Easy Christmas canapé recipes (2024)

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (1)

Starting to plan your own Christmas party celebrations? Top of the list should be some delicious Christmas canapés to keep hunger at bay.

For Christmas is a time to spend with loved ones, to exchange gifts, get in the merry spirit and most of all, to put on a delicious festive spread, have a drinks party and embrace ingredients that make this time of year so darn great. Cheeses, spices, meats, need we say more?

And when it comes to catering for Christmas parties, we've long been fans of mini food: toad in the holes, Yorkshire puddings, fish and chips.

But the one problem with the Christmas party season (other than our diamond shoes perhaps being half a size too tight) is that it can be difficult to get a proper meal. That by the time you've hovered by the kitchen, hoping to be first at the canapé tray, but then realised that it's only fair to give other guests a chance, you can often leave with a pang of hunger, the thought of a bowl of cereal on the sofa when you get home.

So when you're hosting a party, have a think about what it is you'd like to eat. The sort of Christmas canapés that are filling and satisfying, but also easy for you to make. Simple party recipes that won't keep you in the kitchen for hours.

Whether for dinner parties or as a pre-meal taster, these canapés recipes range from the traditional and warming to vegetarian and worldly. We've also included some winners from the titans of Christmas cooking Mary Berry and Gordon Ramsey, and a couple of other familiar names in there as well.

There's something to satisfy every taste and every time frame so, tuck in.

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1

Cranberry Christmas Crackers

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (3)

A whimsical and sweet Christmas canape, filo pastry encasing cranberries and goat's cheese. Simple to make, and so fun to look at.

Trt this Cranberry Christmas Crackers recipe here

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2

Moroccan Chicken Puffs

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (5)

Inject some north African flavour into your Christmas day feasting, with these delectable little pastry bites. The mixture of chicken, preserved lemon with soothing spices like cinnamon, ginger and coriander - is to die for.

Try this Morrocan chicken puffs recipe

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3

Parmigiano Reggiano And Rosemary Shortbread

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (7)

A savoury twist on the classic sweet shortbread, these parmesan and salt-sprinkled biscuits are the perfect Christmas party food. They look beautiful on a wooden serving board, especially washed down with some mulled wine.

Try this rosemary shortbread recipe

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4

Goat's Cheese, Beetroot And Papaya Chutney Tartlets

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (9)

Vegetarians will love this canape. Salty goat's cheese marries perfectly with sweet beetroot and papaya chutney. For even more of a festive flavour, replace goat's cheese with creamy brie and sprinkle with walnuts.

Try this goat's cheese tartlets recipe

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5

Artichoke Tartlets

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (11)

Earthy, salty and bursting with flavour, artichokes seem to be the perfect accompanyment to soft and buttery pastry. Just bigger then bite-size, guests will love these and being very quick to make? You will too.

Try the recipe

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6

Mediterranean Vegetable Crostini

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (13)

A flavour-packed Mediterranean take on the crostini, we love this idea as a pre-meal nibble.

Try this Mediterranean vegetable crostini recipe

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7

Pip McCormac's Sausage Pinwheels

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (15)

These are a very modern version of that old party food classic, the sausage roll. They look a lot prettier, and the apple and chutney make them taste a lot fruitier, but there is a certain comfort in their warmth and buttery meatiness, and in the familiarity of this Christmas recipe. Serve them warm and they’ll be gone in seconds.

Try Pip McCormac's sausage pinwheels recipe

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8

Mini banana cream pancakes

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (17)

Pudding canapés are the best canapés. Try this little cream and caramalised banana-stuffed pancakes.

Try this mini banana cream pancakes recipe

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9

Parma Ham and Parmesan Palmiersom

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (19)

These tasty crisp little puff pastry canapés are a savoury version of the French sweet pastries of the same name. They are also good as an accompaniment to vegetable soups.

Try these parma ham and Parmesan palmiers

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10

Lisa Faulkner's Smoked Salmon Pate

This super quick and easy salmon paté makes a great canapé for a drinks party. Serve up with melba toasts for a charming retro feel.

Try Lisa Faulkner’s smoked salmon pate recipe

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11

Soft Boiled Quails Eggs with a Smoked Dipper

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (23)

These quails eggs will be sure to delight your guests, especially with an added drizzle of rich truffle oil. The dipper is just a delicious salty mix in which to roll the eggs – a simple yet very satisfying canapé.

Try the soft boiled quails eggs recipe

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12

Pigs in Blankets with Sage

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (25)

Christmas isn’t complete without some classic pigs in blankets. These juicy, bite-size sausages wrapped in bacon will get the party going.

Try this pigs in blankets with sage recipe

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13

Toasted Herby Nuts

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (27)

A great way to get through any lingering Christmas nuts, this simple recipe transforms them into a real treat.

Try this toasted herby nuts recipe

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14

Blueberry and Stilton Blinis

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (29)

Put your Christmas cheese platter classics to good use with this light starter. The salsa that tops these blinis not only tastes good with Stilton but with cheeses including Brie, Camembert and Leicester.

Try this blueberry and stilton blinis recipe

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15

Beef, red onion and horseradish crème fraîche crostini

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (31)

Serve this crostini hot or cold, although the beef needs to be slightly rare to truly enjoy it at its tender, succulent best.

