Recipes

37 Thanksgiving Appetizers Worth Showing Up Early For

Make-ahead dips, flaky cheese twists, and more starters to nibble while the turkey takes her time.
Pigs in a blanket topped with poppy seeds on an appetizer tray served with yellow mustard and Chicagostyle relish.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams

Making a tray of Thanksgiving appetizers should not feel like cooking a second dinner. This is the moment for a salty snack, a swoosh of dip, or a flaky, cheesy bite you can eat while shaping the rolls. They should keep everyone happy—especially the cook!—while dinner comes together.

The recipes below include a smoky (cheap!) carrot dip you can make up to a week ahead and a feta and sun-dried tomato dip you can blitz up in about five minutes. For a manageable spread, pick one rich option (like a retro cheese ball because it’ll make your aunt happy) and one crisp, crunchy counterpart. Add a third snack if you have time or the guest list calls for it—or, better yet, mix yourself a Thanksgiving cocktail to sip while you nibble.

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  • A creamy feta and sundried tomato dip with crudit on a checkered tablecloth with cocktails.
    Photograph by Andrew B. Myers, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness
    1/37

    Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

    Five minutes, a food processor, and you’re in business. Sun-dried tomatoes, feta, and Calabrian chile paste make a salty, tangy dip that needs no cooking and can be refrigerated two days ahead.

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  • A creamy spinach and artichoke dip recipe filled to the brim of a crusty sourdough bread bowl.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    2/37

    Stovetop Spinach-Artichoke Dip

    Save the oven for the turkey: This creamy spinach-artichoke dip comes together on the stove. You don’t have to serve it in a bread bowl, but don’t you kinda want to?

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  • Smoky Carrot Dip recipe
    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    3/37

    Smoky Carrot Dip

    Blend roasted carrots, chickpeas, and almonds into this dairy-free dip up to a week before Thanksgiving. Try not to eat it all on sandwiches and egg-topped toast before the big day.

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  • A serving bowl of hummus topped with olive oil and paprika with a swipe run through it as from a carrot.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christine Keely
    4/37

    Extra-Creamy Hummus

    The secret to this exceptionally creamy hummus? Blend a couple of ice cubes in with the canned chickpeas and tahini. Serve with crunchy vegetables and olives.

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  • Image may contain Food Dessert Creme Cream Yogurt and Plant
    Peden + Munk
    5/37

    Caramelized Shallot Dip

    French onion dip gets a tangy Greek yogurt base and a generous helping of jammy shallots. Salt-and-vinegar chips make a very welcome accompaniment.

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  • Bowl of muhammara topped with chopped walnuts and pomegranate molasses.
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani
    6/37

    Muhammara

    Pomegranate molasses gives this roasted red pepper and walnut dip its sweet-tart edge. Put out toasted pita and crunchy vegetables, and let everyone scoop.

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  • White bean dip with pine nuts
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    7/37

    Pine Nut and White Bean Dip

    Give a can of white beans the holiday treatment with toasted pine nuts and garlicky oil. The dip keeps in the fridge for up to two days; bring it to room temperature before serving.

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  • Beet and Hazelnut Dip at Ochre Bakery Detroit MI
    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    8/37

    Beet and Hazelnut Dip

    Give the beige snacks some competition. Beets, toasted hazelnuts, and lemon make a vivid, nutty dip you can refrigerate up to a week ahead—one less thing to tackle on Thursday.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Dish Meal and Bowl
    Photo by Alex Lau
    9/37

    Parsnip Skordalia

    Roasted parsnips give this garlicky feta dip a sweet backbone. Top it with hazelnuts and dill oil, and serve with plenty of crackers for scooping.

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  • Image may contain Plant and Food
    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    10/37

    Swiss Chard–Tahini Dip

    Put the whole bunch of chard to work: Both stems and leaves go into this lemony, tahini-rich dip. It’s dairy-free and can be refrigerated three days ahead, ready for a platter of hearty crackers.

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  • Marinated crumbles of feta cheese and Castelvetrano olives in a bowl with garlic and red pepper flakes alongside cubes...
    Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Molly Baz
    11/37

    Marinated Olives and Feta

    Garlic and citrus make the olive oil here just as enticing as the olives and feta. Keep good bread nearby for soaking up every last drop.

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  • Classic Cheese Ball on a silver platter
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    12/37

    Classic Cheese Ball

    A cheese ball makes an entrance, especially one with cheddar, cream cheese, and a retro coating of toasted pecans. Bring on the Ritz.

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  • Image may contain Bowl Dish Food Meal Soup Bowl and Soup
    Alex Lau
    13/37

    Marinated Goat Cheese With Herbs and Spices

    Soft goat cheese gets a bath in citrus-and-spice-infused olive oil. Spoon some of that fragrant oil over each serving, and keep crusty bread nearby—this isn’t the moment for a timid little cracker.

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  • This image may contain Dish Food Meal and Plant
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    14/37

    Marinated Manchego

    Give your Thanksgiving charcuterie board a head start. Manchego takes on garlic, orange, and rosemary as it marinates overnight; prepare it up to three days ahead and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Bread Produce Fruit Dish and Meal
    Alex Lau
    15/37

    Herbed Baked Brie

    A wheel of brie, a few herbs, and olive oil are the main event here. The oven softens the cheese, making it scoopable; crackers and sliced pears make excellent vehicles.

