If you need a quick, elegant New Year’s Eve appetizer ready in minutes, try these Tuxedo Cheese Crackers. With just three ingredients—cheese, crackers, and black olives—they make a festive, black-tie-ready bite perfect for champagne toasts, award-show viewing parties, or any fancy gathering.
These little tuxedo-themed snacks are surprisingly simple: no baking required and minimal prep. Each cracker is topped with a wedge of cheese shaped like a tiny tuxedo and decorated with olive bow ties and buttons for a playful, polished look.
Just 3 Ingredients
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Crackers
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Cheese wedges (soft or hard)
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Pitted black olives
Ingredient Notes
Crackers: Any round or square cracker works. Water crackers are ideal if you want a neutral base that fits cheese wedges neatly.
Cheese: Use wedges of brie, a soft spreadable cheese, or small pre-portioned wedges like Laughing Cow. Hard cheeses cut into wedge shapes also work well.
Black olives: Choose large pitted black olives so you can cut bow ties and punch out tiny round buttons. If you dislike olives, you can substitute small dots of whipped cream cheese colored black, piped onto the cheese wedge.
Tools you’ll need
Find the full, printable recipe at the end of the post.
- Sharp knife
- Wooden skewer or toothpick
- Drinking straw or small piping tip
Tips for Making Tuxedo Cheese Crackers
Prep the olive details ahead of time. Cut the olives into quarters and flatten them, then shape the bow ties and punch out small round buttons with a drinking straw or tiny piping tip. Store the olive pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator until assembly.
To make a bow tie, cut two narrow triangles from the flattened olive pieces and press the points together at the top of the wedge. For buttons, punch out three small circles per cheese wedge and use a toothpick or skewer to place them precisely on the cheese.
Easy New Year’s Eve Cheese Appetizer
This appetizer is quick to assemble and makes a festive presentation with very little effort. I like using Laughing Cow wedges or brie cut into small wedges—both are easy to portion and serve.
More Cheese Appetizers
- Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
- The Best Ranch Cheese Ball
- Blueberry Goat Cheese Log
These Tuxedo Cheese Crackers are a fun, elegant choice for New Year’s Eve, Oscars night, or any event where you want a simple yet stylish appetizer. Make them ahead, keep chilled, and serve when guests arrive.
Tuxedo Cheese Crackers
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 black olives (pitted)
Instructions
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Place a wedge of cheese onto each cracker.
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Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut each olive into quarters and press to flatten. Cut two small triangles for each cracker (16 total) and place the points together at the top of the cheese wedge to form a bow tie.
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Using a drinking straw or small piping tip, punch out small rounds from the olive pieces. You’ll need three buttons per cheese wedge (24 total). Use a skewer or toothpick to remove and position the buttons on the cheese.
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Arrange on a serving platter and enjoy.
Carbohydrates: 2g
Protein: 0.5g