I can’t speak for everyone, but fall is my absolute favorite time of year. That’s not exclusively because of the food, but compiling this list of fall starters reminded me that the food certainly doesn’t hurt. I love everything about fall – the weather, the sweaters and boots, Halloween, all the fall-scented candles, and yes, of course, the pumpkin spice. The food, though, is also phenomenal. It’s hard to choose a favorite fall dish between apples, turkey, pumpkins, root veggies, cider, and pecan pies. They’re all so yummy. Lucky for us, no one is making us choose. Every year, we get three glorious months of fall. That’s plenty of time to enjoy every one of these delicious fall appetizers at some point.
1. Cranberry Brie Bites
Cranberry tastes excellent any time of the year, but it’s truly a stand-out flavor in the fall. Add some brie into the mix, and you’ll have a delicious treat everyone will want to try. These bite-sized mouthfuls of yumminess require only five ingredients – crescent dough, flour, brie, cranberry sauce, and fresh sprigs of rosemary. You can make two dozen of them in less than 30 minutes, making them the perfect appetizer for large parties.
2. Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Pumpkin Hummus
If you’re looking for a quick, 5-minute fall appetizer, try this roasted garlic and rosemary pumpkin hummus. It has an intense garlic and rosemary flavor with just a hint of pumpkin puree and maple syrup to give it a light sweetness, as well. It’s probably unlike any hummus you’ve had before, but if you’re a fan of slightly sweet savory foods, you’ll love it.
3. Fall Cheese Ball
Cheese balls are always a favorite appetizer with my group of friends, but a cheese ball that looks like a pumpkin?! Adorable and tasty! It’s also unbelievably easy to make, taking only 15 minutes to get it ready for the fridge. Simply mix all your ingredients with a mixer and put them in a plastic bag to make the ball shape. After a couple of hours in the fridge, get it out and roll it in crushed Doritos. Then add a bell pepper stem to complete the pumpkin appearance. It’s easy peasy, and Halloween-y!
4. Bacon Apple Brie Crostini
Bacon apple brie crostinis are another excellent appetizer you can make with only five ingredients in 15 minutes or less. It’s a layered appetizer whose base is a crispy baguette. You’ll top that with crispy bacon, creamy brie, tender apples, and a delicious drizzle of maple syrup. Each bite is a sweet and salty masterpiece with plenty of contrasting and interesting textures to boot.
5. Pigs in a Blanket
There’s never really a wrong occasion for pigs in a blanket, and these full-size pigs in a blanket are pretty much one of my favorite go-to’s when it comes to appetizers. The flaky crescent roll crust is the perfect complement to the melted American cheese and baked hot dogs. These are just really hard to beat, mainly because they’re so simple to make.
6. Sweet Potato Bites
Okay, so it takes about 40 minutes to make only six or eight of these sweet potato bites, but they are so incredibly delicious that they’re worth it. The sweet potatoes are buttery and covered in maple syrup, and you’ll top each one with some melted marshmallows and pecans for a sweet, crunchy finish. Each bite is like your very own miniature sweet potato casserole that you don’t have to share. YUMMY!
7. Baked Brie with Apple and Salted Caramel
Baked brie is a creamy, decadent delicacy all by itself. Its subtle flavor and rich, silky texture are a pleasure to eat. Once you top it with salted caramel sauce and cinnamon- and brown sugar-coated baked apples, it becomes something beyond incredible. Simply put, it’s one of the best things you’ll ever taste. Serve it with salted pita chips, and get ready to hear the compliments come rolling in.
8. Texas Trash
Texas trash may not sound like anything you’ll want to eat. Think of it as homemade Chex Mix coated in melted butter and the best possible mix of homemade seasonings instead. Sounds a lot better when you say it like that, huh? Honestly, whether you call it Texas trash or homemade Chex Mix, there won’t be much left once people try it.
9. Garlic Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
If you love the ooey-gooey goodness of monkey bread but are looking for something a bit more savory, give this garlic cheese pull-apart bread a try. It uses the same concept as monkey bread, but instead of sugar, cinnamon, and other sweet ingredients, you’ll use melted butter, garlic, parsley, and mozzarella cheese. Serve it by itself or alongside your favorite pasta dish. Either way, it’s insanely tasty.
10. Apple Chips
Apple chips are basically dehydrated apple slices with cinnamon and salt, but – and here’s the great news – you can make them in your air fryer or oven! There is no special dehydrating equipment needed!
11. Baked Veggie Chips
If you’re looking for a less sweet, more earthy option, use veggies to make your chips instead. They’re just as easy to make, requiring only the veggies, sea salt, and avocado oil to make them.
12. Mini-Apple, Cheddar & Bacon Fillo Snack Tart Recipe
You can make 30 of these tiny tarts in about 30 minutes, and although each one is barely more than a mouthful, you and everyone who tries them will love them. You’ll fill each tiny filo (or phyllo) shell with a mixture of apples, honey, cinnamon, and cheddar cheese. Then sprinkle a little bacon over the top of each one. Finally, bake them for 5 or 6 minutes until the cheese gets melty and the shells start to brown. In the end, you’ll have another sweet, salty, and cheesy snack that perfectly exemplifies fall.
13. Buffalo Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are another one of those appetizers that taste great practically all year round. Chicken wings smothered in spicy buffalo sauce are even better. Best of all, you can make these in about 30 minutes with only three ingredients. Serve them with some ranch for dipping and a few celery stalks on the side, and you’ll have a party favorite.
14. Butternut Squash Fritters
Crispy, crunchy, and cheesy, these butternut squash fritters take only 15-20 minutes to make. They have a delicious earthiness to them, thanks to the squash and the sage. Don’t forget to salt them when they’re done, and feel free to top them off with sour cream and more sage if you like.
15. Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
Despite taking less than 30 minutes to make, this cranberry cream cheese dip is one of the things that people seem to love most at my parties. They love that it’s sweet, savory, salty, spicy, earthy, and tangy all at once. Serve it like you would a cheese ball, with crackers, apple slices, or veggie sticks.
16. Bacon-Wrapped Smokies
If you have some die-hard meat eaters in your circle, this recipe for three-ingredient, bacon-wrapped smokies is one you’ll want to try. Simply wrap each smokie in bacon, stick it on a skewer, and top it generously with brown sugar. Stick them in the oven to bake for about 15-20 minutes, then serve them while they’re still hot. If you’ve ever had bacon and brown sugar together, then you already know how incredible these taste.
17. Caramel Apple Dip
I can never let fall pass me by without making caramel apple dip at least once. All you’ll need is cream cheese, sugar, toffee bits, and caramel sauce. Mix the sugar and cream cheese and spread it in a baking dish. Top it with caramel sauce and toffee bits, then serve it with apple slices. (Granny Smith apples are best.) The whole process takes about 5 minutes, and you won’t find anyone who doesn’t love the results.
18. Caramelized Onion Dip
If you love French onion dip, stop what you’re doing and make this caramelized onion dip right now! It’s that good. It takes nearly an hour to make, but it’s thick, creamy, and so unbelievably oniony and garlic-y. French onion dip will never suffice after trying this extraordinary appetizer.
19. Apple Cheese Flatbreads
These flatbreads look like pizza, and I suppose you could call them that if you like. However, there’s no tomato sauce, and they’re so much cheesier than pizza could even dream of being. The apples, onions, and arugula give them a garden-fresh, crisp taste, and while the cheeses and prosciutto are tasty, they don’t overshadow the dish as a whole. If you’re looking for a nice appetizer or a quick, 25-minutes-or-less lunch option, give these a try.
20. Butternut Squash Hummus with Pomegranate and Feta
I love hummus, but it’s not what you’d call a “pretty” food. Or at least, that’s what I thought before finding this recipe. This hummus is just as smooth, earthy, and garlicky as any hummus you’ve tried. Thanks to the unusual toppings of pomegranate arils, parsley, feta cheese, and more, it’s also gorgeous. There’s a slight sweetness to it, as well, and the butternut squash, garlic, and coriander give it a distinctly fall flavor.
21. Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels
Who said you had to wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy turkey and cranberry sauce? With these turkey cranberry pinwheels, any party can be like Thanksgiving. Best of all, there’s no cooking involved. If you can assemble ingredients, you can make these scrumptious pinwheels.
22. Nachos
The weather starts turning colder in the fall, so you’ll want your appetizers to be flavorful and – most importantly – filling. These nachos serve both requirements. Topped with beans, cheese, beef, peppers, onions, and whatever else you want to load them with, they might just be the most filling appetizer on this entire list.
23. Pear and Goat Cheese Appetizer
This lovely appetizer is both sweet and tangy, and you can have it ready in less than 20 minutes. Simply assemble your pear slices and top them with goat cheese and walnut slices. Bake it until the cheese starts to brown, then drizzle it in honey and balsamic. It’s an interesting, unique dish with plenty of flavor.
24. Spinach Artichoke Dip
Creamy, cheesy, and supremely garlic-y, spinach artichoke dip has everything you could want in an appetizer, including bacon. It takes 30 minutes to make, and you can serve it with chips, bread, veggie sticks, or whatever else you like.
25. Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese Cranberry and Pecans
These colorful appetizers are creamy and crunchy, sweet and tangy, and tasty and healthy. They have everything going for them and take only 35 minutes to cook. If you’re looking for something with plenty of contrasting (but complementary) flavors and textures, this is the appetizer for you.
26. Pizza Rolls
When you’re looking for a super simple appetizer option, you can’t beat frozen pizza rolls. But how do you cook them so that they’re crispy on the outside with warm, gooey fillings? The answer is the air fryer! Seriously, if you want perfect pizza rolls every time, invest in an air fryer. They’re invaluable.
27. Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts
Although Brussels sprouts were a bit out of season at the time, the last time I made these was last Fourth of July for my family’s annual cookout. I was worried that they wouldn’t be well-received in the hot summer sun, but when I got my serving platter back, there wasn’t a single sprout left on it. I guess if something tastes good enough, people don’t care if it’s out of season. These definitely taste good enough. They’re crispy, garlic-y, and covered in parmesan cheese. I refuse to eat Brussels sprouts cooked any other way.
28. Roasted Acorn Squash and Goat Cheese Dip
I don’t know what it is about goat cheese that reminds me of fall, but it does, and that’s why I’ve added so many goat cheese recipes to this list. This one is great if you enjoy tangy dips with just a hint of sweetness.
29. Butternut Squash Soup
If you enjoy soups that are earthy, herby, and full of delicious, healthy veggies, you’ll love this one. Requiring only seven ingredients (plus salt and pepper), you can make it in a little over an hour. It’s rich and creamy, and it also freezes well, which means you can make extra and save it for later.
30. Cheese Fondue
I could never make great fondue, and I had resigned myself only to having it when I visited The Melting Pot or some other fondue-friendly restaurant. Then I discovered this recipe for cheese fondue, and I’ve never been more excited to find a recipe in my life. I can’t be sure, but I think it was the white wine and Dijon mustard that made all the difference. Whatever it was, I now make fondue like a champ, and I never pass up an opportunity to show off a little. Click on a star to rate it!
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