14 Simple Appetizers You Can Make Using Seasonal Fall Ingredients

Fall is the season for a lot of things: tailgating, visiting the pumpkin patch, whipping up pies and seasonal bakes, and, of course, entertaining. Not only is Thanksgiving right around the corner (not to make you panic or anything), but you also have tailgates, Halloween parties, and other events to look forward to. And none of these celebrations — no matter the occasion or the scale — are complete without tasty appetizers.

It's time to leave behind the boring charcuterie boards of years past and kick ho-hum salsa and tortilla chips to the curb, especially when a bounty of fall fruits, vegetables, and ingredients is begging to be incorporated into your appetizer lineup. That's why we wanted to share a list of tasty, autumnal-inspired starters worth serving this time of year. You can dress them up or down depending on the occasion, but they all have one thing in common: they are super simple to prepare. Some call for store-bought components, while others use kitchen staples you may already have on hand (especially in the fall). 

Baked Brie is one of our favorite fall appetizers because you can top it with a variety of seasonal ingredients. It's so simple to prepare at home, considering that all you need is a round of Brie cheese with the top rind removed. The cheese's neutral flavor —subtly nutty and grassy —and its melty consistency pair perfectly with the sweetness of pumpkin, specifically pumpkin butter. 

Pumpkin butter is a condiment made from cooking down pumpkin puree with spices and sweetener until it deepens in color and transforms into a sticky paste. The sweetness meshes well with the milky, almost-buttery cheese, and the spread offers the ideal medley of autumnal warmth and caramelized complexity. Drizzle your pumpkin butter onto the wedge of Brie before popping it into the oven to soften the cheese. This version of baked Brie is excellent spooned onto sliced baguette or dipped into with crackers, and you can always adorn it with other seasonal accompaniments, like a sprinkle of rosemary or fresh thyme, a drizzle of honey, chopped walnuts, or cinnamon-spiced pepitas, if you prefer. Another cute trick is to place the round of Brie on a circle-cut piece of puff pastry with a dollop of pumpkin butter (or apple butter) and use kitchen twine to tie it up so that it resembles an adorable pumpkin; use a pretzel rod to create the stem and brush some orange food coloring on the outside to make it look even more gourd-geous.

@ainttooproudtomeg

SAVE this Halloween / Thanksgiving appetizer! I got this recipe from @socialspreads and absolutely loved it. I added some minor notes because the allouette Briette was not my fave because it didn't melt. Next time I'd use a regular 8oz from another brand. It might make the pumpkin a bit wider and less tall but it should turn out much meltier 🧀💛 RECIPE – 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed – 1 4.4 ounce wheel of Briette Creamy & Mild Cheese (see note about using bigger Brie above) – ⅓ cup apple butter (or jam of choice) – 1 egg white, beaten – 1 pretzel stick – 2 fresh sage leaves – Baker's twine – Crackers of choice INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Lay puff pastry on parchment paper and add apple butter in the center. Lay Briette cheese on top of butter. 3. Wrap pastry puff around the brie and pinch edges to seal it. Cut off excess pastry. You will cut less the bigger the Brie. 4. Wrap Baker's Twine around the brie. Space the strings out evenly. 5. Flip everything over so the neater side is on the top and apply the egg wash to the outside. 6. Bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. 7. Allow to cool for several minutes, then carefully cute and remove the string. 8. For the finishing touches, lay sage leaves in center and use the pretzel stick to "tuck" them into the pumpkin baked brie. AAintTooProudToCheesefoodtok #howtocharcuterie #pumpkinfood ffeedfeed@ainttooproudtomeg #thanksgivingfood#halloweenfood

♬ Dreams – The Cranberries

Hummus is a party favorite for a reason. The bean-based dip is vegetarian on its own, and you can customize hummus in plenty of ways to add an even more unique and, in this case, autumnal flavor. One option is adding pumpkin, which you can use with either store-bought or homemade hummus. We recommend using canned pumpkin puree for this hack, as it's easier to prepare and has very little moisture, unlike some homemade pumpkin puree recipes. No one wants a loose or watery hummus. 

You can add as little or as much pumpkin as you'd like; it adds subtle sweetness and earthiness without significantly changing the dip's texture. Start with a cup of puree per can of chickpeas, blend until well mixed, then adjust the seasoning.

Your pumpkin hummus can lean savory or sweet depending on the snacks and crudités you plan to serve with it. For a savory pumpkin hummus, add garlic, chili powder, and ground cumin; it pairs especially well with seedy wheat crackers. Or, for a sweeter take, add a drizzle of maple syrup, cinnamon, or even pumpkin pie spice. This makes it more of a dessert hummus, which pairs brilliantly with pretzels or gingersnap biscuits.

The best appetizers combine sweet and savory, which is surely why bacon-wrapped dates are a favorite at dinner parties and autumnal gatherings. Dates are a fall fruit — harvested around September — and though they are not as popular as other fall produce, they are still worth adding to your meals and appetizer menu. Bacon-wrapped versions may look like something straight out of a Michelin-starred restaurant, but they are actually quite simple to prepare at home. They're even more delicious when accented with another popular fall ingredient: maple syrup (yes, we know maple sap is harvested mostly in the spring, but the ties to autumnal coziness are undeniable).

