The 26 Best Recipes for Your Outdoor Fall Gathering

October 02, 2020

Enjoy your socially distanced outdoor fall gatherings with these healthy recipes. Whether it’s drinks, appetizers or dessert, these recipes are easy to portion out into individual servings. Everyone gets their own and you don’t have to worry about sharing! Recipes like 3-Ingredient Cheddar & Apple Bites and Carrot Cake Cupcakes are delicious, seasonal and perfect for keeping you warm while you spend time outside.

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Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

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This healthy stuffed mushroom appetizer is a nice balance of soft mushrooms, creamy filling and crunchy topping. This combination tastes downright decadent, but it's actually good for you. Be sure to get all of the moisture out of the chopped mushrooms before moving on to the next step; if not, the filling will be soggy and make the mushroom caps watery.

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Walnut-Nutmeg Pumpkin Custards

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Planning any parties for fall? Don't overlook this custard recipe--it's easy to assemble and will have your guests doling out the compliments! They'll love how the creamy pumpkin custard contrasts with the crunchy walnut, brown sugar and oat topping.

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Red-Wine Hot Chocolate

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If you love red wine and you love chocolate, you'll love this rich, full-flavored red-wine hot chocolate. It's two of your favorite things together in one warm, cozy mug.

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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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Baked Spaghetti Squash Fritters

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These crispy loaded fritters are perfect for parties. Baking them instead of frying cuts down on labor (and oil splatters). Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid out of the spaghetti squash and onion mixture as possible--moisture is the enemy of crispiness.

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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Individual carrot cakes baked in cupcake liners have a smooth cream-cheese frosting.

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Hot Cider with Apple Brandy & Spices

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A natural, cloudy apple cider is delicious for this exotically spicy and aromatic winter warmer, but if you desire a sparkling-clear drink, apple juice can be substituted. Calvados, which is a French apple brandy, adds richness. If you wish to omit it, just add more cider or juice.

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Mini Sandwiches with Fig & Brie

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Turn the basics of a cheese board into adorable mini grilled cheese sandwiches for a satisfying appetizer.

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Caramel Apple Cookies

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Kids and adults alike will love these fall caramel apple cookies. They are crisp on the bottom and chewy in the center with bits of apple and just a hint of spice. The caramel glaze takes them over the top!

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Bourbon Hot Cocoa

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Chocolate and bourbon? Say no more. Make this delicious hot chocolate recipe from scratch on a cold winter day.

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Zucchini Pizza Bites

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Think of these zucchini pizza bites as a fun gluten-free alternative to bagel bites. Be sure not to overcook the zucchini or the bites may become soggy. We like the classic pepperoni topping, but feel free to experiment with your own favorites.

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Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

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These pumpkin sugar cookies are soft and moist with just the right amount of spice and a delicate pumpkin flavor topped off with a nice lightly spiced glaze. They're perfect for a fall after-school snack or light dessert.

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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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Spiced Hot Cider

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For a nonalcoholic version, omit the applejack and schnapps and add 2 tablespoons cinnamon-flavored syrup, such as Torani brand.

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Apple-Spice Cupcakes

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Subtly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, each Apple-Spice Cupcake is chock-full of chopped apple.

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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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Cuban Stromboli

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Inspired by the classic pressed Cuban sandwich, we've taken the pickle-meets-cold-cuts-and-Swiss-cheese combo and rolled it in pizza dough for a fun party snack that's easy to make.

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Maple-Pumpkin Custards with Crystallized Ginger

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A Thanksgiving meal wouldn't be complete without pumpkin, and here in Vermont we wouldn't dream of excluding our beloved maple syrup. We've combined the two in these elegant custards, featuring the best part of a pumpkin pie and saving calories for a luscious finish of real whipped cream. If you can find it, use Grade B dark amber syrup to get the best maple flavor.

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Pomegranate, Cranberry & Brie Bruschetta

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Make this simple festive appetizer for your holiday guests. Toasted baguette slices with creamy, melted brie are topped with an orange-cranberry-pomegranate mixture--each bite delivers an explosion of flavor and texture!

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Dark Chocolate-Coconut Hot Cocoa

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This stovetop hot chocolate starts with a delicately sweet coconut beverage. The subtle hints of vanilla help blunt the bitter edge of dark chocolate, and a splash of maple syrup makes this warm drink sweet and comforting.

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Pumpkin-Oatmeal Cookies

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These tender pumpkin-oatmeal cookies have the perfect amount of sweetness from brown sugar and raisins and a slightly nutty flavor from almond butter. Enjoy them as an after-school snack or a healthy dessert. Several testers also said they'd love to eat them with a cup of coffee in the morning.

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3-Ingredient Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Bites

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These pretty hors d'oeuvres are perfect for holiday parties. And they're super-easy to make, thanks to premade pie dough. Simply press the dough into mini muffin tins to make tart shells, then fill with goat cheese and sun-dried tomato tapenade. (If you can't find sun-dried tomato tapenade, you can use sun-dried tomato pesto instead.) Chopped parsley is a pretty garnish if you're open to adding a fourth ingredient.

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Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

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These cheesy baked pizza rolls with marinara dipping sauce would be fun for a casual party for kids or adults--or just for dinner! Classic pizza fillings are tucked into egg roll wrappers, which are baked--no frying required!--until nice and crispy on the outside. Feel free to mix up the fillings; for example, you could drop the pepperoni to make these vegetarian or nix the mushrooms if you're not a fan.

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Chai Chocolate Pots de Creme

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The haunting, subtle flavor of chai spices adds depth and richness to these elegant French baked custards. You could use the leftover egg whites to make Dark Chocolate Meringue Drops. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Mini Sausage Stuffing Tarts

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These bite-size tarts turn traditional holiday stuffing into a clever appetizer, with an easy homemade crust and a quick sausage-mushroom filling. Prep the crust and filling in advance, then bake just before serving.

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Chocolate-Cream Cheese Cupcakes

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Not just for breakfast, granola adds a nice crunch to the top of these chocolate cupcakes.

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