Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

From our showstopping Pecan-Pear Cheese Ball to our one-bite meatballs, find all the gluten-free Thanksgiving appetizer recipes you need to make sure everyone is satisfied until dinner!

Staff Picks

Smoky Pumpkin Seeds

Smoked paprika and garlic powder punch up the flavor in this easy roasted pumpkin seeds recipe.
By Devon O'Brien

Baked Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites

Rating: 5 stars
4
These savory muffin-like quinoa bites are low in carbs and a good source of protein--plus we love their cheesy flavor.
By Beth Lipton

Broiled Oysters with Anchovy-Almond Butter

Topped with a buttered-up blend of toasted almonds, savory anchovy and fresh herbs, this broiled oyster recipe is rich, intense and downright delicious. Serve the oysters as a first course with a dry amontillado sherry and crusty bread.
By Barton Seaver

Chile-Lime Peanuts

Rating: 3 stars
3
These spicy nuts were inspired by ones sold by street vendors across Mexico. If you can only find salted peanuts, omit the added salt. Add the maximum amount of cayenne pepper if you want an extra hit of spice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamy Spinach Dip

Rating: 3.5 stars
2
Try this light spinach dip made healthier with reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. It will save you a whopping 84 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving when compared to traditional versions. Serve it with pita chips and crunchy vegetables or spread it on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cured or Smoked Salmon Appetizer Platter

Rating: 4 stars
2
This smoked salmon platter requires little effort but the spread makes a big impression. Served with all the fixings--capers, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber and more--a smoked salmon platter is the ultimate make-ahead appetizer. Lay out everything listed in the ingredients below or just a few of the elements along with an assortment of crackers, cocktail bread and/or sliced baguette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

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.
By Melissa Fallon

Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

There are plenty of granola bar options at the grocery store, but they're also easy (and often healthier) to make at home. Feel free to vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the dried cranberries and nuts in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.
By Breana Killeen

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

Rating: 4.67 stars
3
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet and Salty Roasted Nuts

Spicy seasonings add a bit of zing to roasted nuts for an appetizer that's perfect for any occasion.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Tuna-Caper Spread

Delicious, easy, inexpensive; serve as a sandwich filling or an hors d'oeuvre with whole-grain crackers or triangles of rye bread.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Pears with Brie & Pistachios

Rating: 4.33 stars
2
Roasted pears with Brie and pistachios is delicious as a first course or a side with roast pork or lamb. Leave the stems on for the prettiest presentation.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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Inspiration and Ideas

Pear-Pecan Cheeseball

Pear-Pecan Cheeseball
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.
Baked Spaghetti Squash Fritters

Baked Spaghetti Squash Fritters
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.
Roasted Cauliflower & Walnut Dip

Roasted Cauliflower & Walnut Dip
Scandinavian Pickled Herring Bites

Scandinavian Pickled Herring Bites
Rating: Unrated
1
Ranch Dip & Crunchy Vegetables

Ranch Dip & Crunchy Vegetables
Rating: Unrated
1
Marinated Olives with Lemon, Thyme & Rosemary

Marinated Olives with Lemon, Thyme & Rosemary
Rating: Unrated
1

Nutty Pimiento Cheese Balls

Rating: 5 stars
1

These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen. These brothers are following in their mom's footsteps with their own TV shows, books and website. Our favorite part of what they're up to: healthy makeovers of some of Paula's recipes! Recipe adapted from The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up, by Jamie & Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark (Ballantine Books, 2011).

All Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

Curried Cashews

Rating: 3.5 stars
4
These curried cashews are impossibly addictive--every time we made them in the Test Kitchen they disappeared in a flash. If you use salted cashews, omit the added salt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mushroom Risotto

Rating: 3.25 stars
2
Although traditional risottos use refined arborio rice and require constant stirring, you can achieve excellent results with this oven-baked version using short-grain brown rice, taking advantage of its whole-grain benefits.
By Wendy Kalen

Garlic & White Bean Dip

Rating: 4.88 stars
3
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.
By Katie Webster

Kale Artichoke Dip

Rating: 5 stars
2
A riff on traditional spinach artichoke dip, this creamy, cheesy dip recipe is made healthier by replacing some of the cream cheese with yogurt. Serve as an easy appetizer with tortilla chips and carrot sticks.
By Breana Killeen

Mixed Greens with Grapes & Feta

Rating: 5 stars
3
Contrasting sweet grapes with savory feta cheese and crisp, colorful greens, this salad makes an elegant first course.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spiced Spanish Almonds

