Recipes Holidays and Events Recipes Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Appetizers Our 30 Best Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes By Carl Hanson Carl Hanson Carl Hanson is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes who has been writing about food and wine for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating content that informs, entertains, and assists busy home cooks get nourishing meals on the table for their families. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on November 13, 2024 Close Photo: Alberta Rose Thanksgiving appetizers get your holiday meal off to a delicious start. We dug deep into our treasure trove of appetizer recipes and found that these top-rated snacks and apps are the best of the best, including seasonal sensations like stuffed mushrooms and cranberry meatballs, plus Thanksgiving-friendly dips, cheesy puffs, and assorted bite-size delights. 01 of 31 Feta Cheese Foldovers Christina These golden puffed pastries are filled with a simple feta cheese mixture. "I made these for Thanksgiving, and my family requested more for Christmas dinner," says SHARARW. "Very, very easy. Plus, I assembled them the day before and baked them when everyone arrived. Tasty, elegant, and EASY!" View Recipe 02 of 31 Beef-Stuffed Mushrooms Melissa Goff A savory ground beef and bread crumb mixture is seasoned with garlic and chili powder and baked inside buttered button mushroom caps. "An 18th-century recipe that I have altered slightly," says Jennifer. "Better make a double batch because these go fast. Sausage can be substituted for ground beef if you'd like." View Recipe 03 of 31 Savory Pumpkin Hummus NancyLou Pumpkin purée puts a colorful and delicious twist on traditional hummus. Serve with cut veggies and pita bread! "I think I like my results. I stirred in a small handful of tamari-flavored pumpkin seeds just before serving and sprinkled a bit of paprika on top to make it look nice," says Georgia J Llewellyn. 10 Easy Make-Ahead Appetizers To Save You Time This Thanksgiving View Recipe 04 of 31 Cape Cod Cocktail Meatballs Deb C Sweet and tangy cocktail meatballs are baked in a fruity, colorful cranberry sauce glaze in this recipe that originated on Cape Cod (cranberry country). "These cocktail meatballs are perfect for any party where you want to impress," says Robin Myshrall Ulery. "They are the first appetizer to go, and everyone wants the recipe. View Recipe 05 of 31 Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip stacy Here's a creamy crab and artichoke dip that's baked in a bread bowl. Cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise mix it up with Cheddar, herbs, and seasonings. The best part of baking this dip in a bread bowl? You can eat the bowl! The second best part? There's no serving dish to clean! Serve it hot with crackers. View Recipe 06 of 31 Balsamic Roasted Grapes Yoly "A surprisingly delicious treat," recipe creator Olivia says of this perfect Thanksgiving appetizer. "Easy to make and a hit with everyone who has tried them! Pairs well with wine and cheese." 20 Appetizers for Your Thanksgiving Potluck View Recipe 07 of 31 Cranberry Salsa Carol This sweet and tangy cranberry salsa gets a little fire from a jalapeño pepper. "I spread cream cheese on a platter and spread the salsa over the top of the cream cheese with whole cranberries for garnish," says CarolynWG. It's a "great balance of flavors and pretty too. This will be a regular for future holidays." 20 Light Thanksgiving Appetizers to Munch on Before the Main Event View Recipe 08 of 31 Cranberry Brie Bites Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "Tangy cranberry, creamy Brie, and crunchy walnuts come together in a buttery shell for an appetizer that will wow your guests," says Julie Hubert. "Bonus: These can be made up to three days ahead; wrap them in plastic wrap before the baking step and store in the refrigerator. Serve warm or at room temperature." View Recipe 09 of 31 Olive Cheese Ball KGora Cheddar cheese, green olives, onion, and a twist of lemon make this easy appetizer an all-time favorite. "This cheese ball is one our family has had and used for 20 years," says Cindy Carnes. "We love it. It's simple, and most of the ingredients are kept on hand. Roll it in nuts or parsley if desired. Serve with an assortment of crackers." View Recipe 10 of 31 Baked Stuffed Brie with Cranberries and Walnuts Chef John Chef John's version of baked Brie is wrapped in puff pastry dough, chilled, and then baked until the pastry is perfectly browned and the Brie is warm and melty. Let it come to room temperature first so all the flavors can be fully realized. "Was a big hit at our family's Thanksgiving gathering," says tharrisa." 