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  4. 28 Spring Appetizers So Delicious, You'll Want to Eat Them for Dinner

28 Spring Appetizers So Delicious, You'll Want to Eat Them for Dinner

Leah Goggins headshot
Leah Goggins February 25, 2022
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Crab-Artichoke Dip
Credit: Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn

If you're in the mood to snack your way through dinner, these fresh and healthy appetizer recipes are the way to go. We bring lots of seasonal flavor to the table with produce like peas, asparagus, broccoli and avocado, then pair it with some of our favorite ingredients, like frozen puff pastry, goat cheese and simple sauces. Recipes like our Crispy Asparagus with Creamy Tarragon Sauce and Crab-Artichoke Dip are crowd-pleasing dishes you'll want to dig into all spring.

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Fig & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Roll

Fig & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Roll
Credit: Jamie Vespa, M.S., R.D.
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Buttery puff pastry is a tasty shortcut ingredient that can be used in many delicious ways. Here we roll out a pastry sheet and cover it with fig jam and crumbled goat cheese, then roll it up into a log and bake it. The end result is a sweet-and-savory appetizer that looks and tastes impressive, especially considering it has just three ingredients.

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Pea, Pancetta & Tarragon Crostini

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Up your healthy appetizer game and make this veggie-topped crostini recipe instead of go-to bruschetta. If you can't find tarragon, any soft herb, such as basil or dill, works well too.

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Crispy Asparagus with Creamy Tarragon Sauce

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These crispy asparagus sticks are a fantastic side dish, but are also a great hand-held appetizer. They're served with a creamy lemon-tarragon dipping sauce. Consider passing them around at your next party!

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Baked Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites

Baked Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites
Credit: Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Jennifer Wendorf / Kay Clarke
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These savory muffin-like quinoa bites are low in carbs and a good source of protein—plus we love their cheesy flavor.

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Crab-Artichoke Dip

Crab-Artichoke Dip
Credit: Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn
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This hot crab-artichoke dip is baked and served right in the skillet. Tangy artichoke hearts team up with sweet crab bound by mild cream cheese and gooey mozzarella. Kale adds color and texture to this party favorite.

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Crispy Parmesan Mushroom Fries with Ranch Sauce

Crispy Parmesan Mushroom Fries with Ranch Sauce
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If you're looking for a new way to enjoy portobello mushrooms, look no further. These meaty mushrooms are sliced, then coated in crispy breadcrumb topping. Hot out of the oven, they're served with a creamy ranch sauce. They're a perfect lower-carb alternative to regular french fries!

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Goat Cheese & Chive Guacamole

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In this easy guacamole recipe, we mix in a little creamy goat cheese for a tangy version of a classic favorite. Serve it with tortilla chips and crunchy vegetables like kohlrabi and carrots.

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Baked Feta Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Baked Feta Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Credit: Greg DuPree
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This take on classic warm artichoke dip features tangy feta cheese. If you can find frozen artichokes, swap them in for the canned version to cut back on sodium. Serve with tortilla chips and crudités for dipping.

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Crispy Smashed Broccoli with Za'atar

Crispy Smashed Broccoli with Za'atar
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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Za'atar spice coats broccoli florets that crisp up under the broiler. A dollop of yogurt adds a creamy finish. Serve as an easy side paired with grilled kebabs or as a light appetizer.

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Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

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This crab-stuffed mushroom recipe is perfect for Christmas, New Year's Eve and other holiday parties or any other time you need a quick and easy appetizer. The filling is light and fresh thanks to hearts of palm, a tender vegetable with a mild flavor (similar to artichokes) that doesn't mask the rich, sweet flavor of fresh crabmeat.

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Vegan Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Vegan Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Credit: Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn
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This vegan spinach-artichoke dip gets its umami flavor from miso and nutritional yeast, and gets creamy texture from cashews. This vegan dip is rich without feeling heavy. Serve with chips or sliced fresh vegetables for dipping.

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Steamed Artichokes with Herb Aioli

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The simplest way to prep artichokes: cook them whole and eat your way to the tender heart leaf by leaf. And since these artichokes can be made ahead and served at room temperature, they're also perfect for entertaining.

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Tiny Broccoli Quiches

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Piecrust mix helps cut the preparation time for these tiny cheese-and-broccoli tarts. Substituting liquid egg product for the whole eggs means less fat and cholesterol.

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Goat Cheese Crostini with Mushrooms & Brown Butter

Goat Cheese Crostini with Mushrooms & Brown Butter
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Serve these savory herbed crostini with a big green salad. Looking for a heartier meal? Top each toast with a poached or fried egg.

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Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus with Spiced Honey Glaze

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This delicious bacon and asparagus appetizer is ready in under 30 minutes!

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Smoked Salmon & Spinach Roulade

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This colorful roulade starts with a quick spinach cake that's rolled around a creamy filling and smoked salmon. It can be made ahead, so it's perfect for entertaining.

