65 Thanksgiving Appetizers That Will Blow Your Relatives Away

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian

Otherwise known as Thanksgiving dip. (It'd taste even better topped with a mound of leftover turkey...just sayin'.)

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes

With just the right amount of spice. We used a mix of cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios, but you can use whatever assortment you'd like.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

A seasonal twist on a party classic that everyone can get behind. Cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg and cumin offer lots of warming spice to the dish.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy

Anything starring Brie is a guaranteed hit. Set this warm, gooey app down and watch your guests instantly gather around.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead, vegan

They sure beat a bowl of regular potato chips. Dip them in sweet yogurt or caramel sauce.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, vegan

You only *think* you don't like mushrooms. Simply season and roast the creminis until they're shatteringly crisp and brown.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

We’ve never seen party dip look this adorable. Thanks, store-bought puff pastry and easy canned artichoke hearts.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, high protein

Serve an appetizer in a hulled-out pumpkin and let the oohs and ahhs roll in. Bonus: They make eye-catching table decorations, so you can save on flowers.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy in every bite. Prepare the jam ahead so all you have to do the day of is assemble.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

One of our favorite Italian mains, in finger food form. Pass the marinara, please.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, keto-friendly, gluten free

Baking instead of frying makes these a little healthier and way less messy to prepare. This version of the game day app is stuffed with herbed cream cheese, feta and sharp cheddar.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead, vegetarian

Save the hot dogs for summertime. These cuties won’t spoil your appetite before the big feast.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy

Sweet, savory and undeniably classy. (Oh, and they're ready to eat in 15 minutes flat.)

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, one pot

Crisp Pilsner + sharp cheddar = autumn bliss. Serve with plenty of crusty bread for dunking.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy

Part holiday appetizer, part work of art. All the toppings will be easy to grab, thanks to the classy serving board.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Complete with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds tossed in soy-maple glaze. Might we suggest adding them to a cheese board?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead

Everyone’s favorite comfort food, only miniature. Feel free to spice up the mac and cheese recipe with hot sauce, shredded chicken or crumbled bacon.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Hi, spicy yogurt dipping sauce. Hustle to the hors d'oeuvres table—these are bound to disappear fast.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, sheet pan recipe

Salty, tangy and sweet. Plus, toothpicked apps are a hostess's best friend.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Choose your fighter: smoked salmon and cream cheese or dried cranberries, almonds and crème fraîche.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Don't come for us, but they're better than the original (yep, we said it). Your kids will be none the wiser—as long as there's ketchup on the table, that is.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy

Roasting grapes in oil and herbs will give them deep sweetness and complexity, making them the perfect pairing for salty, sharp cheese.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian

Impeccably golden, crispy and briny. Slather on the garlic-lemon aioli with abandon.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, make ahead

Squash season is back, and we are so ready for it. Here, roasted butternut squash meets tahini and chickpeas for fall twist on hummus.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, special occasion-worthy

You can’t go wrong with this roasted garlic, sriracha and capers trio. Make them ahead so you have one less thing to worry about on the big day.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegetarian

Loaded with flavor and color. The sweet spuds are also packed with protein (and avocado crema).

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Store-bought puff pastry saves the day, as always. Don't skimp on the walnut pesto—we'd argue it's the best part.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Maple syrup and brown sugar turn your favorite breakfast meat into a fall delicacy. Don't look now, but we're topping our apple pie with a few strips.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Just like your favorite steakhouse makes them, only scaled down for minimal mess. Don't even get us started on the horseradish dipping sauce.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, beginner-friendly

Walnut taco meat, an ingenious way to accommodate your vegetarian guests.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

They'll never know you started with store-bought dough. Your secret is safe with us.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Hanukkah don't start 'til the latkes arrive. We've given the potato classic an autumn update by substituting the season's favorite vegetable.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

Store-bought cranberry sauce and pie crust can save cocktail hour in 15 minutes flat.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

