Holiday hosting gets a lot easier when the appetizers practically make themselves. Every recipe below uses five ingredients or fewer, most cook in the air fryer in minutes, and all of them come from Fork To Spoon. That keeps your oven free for the ham, the turkey, or the cookies.
I grouped them by type so you can build a balanced spread fast: pick a brie bite, something meaty, something bacon-wrapped, and one sweet option, and you’re done.
Festive Brie Bites
Warm, melty brie is the easiest way to make a platter look fancy. These four take almost no hands-on time.
1. Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Bites
Creamy brie and cranberry sauce tucked into crispy wonton cups. The red and white look made for a Christmas table, and you can freeze them ahead. Ingredients (3): wonton wrappers, brie, cranberry sauce.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Bites
2. Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites
Brie in phyllo shells with a spoonful of red pepper jelly on top. They warm at a low 250°F for 5 to 7 minutes, just until the cheese starts to melt. Ingredients (3): phyllo shells, brie, red pepper jelly.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Pepper Jelly Brie Bites
3. Air Fryer Apricot Brie Bites
Sweet, salty and a little fancy: brie, salami and apricot jam baked into buttery pastry cups. Ingredients (4): pastry dough, brie, salami, apricot jam.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Apricot Brie Bites
4. Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Canapes
A muffin-tin version of the cranberry bites that comes together in about 15 minutes. Ingredients (3): brie, cranberry sauce, wonton wrappers.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Canapes
Meatballs and Sausages
Hearty, saucy and toothpick-friendly. These are the bites that keep hungry guests happy until dinner.
5. Air Fryer Cranberry Meatballs
Air fry frozen meatballs, then toss them in jellied cranberry sauce for a sweet-tangy holiday classic. Keep them warm in a slow cooker all night. Ingredients (2): frozen meatballs, jellied cranberry sauce.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cranberry Meatballs
6. Air Fryer Little Smokies with Grape Jelly Sauce
The sticky, glazed party sausages everyone asks you to bring, crisped in the air fryer in about 20 minutes. Ingredients (3): little smokies, grape jelly, BBQ or chili sauce.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Little Smokies with Grape Jelly Sauce
7. Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket
Mini smoked sausages rolled in crescent dough and air fried until golden. Wrap them ahead so they’re ready to cook when guests walk in. Ingredients (3 or fewer): cocktail franks, crescent dough, optional topping.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket
Bacon-Wrapped Bites
Wrap almost anything in bacon and it disappears first. All four can be assembled the night before and air fried as guests arrive.
8. Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Dates
Sweet Medjool dates, a creamy cheese filling and smoky bacon. It’s the easiest “fancy” appetizer on this list. Ingredients (3): dates, cheese, bacon.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Dates
9. Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Crackers
Crackers dusted with Parmesan, wrapped in bacon and crisped at 400°F for 8 to 12 minutes. Salty, crunchy and addictive. Ingredients (3): Ritz or Club crackers, grated Parmesan, bacon.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Crackers
10. Bacon Wrapped Pickles in the Air Fryer
Dill pickle spears wrapped in bacon and crisped in under 15 minutes. Serve with ranch for dipping. Ingredients (2): pickle spears, bacon.
Get the recipe: Bacon Wrapped Pickles in Air Fryer
11. Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings
Thick onion rings wrapped in bacon and air fried until crispy. Brush with BBQ sauce if you like. Ingredients (2–3): onions, bacon, optional BBQ sauce.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings
Cheesy, Doughy and Sweet
Round out the table with a couple of crowd-pleasing cheesy bites and something sweet.
12. Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Wonton Cups
All the popper flavor baked into crispy wonton cups, ready in 20 minutes with no toothpicks needed. Ingredients (5): wonton wrappers, cream cheese, jalapeños, green onion, shredded Mexican cheese.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Wonton Cups
13. Easy 3 Ingredient Air Fryer Pizza Puffs
Biscuit dough stuffed with mozzarella and pepperoni. A lifesaver when unexpected guests pop by. Ingredients (3): refrigerated biscuit dough, mozzarella, pepperoni.
Get the recipe: Easy 3 Ingredient Air Fryer Pizza Puffs
14. Toffee Apple Dip
It tastes like a caramel apple in a bowl, takes five minutes and needs no baking. It’s even better after a few hours in the fridge. Ingredients (5): cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, Heath toffee bits, apples for dipping.
Get the recipe: Toffee Apple Dip
15. Air Fryer Roasted Figs
Figs roasted with honey and cinnamon until jammy and caramelized, in about 8 minutes. Set them out with a wedge of cheese for an easy sweet-and-savory bite. Ingredients (3): fresh figs, honey, cinnamon.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Roasted Figs
Tips for a Stress-Free Appetizer Spread
- Plan 4 to 6 pieces per guest if dinner follows, or 10 to 12 per guest if appetizers are the whole meal.
- Mix flavors and textures. Pair something cheesy (brie bites), something meaty (meatballs), something salty (bacon-wrapped bites) and something sweet (toffee dip).
- Prep the night before. Wrap the pigs in a blanket, dates and pickles ahead, then refrigerate until it’s time to cook.
- Cook in small batches. Keep a single layer in the air fryer basket so everything crisps, and send out fresh trays through the party.
- Use the slow cooker for saucy bites. Cranberry meatballs and grape jelly smokies stay warm on the low setting all night.
Pick four or five recipes from this list and you’ve got a full holiday party, with your oven still free for the main event. Happy hosting!