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Mediterranean Appetizer Board

Mediterranean Appetizer Board
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Channel the flavors of the Mediterranean in this bountiful appetizer board. A duo of classic hummus and roasted eggplant dip offers dunking options for seeded crackers, carrot sticks and raw fennel slices. Juicy grapes and dried apricots provide a sweet counterpart to salty prosciutto and feta cheese.

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Grilled Asparagus-Onion Crostini

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Try this sophisticated asparagus appetizer at your next dinner party.

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Niçoise Party Board

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A fun spin on the classic Niçoise salad, this impressive appetizer board features a smoked salmon spread. Snappy green beans, fresh tomatoes, a medley of olives, and soft-boiled eggs sprinkled with chives and paprika serve as the ode to the classic, while seeded crackers and mixed nuts add a crunchy upgrade.

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Soft Eggs with Green Goddess Dressing & Brown-Butter Breadcrumbs

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For this showstopper of an appetizer, the custardy yolks of soft-cooked eggs are magically balanced with an amazing green goddess dressing and a crunchy brown-butter breadcrumb topping.

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Panko-&-Parmesan-Crusted Mushrooms

Panko & Parmesan Crusted Mushrooms
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Serve these rich and tender mushrooms filled with panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese alone as an appetizer or alongside anything from pork to fish. To ensure even cooking, look for mushrooms that are similar in size.

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Almost Chipotle's Guacamole

Almost Chipotle's Guacamole
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Make guacamole at home that tastes just like it came from Chipotle--but don't worry, our version won't be extra! This deliciously fresh guac is perfect for topping burrito bowls or tacos, or serve as an appetizer or healthy snack with tortilla chips and veggies.

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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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Avocado Fries with Sriracha Aioli

Avocado Fries with Sriracha Aioli
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Creamy avocados are a delicious foil to crunchy breading in this healthy oven-fried avocado fries recipe. Dip into spicy Sriracha dipping sauce for a flavor explosion. Save your ripe avocados for guacamole or toast--only firm ones will do when making these fries.

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Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket

Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket
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Carrots replace cocktail wieners in this healthy update of pigs in a blanket. Soaking the carrot "dogs" in a smoky marinade is the key to giving them that hot dog flavor, for a vegan app meat-eaters will love too. Serve with dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch dressing to take these to the next level.

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Instant-Pot Artichokes

Instant-Pot Artichokes
Credit: Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn
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These Instant Pot artichokes are gently infused with thyme during cooking. Melted butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon is classic for dipping, but you don't have to stop there. Try dipping the tender leaves in homemade or store-bought pesto or one of the dipping sauces below.

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Oysters au Gratin with Spinach & Breadcrumbs

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These succulent baked oysters thrill with spicy spinach and a crispy cheese topping.

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Classic Greek Spanakopita

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This savory Greek "pie" has a creamy spinach and feta cheese filling layered between sheets of crispy phyllo dough. While phyllo dough seems intimidating, it's very easy to work with when you get the hang of it! This recipe would make a welcome addition to any party or potluck.

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    1 of 28 Fig & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Roll
    2 of 28 Pea, Pancetta & Tarragon Crostini
    3 of 28 Crispy Asparagus with Creamy Tarragon Sauce
    4 of 28 Baked Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites
    5 of 28 Crab-Artichoke Dip
    6 of 28 Crispy Parmesan Mushroom Fries with Ranch Sauce
    7 of 28 Goat Cheese & Chive Guacamole
    8 of 28 Baked Feta Spinach-Artichoke Dip
    9 of 28 Crispy Smashed Broccoli with Za'atar
    10 of 28 Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
    11 of 28 Vegan Spinach-Artichoke Dip
    12 of 28 Steamed Artichokes with Herb Aioli
    13 of 28 Tiny Broccoli Quiches
    14 of 28 Goat Cheese Crostini with Mushrooms & Brown Butter
    15 of 28 Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus with Spiced Honey Glaze
    16 of 28 Smoked Salmon & Spinach Roulade
    17 of 28 Mediterranean Appetizer Board
    18 of 28 Grilled Asparagus-Onion Crostini
    19 of 28 Niçoise Party Board
    20 of 28 Soft Eggs with Green Goddess Dressing & Brown-Butter Breadcrumbs
    21 of 28 Panko-&-Parmesan-Crusted Mushrooms
    22 of 28 Almost Chipotle's Guacamole
    23 of 28 Easy Stuffed Mushrooms
    24 of 28 Avocado Fries with Sriracha Aioli
    25 of 28 Carrot Dog Pigs in a Blanket
    26 of 28 Instant-Pot Artichokes
    27 of 28 Oysters au Gratin with Spinach & Breadcrumbs
    28 of 28 Classic Greek Spanakopita

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    28 Spring Appetizers So Delicious, You'll Want to Eat Them for Dinner
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