Last Updated December 1st, 2023 at 01:14 pm by Lisa
These are the best Thanksgiving Day appetizers for savory snacks, easy appetizers, and a bounty of party ideas for your celebration. Whether you bake up some warm canapes, make easy no cook appetizers like a dip, or create a beautiful holiday charcuterie board, there are dozens of delicious recipes here to put out before your Thanksgiving feast...
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Easy No Cook Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes
When oven space is at a premium, make your favorite Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes that won't need any cooking on the day of your gathering and can be made ahead! Try easy flavorful dips and no bake elegant appetizers to dish up for the Thanksgiving holidays. These easy recipes include deviled eggs, dips, a cheese ball, or a creative Fall Crostini bar...
Fall Crostini Bar
One way I love to entertain is a Crostini Bar, arrange a festive table with fall touches 🍂 , and have the guests help themselves. It is the easiest Thanksgiving appetizer, and the best part is the setup and assembly that is so easy. There are recipes for a whipped goat cheese crostini topping and tons of ideas for things to put on top for your party! 🥖🍷🧀
All these fall flavors and toppings for crostini can be made ahead of time, mixed, and matched for yummy bites while people sip on beverages...
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board
Create a stunning Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board filled with your favorite sliced meats, different types of cheeses, crackers, fruit, nuts, and a few festive and sugary holiday treats for hungry guests on turkey day or anytime during the holiday season! 🥖🍂🍇🧀
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Easy Everything Bagel Cheeseball
Make a “pumpkin-shaped” 🎃 Everything Bagel Cheeseball for your gathering, it’s the perfect appetizer to make ahead and is always a hit! An easy 15 minute recipe to take to a Fall gatherings. Arrange on a plate with crackers, bagel chips, or pita chips.
Every time I make this easy cream cheese dip, people just go crazy and want the recipe. Oh, and this recipe shows you an easy way to get a real pumpkin stem and how to create that cute pumpkin shape…
Cheese Appetizer
Try this gorgeous finger food Cheese Appetizer 🧀 with layers of deli-style sliced cheddar cheese, a cream filling loaded with chopped nuts, and dried fruit like dried cherries or tart cranberries.
Grab a few ingredients, and make this recipe the night before your party. You can even use nuts or dried fruit you have on hand. It's a fun party food idea for cheese boards or charcuterie boards too...
Salted Caramel Apple Dip
Easy to make, this Salted Caramel Apple Dip 🍏 has green crisp apples, salted caramel sauce, and crushed Health bars. Prep this ahead and keep the apples bright and fresh with a little lemon juice. Always a crowd pleaser and party hit with just a few ingredients.
People will ask you for this recipe…I promise.
Caramel Apple Brie Skewers
Need a fast easy appetizer for Halloween or Thanksgiving? Caramel Apple Brie Appetizers come together in minutes, and they are always wildly popular at Fall parties!
If you like caramel apples, then you will love this scrumptious combination with creamy brie, the crunch of macadamia nuts, and tart-sweet dried cranberries. It is addictive...
Holiday Cheeseballs (4 Flavors)
These four Festive🎄🎅🏻 Holiday Cheeseballs are the best appetizers to serve all season long and are shaped like ornaments...
- White Cheddar Rosemary Pomegranate
- Cheddar Pimiento
- Garlic Chive Goat Cheese
- Blue Cheese Cranberry Pecan
The holiday season is upon us, and I am here to make it a little bit easier for you with some perfect holiday appetizers. You just can’t go wrong with cheese balls, so which one will you make?
Meyer Lemon Tapenade
Delightfully fresh Meyer Lemon Tapenade🍋🍃🫒 is one of the fastest appetizer recipes, and has many other uses in your cooking! Scoop this healthy appetizer up with mini yellow, orange, and red peppers cut in half for "chips" for a clean low carb option. Or serve with good crackers or toasted baguette slices. It is loaded with good olive oil, Meyer lemon, green and kalamata olives.
Marinated Mozzarella Balls
Everyone loves cheese appetizers, and there is nothing easier than Marinated Mozzarella Balls 🌿🧀on a gorgeous Charcuterie Board with some crackers, crusty bread, and drinks to get the party going...
Fall Snack Mix
Addictively sweet and salty Fall Snack Mix 🦃🧡 will disappear at your Thanksgiving feast! The salty nutty flavor is so good with the sweet M&Ms and candy corn. Great for movie nights or to give as a gift.
