Merry Morsels: 7 Easy Christmas Snack Recipes To Have On Rotation

Christmas is traditionally a time of abundance and, famously, the main feast is the most calorie-laden thing you will eat all year. However, whilst we channel all of our energy into creating a repast that is delicious, celebratory, convivial and, yes, highly filling, that doesn’t stop the rumble of tummies in the run-up to the main event. There is a conundrum at play here, namely that, if you are the designated cook, you simply don’t get all that hungry despite the intense industry while everyone else lolls about watching Home Alone (we suspect that mystery might be solved by the frequency of little taste tests along the way). But that doesn’t mean that the lollers won’t get a bit peckish while they wait. Which is why we recommend scattering a few snacks around – the important point here being that someone other than the head cook rustles them up.

These are the Christmas snacks that will keep everyone in good spirits.

Pecan-Stuffed Dates

BBC Good Food


Everyone loves sage and onion stuffing at Christmas. Why, then, limit your consumption of it to the big roast? This excellent recipe combines that festive flavour with the sweetness of medjool dates and the crunch of a pecan. Moreish and dangerously easy to gobble. Find the recipe here.

Pigs In Blankets

Jamie Oliver


Pigs in blankets are an absolute Christmas classic, and no matter how many rounds you put out on a plate, they are guaranteed to be snaffled within minutes. If you want to mix it up this year, why not make like Jamie and try blanketing a variety of different goodies? In addition to the traditional cocktail sausage, he suggests applying the bacon-wrapped treatment to bread, blue cheese, oysters, blank pudding, figs and even stuffing. The beauty is whatever way you spin it, it’s easy, it’s quick and you don’t need Jamie’s culinary prowess to pull it off. Find the recipe here.

Baked Feta Bites

Delish


Puff pastry, sweet fig jam, tangy feta, fresh thyme, and the bite of chilli oil: simply, these little morsels are a taste sensation and all too easy to pop in our mouths as we await the feast. Find the recipe here.

Camembert And Filo Christmas Crackers

Nigella


What could be more festive than pulling (ideally with one’s teeth) a cracker that, rather than containing a groan-inducing joke, was full of camembert cheese? There are also cooked chestnuts, nutmeg, thyme, whole milk and semolina in there too: in other words, all the Christmas favourites. We will caveat this idea by saying that this is probably the most time-consuming of the recipes listed here, but it is so convivial and delicious that it’s impossible to resist. Find the recipe here.

Sweet & Spicy Nuts

Delicious Magazine


As easy as it gets, these addictive nuts are brilliant for keeping the wolf from the door and go brilliantly with a spicy cocktail. Plus, they’re a good way to get in some protein (not that this season is short on protein-rich foods, but still). Make them as spicy as you can handle but do go heavier on the honey if they’re for the little ones too. Find the recipe here.

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Tiffin

Delicious Magazine


Is it even Christmas if you don’t find a Terry’s Chocolate Orange stuffed somewhere at the bottom of your stocking? If you find yourself with a surfeit of the sweet orbs (is such a thing possible?), then why not put them to good use to make this highly decadent tiffin? You’ll also need mini marshmallows, Digestive biscuits, dried berries, milk and dark chocolate and golden syrup – alongside two chocolate oranges. An appositely indulgent treat to eat in front of a cosy Christmas film. Find the recipe here.

Chocolate Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

Jus Roll


This was such a hit when we made it last year that we vowed it would become a Christmas tradition thenceforth. And who better to instruct how to make it than Jus Roll, the ready-made pastry folk? It looks impressive, contains just four ingredients and is great for making with little ones. Find the recipe here.

By Nancy Alsop
December 2023