89 Thanksgiving Appetizers Just As Exciting As The Turkey
From classy cranberry brie bites to a family-friendly turkey-shaped cheese ball, we've got every app your hungry crowd could ever want.
The biggest food holiday of the year is right around the corner, so we know you're about to be busy planning everything for the best Thanksgiving ever: the turkey, casseroles, veggies, potatoes, desserts...it can be a LOT, but we implore you to not forget one very important thing: appetizers! While you’re making sure everything is coming together perfectly for dinner, your guests need something to nosh on, something to keep them occupied, and something to get them talking to one another (family or friends can all sometimes use the encouragement). Whether you’re looking for quick and easy last-minute options or want something more elaborate, we’ve got something on this list for you.
If adding another thing to your Thanksgiving prep list seems overwhelming, don’t worry. We’ve got some crazy simple shortcuts that’ll keep the stress off of you while still being impressive to your guests. One of our favorites has gotta be using store-bought crescent roll dough, puff pastry, or pizza dough to make a myriad of appetizers without much effort. Check out our cranberry brie bites, our apple cheddar bundles, our cheesy green bean & mushroom tart, or our caramelized onion & goat cheese bites to see how versatile they can be.
Another one of our fallback options is, of course, cheese. No one is mad about a big hunk of brie, goat cheese, or cream cheese to snack on, so you can practically just put out a plate of some and call it a day. We do recommend making it extra special by going just a bit further with your presentation, but really, some of these recipes are practically that easy. Try our (goat cheese-stuffed) bacon-wrapped dates, our pumpkin cheese ball, our cheese ball bites, our whipped feta roasted potatoes, our turkuterie (yep, shaped like one!) to see what we mean.
Another option is to take a note from many of our favorite restaurants and ply your guests with bread before the meal. Any variety of appetizer bread will help engender hospitality (“breaking bread”) among your guests, and really, that's what Thanksgiving is all about. Try our Parmesan bread bites, our cranberry brie pull-apart bread, our antipasto roll-ups, our Mediterranean pinwheels, or our cranberry brie biscuit dip. Speaking of dip, feel free to go easy and put out some bread, veggies, and crackers with a simple homemade option, like our cranberry whipped feta dip, our caramelized onion dip, our muhammara, or our bacon spinach dip. They're sure to be beloved by all and keep everyone distracted from inquiring as to when dinner will be served too. 😉
One more thing you’re not going to want to forget? Drinks! Check out our favorite fall drinks and Thanksgiving cocktails for ideas too.
Cranberry Brie Bites
These are a fan favorite every fall. They always disappear within minutes, probably because the combo of salty, creamy brie, sweet-tart cranberry sauce, and crunchy pecans is PERFECT.
Get the Cranberry Brie Bites recipe.
Turkuterie
It’s a tail as old as time: It’s right before Thanksgiving dinner, and your guests don’t want a full meal but are feeling a little peckish. Try a bird of a different feather this year, and serve this festive and impressive fruit and cheese display as the centerpiece of your holiday app table.
Get the Turkuterie recipe.
Cheese Puffs
These cheese puffs (aka gougères) are a triple threat: easy to make, impressive looking, and wildly delicious. And the good news is, you probably already have most (or all) of the ingredients! If you're looking for an easy addition to any kind of holiday party or gathering, these bite-sized appetizers never disappoint.
Get the Cheese Puffs recipe.
Sausage Stuffing Bites With Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing, inside the turkey or out, is a Thanksgiving staple. The only thing better? MORE. STUFFING. Enter this bite-sized, stuffing-centered appetizer with a tangy, three-ingredient dipping sauce (just cranberry sauce, honey, and Dijon).
Stuffed Mushrooms
To make these, we stuff baby bella mushrooms with garlicky, herby breadcrumbs and plenty of cheese. Stuff them ahead of time and bake them off when you're ready for the most Thanksgiving-friendly appetizer ever.
Get the Stuffed Mushrooms recipe.
Potatoes Au Gratin Stacks
These cute apps make classic potatoes au gratin more fun, and infinitely poppable. The trick to getting the perfect stack? Muffin tins!
Get the Potato Gratin Stacks recipe.
