If you’re looking for a fast, elegant New Year’s Eve appetizer that comes together in minutes, these Tuxedo Cheese Crackers are perfect. Made with just three ingredients—cheese, crackers, and black olives—they’re a charming and effortless option for black-tie events, movie nights, or award-show viewing parties. No baking required; they assemble quickly and look delightfully festive on a platter.
Elegant appetizers don’t have to be complicated. These bite-sized treats resemble tiny tuxedos, making them ideal for New Year’s Eve, Oscars parties, or any celebration that calls for a touch of formality. They’re an easy, crowd-pleasing choice that’s fast to prepare and attractive to serve.
Just 3 Ingredients
- Crackers
- Cheese wedges (soft or firm—brie, Laughing Cow, etc.)
- Pitted black olives
Ingredient Notes
Crackers: Any round or small cracker will work. Water crackers are a great choice because their size pairs nicely with single-serve cheese wedges, but plain or lightly salted crackers are also fine.
Cheese: Use soft or firm cheeses cut into wedges. Brie, camembert-style wedges, or pre-portioned spreads such as Laughing Cow work perfectly. Choose a mild-flavored cheese so the olive decorations remain the focal point.
Black olives: Large, pitted black olives make it easy to cut bow ties and tiny buttons. If you prefer not to use olives, you can pipe small dots of colored cream cheese or use another dark garnish to mimic the tuxedo details.
Tools you’ll need
Find the full, printable recipe at the end of the post.
- Sharp knife (or kitchen shears)
- Wooden skewer or toothpick
- Drinking straw or small piping tip to punch out olive buttons
Tips for Making Tuxedo Cheese Crackers
To save time, prepare all the olive bow ties and buttons ahead of assembly and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. That way you can assemble quickly just before serving.
Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to slice each olive into quarters, then press each piece flat. Cut two small triangles for each cracker and arrange them point-to-point to form a bow tie.
To make tiny buttons, press a drinking straw or a small piping tip into flattened olive pieces to punch out rounds. You’ll need three small buttons per cheese wedge. A wooden skewer or toothpick works well to pop the olive rounds out of the straw and to position them on the cheese.
Easy New Year’s Eve Cheese Appetizer
This appetizer is very straightforward to assemble. The most time-consuming part is cutting the olive decorations, but if you make them in batches while listening to music or catching up with friends, assembly will be fast and fun. Serve on a large platter for a dramatic presentation.
I particularly like using Laughing Cow wedges or a brie wheel cut into wedges because they are ready to serve and pair nicely with many cracker types.
More Cheese Appetizers
- Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
- The Best Ranch Cheese Ball
- Blueberry Goat Cheese Log
These Tuxedo Cheese Crackers are a quick, attractive option when you want a polished appetizer with minimal effort. They’re a great fit for New Year’s Eve gatherings, awards parties, or any celebration where you want small bites that look refined.
Tuxedo Cheese Crackers
Easy and elegant black-tie cheese crackers made with just three ingredients. Ready in about 15 minutes.
Equipment
- 1 drinking straw
- 1 sharp knife or kitchen shears
- 1 wooden skewer or toothpick
Ingredients
- 8 wedges cheese (brie, Laughing Cow, or similar)
- 8 crackers
- 1/4 cup pitted black olives
Instructions
- Place a cheese wedge on each cracker.
- Cut each pitted olive into quarters and press to flatten. From the flattened pieces, cut two small triangles for each cracker (16 triangles total). Arrange the two triangles with pointy ends together near the top of the cheese wedge to form a bow tie.
- Use a drinking straw or a very small piping tip to punch out small round buttons from the flattened olive pieces. You’ll need three buttons per cheese wedge (24 total). Use a skewer or toothpick to pop the buttons out of the straw and help position them on the cheese to form the tuxedo buttons.
- Arrange the finished crackers on a platter and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per cheese cracker, approximate)
Calories: 25 kcal • Carbohydrates: 2 g • Protein: 0.5 g • Fat: 2 g • Sodium: 99 mg