25+ Fall Appetizers

Life has been different since the pandemic began last March.  Large social gatherings have been dropped and seeing extended family has often been deferred.  We’re in the beginning of the favorite time of year for many people.  Colorful leaves, costumes at Halloween, Thanksgiving turkey, and then the holidays of Christmas and New Year provide a steady stream of fun and diversion.  Perhaps this year is different, but we can still enjoy our favorite celebrations  even if they are small and intimate.  In some ways that may make it even better.

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s recipes are a collection of easy appetizers that have wonderful flavors of fall.  I’m really fond of the salads, snacks, soups, and finger food that precede the main event at dinner.  We’re looking at dishes that are satisfying to eat yet do not take loads of work.  Click on titles for a link to the recipes.  Let’s start with a few apple and pear dishes for fall.

 

 

I. Grilled Cheese & Pear Sandwich

 

This time of year is the perfect time for sweet pears.  A great mix of sweet and savory, this easy to make grilled cheese and pear sandwich has great flavor.  Cut the sandwiches into quarters or halves for easy finger food.

 

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

II. Butternut Squash & Apple Bruschetta

 

For fall, take the summer classic balsamic tomato bruschetta and change it with the taste of fall.  Whitney Bond has a great recipe for this appetizer with a new twist, butternut squash & apples.  Take the best of fall and make a tasty autumn bruschetta.  Yum!

 

 

 

III. Apple Yogurt Toast with Dates

 

Basically the recipe is quite simple: toast whole grain bread, add yogurt and other toppings. Easy & quick for a busy holiday season.  Apple Yogurt Toast with Dates & Cinnamon uses Greek yogurt. Add a dab of honey and vanilla flavoring to plain Greek yogurt for a sweet vanilla flavor.

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

IV.  Slow Cooker Apple Butter on Homemade Biscuits

 

 

A yummy fall condiment made in your crockpot, apple butter is great on biscuits, rolls, or crackers.  Make a cheese tray with sharp cheddar cheese and a side of apple butter.

 

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

V.   Smoked Gouda & Apple Crostini With Honey Drizzle

 

This easy holiday appetizer from Joyful Healthy Eats has only 5 ingredients and still hits all the high notes – sweet, salty, savory and crunchy!

 

 

 

Photo Joyful Healthy Eats

 

 

Now on to other fabulous veggies and fruits.

 

 

VI.    Roasted Beets & Feta on Toast With Homemade Za’atar

 

 

I love toast for breakfast, lunch, and almost any other time.  Roasted Beets and Feta Toast is fabulous anytime of year, but I do like it in cooler weather..  Add Za’atar and it’s a culinary delight.  If you roast the beets the night before and refrigerate,  just let the beets come to room temperature to use.

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

 

VII.   Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Medjool Dates

 

 

I do love warm finger food in the fall.  Crisp bacon covering dates stuffed with melted cheese – yum!  Easy to make, they will disappear fast.

 

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

VIII.  Rich & Creamy Pumpkin Soup With Nuts

 

When the weather is cold, I always think of a warm, thick soup with crusty bread.  What’s better on a cool autumn day than a creamy pumpkin soup? Garnish with nuts or Greek yogurt.

 

 

 Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

IX.  Baked Figs With Goat Cheese

 

 

Fig season means it’s time to bake some figs for an easy appetizer with goat cheese.  Happy Kitchen’s easy 15-minute Baked Figs with Goat Cheese also has walnuts, honey and sage.

 

 

 

 Photo Happy Kitchen

 

 

 

 

X.   Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Bites

 

You’ve probably also heard of cauliflower pizza where cauliflower is used for the crust.  Cauliflower pizza bites  are similar and a crowd-pleasing fun food to eat.

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

 

XI.  Bacon Wrapped Brussel Sprouts

 

This two-ingredient  recipe from Fit Foodie Finds is the perfect appetizer for a delicious fall or Thanksgiving meal. They are easy to make and oh so tasty!

 

Photo Fit Foodie Finds

 

 

 

 

XII.  Warm Butternut Squash Dip With Gruyere & Pistachios

 

A healthy and tasty appetizer, this butternut squash dip with the cheesey crunchy nut topping just yells happy autumn!   If you hate to cut up butternut squash like I do, I have successfully used the frozen cubes for the last few years.  They work well without the hassle of cutting up the squash.  Feed Me Phoebe has a winner with this dip.

 

 

 

Photo Feed Me Phoebe

 

 

 

 

XIII.  Crispy, Seasoned Arugula & Mango Salad With Pumpkin Seeds

 

I’m a salad lover any time of year.  Cooler weather I crave more spicy salads with arugula. On its own or mixed in with other greens, arugula makes a great salad with its peppery notes.  If you’re not a fan of arugula, try an organic baby salad mix containing arugula.  The peppery notes are toned down by the medley of flavors.

