25 Healthy Thanksgiving Appetizers (Light, Easy & Make-Ahead)

These easy Healthy Thanksgiving Appetizers keep everyone happy while the turkey finishes, without filling them up before dinner! From a Greek yogurt dill dip and whipped feta to avocado deviled eggs, cranberry brie bites, and bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts, there are light Thanksgiving appetizers for every kind of snacker.

Most of these work as Thanksgiving appetizers to make ahead, so you can prep them the day before and keep the oven free on Thursday. Want something warm? The Thanksgiving finger foods at the bottom bake in under 45 minutes, and the slow cooker meatballs don’t need the oven at all.

How to Build a Lighter Thanksgiving Appetizer Spread

You don’t need a dozen recipes to set out a good spread. I like a simple mix: something fresh, something with protein, and one dip. Fresh herbs like dill, rosemary, and thyme on top make even a simple dip look ready for the holiday menu. That way people have something to snack on without being too full for the main meal.

• Start with veggies: A Thanksgiving veggie tray with baby carrots, celery, cucumber, and mini sweet peppers covers a lot of ground. Pre-cut veggies from the store are a big time-saver.
• Add a protein: Deviled eggs, smoked salmon, turkey skewers, or a Greek yogurt dip help keep people full until dinner.
• Pick one dip: One or two dips are plenty. A Greek yogurt or bean dip is a healthier choice than a sour cream dip and still tastes great.
• Plan the amount: If dinner follows soon after, plan on 3 to 4 bites per person. If there’s a long wait before the meal, plan on 6 to 8.

Need gluten free Thanksgiving appetizers? The dips with veggies, both deviled eggs, the cucumber salmon rolls, the stuffed mushrooms, the prosciutto wrapped dates, and the stuffing balls (made with gluten-free stuffing mix) are good places to start. Just check your labels.

Make-Ahead Tips for Thanksgiving Appetizers

Most of these easy Thanksgiving appetizers make ahead well, which helps a lot when the oven is busy with the turkey and sides.

• One to two days ahead: Make the dips and hummus, boil and peel the eggs, roast the carrots and squash, and wash and cut the veggies. Store everything in airtight containers in the fridge.
• The morning of: Stuff the mushrooms and dates, assemble the skewers, and roll the cucumber salmon bites. Keep them covered in the fridge.
• Right before guests arrive: Fill the deviled eggs, bake the warm appetizers, and set out the cold ones.
• Keep it safe: Cold appetizers shouldn’t sit out longer than 2 hours. Set out smaller bowls and refill them from the fridge.

Healthy Thanksgiving Dips and Boards

Healthy Charcuterie Board

This healthy charcuterie board takes about 15 minutes and no cooking. I fill it with reduced-fat crackers, turkey pepperoni, Babybel Light, string cheese, grapes, clementines, apple slices, celery, baby carrots, and little dill pickles. My kids love building their own plates from it, and it’s an easy way to have a Thanksgiving veggie tray and a cheese board in one.

Greek Yogurt Buffalo Chicken Dip

My Greek yogurt buffalo chicken dip swaps most of the cream cheese for nonfat Greek yogurt, then adds shredded chicken, a little cheddar, half a packet of ranch, and buffalo sauce. It bakes in about 25 minutes and has plenty of protein, so a scoop on celery sticks holds everyone over until dinner. Rotisserie chicken works great here.

Greek Yogurt Dill Dip for Veggies

This Greek yogurt dill dip for veggies has no mayo at all. I use nonfat Greek yogurt with fresh dill, dried garlic and onion, plus lemon juice and zest. Stir it together, chill it for an hour so the flavors come together, and set it out with baby carrots, celery, cucumber slices, and mini sweet peppers.

Creamy Whipped Feta Dip

This whipped feta dip blends a block of feta with Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and lemon in about 5 minutes. A drizzle of oil, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley on top make it look fancy with no extra work. Serve it with cucumber, bell peppers, and pita chips, and keep a second bowl in the fridge for refills.

High Protein Nacho Dip

My high protein nacho dip is a 10-minute layered dip made with Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and taco seasoning, then topped with salsa, cheddar, and green onion. It’s no bake, so you can build it in a pie plate the night before and pull it from the fridge right before guests arrive. Bell pepper strips make good scoopers.

Whipped Ricotta Dip with Balsamic and Cranberries

This whipped ricotta dip with balsamic and cranberries whips ricotta and olive oil until smooth, then gets topped with dried cranberries, balsamic, crushed red pepper, rosemary, and thyme. It’s sweet, tangy, and a little savory all at once, and the red cranberries add holiday color to the table. Serve it with crostini, apple slices, or crackers.

White Bean Dip

Chew Out Loud’s white bean dip blends white beans with olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and fresh rosemary in about 5 minutes. The beans add fiber and protein, and the rosemary makes it taste like the holidays. It’s a good pick if you need a dairy-free dip for the appetizer table.

Pumpkin Whipped Feta Dip

This pumpkin whipped feta dip from The Oregon Dietitian whips feta, cream cheese, pumpkin puree, and Greek yogurt with a touch of maple syrup and thyme. Toasted pecans on top add crunch. It takes about 10 minutes, it’s salty and a little sweet, and it goes well with apple slices, pita chips, or sliced baguette.

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

This healthy spinach artichoke dip from The Wooden Skillet uses Greek yogurt with just a little mayo, plus mozzarella, Parmesan, artichokes, spinach, shallots, and garlic. It’s ready in about 30 minutes, and you can mix it a day early and bake it right before everyone arrives. Serve it warm with veggies or whole grain crackers.