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  • A bowl of RosemarySizzled Salami Dates and Pecans for snacking
    16/37

    Rosemary-Sizzled Salami, Dates, and Pecans

    Crisped-up salami coins, dates, and pecans bring salty, sweet, chewy, and crunchy textures to the same bowl, with rosemary tying it all together.

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  • Ina Garten's chipotle cheddar cracker appetizer on a serving platter beside a glass of wine.
    Justin J Wee
    17/37

    Chipotle Cheddar Crackers

    Ina Garten’s smoky cheddar crackers are a strong argument for keeping cocktail-hour-ready dough in the freezer. The log can stay there up to four months, ready to slice and bake when company is coming.

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  • Image may contain Bowl Food Dish Meal Breakfast and Plant
    Alex Lau
    18/37

    Cacio e Pepe Chips

    A bag of kettle chips is already a respectable contribution. Add Pecorino and black pepper, then give it four minutes in a hot oven, and suddenly everyone wants to know what you did.

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  • Deviled cashews in a red bowl on red fabric.
    Photograph by Clay Williams, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon
    19/37

    Deviled Cashews

    Fresh curry leaves, golden onions, and a good hit of chile turn cashews into a salty, spicy snack worth hovering over. You make it all on the stovetop, leaving the oven for the turkey.

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  • Spiced Pecans in a bowl
    Photograph by Jessica Pettway, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    20/37

    Spiced Pecans

    A little honey, plenty of garlic, and a mix of fennel, coriander, and paprika make these pecans sweet, salty, and decidedly savory. Save a handful to scatter over a salad.

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  • Bowl of seasoned popcorn on a floral tablecloth with two cans of soda.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
    21/37

    Tangy Tomato-Chile Popcorn

    Tomato powder, garlic, and cayenne give popcorn a tangy, spicy kick. Mix the seasoning up to three weeks ahead, then pop a batch when guests start getting peckish.

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  • Pigs in a blanket topped with poppy seeds on an appetizer tray served with yellow mustard and Chicagostyle relish.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams
    22/37

    Chicago-Style Pigs in a Blanket

    A cornichon tucked beside each cocktail sausage gives these Windy City pigs their snap. Store-bought crescent dough, mustard, celery salt, and poppy seeds do the rest. Set out napkins; expect repeat visitors.

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  • Flaky puff pastry baked with apricot jam slices of brie sprigs of thyme and topped with cracked black pepper.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran
    23/37

    Jammy Brie Galette

    All the appeal of pastry-wrapped brie, with considerably less wrapping. Thawed puff pastry, jam, and cheese take about five minutes to assemble.

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  • A plate of roasted mushrooms stuffed with seasoned bread crumbs.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    24/37

    Stuffed Mushrooms

    Homemade breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, and herbs fill these mushroom caps, which bake up tender underneath and crisp on top. They’re decidedly old-school, and all the better for it.

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  • Image may contain Confectionery Food Sweets Bread and Hot Dog
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    25/37

    Crispy Cheese Twists

    Store-bought puff pastry does the heavy lifting for these crisp, cheesy twists. Shape and freeze them up to a month ahead, then bake straight from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.

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  • This image may contain Food Dessert Confectionery Sweets and Pastry
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    26/37

    Ham and Cheese Feuilleté

    No need to wrap dozens of individual pastries: Bake one big, flaky ham-and-cheese slab, then cut it into 60 little squares. Assemble up to 12 hours ahead, then refrigerate until ready to bake.

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  • A person selecting a gougere from a platter.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    31/37

    Cheddar and Herb Gougères

    Sharp cheddar, dill, and scallions give these airy cheese puffs plenty of bite. Pipe and freeze them up to a week ahead, then bake straight from frozen.

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  • A multitude of deviled eggs garnished generously with pepper and dill sprigs on a reflective silver platter.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Christina Allen
    32/37

    Extra-Creamy Deviled Eggs

    The trick to these generously filled deviled eggs is to add more eggs: Blend a few whole, cooked eggs into the yolk mixture to make the generous filling especially smooth and creamy.

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  • A platter of crushed ice topped with poached tailon shrimp lemon wedges and a bowl of cocktail sauce with a spoon.
    Photo by Alex Lau
    33/37

    BA’s Best Shrimp Cocktail

    Give the turkey a little seafood competition. Poach and peel the shrimp, and make the cocktail sauce a day ahead; refrigerate separately, then arrange the shrimp over cracked ice when guests arrive.

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  • Giardiniera Antipasto Platter
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    34/37

    Giardiniera Antipasto Platter

    Crunchy vegetables, punchy pickles, mortadella, olives, breadsticks: This is a platter for grazers. Tuck in the dips, pour the drinks, and let everyone help themselves.

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  • Ranch fun dip recipe for raw veggies
    Photograph by Laura Murray. Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    35/37

    Ranch Fun Dip

    Not a creamy dip—a tangy, savory powder for dunking vegetables. Pistachios, nutritional yeast, and dill give this vegan snack its ranch-like appeal. Make the powder two weeks ahead, then store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

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  • This image may contain Plant
    Alex Lau
    36/37

    Hand Salad With Yogurt-Lemon Dressing

    Skip the forks. Crisp romaine leaves are perfect for dunking in garlicky lemon-yogurt dressing and provide a crisp, cool, no-cook counterpoint to all that cheese and pastry.

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  • This image may contain Plant Cucumber Food and Vegetable
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    37/37

    Spicy Lightly Pickled Cucumbers

    A cold, crunchy pickle belongs beside the rich stuff. These cucumbers need 1–6 hours in the refrigerator to soak up the seasoning; add the dill and lemon juice just before serving.

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