Green Bean Casserole Bites
Green bean casserole is one of the most iconic Thanksgiving sides, so we're taking it to the next level in these bite-sized apps. Baked in crescent roll cups with crispy fried onions, a rich, creamy mushroom sauce, and tender-yet-snappy green beans, these handheld wonders hit every note.
Get the Green Bean Casserole Bites recipe.
Crispy Sweet Potato Bites
These sweet potato bites have a crunchy, herbaceous crust, with a sweet, silky inside that, when topped with a light drizzle of honey, will have you craving them again and again. Once you bite through the crust, the sweet potato mixes with that melted, nutty Gruyère for a dream flavor combination that works SO well.
Get the Crispy Sweet Potato Bites recipe.
Crispy Feta Pockets
Baked brie fans, you’ve got to try our newest baked cheese recipe: crispy baked feta. Saltier and more tangy than brie, feta is irresistible wrapped in a crunchy, Greek-inspired phyllo dough shell with a nice drizzle of honey for sweetness.
Get the Crispy Feta Pockets recipe.
Cranberry Whipped Feta Dip
This cranberry-topped whipped feta dip is here to save your holiday appetizer planning. Fresh feta cheese is combined with herbs, garlic, and cream cheese, whipped until super-smooth, then topped with tart homemade cranberry sauce, toasted pistachios, and honey. The result is a salty, creamy, sweet, tart, and absolutely irresistible dip.
Get the Cranberry Whipped Feta Dip recipe.
Turkey Cheese Ball
Even if you're not serving turkey this Thanksgiving doesn't mean you can't get in on the theme. Enter: this adorable cheeseball. We used carrots, pecans, pretzels, and bell peppers to create the iconic look, but feel free to sub out for different ingredients for what you have on hand. Serve it with crackers and use the decorations as dippers too!
Get the Turkey Cheeseball recipe.
Cranberry Brie Jalapeño Poppers
Cranberry brie bites are by far one of our favorite appetizers for the holidays, but jalapeño poppers also have place in our hearts too... So why not combine them? The spice of the jalapeño goes so well with the tart cranberries.
Fried Mashed Potato Balls
Filled with creamy potatoes, crispy bacon, cheese, chives, and herbs, we think these bombs of savory flavor are perfect all on their own, but feel free to pair them with something extra. They'd be great with sour cream, ranch dressing or even our sriracha butter.
Get the Fried Mashed Potato Balls recipe.
Brie & Green Bean Bundles
Who needs green bean casserole when you've got these bundles of joy? Perfect for last-minute potlucks, these are sure to please the brie-lovers in your life.
Get the Brie & Green Bean Bundles recipe.
Parmesan Bread Bites
If you're a fan of garlic knots, this recipe is basically the bite-sized app version, covered in gooey cheese, garlic butter, and fresh herbs. Sage and thyme are used here to add seasonal flavor, but feel free to add any herbs you prefer.
Get the Parmesan Bread Bites recipe.
Caramelized Onion Dip
With this recipe, we take the classic onion dip one step further by incorporating deeply caramelized onions into the mix. It takes a little longer than you might think for onions to truly caramelize, but we promise it’s worth it (and can be made ahead of time!).
Get the Caramelized Onion Dip recipe.
Crispy Hot Honey Cauliflower Nuggets
Coated with toasty bread crumbs and drizzled in a ridiculously craveable hot honey sauce, these crispy cauliflower nuggets are the tasty plant-based app everyone (and we mean EVERYONE) can get behind.
Cranberry Brie Pull-Apart Bread
Pull-apart bread reaches a whole new level, thanks to brie and cranberry sauce. Use your favorite homemade sauce recipes, but store-bought works too if you're short for time.
Fried Goat Cheese Bites
Attention cheese boards everywhere: Fried goat cheese bites are coming to steal your thunder. Coated in crispy herby bread crumbs and drizzled with honey, these creamy, melt-in-your-mouth morsels will capture the hearts of all your party guests.
Get the Fried Goat Cheese Bites recipe.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkins are pretty amazing. One of their best (and often overlooked) attributes is their seeds! They're great prepared super simply, roasted with salt and melted butter, but the variations are completely endless. We love ranch seasoning, taco seasoning, or cinnamon sugar for an added pop of flavor.
Get the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe.
