These easy appetizers are so cute and pair so beautifully with any holiday party nibbles! They have only 4 ingredients and take less than 20 minutes to make! All you need are 2 little star cookie cutters to create these lovely, festive treats.
I think they’re perfect for Christmas and holiday parties, but they’re also wonderful for the 4th of July! They work wonderfully for just about any starry holiday and come together so fast, you’ll have plenty of time to fluff the pillows, hang the mistletoe and mix the cocktails.
I used just green and red bell peppers, but feel free to include yellow, or even use radishes to add a little white on top!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
They’re so easy to make – Just slice a few peppers, cut them with cookie cutters, pipe a little cheese, stack the stars and serve. Easy-peasy.
They’re such cute (not corny) holiday appetizers – Sometimes, “cute” holiday appetizers go a bit overboard. Santa heads, snowmen made out of 3 large balls of cheese, strange combinations of ingredients like strawberries and mozzarella for red and white hat designs… these are just cute, simple and classy. When it comes to “cute,” for me, less is more.
They pair so nicely with other holiday appetizers – I made these for a whole assortment of holiday appetizers and they matched everything perfectly. The simple, colorful design makes them both stand out and visually pair well with others.
Ingredient Notes
Whipped Cream Cheese – Make sure your cream cheese is whipped, otherwise it won’t pipe as pretty and easily. If you can’t find whipped cheese, you can use just about any kind of creamy cheese! Rindless brie, Boursin, ricotta, Florette and triple cream cheeses are great substitutes.
Rice Crackers – You can use any cracker you choose. I just like rice crackers because they’re small and white like the cream cheese.
How to Make These Holiday Appetizers – Step by Step
1. Slice a side off of a red bell pepper.
2. Trim the inside so that it’s a little more flat and even.
3. Turn it over, and use a 1 inch and 1½ inch star cookie cutter to cut 6 stars out of it. Do the same with another side until you have 6 larger ones and 6 smaller ones.
4. Do the same with the green bell pepper, and cut 6 larger stars and 6 smaller stars out of it.
5. Carefully slice each star in half so it’s not so thick.
6. Pipe whipped cream cheese onto a rice cracker in a thin, pretty layer.
7. Press a larger red star onto the cracker.
8. Add a small amount of cream cheese to the center of the red star, and add a smaller green star on top. Repeat with others and serve.
Common Questions
These were actually a part of a delightful appetizer assortment I made. They pair beautifully with the 4 other holiday-inspired appetizers I created: Christmas prosciutto roses, goat cheese presents, cherry tomato ornaments and jalapeño wreaths!
They can be made up to an hour before serving before the crackers start to get a little stale. But if you substitute the cracker for cucumber, squash, or even a cracker that’s more buttery like Ritz, they should last even longer.
The smaller star is 1 inch wide and the larger one is 1½ inches wide.
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A Little More Holiday Appetizer Inspiration
Easy Bell Pepper Star Appetizers
Equipment
- 1 inch star cookie cutter
- 1½-inch star cookie cutter
- cutting board & sharp knife
- pastry piping bag
Ingredients
- 12 rice crackers
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 4 oz. whipped cream cheese
Instructions
- Slice a side off of a red bell pepper. Trim the inside so that it’s a little more flat and even. Turn it over, and use a 1 inch and 1½ inch star cookie cutter to cut 6 stars out of it. Do the same with another side until you have 6 larger one and 6 smaller ones.
- Do the same with the green pepper, and cut 6 larger stars and 6 smaller stars out of it.
- Carefully slice each star in half so it’s not so thick.
- Pipe whipped cream cheese onto a rice cracker in a thin, pretty layer.
- Press a larger red star onto the cracker. Add a small amount of cream cheese to the center of the red star, and add a smaller green star on top. Repeat with others and serve.
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