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These charming Christmas Party Appetizers are a festive, fun twist on the classic caprese and the ultimate holiday recipe to feed a crowd.

Six slices of bread topped with cream cheese and mozzarella balls shaped like snowmen using cherry tomatoes for hats and veggies for details are beautifully arranged on a wooden board.

To make them, top baguette slices with cream cheese and mini mozzarella ball and cherry tomato snowmen. Your friends and family will love them and they couldn’t be easier!

Five slices of bread arranged on a marble plate, topped with cream cheese and mozzarella ball snowmen with cherry tomato hats, carrot noses, and chia seeds eyes, buttons, and mouth.

Serve them at your next Christmas party, or as part of a snack board with other tasty holiday appetizers, such as my pigs in a blanket, cheese, olives, and crackers.

Recipe Tip

Arrange the appetizers on a large platter, or turn them into a delightful snowman salad.

Key Ingredients

Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!

Cherry tomatoes, chia seeds, baguette slices, bocconcini, cream cheese, a carrot, pepper, sea salt, and fresh basil.
  • Baguette:  Choose your favorite ciabatta, baguette, or similar bread that slices well. 
  • Cream cheese: Plain cream cheese. I like full-fat, but choose any you prefer.
  • Mini mozzarella balls: They are the perfect size for shaping the mini snowmen as well as the base of the hat. Save any leftovers to your next salad.
  • Cherry tomatoes: For the hats. Choose firm, unbruised tomatoes.

Canapé sticks

You’ll need sticks with a star or round top to act as the pom-pom on the snowman’s hat. 

Possible Variations

  • Baguette: Serve fresh or fry the slices in a large pan on medium heat with a few tablespoons of butter and a clove of mashed garlic until crispy on both sides. Allow to cool.
  • Cherry tomatoes: Try halved grape tomatoes. 
  • Cream cheese: Use a flavored cream cheese or pesto.
  • Mini mozzarella balls: Shape herby cream cheese into balls and top with Parmesan.
  • Chia seeds: Sesame seeds or nigella seeds.
  • Carrot: Swap for orange pepper.
  • Fresh basil: Try fresh dill or parsley.
  • Presentation: Omit the bread, and serve the snowmen on their own.

How to Make Christmas Party Appetizers

A hand spreads cream cheese on a slice of bread using a butter knife.
  1. Slice the baguette and top with cream cheese.
Hands assembling a skewer with a cherry tomato, mozzarella balls, a basil leaf, and a slice of mozzarella cheese on a wooden cutting board.
  1. Assemble the snowmen: Slide a cherry tomato with the bottom cut off and a bocconcini slice onto a canapé stick. Then add two mini mozzarella balls and fresh basil.
Two hands assemble a snowman-shaped snack on a wooden board using a skewer with tomato, mozzarella, and basil.
  1. Add the snowman details: Top with chia seeds for the eyes and mouth, and a triangular carrot nose.
A hand holds a skewer with a snowman made of mozzarella, tomato, and basil on cream cheese–spread bread.
  1. Final assembly: Place the snowman skewers on top of the baguette slices.

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer the appetizers to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. They are best to enjoy on the same day.

Christmas Party Appetizers FAQs

I don’t have canapé sticks. Can I still make the Christmas party appetizers?

The sticks hold the snowmen together, but you can omit this step and place the snowmen directly onto the bread and cream cheese. They will stick to the creamy topping.

Can I make these Christmas Party Appetizers ahead of time?

You can prepare the snowmen and store them in the fridge. Shortly before your guests arrive, slice the baguette, top it with cream cheese and the snowmen.

More Christmas Party Food

If you make this recipe or any other recipe on Foodbites, then I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave a comment and rating below.

Six slices of bread topped with cream cheese, shaped like snowmen using cherry tomatoes for hats and veggies for details—these festive bites make delightful Christmas Party Appetizers, beautifully arranged on a wooden board.
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Servings: 10 bites

Christmas Party Appetizers

By Sine Siemkowicz
Baguette and cream cheese bites topped with jolly mozzarella and tomato snowman skewers.
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 25 bocconcini, (mozzarella balls)
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 20 small basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1 small carrot
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese
  • 10 slices baguette
  • flaky sea salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Slice the baguette and top with cream cheese.
  • Cut the bottom off the cherry tomatoes.
  • Trim 5 bocconcini at their widest into 10 slices for the bottom of the hat.
  • Assemble the snowmen onto the canape sticks, with the star as the top of the hat. Add a tomato and a bocconcini slice, then the two bocconcini.
  • Insert two basil leaves between the mozzarella balls (to make the scarf).
  • Top with chia seeds for eyes and buttons. Use a toothpick to push them into place.
  • Trim a small piece of carrot into a triangular nose.
  • Arrange the carrot nose onto the snowman's face.
  • Place the snowman skewers on top of the cream cheese slices.
  • Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
  • Serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 267mg, Potassium: 102mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1019IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 295mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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2 Comments

  1. Katrin says:

    Hi,
    thank you so much for those cute snowmen.
    How do you attach the carrots?

    Take cate
    Katrin

    Reply
    1. Sine says:

      Hi Katrin,
      Thank you so much for your kind words. I just place the carrot nose on. The mozzarella is a bit wet, so it tends to stay put.
      Enjoy and happy December!
      Take care, Sine

      Reply