To make your bacon-wrapped dates, you'll only need three ingredients: dates, bacon, and a spreadable, stuffable cheese. Goat cheese is a flavorful pick, and its funkiness pairs well with sweet dates and salty, umami bacon. To assemble, stuff the cheese inside of a sliced date, wrap the raw bacon around the fruit, and secure it with a toothpick. At this point, you can brush maple syrup on top of the bacon; if you are worried about the syrup burning, apply it halfway through cooking. In no time at all, you'll have a delicious, one-bite appetizer that is subtly autumnal and right at home at your next celebration.

Brussels sprouts are yet another type of produce that you may not have realized is harvested during the fall. When prepared well, they might be one of the most delicious veggies of the season. For the best results, avoid boiling or steaming them, as your kitchen will smell sulfuric for weeks, and you'll do their flavor and texture a disservice. Instead, we recommend roasting them. 

One of our favorite techniques for crispy roasted Brussels sprouts is to par-cook them before slicing and smashing them. That way, when you finish them in a hot oven, the pieces get ultra-crispy, and the inner moisture evaporates, leaving well-caramelized sprouts with craggy edges that beg to be dunked in a creamy dipping sauce or drizzled with a glaze. If you don't want to turn on the oven, you can also prepare our crispy fried Brussels sprouts recipe in a skillet. It marries the sprouts with plump pomegranate seeds (another fall fruit), nutty pistachios, and a pomegranate molasses glaze. If you prefer something more savory, give your roasted Brussels sprouts an Asian-inspired twist with miso paste, or caramelize them with maple syrup.

Cheddar cheese and apples go together better than you might think. In this case, they take the form of a melty, gooey quesadilla that is bound to be a favorite with teenagers and adults and can double as a snack. To prepare, simply tuck pieces of thinly sliced apples (peel on is fine) into a tortilla with cheese and any other accompaniments you want. The apple slices will offer a burst of tart flavor and unmistakable crunch. Beyond cheese, you can add complementary fillings like sliced ham, turkey, or even bacon, or swap the cheddar for a milder, nuttier option like Gouda, fontina, or Gruyère. 

For the apples, we recommend tart, snappy varieties that hold their shape. Some of the best types of apples to use here (which double as great snacking apples) include Ida Red, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Winesap, Yellow Delicious, and even the tart Granny Smith. Whatever type you use, slice it thinly and uniformly (a mandoline comes in handy) and don't let the fruit sit too long inside or outside the quesadilla, since it browns quickly. 

Ricotta is one of our favorite ingredients to cook with. It's creamy, milky, and just salty enough to toe the line between sweet and savory — and it can play both sides, depending on the recipe. The cheese's spreadable consistency, paired with a sweet ingredient like pumpkin, turns it into a dip or topping that should be at the center of your Thanksgiving appetizer lineup. 

To make this dip, whip the ricotta in a stand mixer, then add the pumpkin puree and any other ingredients you want. In no time, the mixture will be fluffy, orange-hued, and begging to be slathered on a crostini or dipped into with crackers, cookies, or chips. Since both pumpkin and ricotta are neutrally flavored, you can take this dip in a sweet or savory direction. For something more dessert-like, add a drizzle of honey, cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice; for a savory variation, add chopped garlic, sage, and cumin. You can also swap out the pumpkin puree with butternut squash puree if you prefer.

Another way to combine pumpkin and ricotta is to make a layered crostini, with pumpkin puree on the bottom and ricotta on top. Swirl the two together with the back of a spoon, and add a drizzle of honey or a candied sage leaf for an elevated presentation, but the same excellent flavor combo as the dip.

Meatballs are the quintessential cold-weather food. They're hearty, flavorful, and you can make them from scratch or buy them from the store. As long as you have a slow cooker and a quart of apple cider on hand, you can whip up a yummy appetizer with frozen meatballs to serve at a dinner party, fall gathering, or even a tailgate.

The apple cider glaze pairs well with pork meatballs, which are often made with complementary spices like sage. However, chicken or beef meatballs also work well, as the cider adds a subtle sweetness that enhances the meat's natural savoriness. To prepare, simply toss your desired serving of frozen meatballs into a slow cooker, then whip up a basic sauce using apple cider as your base. Of course, if you use only apple cider, your meatballs won't turn out very tasty. Instead, you'll want to add other components, like brown sugar, Dijon mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, along with your favorite spices and seasonings, to the cider before pouring it over the meatballs and letting them simmer. In a few hours, you'll have a tasty batch of meatballs that are just begging to be stuck with toothpicks and served.

Apples tend to get a lot of press in the fall, so we wanted to highlight another tasty fall fruit you can use in a similar way, but with a distinctly different profile: pears. Pears' bright, honeyed complexity pairs especially well with goat cheese. We love that pears aren't as outwardly sweet as apples, and their texture is a bit mealier, which can make them particularly compelling when thinly sliced and layered on crostini or toast.