Ya only need 4 ingredients. So good to put out for a happy hour. Nothing could be simpler, try not eating it all…
Easy Onion Dip
Sour Cream Onion Dip 🥣🧅 (aka California Dip or Sour Cream Dip) one of my go to easy dips! It has just 2 ingredients. Made in minutes, serve with potato chips and assorted cut veggies.
Crudites With Dip
Crudités with Green Goddess Dip 🥒🥕🥦 is a fun way to serve a fancier "veggie tray" with your dip in cups, and a purple cabbage "bowl" for a unique relish tray at your party.
Autumn Deviled Eggs
Who doesn't love deviled eggs? A famous holiday and party appetizer, these Autumn Deviled Eggs 🦃🍁 simply take a classic deviled egg recipe and add a couple of Fall twists...
The full recipe card is below with lots of deviled egg tips for your party.
Holiday Deviled Eggs
This EASY Holiday Deviled Eggs 🎅🏻🎄🥚 recipe is festive and MAKE-AHEAD Oh Yesssssss!!! Just a few simple ingredients, sip with bubbly or drinks at your holiday party.
Festive Holiday Deviled Eggs on a white platter garnished with fresh herbs like rosemary and pomegranate seeds look so pretty, and they are tasty. Learn the Easiest Way To Seed A Pomegranate plus my tips to open pomegranates. ❤️💎
Hot Appetizers, Dips, & Soups
Be sure to have some hot delicious food before the main event. Put out a pot of hot soup served in mugs, to warm people up and hold them over till dinner is on. Or bake up a melty hot dip and serve with chips or bake a tray of savory palmiers.
Jalapeno Popper Soup
Creamy Jalapeño Popper Soup 🌶🍲tastes just like the cheesy jalapeño poppers we love. The spicy heat of the peppers is mild as this original recipe uses canned jalapenos and green chiles and melty cheeses for just the right kick and level of heat.
Spicy Candied Pecans
Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans 🍂🌰 flavored with pumpkin pie spice are crunchy sweet with a kick of heat! They make a wonderful holiday homemade food gift, wrap in mason jars with cute gift tags, and a bow…
Jalapeno Popper Dip
Habit-forming oven-baked Jalapeno Popper Dip 🌶 is a 7 ingredient hot appetizer that is always a party hit! A melty hot dip that is scrumptious dipped with corn chips, tortilla chips, or crackers.
For more than 12 people, I would double this recipe and grab a couple of bags of corn or tortilla chips. Have fun serving this at your next party or gathering and watch it disappear right before your eyes.
Parmesan Cheese Croutons
Serve buttery Parmesan Croutons 🥖🧀 with hot soup, chilled salad, as a snack, or on a cheeseboard, these croutons are made in minutes with baguette, melted butter, spices, and parmesan cheese.
Warning, these are addictive...
Firecracker Shrimp
Firecracker Shrimp 🔥🍤 is a popular appetizer recipe you can oven bake or deep fry, then dip into a creamy spicy sriracha dipping sauce.
Brie and Bacon Palmiers
Brie and Bacon Palmiers 🥓🥟 baked in 15 minutes with 3 ingredients. You will need store-bought puff pastry, crisp crumbled bacon, and some brie. An easy last-minute appetizer packed with bacony goodness and that classic brie taste…
Filet Mignon Steak Appetizers
Bacon-wrapped Filet Mignon Steak Appetizers 🥩🥓 are an elegant special appetizer for parties or special occasions. Pair these tasty bites with a cool creamy balsamic horseradish sauce for dipping. It has a touch of spicy horseradish and a savory depth of flavor from the balsamic.
Beef Wellington Puff Pastry Appetizers
These Beef Wellington Appetizers 🥩🧀🥟 are a modern take on the classic English dish made easy with golden brown edges of flaky puff pastry, juicy filet mignon, and a creamy mushroom filling.
Fried Green Tomatoes
These are the best Fried Green Tomatoes 💚🍅 and one of the most famous Southern recipes of all time. Each slice has a crunchy crust to dip into a creamy remoulade, buttermilk ranch dressing, or comeback sauce.
Tomato Basil Soup
Tomato Soup with Basil Dumplings 🍅🪴🍲 can be rich and chunky or creamy smooth and is loaded with a veggie rainbow. Serve in mugs at your party with crouton shards.
Cheese Soup
A classic famous Cheese Soup 🧀🍲 with simple ingredients and extraordinary deep rich flavors. You can also have small hot mugs of soup before the main course of your Thanksgiving meal.
Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings"
Buffalo Cauliflower 🧡🌿 is a healthy appetizer that tastes like "Buffalo Chicken Wings" these are baked, full of flavor, and have absolutely NO guilt. Dip these Cauliflower Wings in blue cheese or ranch dressing...
Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Crunchy Pumpkin Seeds 🎃 are a perfect snack and add just the right crunch to a Thanksgiving salad.
Roasting pumpkin seeds is a Fall family tradition. Try this delicious recipe, I hope it becomes a Fall tradition for your family too.
Tater Tot Nachos "Totchos"
Make these Tater Tot Nachos "Totchos" 🥔🥑 with Pulled Pork and a creamy Tomatillo Sauce for relaxed weekends at home, parties, on game day, or even a simple dinner!
French Onion Dip
French Onion Dip 🧅 is an easy appetizer with caramelized onions and fresh ingredients. This party appetizer tastes even better if made ahead.
Whip up this homemade onion dip, and take a look at all the creative ways to use up leftovers (if there are any)...
Buffalo Chicken Appetizer
Whip up this Buffalo Chicken Appetizer 🧡🐔 made with tortilla chips, buffalo wing sauce, blue cheese, and crisp celery. It comes together in 20 minutes with just simple 6 ingredients. It takes a nod to hot wings, and is so easy!
Zucchini Chips
Bake a batch of low-calorie Zucchini Chips 🍋 to scoop into a garden-fresh Lemon-Dill Yogurt Dip. This clean recipe is a healthy appetizer snack idea. What a great way to use up summer squash when it is popping up faster than you can pick it.
The crisp crunchy coating is so unexpected, and the dip is guilt-free...
Shrimp Cocktail
An easy appetizer and party food, Shrimp Cocktail 🍤 is made by oven-roasting large shrimp, then dipping them in the fresh homemade cocktail sauce!
This recipe is one of my favorite things to serve for happy hours, holidays, and celebrations. Roasting shrimp is the way to go versus traditional boiling, it's so much easier, and the roasting adds deep rich flavor...
Sweet Treats, Cocktails, & Sippers
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread 🧡🍫 baked with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, orange juice, and milk chocolate chips. Dense, moist, delicious, and so chocolaty.
Palmiers
Palmiers 🥟☕️ are airy flaky crisp French cookies with only 2 ingredients. This sweet treat easy dessert bake is divine any time of day, and are so good with a cozy coffee drink.
Pumpkin Spiced Latte
A Pumpkin Spice Latte 🎃☕️ made with fresh pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, milk, and strong hot coffee. Create a coffee house in your own kitchen...
Fireball Whisky Cocktails
Fireball Whisky Cocktails 🧡🔥🍹are made with orange, cinnamon, cloves, apple cider, and cinnamon flavored whiskey. Serve these fireball whisky drinks for game days, the holiday season, brunch, Fall parties, and Thanksgiving Day.
Fireball Punch
Fireball Punch 🧡🍎🔥🍊 "big batch cocktails" are made with orange juice, apple cider, and Fireball whisky that tastes like cinnamon red hot candies. Besides, could it just be the prettiest bowl of Thanksgiving punch? Even the guys love this party punch, warning it is strong!
Party Ideas For Thanksgiving Appetizers
People really enjoy a bite here and there before (and even after) a Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving dinner party. And for most big day gatherings, it's an all-day or week-long feast so having lots of snacks and munchies is a must!
We all enjoy the classic Thanksgiving menu with turkey, side dishes like mashed potatoes, dessert pies, and all the fixings like stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and sweet cranberry sauce. But everyone loves those tasty appetizers while they wait! Here are some Thanksgiving party ideas and tips to set up for your event.
- Plan an area for all your appetizers. A nice long table, a dinner table, or a kitchen counter space all work great. Just plan for your number of party guests, and space to walk around the table.
- Use serving pieces you have, look high and low for the thing you have-trust me you have great pieces to use.
- Use sticky notes and decide ahead where dishes will go so guests can help you set up.
Simple Home Gathering
- Arrange Thanksgiving appetizers on large round trays or cheeseboards right on your coffee table. I love to entertain casually this way. Watch silly Christmas movies or Football and just relax all day and night.
- With 2-3 appetizers, that is a party! 🎉 I usually make 1-2 hot ones, and the rest are ones I prepare ahead and or are cold dips or snack mixes and easy things to pull from the fridge. Arrange a bag of chips and crackers on the platter and you are ready.
Serving Inside Or Outside?
Plan for the weather, I have found that by the time Fall rolls around most of us will be entertaining indoors because the weather is so unpredictable.
But you can set it up outside or inside, and I have lots of ideas for you in my Fall Crostini Bar recipe post. This is an easy beautiful way to entertain in Autumn.
