Gather the whole crew and settle around the TV for one of the best parts of the holiday season: the movies. Before you get too comfy on the couch though, make sure you have all your Christmas snacks at the ready. Movie time calls for easy, handheld treats—something you can throw in a bowl and enjoy without prying your eyes away from the screen, preferably by the handful. Movie snacks should also come in bites so you won’t get too many crumbs on the couch. But this is no ordinary screening.
We look forward to watching Christmas movies with loved ones all year long. It’s one of our favorite holiday traditions. That’s why no ordinary snacks will do—definitely not anything that comes from the microwave or straight from the bag. For your Christmas Eve marathon, classic snacks like salty crackers, popcorn, and sweet treats are spruced up for the festive season’s much anticipated films. From classics to family favorites, Hallmark holiday originals, and even Die Hard, these snacks will make for a merry movie night.
Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Alabama Fire Crackers are simple but delicious, starting with a few staple sleeves of saltine crackers. Introducing some new flavors to these classic, salty crackers brings a wow factor worthy of this once-per-year occasion. And when your guests discover how addicting the flavor is, they’ll want to know your secret.
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
This crave-worthy ranch-cheese crackers recipe comes from Today Show food contributor Elizabeth Heiskell’s cookbook What Can I Bring? Southern Food for Any Occasion Life Serves Up. The recipe utilizes store-bought shortcuts like a couple of boxes of Cheese-Itz and a ranch seasoning packet to simplify the process.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Set out a bowl of these crackers and watch the magic happen. Ranch snacks made with oyster crackers will be gone in a flash. These little crackers are notably crisp and just salty and savory enough to be delicious and satisfying without morphing into an over-the-top junk food that stains our fingers and makes us remorseful.
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs
Cereal, bite-size pretzels, candy-coated peanut-butter candies, and mini marshmallows are coated in a buttery mixture to bring this snack together. Whether you’re craving sweet or salty flavors, this treat is the one for you. Serve it in waffle ice cream cones for extra fun and fewer dishes.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Sweet and salty with just the perfect bit of heat, these nuts are an absolute dream for snacking. The warm flavors of bourbon, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract are the perfect complement to toasty roasted nuts. The satisfying candy crunch texture and a pinch of briny flavor from a sprinkle of flaky salt will make your taste buds sing for more.
Alison Miksch
Salty nuts are a hit at any occasion. If you’ve never made boiled peanuts at home, you’ll be shocked by how easy it can be, especially if you use your slow cooker. All it takes is raw peanuts in the shell, salt, water, and lots of time.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Set some cheese straws down in front of a group of Southerners and, no matter the time and place, they’ll be gone in a jiffy. Our recipe for this classic snack is cheesy and rich with just the right touch of peppery kick. This is a snack staple that you can easily put on repeat.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Can’t decide whether you want salty or sweet? Or perhaps you’re intent on having both? This is the Christmas snack for you. Saltine crackers bring a salty crunch while chocolate and nuts balance it all out with decadent, sweet flavor.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
For the special occasion, try this twist (literally) on cheese straws. Spicy Cheese Twists are flaky, cheesy, and deliver an enjoyable kick thanks to cayenne pepper. The cheese forms little crispy bubbles and pockets of deliciousness on the pastry.
Alison Miksch
We take a simple approach to fried pickles because sometimes you just can’t beat the classics. Throw in some of our Roundhouse-Kick Sauce on the side though, and you’ve got a game-changer on your hands. Might we suggest an extra batch?
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman
We love everything about this recipe. We love bacon. We love buttery crackers. We love how easy this snack comes together. Most of all, we love how much everyone else will love them too.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style snack mix is elevated by unbeatable smoky flavors. We especially love the smoky, buttery white cheddar cheese crackers. Their buttery richness makes them the MVP of this hard-to-resist mix.
Southern Living/Molly Bolton
With only three ingredients, this snack couldn’t be easier. When the ingredients are bacon, brown sugar, and breadsticks, Bacon Bites clearly couldn’t get any more delicious, either. One great tip to achieve bacon success is to always line your rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
The soulmate of Christmastime “chestnuts on an open fire,” these roasted nuts will get you in the spirit. Nutty, warm aromas will dance around your home to set the scene for your holiday movie marathon. Ready in just 35 minutes, the hardest part of this quick appetizer recipe may be patiently waiting while the nuts are roasting.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox
These crackers are a reliable treat for any situation. Serve them on their own, with cheese and jam, or send guests home with extras in a cookie tin. Try the Pimiento Cheese, Pecan-and-Thyme, and Bacon, Bourbon, and Benne Seed flavors to experience these crackers’ full holiday potential.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely
It doesn’t get better than bacon and popcorn. Fry up your bacon first, then use the bacon drippings to pop your kernels. Everyone in your movie crew will thank you for it.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
These chorizo sausage appetizers may be small in size, but they will make a big difference on your menu. Extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, a dash of cinnamon, and a few scoops of plum jelly give this chorizo sausage ball recipe multiple layers of savory flavor.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
These cheesy dreams are similar to our other favorite Southern cheese-laden snack: the cheese straw. There are so many variations of that super simple appetizer, and this recipe is a slightly elevated option that follows the same delicious logic and will introduce something new to your family and friends this holiday season.
Southern Living
Explain to us how you could possibly resist offering these treats to your movie-watching crowd. Task the kids to help assemble these prior to your watching party. Festive and sweet, with a beloved theme we cannot deny, these will be gone from your snack selection in no time.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
The air fryer method creates fries that are not as greasy, and not as messy in preparation. When the result is crispy and the flavor shines like you want it to, you will want to share. These fries can be served in paper cones with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Caleb Clarke
This fun snack gets its name because of its similar appearance to dry dog food. But don’t feed it to dogs—or reindeer. This no-bake snack has a Chex cereal base mixed with luscious peanut butter and chocolate. Have some napkins handy.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Set a bowl of this savory snack mix on your holiday charcuterie board, or set a bowl on your coffee table. With gourmet crackers, Parmesan crisps, dried figs, and crisp prosciutto, it has a sweet and savory component adults will love.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Sweeten up movie night with a snack that looks like it came from Santa’s kitchen. Mix cereal with pretzel sticks, chocolate candies, and festive sprinkles, and drizzle with a peanut butter-white chocolate coating.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Round up your favorite cheese crackers. This recipe combines them with a packet of ranch dressing mix and other spices. Keep some bowls handy for those scenes you don’t want to miss.
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley
These sweet and nutty bites don’t require any baking, but they do need a few hours of chill time so make them well ahead of the movie marathon. Serve them in mini cupcake liners for a no-mess treat.
Southern Living
These cheesy handheld snacks are just right for snacking. They take 20 minutes to make so you can get them ready just before showtime.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Grab a handful of these sweetly spiced pecans to enjoy with a festive movie. You’ll need to make these earlier in the day since they take nearly an hour to bake. They’re worth it.
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Versions of this old-fashioned candy recipe has been passed down through generations. Make it a holiday movie-watching tradition, and get the family in on helping you make it.
Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall
Piped cookies add jolly fun to movie night. These lightly spiced butter cookies decorated as wreaths help ramp up the holiday fun.
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Let the kids in on baking these holiday treats filled with, well, everything but the kitchen sink. Add in pretzels, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and marshmallows, and top the batch with a sprinkle of sea salt for a truly salty-sweet snack.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
The sticks make these sweet snacks easy to grab and eat during movie night. Before everyone settles into their favorite spot in front of the TV, let them skewer and top a few marshmallows to enjoy during the show.