A goat cheese crostini is as simple as it sounds: goat cheese smeared on a slice of bread and topped with thin slices of pear. Goat cheese has an acquired taste, so if you want to make it a little less goat-y (for lack of a better word), try whipping it in a stand mixer with full-fat cream cheese. It'll give you a fluffy, creamy spread that's especially tasty topped with honey, chopped walnuts, and fresh pears. If you prefer a sweeter fruit flavor, try roasting the slices on a sheet pan ahead of time. 

We would be remiss not to mention cranberries, one of the darlings of the fall season. While no Thanksgiving table is complete without cranberry sauce, your appetizer table should also be home to a cranberry-flecked cheese dip, as it's bound to be a favorite among guests of all ages. 

You have several routes you can take with this fall ingredient. First, create a retro cheese ball by whipping together cream cheese and cheddar cheese, then adding dried cranberries, chopped nuts, green onions, and the like. Once you shape the cheese ball, roll it in an extra layer of cranberries and nuts for a colorful crust, then serve it alongside sturdy crackers and pretzels for dipping. We like the textural contrast of the chewy, dried sweet cranberries and the soft cheese.

However, this texture isn't for everyone. If you prefer a cranberry-and-cream-cheese combo that's easier to spread on a baguette or crostini, make a cranberry compote by cooking the whole, fresh fruit with sugar and water, plus any extra flavorings (jalapeño would add a zesty pop). Once it cools, spoon it over your whipped cream cheese. 

Pinwheels are such a simple appetizer that costs very little to make, but always looks like a million bucks. To make them at home, all you need is a sheet of puff pastry dough and your filling of choice. Since we're feeling autumnal, we suggest adding apple butter inside.

Like pumpkin butter, apple butter is like applesauce that's been cooked and caramelized, which enhances the fruit's natural sweetness and transforms it into a thick, spreadable paste. Its consistency makes it easy to spread on the thawed pastry, along with your favorite fillings like chopped cooked bacon or pancetta, shredded cheddar or Gouda, ham, or red onions, and fold into a log before slicing. The apple butter offers the perfect amount of complementary sweetness and a fall flair that will have your guests coming back for seconds. 

If you like eating grape jelly meatballs, you'll love this recipe for classic sausage balls with cranberry mustard dip. Start with breakfast sausage seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, then mix it with grated cheese, shape it into bite-sized pieces, and bake. The sauce is, of course, where the fall flavors come in. You can use canned cranberry sauce, combined with peppery horseradish and Dijon mustard, to create a refreshing, palate-cleansing dipping sauce that masterfully blends sweet and savory. You can make both components ahead of time, making this recipe a must for parties when you're short on time.

The sauce itself is incredibly versatile, and we recommend doubling the recipe so that you can serve it with all kinds of dipping implements. Pretzel rods are a good option, as the horseradish flavor elevates an otherwise bland, boring bite.

This one also screams "fall" in more ways than one. Figs are a late-fall crop, though this recipe for hazelnut and fig baked Brie uses a shelf-stable form: fig jam. Slather the jam onto the crosshatched piece of Brie, top with rosemary sprigs, and bake until the cheese is melty.

Sliced fresh figs make an excellent garnish, as do chopped hazelnuts and a drizzle of honey. Break out sturdy bread for dipping; a crostini, hearty baguette, or Wheat Thins are an excellent match for the creamy cheese, sweet figs, and medley of sophisticated flavors. There are also plenty of wines you could serve alongside it, including buttery chardonnay, a fruity pinot noir, or even a bubbly cava or prosecco to liven up the bite and give you a reprieve from the richness of the Brie.

Dates aren't the only thing you should be wrapping in bacon. Little smokies are also one of the tastiest and most sophisticated appetizers you can serve at your next get-together. And to think, they're just little hot dogs!

There are plenty of ways to give bacon-wrapped smokies a fall upgrade here. The first is brushing them with a layer of maple syrup before they go into the oven. The oaky sweetness works wonders on both the bacon and the weenie it encases. You can also serve them alongside a dipping sauce, such as one made with apple butter, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard, for extra sweetness and a spicy pop. Alternatively, you can try a deconstructed take: skip the bacon entirely and cook the little smokies in a slow cooker with apple butter and your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce (or add chopped bacon to the slow cooker with the rest of the components). 

Phyllo dough is a popular ingredient in handheld appetizers. As long as you defrost phyllo the right way, you'll get endless flaky layers that beg to be shaped into snappy, elegant appetizers that look like they just walked out of a Michelin-starred kitchen.

We love to turn this freezer staple into little bite-sized cups using a mini muffin tin. Simply slice the phyllo dough into squares and place it inside the tins before adding goat cheese and your choice of autumnal fruit. One fruit we haven't mentioned yet that pairs especially well with goat cheese is persimmons. Spoon a little goat cheese in the bottom of the cups, then top it with thin slices of persimmons before baking the tray until the phyllo browns and the fruit softens. The sweet, almost apricot-like taste of the persimmons pairs well with the tart, tangy goat cheese. It's an excellent foray into this unconventional fruit, though a dollop of cranberry sauce would also be quite tasty, especially with chopped pecans sprinkled on top for contrast.