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

 

XIV. Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad

 

 

A bowl full of walnuts, apples, dried cranberries and feta cheese covered in dressing is nothing short of wonderful.  Creme de la Crumb made it to celebrate a new fall salad bowl.  Lovely idea!

 

 

Photo Creme de la Crumb

 

 

 

XV.  Halloween Spider on Spinach Artichoke Hummus

 

 

 

Even if you don’t want the little pepper spider on your hummus, spinach aritchoke is one of my favorite hummus flavors.  You can use it with veggie strips, crackers, and/or crusty bread.  It’s definitely a dish to pull out for special times.

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

 

XVI.  Cranberry Brie Bites

 

 

 

Delish has delightful appetizers for the season including cranberry brie bites. This is another easy crescent roll recipe that I often see.  You can use canned cranberries or left-over cranberry sauce.  Colorful and tasty!

 

 

Photo Delish

 

 

 

 

XVII.  Savory Pumpkin Hummus For Fall

 

I’m a big hummus fan and love the savory-sweet from the pumpkin and spices.  It’s easy to make with a food processor and not only has a fabulous taste but also provides great nutrition.

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

 

XVIII.  Carmelized Onion Dip With Crispy Shallots

 

 

This dip is perfect whether you’re watching a game on TV or just talking with friends or family.  For all those onion lovers,  Country Living has the ultimate onion dip.

 

 

Photo Country Living

 

 

XIX.  Butternut Squash Fritters

 

 

I took one look at these fritters at Damn Delicious and fell in love.  The color and flavors are enhanced by the crispy texture and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. They are easy to make and I think I may become addicted.  Remember when I wrote about adding color to your diet for your health?  It isn’t punishment when you try out new recipes like this!

 

 

 

Photo Damn Delicious

 

 

 

XX.  Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels

 

 

These pinwheels are creamy, sweet and the perfect finger food whether you’re watching a game, making a school lunch, or waiting for the dinner  to cook.

 

 

 

Photo I Wash You Dry

 

 

 

XXI.  Creamy Carrot Soup

 

 

 

Carrot soup is an easy soup to make on a cold day yet rich enough to be a first course at a holiday meal.  The fresh ginger adds a zing to the taste!  I like to top it with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

 

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring

  

 

 

 

XXII.  Sweet Potato Rounds With Goat Cheese

 

I love baked sweet potatoes, but this dish from Ciao Forentina, takes it to a new level.  Baked sweet potato rounds are dressed with  crumbled goat cheese, honey, cranberries, candied nuts. and basalmic glaze.  A delicious morsel that is perfect to start any fall meal but rocks for the holidays.

 

 

Photo by Ciao Florentina

 

 

 

XXIII.  Halloween Spider Eggs

 

 

 

In my family we always have deviled eggs as one of the appetizers.  Why not makek them fun too?  A fun food for October gatherings, Spider eggs are tasty, healthy, and cute.

 

 

 Photo by Comfort Spring

 

 

XXIV.  Halloween Monster Eyes

 

Another adaptation of the classic deviled egg is the spooky monster eyes.  Use your favorite deviled egg recipe. Decorate the deviled eggs by adding red squiggles to the white of the eye using tomato paste or thick ketchup.

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

 

XXV.  Monster Teeth Treats

 

 

 

This appetizer/treat is so easy and has such an amazing taste.  Two apples slices with nut butter and nuts or seeds pushed between.  I’m sure all nuts would work but I HIGHLY recommend  Macadamia nuts – they look disgusting and have a fantastic taste!

 

Photo Comfort Spring

 

 

 

 

XXVI.   Spider Hot Dogs with Monster Fruit Cups

 

I’ll end this collection of fall appetizers with my first Halloween post’s treats. I got 2 ideas from posts on Facebook back in 2016.  Spider hot dogs are just pigs in a blanket adapted for Halloween.  That first post in 2016 inspired me to try new things and the spider dogs taste great.

The second treat is almost dessert:  Monster Cups.  Monster Fruit Cups are the easiest finger food in the world.  Decorate a cup with a pen or cut-outs for Halloween or any other holiday and then fill with fresh fruit.  Think grapes, apple slices with a lemon juice to prevent browning, or dried cranberries.  Trail mix would work too.  I just used seedless grapes and they were a sweet treat.  Try them frozen – it’s amazing!.

 

 

Photo Comfort Spring 

 

 

 

Pin this for inspiration!

 

 

 

I hope these fall appetizers will inspire you to try something new.  Happy Autumn!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post was featured at:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get exclusive free printables & all the news straight to your mailbox!

[email-subscribers-advanced-form id=”1″]

 

 

 

 

 

Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.