25 Last-Minute Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

Updated September 03, 2020

If hungry guests are on their way for Thanksgiving dinner, try one of our quick and easy Thanksgiving appetizer recipes to make at the last minute.

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3-Ingredient Cranberry-Brie Bites

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Baked Brie is a perennially popular appetizer. Here, we complement the Brie with tart cranberry sauce and bake it in pretty individual tartlets using premade pie crust for an ultra-easy crowd-pleasing appetizer.

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Lemon-Thyme Whipped Ricotta

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This stunning yet easy appetizer recipe infuses creamy ricotta with fresh herbs and lemon. Serve with whole-grain crackers and cut-up vegetables or use as a spread for sandwiches or sauce for pasta.

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Winter Meat & Cheese Board

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A cheeseboard is an ideal stationary hors d'oeuvre for holiday entertaining. Select a variety of cheeses, making sure to include an aged variety, a creamy cheese, a blue cheese and perhaps a smoked cheese. Round out the platter with cold cuts, bread, an abundance of seasonal fruits, dried fruit, crudité, nuts and olives. We even included some dark chocolate to cap it off!

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Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

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This healthful snack takes advantage of the pumpkin seeds you scoop out of your jack-o'-lantern or cooking pumpkin. We had the best results when we first roasted the seeds until lightly toasted and then tossed them with egg white, which makes the seasonings stick, and cinnamon sugar.

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Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus with Spiced Honey Glaze

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Serve these bacon-wrapped asparagus spears at your next party. They're grilled with a cayenne and honey mustard glaze and the taste is out of this world.

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Traditional Greek Tahini Dip

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Super creamy with the nutty flavor of sesame seeds, this homemade tahini sauce recipe is a popular way to begin a meal in Cyprus. Serve with crudités and pita.

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3-Ingredient Blue Cheese & Fig Bites

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Salty-tangy blue cheese pairs beautifully with sweet fig jam in these easy appetizers, which are perfect for a holiday party. The optional minced chives add a nice pop of color, but these are just as tasty without herbs. Keep the ingredients on hand and you can whip these up for impromptu holiday cocktail parties.

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3-Spinach-Feta Dip with Dill

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Try this spinach dip, spiked with fresh dill and briny feta cheese, as a sandwich spread—or serve alongside crackers or crudité.

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Easy Scallion-Salmon Dip

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Inspired by the classic combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese, this spread is perfect for slathering on a bagel or serving as a dip with bagel chips. This salmon dip recipe is a great way to use up leftovers from Miso-Maple Salmon.

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Muhammara

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Muhammara is a smoky, hot and sweet red pepper dip that originated in Syria. A staple in Middle Eastern cooking, pomegranate molasses (a dark red syrup made from tart pomegranate juice) adds just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to this healthy recipe. Turn this easy dip into a full-blown appetizer spread (or dinner, we won't judge!) with the addition of some crudités, grilled eggplant and crackers for scooping. Pair it with a bubbly cava or other sparkling wine for an instant party. 

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Marinated Roasted Peppers

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Serve these peppers as an appetizer on crusty bread or layer them on a sandwich for an instant boost of flavor.

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3-Ingredient Cheddar & Apple Bites

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Creamy apple butter and sharp Cheddar cheese are a perfect match in these easy party hors d'oeuvres. This recipe calls for prepared pie crust, which is pressed into mini muffin tins to make little tart shells, so it's super easy to make as well. Add slices of apple for extra crunch, if you'd like, or keep these bites simple. Either way, consider making a double batch—they'll go quickly.

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Sweet Potato Chips

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Make perfectly crunchy veggie chips at home with this healthy recipe. Use a mandoline to slice the sweet potatoes extra-thin for the optimum crunch!

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Savory Date & Pistachio Bites

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A touch of sweetness from the dates and raisins paired with crunch and nuttiness from the pistachios make these bites perfect for an on-the-go snack or as an accompaniment on a cheese board.

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Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

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This finger food is the perfect healthy appetizer to get your party going. Three ingredients are all it takes to make this elegant hors d'oeuvre—no one will ever guess how easy they were to make! Want to keep things plant-based? Use vegan pesto in the breadcrumb stuffing. You can also swap the whole-wheat breadcrumbs for gluten-free.

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Roasted Pears with Prosciutto

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This 3-ingredient finger food is the perfect classy appetizer for your next party. It's so simple to make yet so elegant and delicious. Finishing with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar makes the flavors pop and takes this easy app to the next level.

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Cranberry-Orange-Glazed Turkey Meatballs

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Ground turkey and bulgur form the base of these healthy Thanksgiving-themed meatballs, which are tossed in a tangy cranberry-sauce glaze. Serve these on a platter or keep them warm in a slow cooker.

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Slow-Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

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This creamy, crowd-pleasing dip comes together with ease in your crock pot. Leave it in the slow cooker all party long to keep it warm for serving with perfect, melty cheese in every bite. Whole-wheat bread and raw veggie dippers allow you to dig in without the guilt.

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Curried Butternut Squash Dip

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This healthy squash dip recipe, spiced with curry and made creamy with the addition of coconut milk, is a delicious alternative to hummus. You can also use other types of winter squash, pumpkin or sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash in this dip. Serve with crisp raw vegetables or toasted pitas for dipping.

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Roasted Vegetable Antipasto

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A zesty vinaigrette makes these roasted Brussels sprouts, fennel, carrots and beets pop. If you can't find small carrots, halve larger ones crosswise then quarter lengthwise. Serve this vegetable antipasto as a side dish or appetizer.

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Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

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Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.

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Garlic & White Bean Dip

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For this simple-as-can-be dip, rich-tasting poached garlic is pureed with convenient canned beans, a little bit of onion and a dash of lemon juice. Use it as a dip for crudités, a topping for bruschetta or even as a spread for a sandwich.

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Quick Romesco Dip

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Try this Spanish-inspired roasted red pepper dip recipe on slices of toasted baguette or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken or steak.

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Rustic Mushroom Tart

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Don't let phyllo dough's fussy reputation put you off: our method of brushing olive oil and sprinkling breadcrumbs between the layers makes this tart actually quite simple to assemble, and helps keep it healthy. It can be served as a main course or cut into smaller pieces and enjoyed as an appetizer.

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Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

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This is not your grandma's cheese ball. It has all the flavor of an everything bagel without all the carbs and with just 3 ingredients! Want to emphasize the bagel taste? Serve it with bagel chips and some raw veggies for dipping to keep things healthy.

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