Rating: 4.75 stars
2
Salty, sweet and laced with smoke--the perfect kind of almond for a party. If any remain the next day, savor them over a salad topped with sliced ripe pears and shaved Manchego cheese.
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi

French Onion Dip

Rating: 3.33 stars
2
In our homemade version of French onion dip, we simmer chopped onions in broth and use reduced-fat sour cream and yogurt for the familiar rich and creamy flavor. All told, our version has 12 grams less fat and nearly 50 percent less sodium per serving than the original.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Homemade Salsa

If you like mild salsa, use banana peppers in this recipe. For a hotter version, try jalapeño or one of the alternate pepper choices.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Curried Butternut Squash Dip

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
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.
By Mary Cleaver

Curried Almonds

A high-protein predinner snack--like these simple curry-roasted almonds--is a good way to take the edge off your appetite so that you don't overeat at mealtime.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetable Satay

Rating: 2.5 stars
1
Although usually made with strips of chicken or beef, this Indonesian-style satay can be made with fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets. Hot Madras curry has a bit of a kick; use regular curry powder if you just want the flavor of curry but not the heat. To save time, look for broccoli and cauliflower already cut into florets in the produce section or at the salad bar of your supermarket.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Rosemary-Garlic Marinated Vegetables

Amp up your appetizer game when you make this easy marinated vegetable recipe. Soak asparagus, mushrooms and cauliflower in rosemary- and garlic-flavored marinade and in just a couple hours you'll have tasty vegetables ready to serve.
By Breana Killeen

Apricot-Honey Mustard Sausage Bites

Let your slow cooker do the work of making these tasty appetizers.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mississippi Spiced Pecans

Rating: 4 stars
2
Make plenty of these mildly sweet and salty nuts--they are great to have on hand over the holidays.
By Peggy Knickerbocker

Picnic Deviled Eggs with Fresh Herbs

These eggs are perfect for a picnic because they're so portable. Instead of cutting them in half lengthwise, we just cut the tops off so they can stand upright in an egg carton for easy filling, transport and storage. We swapped in Greek yogurt for the traditional mayo to save calories.
By Katie Webster

Feta & Herb Dip

Rating: 3 stars
3
Lots of freshly chopped herbs add zing to our white bean dip. Serve with assorted vegetables, such as baby carrots, bell pepper strips, radishes, snow peas, broccoli and cauliflower florets.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cranberry-Citrus Meatballs

Mix chopped dried cranberries together with your meatball mixture to add a hit of sweetness in every bite. These meatballs start in the skillet but finish in the slow-cooker, making them an easy make-ahead meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Green Chile & Goat Cheese Dip

Rating: 3 stars
3
This creamy, cheesy dip is spiked with green chiles and smoky chipotle pepper. Be sure to drain the ricotta the day before you want to serve the dip. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tangy Cherry Barbecue Sausage

Cherry preserves, tomato paste and chipotle chile pepper combine for an unexpected sauce that provides sweet heat.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Country-Style Chicken Liver Mousse

Rating: 4 stars
1
What makes this chicken liver mousse so special is its coarse texture and use of very little fat. Most recipes for liver mousse made from cooked chicken livers contain copious amounts of butter or other fats for a moist and creamy texture. This version gets moisture, flavor and texture from onions, shallots and apple. For best results, do not overcook the chicken livers, which should be pink on the interior. Serve with mustard and crackers or toasted bread.
By Bruce Aidells

Cranberry White Chocolate Popcorn

Popcorn and chopped sweetened dried cranberries are tossed together and drizzled with white chocolate.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

New World Gravlax

This gravlax is a play on the traditional Scandinavian recipe. Thinly slice the finished salmon for canapés or layer it on warm grilled flatbread with a scattering of sliced sweet red onions, fresh salmon caviar and a dollop of good sour cream or crème fraîche. This salmon is also delicious used to make those wonderful old-fashioned tea sandwiches with fresh herb butter and thinly sliced cucumbers.
By John Ash

Goat Cheese Kisses

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
Each of these bite-size savory treats has a bit of dried fruit tucked inside for a slightly sweet surprise. They make wonderful holiday gifts as well as elegant little hors d'oeuvres.
By Jim Romanoff

Ham & Red Pepper Spread

Rating: 3 stars
2
Spread this creamy ham and roasted red pepper dip on Belgian endive, crackers or toasted baguette or use it as a dip for vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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