Try this beef, red onion and horseradish crème fraîche crostini recipe

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16

Mark Hix's Vegetable Crisps

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (33)

Even crisps can be festive and a little bit special. These homemade parsnip, celery and beetroot crisps have an amazing flavour that beats any you can buy from the shops.

Try Mark Hix’s vegetable crisps recipe

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17

Mary Berry's Asparagus Goat's Cheese and Parma Ham Filo Rolls

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (35)

Impress your Christmas party guests with these quick and easy canapes from Mary Berry. Our top tips are to buy the goat’s cheese in a tub (not a roll) and use vacuum-packed Parma ham, as you need evenly cut slices.

Try Mary Berry’s asparagus goat’s cheese and parma ham filo rolls recipe

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18

Emmental Goujeres

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (37)

Light and cheesy, these tasty French goujeres make a perfect pre-dinner snack or will fill a party platter for the Christmas work do.

Try this emmental goujeres recipe

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19

Gordon Ramsay's Chilli Beef Lettuce Wraps

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (39)

Swapping a tortilla wrap for a large lettuce leaf transforms this spicy beef wrap from Gordon Ramsay into a light snack or Christmas party appetiser.

Try Gordon Ramsay's chilli beef lettuce wraps recipe

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20

Pork scratchings

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (41)

Pork scratchings are a British staple and this simple recipe will keep you crunching throughout the festive season.

Try this pork scratching recipe

Easy Christmas canapé recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the tip to making the best canapés? ›

Size: Make sure your canapés are easy for your guests to eat by serving in mouth-sized portions. Taste: Since it's only a mouthful, it needs to be full of flavour and well-seasoned. Many of our recipes are served with an accompanying dipping sauce for extra hosting points.

When should canapés be prepared? ›

While the preparation of the bread, cheese used, and toppings will all factor into the amount of time a canapé can be left sitting around I would make these no more than 90 minutes in advance to ensure ultimate freshness.

How many canapés per person for a drinks party? ›

We would normally recommend around 4-5 canapés per person for the first hour followed by 2-3 canapés per person for each subsequent hour. Therefore a private party at home where no other food is being served we would suggest a minimum 10 canapés per person for a standard 4 hour party.

What makes a great canapé? ›

9 TIPS FOR CREATING THE PERFECT CANAPÉ
  1. Think of a theme to create your canapé menu, occasions such as Christmas or regional flavours such as Japanese.
  2. Size as mouthful morsels.
  3. Although bites are small, pack it with flavour! ...
  4. Combine flavours, sweet, salty, bitter, mellow and salty for a taste sensation.

How to stop canapés from going soggy? ›

How to stop canapés going soggy. Organisation is key. Often canapés need building last minute – something like a croute or a seaweed cracker will go soggy otherwise. So have all the canapé components lined up in the kitchen, to make all last-minute assembly is as quick and easy as possible.

What are the 7 guidelines for assembling canapés? ›

Guidelines for Assembling Canapés
  • Good mise en place is essential. ...
  • Assemble as close as possible to serving time. ...
  • Select harmonious flavor combinations in spreads and garnish. ...
  • Be sure that at least one of the ingredients is spicy or pronounced in flavor. ...
  • Use high-quality ingredients. ...
  • Keep it simple.

What's the difference between canapés and hors d'oeuvres? ›

Canapés are typically made with an edible base – crackers, blinis, bread or pastry, and served cold. Hors d'oeuvres are small bites of something tasty and can be both savoury or sweet, and served hot or cold.

What makes a successful canapé? ›

Balancing colour, flavour, and texture

These three elements are paramount to creating canapés that are memorable and look inviting. Texture is an important one to think about – a successful canapé is one that contrasts several different textures to create an enjoyable eating experience.

When arranging canapés, what is the most important thing to remember? ›

If you're creating your own canapés, then the most important things to remember are taste, colour and texture. Obviously they have to taste good, but don't forget that each one has to look inviting as well.

How much finger food for 25 guests? ›

How many bites per person? If you're hosing 25 -35 guests, plan 3-4 bites per person if a full dinner is to be served afterwards, or 5-7 bites per person if a lighter meal will be served. If you're hosting a party of 50, then you can offer 6 to 9 different items.

How many canapés instead of starter? ›

If you love canapes and would prefer to swap out the starter then 8-10 canapes per person is usually recommended, sometimes this can be less, but it all depends on your ceremony timing and whether or not guests have had a chance to eat lunch or not.

How many trays of food do I need for 20 guests? ›

Generally, a catering tray can feed 15-20 people. For example, a full tray of chicken breasts should have enough protein for 15-20 people. However, remember that people may choose sides like salads and desserts, which may not factor into this.

What should a canapé always have? ›

There are 4 distinctive elements of a canapé – the base, spread, a topping & a garnish. Canape base ingredients are usually bread, puff pastry or crackers, allowing a solid foundation for the rest of the canapé. Then there is spread followed by the topping.

What are all the essential skills for making canapés? ›

If you're creating your own canapés, then the most important things to remember are taste, colour and texture. Obviously they have to taste good, but don't forget that each one has to look inviting as well.

What are final tips for choosing and presenting appetizers 5? ›

Some final tips for choosing and presenting appetizers

Choose apps that give a big flavour in one bite, and your guest will come back for more. Choose apps that are easy to eat. Skewered items are great, as are any items that don't require cutlery.

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