15 Easy, Impressive Thanksgiving Appetizers with 5 Ingredients or Less View Recipe 11 of 31 Best Spinach Dip Ever Charlie Brown No matter how many creamy veggies you serve at Thanksgiving, you can always make room for this sour cream- and mayo-based dip. "I made this for Thanksgiving, and my mom called and asked me to bring it for Christmas," Cassy Gartman says. View Recipe 12 of 31 Sugar-Coated Pecans SavedByGrace "I kept a batch for myself and took the rest to Mom's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Two pounds of these pecans were GONE in a matter of hours!" says PTHOMPS2. View Recipe 13 of 31 Classic Savory Deviled Eggs naples34102 You can't go wrong with a classic, especially one that's best made in advance. "I made these for Thanksgiving," Holiday Baker says. "The dill taste and garlic powder were a little stronger than I cared for when I first made them. However, the next day they tasted very good." 20 Best Southern Thanksgiving Appetizers View Recipe 14 of 31 Sweet Potato Rolls lutzflcat We can't think of a better holiday to serve these festive, fall-flavored rolls. "We loved these rolls and will make them every Thanksgiving from now on. My one-year-old could not get enough. Very moist and great flavor," says reviewer ATHENE, who added an extra 1/2 cup of puréed sweet potato. View Recipe 15 of 31 Pine Cone Cheese Ball Leslie from Aurora This festive appetizer tastes as good as it looks! "Savory, yet tangy, and a different twist on the traditional Cheddar-based cheese ball," Roxanne Ingold Thomas says. "Everyone really liked the taste of the cream cheese and goat cheese blend." View Recipe 16 of 31 Jalapeño Cheese Puffs Kimberly Kahmann Harvey Store-bought wonton wrappers are stuffed with a cheesy cream cheese-jalapeño mixture, then fried to golden perfection in this fun twist on traditional jalapeño poppers. View Recipe 17 of 31 Antipasto on a Stick Lindsey Salami, olives, cheese, and artichoke hearts are skewered together for a make-ahead appetizer everyone will love. View Recipe 18 of 31 Best Ever Party Appetizer Lori Corradetti Goat cheese is topped with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, rosemary, and garlic in this crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving appetizer. View Recipe 19 of 31 Mouth-Watering Stuffed Mushrooms Alberta Rose Fresh mushrooms are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of garlic, cream cheese, Parmesan, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. View Recipe 20 of 31 Festive Olive and Cheese Appetizer Jones Thanksgiving is the official start of the Christmas season, so kick it off in style with this elegant wreath-shaped appetizer featuring olives, sweet grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and fresh rosemary sprigs. View Recipe 21 of 31 Baked Brie with Maple Caramelized Apples and Spiced Praline Bacon Alexandra Villegas "Made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving," says Alexandra Villegas. "It was great! For the bacon I did half of the amount of chili powder. Super good on crostini!" View Recipe 22 of 31 The Best Hot Crab Dip Chef John Chef John admits it's hard to prove, but he thinks this is THE best crab dip. "Perfection, as always, as is!" says NancyC. "Such a party hit, or if you’re like me, perfect for making ahead and baking portions as wanted throughout the holiday season (or anytime!)." View Recipe 23 of 31 Bacon-Wrapped Scallops You need just three ingredients (scallops, bacon, and lemon juice) to make this restaurant-worthy Thanksgiving appetizer. View Recipe 24 of 31 Chef John's Apple Butter Chef John "Though the cooking time is long, it's super easy and pretty hands-free," Chef John says of his apple butter recipe. Pair it with some sharp Cheddar on a cheese plate or slather it onto cheesy biscuits." View Recipe 25 of 31 Sausage Balls C.P. These sausage balls are made with sharp Cheddar. And since it's an easy 3-ingredient recipe, these bites make irresistible Thanksgiving appetizers. View Recipe 26 of 31 Bacon-Wrapped Dates Felicia "Dates are stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in bacon, and baked until crisp," according to recipe creator WINEANDCHEESE. "These are delicious and very easy to make for a party." View Recipe 27 of 31 Creamy Goat Cheese and Honey "Creamy goat cheese is lightly dusted with pecans, honey, and rosemary," says recipe creator Raelee's recipes, who suggests serving this with crostini or bagel chips. View Recipe 28 of 31 Holiday Hot Spinach Dip Melissa Goff "This recipe is easy to make and delicious," says KMF0519. "Every time I've made it, I've had to pass along the recipe." View Recipe 29 of 31 Blue Cheese and Pear Tartlets wintergirl A sweet-savory mixture of blue cheese and chopped ripe pear is baked in store-bought phyllo tart shells for these elegant appetizers. View Recipe 30 of 31 King Crab Appetizers Robyn "These crab tartlets have long been a family favorite and are requested often at holiday get-togethers," according to recipe creator 102183. View Recipe 31 of 31 More Inspiration Jessica Hungry for more? Pictured above: Bacon and Date Appetizer 20 Best Southern Thanksgiving Appetizers 10 Easy Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizers 10 Cute Thanksgiving Appetizers To Kick Off the FeastExplore our entire collection of Thanksgiving Appetizer Ideas. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit