14 Winter Appetizers That Are Reason Enough to Have a Party (2024)

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

Get the party popping—these winter appetizers are inspired by one of the most popular restaurant starters. We lightened them up for post-holiday healthy eating season by removing the breading and frying steps, but kept all the flavor with two types of cheese, garlic, ground chile pepper, and toasted nuts.

Test Kitchen Tip: If you like things sweet and spicy, drizzle the platter of poppers with honey just prior to serving.

Cheesy Skillet Artichoke Dip

Your grandmother's classic cast-iron skillet is back in style. It's still stellar at searing and baking, but we're now fond of filling it with warm appetizers for winter as well. Crown a creamy spinach-artichoke dip with a layer of frozen dinner rolls and bake it into a cheesy appetizer.

Stuffed Baked Mushrooms

No matter the time of year, there's a mushroom in season. Come winter, keep an eye out for oyster and portobellos. (The latter variety works beautifully here for a supersize version of the winter appetizer finger foods.) Baked and stuffed with a variety of crowd-pleasing fillings, like roast beef with blue cheese or hummus with olives, these caps are ready to party.

Swedish Meatballs

No need for a trip to IKEA to savor these Swedish snacks. It's surprisingly simple to make these decadent winter appetizers. Breadcrumbs soaked in half-and-half ensure juicy meatballs. After baking, all that's left to do is toss the meatballs in a skillet to coat them in cream sauce.

Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

What's better than mini party sausages? Mini party sausages with bacon. These irresistible and easy appetizers are dressed up for the chilly season in a little jacket of bacon and a coating of brown sugar.

Zesty Popcorn Mix

A little salt and spice is what we're craving when snow is flying (yet again) outside. You too? Make a savory snack mix that rivals its store-bought versions with a simple blend of chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. The spicy seasoning joins Worcestershire sauce to coat a variety of chips, pretzels, nuts, and sweet dried apricots in the easy recipe.

Classic Soft Pretzels

Warm, soft, salty—classic soft pretzels are hard to pass up, especially during sports-viewing season. And they're even more difficult to resist when you can dunk them in grainy mustard or melty cheese sauce. A quick dip in a baking soda solution helps provide the signature dark brown exterior.

Reuben Spread

Get all the goodness of this deli favorite in a cheesy spread. Combine corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and two types of cheese in your slow cooker; simmer until your guests arrive, then let them slather the spread onto rye bread or crackers for a hearty winter appetizer.

Apple Pizza with Bacon

Yes, pizza typically qualifies as dinner. We love sharing slices around the supper table, but we're also fond of serving this gourmet pie as a crowd-pleasing winter appetizer! Apples, bacon, blue cheese, and walnuts give it decidedly cold-weather flavor and honey sweetens the deal.

Paleo Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Please guests who've made New Year's resolutions with this paleo diet-friendly easy winter appetizer. The protein-packed snack will satisfy crunchy cravings with sweet-and-salty roasted nuts. After baking, toss the blend of almonds, walnuts, and pepitas with a buttery coating of brown sugar, rosemary, and cayenne pepper.

Cajun Turkey Sliders with Spicy Remoulade

In honor of Mardi Gras season, enjoy a taste of New Orleans. Before pan-searing, shape these turkey patties to fit mini burger buns. They'll be manageable to hold, and each bite has the taste of the sweet pepper topping that nicely complements the spicy Cajun seasoning and hot pepper sauce.

Roasted Dates with Bacon

When few fresh fruits are in season, try dried. This easy winter appetizer features sweet dates in a salty pork-based blanket. It's as easy as this: Stuff dates with a whole almond, wrap them in apple-smoked bacon, bake 15 minutes, then wait for the enthusiastic thanks.

Caramel Popcorn

Skip the premade bags of corn. Instead, get your awards-show-viewing party popping with this fun winter appetizer that one BH&G fan exclaims, "reminds me of childhood!" With almonds and cashews invited to the party, this snack is like a mash-up recipe of caramel corn and trail mix.

Roasted Pumpkin Guacamole

Transform the summer party staple into a winter vegetable appetizer by folding roasted winter squash into your guacamole. (Pumpkin or butternut squash also taste great.) Lime, cilantro, chiles and avocados help this taste like the Mexican party appetizer you know and love, with an extra seasonal, slightly sweet twist from squash.