Easy Savory Pumpkin Hummus

Whole New Mom’s savory pumpkin hummus blends pumpkin purée and chickpeas with tahini, garlic, lemon, cumin, and turmeric in about 10 minutes. It’s savory, not sweet, and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds on top makes it look festive. It’s naturally gluten free and dairy free, so it works for almost everyone at the table.

Roasted Carrot Dip with Whipped Feta, Dukkah and Honey

Immigrant’s Table blends roasted carrots into a bright orange spread for this roasted carrot dip with whipped feta, dukkah and honey, then layers it with whipped feta and Greek yogurt. A drizzle of honey, a spoonful of dukkah, sesame seeds, and parsley finish it. It takes about 45 minutes, and the carrots can be roasted a day ahead.

Cold Thanksgiving Appetizers

Avocado Deviled Eggs

These avocado deviled eggs skip the mayo and use mashed avocado with a little sour cream and lemon for the filling. Six eggs make 12 halves in about 20 minutes, and a sprinkle of paprika and parsley adds color. Boil and peel the eggs the day before, then fill them shortly before serving so the avocado stays green.

Turkey Charcuterie Skewers

These turkey charcuterie skewers stack cheddar and Swiss cubes, thin deli turkey, and grape tomatoes, with a little Hawaiian roll head and candy eyes on top. They take about 15 minutes for 10 skewers, and they’re simple enough for kids to help assemble. They’re cute, filling, and easy to grab from a platter without a plate.

Cucumber Smoked Salmon Rolls

These cucumber smoked salmon rolls wrap thin strips of English cucumber around cream cheese mixed with dill, everything bagel seasoning, and smoked salmon. They take about 20 minutes, they’re low carb, and they make a light, fresh bite before a big meal. Roll them a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

Shaped like tiny pumpkins, these pumpkin deviled eggs from Hip Hip Gourmet are so fun to serve! The filling is a mix of mayo and Greek yogurt with Dijon and cider vinegar, and a pinch of paprika and turmeric turns it orange. A little piece of chive makes each stem. They take about 30 minutes and always get noticed on the table.

Warm Thanksgiving Finger Foods

Cranberry Brie Bites

For cranberry brie bites, press puff pastry into a mini muffin pan, then fill each cup with brie, whole berry cranberry sauce, and a bit of rosemary. Two sheets of pastry make 48 bites in about 40 minutes, so one batch covers a crowd. They’re a good way to use up leftover cranberry sauce too.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach and Artichokes

These stuffed mushrooms with spinach and artichokes fill mushroom caps with spinach, marinated artichokes, cream cheese, toasted walnuts, garlic, thyme, and Parmesan. They bake in about 35 minutes total, and the walnuts add a nice crunch. Stuff them earlier in the day, keep them in the fridge, and bake them just before guests arrive.

Sweet Potato Bites with Marshmallows

Think of these sweet potato bites as bite-size sweet potato casserole! Sweet potato rounds get brushed with butter and maple syrup and roasted until tender, then topped with a marshmallow and a pecan half and baked until toasty. They’re a fun way to add something sweet to the appetizer spread.

Maple Glazed Bacon Wrapped Brussels

These maple glazed bacon wrapped Brussels wrap each Brussels sprout in thin bacon, secure it with a toothpick, and brush it with maple syrup. They bake in about 40 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the glaze is sticky. The salty bacon and sweet glaze make them an easy sell for Brussels sprout skeptics.

Pumpkin Feta Phyllo Cups

These pumpkin feta phyllo cups layer phyllo in a mini muffin pan and fill it with roasted pumpkin cubes, feta, and baby spinach. A drizzle of honey and a few pumpkin seeds go on at the end. They take about 35 minutes, and the phyllo bakes up crisp and light, so they don’t feel heavy before dinner.

Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs

Savor the Mess’s crockpot cranberry meatballs need just 5 ingredients: frozen meatballs, jellied cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire. Everything goes into the slow cooker, and it keeps them warm on the counter while people snack, which frees up the oven. Set out toothpicks and small plates.

Baked Brie with Honey and Nuts

This baked brie with honey and nuts from Unicorns in the Kitchen bakes a wheel of brie for about 20 minutes, then tops it with honey, walnuts, pistachios, dried apricots, thyme, and pomegranate arils. Set it out warm with apple slices and crackers. One 8-ounce wheel is a nice size for a small group.

Gluten Free Stuffing Balls

These gluten free stuffing balls from Emily’s Wholesome Kitchen mix ground turkey, gluten-free stuffing mix, dried cranberries, egg, broth, and poultry seasoning, then bake into little bites in about 25 minutes. They taste like Thanksgiving dinner in one bite, with more protein than regular stuffing. Serve them with a little warm gravy or cranberry sauce for dipping.

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

These prosciutto wrapped dates from Next Level Baker stuff each date with goat cheese, wrap it in prosciutto, and bake it until the prosciutto is crisp. A drizzle of balsamic glaze or hot honey and chopped pistachios finish them. They take about 27 minutes, and the sweet and salty combo is hard to stop eating.

Butternut Squash Crostini

Looking for a vegan option? Cinnamon Snail’s butternut squash crostini tops toasted bread with roasted butternut squash, shiitake mushrooms, chive cashew cream, chestnuts, and sage, plus a maple-tamari glaze. It’s a plant-based choice for guests who skip dairy, and you can roast the squash and make the cashew cream a day ahead.

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