16 Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers for Your Fall Party

This clever serving vessel echoes your fall party tablescape perfectly.

Recipe: Pumpkin Soup with Pumpkin Seed-Mint Pesto

Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Bowls

The Asian seasonings take the sweet potatoes in a savory direction.

Recipe: Miso, Sesame, and Sweet Potato Dip

Why only serve pumpkin at the end of your autumn meal? These handheld pies make for the perfect fall party bite or snack.

Recipe: Pumpkin Curry Empanadas

Sweet pears and sharp blue cheese create an exciting yet homey appetizer. Serve them with sparkling wine, or a slightly sweet white wine.

Recipe: Caramelized Pear and Sage Crostini

Pumpkin tacos are easy appetizers to prepare, but offer complex flavors. Guests can assemble their own, adding toasted chiles, slaw, and pumpkin seeds.

Recipe: Pumpkin Tacos

Warm and crispy veggie fritters accompanied by a crisp seasonal salad makes for a lovely autumn appetizer.

Recipe: Squash and Chickpea Fritters with Winter Greens and Hazelnut Salad

Think of these roasted cut butternut squash rounds as tiny homemade pizzas: You bake them and add any topping you like. They tend to go fast at parties.

Recipe: Rooibos Butternut “Pizzettas”

We cut this tart up into small pieces for an elegant appetizer, but you could also slice it into large wedges and serve it with a green salad for a light meal.

Recipe: Blue Cheese and Pear Tart

Fuyu persimmons and pomegranates add autumn color and a sweet-tart punch to bitter chicories (frisée and radicchio).

Recipe: Chicory Salad with Persimmons, Pomegranates, and Walnuts

The spices in this salad are like those in French gingerbread, or pain d'épice. If you make it with walnut oil, use walnuts; if you make it with hazelnut oil, use hazelnuts.

Recipe: Fall Green Salad with Apples, Nuts, and Pain d’Epice Dressing

If you’ve never had raw brussels sprouts before, this salad will be a revelation. To save time, use a handheld slicer for the sprouts and onion.

Recipe: Brussels Sprout Salad with Pecorino and Tangerine

Beautifully browned onions and mushrooms are the base for a rich, warm dressing that lightly wilts the spinach for a hearty fall salad.

Recipe: Warm Walnut Spinach Salad

Make a simple pesto out of arugula and almonds for a delicious toast topping. Add on cubes of roasted butternut for a tasty fall snack.

Recipe: Roasted Squash and Arugula Pesto Toasts

Roasting grapes brings out their sweetness and makes for the perfect toast topping along with a smear of ricotta and a sprinkling of chopped pistachios.

Recipe: Roasted Grape and Ricotta Toasts

Tart cranberries and tangy goat cheese make a great flavor pairing on these easy toasts.

Recipe: Cranberry Relish and Goat Cheese Toasts

From kabocha squash to grape, these varieties on mini homemade focaccia breads are a delicious way to kick off a fall party.

Recipe: Fall Focaccia Four Ways