Santa Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are pretty much essential at any party, no matter the holiday. We wanted to dress them up a bit more for Christmas, though. The result is these adorable Santa deviled eggs. Made using the same technique as classic deviled eggs and a few extra ingredients to create the face, they’re easy and add a little more magic to the day. It’s truly one of the most festive Christmas appetizers you’ll see this season.

Ingredients for Santa Deviled Eggs

• Eggs: Hard-boil the eggs and allow them to cool in an ice bath before handling them. This recipe makes 24 Santa Claus deviled eggs, but since they’re cut in half, you only need 12 eggs. Feel free to adjust the number of eggs as needed, depending on the size of your party.
• Red food coloring: We use a tiny bit of red food coloring to dye the tips of the eggs red for Santa’s hat.
• Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard: This combo adds creaminess, tang and zip to the filling.
• Sweet pickle relish: The relish adds much-needed acidity to balance the richness.
• Paprika: Paprika is a quintessential addition to deviled eggs. It adds vibrant color, spice and a hint of smokiness.
• Capers: Drain 1 tablespoon of capers and pat them dry with a paper towel. These will become Santa’s eyes.
• Ham: Add little pieces of ham for Santa’s nose. You could use bacon instead.
• Sweet red peppers: Finely dice red peppers so they’re small enough to create Santa’s mouth.
• Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese to room temperature so it’s soft enough to pipe.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the eggs

Peel the eggshells and cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to carefully remove the yolks and place them in a small bowl.

Step 2: Dip them in the dyed water

Fill a mug 1/3 full with the hot water, then stir in the red food coloring.

Dip the narrow end of each egg half into the red water and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. Place the dipped eggs on paper towels, cut side up.

Step 3: Make the filling

In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the egg yolks.

Stir in the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pickle relish, paprika and, if desired, horseradish sauce until they’re well combined.

Step 4: Arrange the Santa face

Spoon or pipe the filling into each hollowed-out egg white.

Attach two capers for eyes, a piece of ham for a nose and a pepper piece for a mouth.

Step 5: Finish with the details

Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe storage bag. Insert a #16 star pastry tip.

Fill the bag with the cream cheese. Pipe on eyebrows, a mustache and a beard on the face of each deviled egg. Finally, pipe a pom-pom and the trim on the red hat. Keep the Santa deviled eggs covered and refrigerated until serving.

Editor’s Tip: To make the cream cheese more pipeable, first let it soften to room temperature. Then, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat it in a large bowl until it’s softened and smooth. Add it to the piping bag and decorate the eggs as directed.

Christmas Deviled Eggs Variations

• Mistletoe deviled eggs: Pipe the deviled egg filling into the hollowed-out egg half. Place two pomegranate seeds next to one another on one edge of the deviled egg filling. Stick a sprig of parsley right behind them to create a mistletoe look.
• Christmas tree deviled eggs: Dye the deviled egg filling with green food coloring, then use a star tip to pipe the filling upwards into a tree shape in the hollowed egg half. Finely dice a red bell pepper and stick it into the “tree” as an ornament, and cut stars out of a yellow bell pepper for the top.

How to Store Santa Deviled Eggs

Store any leftover Santa deviled eggs in an airtight container. You could keep them on their tray and wrap the whole thing in storage wrap, but the wrapping might mess up the design. They can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you make Santa deviled eggs ahead of time?

Yes, you can make Santa deviled eggs one day in advance for the best presentation. Once they’re decorated, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge. Before serving them, arrange them nicely on a deviled egg platter.

Santa Deviled Eggs Tips

Can you use any deviled egg filling for these Santa deviled eggs?

Yes, you can use any deviled egg recipe for the filling of these deviled eggs. Simply follow the design directions in this recipe when making the Santa face.

How do you serve Santa deviled eggs?

Serve Santa deviled eggs as a Christmas appetizer. Keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them, and never leave deviled eggs out for more than two hours, or bacteria will grow. Honestly, I think deviled eggs taste best within that first hour of them coming out of the fridge.