal kingdom.
Plus, the crushed candy canes in this recipe make your mouth taste delightful. That way, if you lean in for the real under-the-mistletoe deal, you won’t have to fear dragon-breath.
Are you looking for a cupcake that lets you skip the annoying wrappers? This treat uses white chocolate to hold in the goodness, eliminating the need for creating more landfill fodder.
You’ll need to use white modeling chocolate to work the wrapper magic. If you want to make your chore a bit easier, you can substitute store-bought cupcakes. However, if you want a true taste of home, you’ll make the filling from scratch, too.
Back in the olden days, people often served cheese for the dessert course, and these cranberry brie bites are a hit regardless of the current era. Plus, this recipe gives you a way to use up that leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving.
The recipe works best with crescent rolls, but if you eat gluten-free, you can substitute. The pecans provide a nice added dose of magnesium to help ward off any winter blues.
Who doesn’t love Oreos? This recipe takes the chocolatey goodness of your favorite cookie and incorporates it into an adorable hat.
While these delights might seem complicated, setting time makes up most of your effort. Plan to prep these when you have a long weekend and tackle other chores while you await the next prep stage.
If you love detail work, you’ll flip for these Frosty the Snowman pretzels that engage your creative side. However, even if you aren’t a master artist, you can pull off an Instagram-ready delight with this recipe.
If you are a master craftsman, you can add arms. However, these treats look adorable with or without limbs.
Anyone can make gingerbread cookies. However, this festive seasonal treat takes on a new life when you use it to top a cupcake.
Here again, you can cheat if you like by using store-bought cookies. Parenting-hack: if your kiddo tells you it’s their turn to bring the class treat just before bedtime, you can assemble these in a snap if you opt for premade cupcakes, too. It takes the fun out of baking but lets you rock it like a boss in a pinch.
Truffles practically scream elegance, but this recipe adds a touch of whimsy. You only need five little ingredients to make this delight.
This treat is another wonder for tiny hands to assemble. Since you don’t need to use the stove other than to melt the chocolate, it’s safe for younger children to tackle.
Ending this list with another fruit dish, these treats don’t need many ingredients to taste delicious. They also make an interesting addition to other delights like cookies.
Don’t stop there with the creativity. Who wants a boring maraschino cherry as a garnish in their mixed drink when you can add a toothpick of these delights, perhaps with some mistletoe leaf “stems?”
If you want to make the holidays merry and bright, you need festive treats. Create a season of delicious joy with these ten fun Christmas food ideas.