Use what you have to create different heights and to keep people moving around trying different appetizers. Try to set up a scene with levels, and place things up high, low, and spilling out of baskets. Here are a few things you might need.
- Cheese Boards
- Trays
- Small Bowls
- Small Serving Spoons
- Cheese Knives
- Napkins
- Utensils
- Small Plates
- Spreader Knives
Thanksgiving Centerpieces
Use fresh pumpkins, flowers, succulents, herbs, and Fall decor pieces you love. For more inspiration, take a look at my DIY tutorials on Succulent Pumpkins and Pumpkin Flower Arrangements!
The succulent pumpkins are so easy and will last all through Fall. Everyone loves them, and you can give them to guests as they head home...
Delicious Thanksgiving Appetizers FAQ
Finger foods and dips like meatballs, wings, spinach dip, goat cheese bites, feta dip, buffalo chicken dip, easy hummus, stuffed mushrooms, cheese boards with favorite meats and cheeses, antipasto skewers, cranberry brie bites, pigs in a blanket, and artichoke dip.
The most popular appetizers are hot and cold dips, crostini, shrimp cocktail, potato skins, cocktail meatballs, bruschetta, and stuffed mushrooms.
Appetizers are grouped into three types; cocktails, canapés, and hors d'oeuvres and are a simple starter or snack to stimulate the appetite. They can be elegant and fancy or casual like simple cheese and crackers. Drinks containing alcohol are also considered appetizers before dinner.
For appetizer parties, pick a couple of hot cooked appetizer recipes and several cold dips or maybe a crudites platter. It's nice to serve a couple of things hot out of the kitchen during the party, and have other dishes ready to go, so you can dive into the yumminess.
More Fall Appetizers & Party Food
This Apple Crisp Recipe is a classic Fall dessert in America and is wonderful for the holidays or Thanksgiving. It comes together faster than a pie made from scratch!
Dutch Apple Pie is also known as Apple Crumble Pie baked with a homemade filling, a foolproof flaky crust, and a crumble topping.
There are 200+ Halloween Recipes including snacks, spooky Halloween treats and appetizers, wicked adult cocktails and shots, main course dinner ideas, easy Halloween desserts, and fun Halloween Snacks.
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Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes ~ Plus Autumn Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
deviled eggs
- 6 boiled eggs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon creme fraiche or sub soft cream cheese or sour cream
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika not the hot one!
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
garnish decoration
- sprigs fresh sage leaves garnish
- sprigs fresh thyme leaves garnish
Instructions
hard boiled eggs
- Make hardboild eggs: Boil, Instant Pot, or Steam method.
- Peel and slice the boiled eggs, slice in half.
deviled eggs
- PRO TIP: Instead of scooping out the yolk with a spoon (which can tear the egg) gently push from the back of the egg and pop the yolk out!
- In a bowl, add the yolks, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cream Fraiche' (or soft cream cheese).
- Mix until well combined with a hand mixer, and load into a large zip log back fitted with a large star tip.
- Pipe the filling back into the boiled eggshells, and garnish with a few fresh tiny sprigs of sage and thyme.
Notes
Deviled Eggs Top Tips
- Instead of scooping out the yolk with a spoon (which can tear the egg) gently push from the back of the egg and pop the yolk out.
- You can certainly mix the deviled egg filling with a spoon or whisk, but a hand mixer gives you a creamy fluffy texture that pipes beautifully.
- Use a large gallon zip-top bag and large star tip to pipe the filling into the egg white shells, it looks gorgeous and professional.
- Make-Ahead Tip: Boil the eggs, slice in half, and keep covered on a tray. Fill your ziptop bag with a piping tip, and have your tiny sage and thyme pieces and ready to go, then assemble in minutes right before your party.
Thanksgiving Appetizer Party Tips
- Use serving pieces you have, look high and low for the thing you have-trust me you have great pieces to use.
- Plan an area for all your appetizers. A nice long table, the dinner table, or a kitchen counter space all work great. Just plan for your number of guests, and space to walk around the table.
- Cheese Boards
- Trays
- Small Bowls
- Small Serving Spoons
- Cheese Knives
- Napkins
- Utensils
- Small Plates
- Spreader Knives
The crostini bar is such a brilliant idea!
Thanks, Sarah, it is a fun way to serve appetizers! Hope you give it a try...
These all look so good!
Love, love, love these delicious appetizers! Can hardly wait for Thanksgiving!! 🦃
These are such great ideas for fall appetizers! You have such wonderful recommendations for decorating too! And those deviled eggs!? Amazing!