Just scoop out the seeds, pour in chicken stock and seasonings, then roast the whole darn thing in the oven. Ingenious.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Where dessert and cocktail hour collide. Serve this five-ingredient beauty with bread, crackers or slices of Granny Smith apple.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, kid-friendly

Don't peel the delicata squash's striped skin off—it's totally edible and offers serious fall flair to these handhelds.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, kid-friendly

Bet you didn't think you'd see *this* type of pie on your holiday table. Good looking out, canned pumpkin purée.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

Is there anything more comforting than a skillet of warm, melty cheese? Didn't think so. Dip with bread, crackers and crudités.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients

Tangy goat cheese and salty pancetta hold their own against crispy cornbread-like morsels of Parmesan polenta.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

These prosciutto- and mozzarella-stuffed gems are dangerously poppable, so they won't last long at the party.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly

The only way to make this Gruyère-rich soup more decadent? By wrapping it in puff pastry, of course.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Complete with toasted pecans, crumbled bacon and pumpkin purée. Serve with crostini or buttery, flaky crackers.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: Instant Pot recipe, one pot, make ahead, vegan

Meet a soup that's pretty enough to steal the spotlight from any roast turkey. Chalk it up to sesame seeds, roasted peanuts and a coconut yogurt swirl.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

We have one question: Are you dipping 'em in yellow mustard or beer cheese? (Both is the only correct response.)

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Choose a pumpkin beer that's loaded with fall spices and real pumpkin. The mini soft pretzels are optional (but we can't imagine why you'd skip them).

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy

Behold, the cutest little casseroles you ever did see. We have a feeling these will win over even the pickiest eaters at the kids' table.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, dairy free

Don't have the patience for charring sprouts? Wrapping them in bacon will give them the crunch you crave minus the smoking pan.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

And you thought pasta salad season was over. The ingredients are decidedly autumnal, down to the pine nuts and fresh thyme.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, one pan, crowd-pleaser

We like to think of this five-ingredient, half-hour app as savory monkey bread. Your guests won't miss the cinnamon, promise.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, special occasion-worthy

No high-maintenance frying required. We're definitely saving some for Black Friday brunch.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

This is probably a new addition to your holiday feast, but it's about to become a family tradition. Add a few extra shakes of hot sauce to the mix if you want it extra spicy.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

They’re bite-sized, meaning you can have as many as your cheese-loving heart desires. (We'd probably make a second batch just for the hostess, if we were you...)

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <30 minutes, no cook

Bring this beauty to Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving or any other fall gathering. The pomegranate arils on top make it look beyond classy.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

These grown-up lollies are made with frozen puff pastry, leftover cranberry sauce and Brie, so all you'll have to do is assemble and bake them.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Deviled eggs are always a crowd-pleaser, so why not dress them up for the party? Avocado and chives add a little something that will have everyone coming back for seconds.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy

Apply the Swedes' method for cooking potatoes to this autumn gourd and let your guests shower you with compliments.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, one pot, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Trust us: It's a far cry from your grandma's, thanks to crumbled bacon, sourdough croutons, sherry vinegar and a whole can of beer.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

Like a crispy biscuit-soft bun hybrid. Excuse us while we go for a swim in the sweet-and-salty honey butter.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, special occasion-worthy

Proof that eggplant doesn't need to be fried or blanketed in melted cheese to be enjoyable.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly

As stunning as it is delicious. Think caramelized brown sugar-herb onions atop a bed of store-bought puff pastry.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook, crowd-pleaser

For when your guests are arriving in ten and you forgot to make an appetizer. (You can thank us later.)

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

While it's certainly a crowd-pleasing starter, you can also serve this cheese dish for dessert with wine and fruit.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

All tossed in a lemony Dijon dressing. Bonus points for candying the pecans in brown sugar and maple syrup.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, crowd-pleaser

Traditional Caesar dressing uses eggs to achieve a creamy consistency, but this version calls on buttery, omega-rich avocado instead.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly

You're an adult now—you can have a little something sweet before dinner if you want to. (And there's nothing Mom can do about it.)