My Favorite 3-Ingredient, No-Bake Thanksgiving Appetizer Doubles As Dessert

If you think about it, serving Thanksgiving appetizers seems unnecessary. You’re about to sit down to a big feast that often leaves you stuffed. But before you feast, you pick at the charcuterie board, dip chips into pumpkin hummus, and pop cranberry Brie bites like you don’t fully comprehend the table full of food to come, plus the dessert that follows.  

So, let’s not think about it too deeply because appetizers are a favorite part of the eat-too-much day. Guests need something to munch on as they sip their drinks while waiting for the “3 p.m.” meal that won’t be ready until 4:30 p.m. (Or is that just at my house?)

When hosting Thanksgiving, there’s one appetizer I always put out that everyone loves, and it’s almost too easy. But when juggling turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole, throwing something easy into the mix is really smart. This 3-ingredient, no-bake appetizer is that something easy.

An Appetizer That Tastes Like Dessert

Thanksgiving is when something sweet can be served as an appetizer, a side dish (looking at you, sweet potato casserole), or dessert. This simple 3-ingredient appetizer falls into the dessert-as-appetizer category. 

I discovered this flavor combo at the farmers market when a vendor from an orchard had samples of a pumpkin spread and pieces of ginger snaps to dip in it. The two together were delicious.

When I asked how to make the pumpkin spread, I was handed a jar of pumpkin butter and told to mix it with a block of cream cheese. That’s it. Of course, I bought the jar and boom! I had one of my Thanksgiving appetizers planned.

How to Make My Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients

• 4 ounces pumpkin butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 box ginger snaps (such as Sweetzels Spiced Wafers)

Directions

1. Beat pumpkin butter and cream cheese with a mixer until thoroughly combined. Transfer dip to a serving dish, cover, and refrigerate until serving. 
2. Remove dip from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to soften.
3. Serve with crispy ginger snaps for dipping.

That’s it. You can mix the pumpkin butter and cream cheese up to 2 days before, turning this easy appetizer into a make-ahead one.

The appetizer was such a hit the first year I made it that now it’s a staple whenever I host Thanksgiving. It would be an excellent appetizer for any holiday event, but buy the crispy ginger snaps before Thanksgiving. They tend to disappear from store shelves after the holiday.