12 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizers That Will Have You Craving For More

As fun as Thanksgiving dinners can be, that doesn’t mean the stress isn’t there when you’re racing to get the meals out so your guests don’t feel like they’re starving or maybe they should have eaten before they arrived. To allow you more time to prepare the other dishes and cut down on the workload, we’ve compiled a list of delicious, mouthwatering appetizers that you can make ahead of time. Promise, they definitely won’t taste frozen! That’s for sure.

So, if you’re looking for the perfect and easy Thanksgiving appetizers that can be quickly heated while still tasting great, then look no further because this list is amazing. You’ll really wonder why you hadn’t thought of doing this every year. I sure did!

1. Dried Apricots and Blue Cheese Canapés

A delicious yet healthy way to kick off the feast that won’t leave you feeling upset but instead have you struggling to resist eating them all up by yourself. It’s quite easy to make and a quick process too. When you’re ready to serve these babies, all you have to do is take them out of the fridge and bring to room temperature.

A peek at what you will need: Dried apricots, blue cheese, walnuts, rosemary, and honey.

Find the recipe here: tidymom

2. Herbed Gougeres

If you think normal cheese puffs are amazing, just wait till you’ve got a bite of this fresh chives and lemon zest cheese puffs. The fantastic thing about this particular recipe is that it can keep for at least a month frozen.

A peek at what you will need: Butter, red pepper, all-purpose flour, Gruyère cheese and a few other things.

Find the recipe here: goodhousekeeping

3. Cheesy Meatball Cups

Any mini pastry cups are always a winner but what makes this particular recipe special is its dash of spicy jalapeño queso. Perfect for a game night and perfect for Thanksgiving too. All in all, it takes about 40 minutes to complete.

A peek at what you will need: crescent dough, meatballs, and Queso Quesadilla Jalapeño

Find the recipe here: caciqueinc

4. Sweet Potato Pie

Nothing makes Thanksgiving better than some delicious sweet potato pie. Healthy, tasty, and can be made 1 day in advance, you’re going to love this one.

A peek at what you will need: Brown sugar, sweet potato, orange juice, honey, milk, cinnamon and a few other things.

Find the recipe here: realsimple

5. Chocolate Silk Pie

First off, hands up if this chocolate pie is tempting you to go and make it right now! I can almost taste how delicious this is going to be. The total time and effort involved is 15 minutes although the time needed for this work of art to set in the refrigerator is at least 3 hours. You don’t want to miss out on this one!

A peek at what you will need: Shortbread-Pecan Crust, semisweet chocolate, heavy cream, cornstarch, cocoa and a few other things.

Find the recipe here: realsimple

6. Gingery Shrimp Toasts

If you’re a lover of Asian food, then you won’t be able to forget this shrimp toast ever. All it involves is adding the ingredients in a food processor and let it do its thing. Simple, delicious and takes a total time of less than a minute.

A peek at what you will need: baguette, shelled, deveined shrimp, butter, sugar, cilantro leaves, and jalapeno chile

Find the recipe here: goodhousekeeping

7. Spinach Puffs

Spinach puffs that are delicious and easy as well as perfect for kids and adults. All it involves is using a baking tray and shoving them in the oven. Once done, they can be frozen for any time and just heat them when you’re ready.

A peek at what you will need: frozen chopped spinach, crumbled feta, finely chopped scallions, puff pastry and a few other things.

Find the recipe here: deliciouslydeclassified

8. Creamy Stuffed Peppers

If you’re craving for something spicy on Thanksgiving, then these sliced jalapenos or mini peppers with cream cheese stuffing will hit the spot in no time. The only requirement is that the peppers and cream cheese has to chill separately for at least 24 hours.

A peek at what you will need: jalapenos or mini peppers, reduced-fat cream cheese, green onions, salt, black pepper and a few other things.

Find the recipe here: bhg

9. Cranberry Baked Brie Puff Pastry Bites

Talking about tasty puff recipes, these puff bites are filled with cranberry and baked for a deliciously explosive burst of cranberry in your mouth. Trust me, you really need to make this one.

A peek at what you will need: fresh cranberries, orange juice, water, honey, ground cinnamon and kosher salt

Find the recipe here: wellplated

10. Root Veggie Chips with Sea Salt

I always love to keep my meals healthy because my stomach is quite sensitive. These healthy and low-calorie vegetable chips are just as delicious as they look. Plus, the crispiness is just amazing.

 A peek at what you will need: sweet potato, beets, carrots, blue potatoes and a few more things.

Find the recipe here: bhg

11. Pumpkin Dip

A pumpkin dip that goes with literally anything; apple slices, pear slices, crackers or bread sticks. The only requirement is that 100% pure pumpkin has to be used. Just whip the ingredients in a bowl and you’re done! Easy, right?

A peek at what you will need: canned pumpkin puree,  (powdered) sugar, cream cheese, Cool Whip topping, ground cinnamon

Find the recipe here:deliciouslysprinkled 

12. Grilled Onion Dip

Not into pumpkin recipes? No problem because this onion dip is just as delicious and the best part? It can be stored in the fridge for a few days before.

A peek at what you will need: extra-virgin olive oil, sweet onion, clove garlic, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and a few other things.

Find the recipe here: goodhousekeeping

Hopefully, these Thanksgiving appetizers will make your day much better and allow you to relax a bit! Let us know in the comments below what Thanksgiving recipes are your favorite!

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