The meaning of Thanksgiving has shifted since its inception, but at the end of the day, it’s still about people coming together. And hey! That goes for our gluten free friends and family, too. Putting together a gluten free Thanksgiving can be a daunting task, so let’s start small—let’s start with these gluten free Thanksgiving appetizers.
- Panera at Home Autumn Squash Soup
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We’ve decided that, yes, soup counts as a Thanksgiving appetizer, even if it’s technically a first course. Just go with it. This squash soup from Panera at Home is sweet, savory, and extremely autumn appropriate, and it also happens to be gluten free. It’s plenty silky. but has some crunch to remind you you’re alive. Warm spices like ginger add complexity to what can often be a very one-note sort of soup. The whole Sporked crew absolutely loves this soup (it made our ranking of the best Panera soup and the best butternut squash soup), so if you’ll go with the flow and accept soup as a Thanksgiving appetizer, this is a perfect gluten free Thanksgiving food.
Read the full ranking of the best Panera soups and the best butternut squash soup
- Trader Joe’s Savory Thins
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Trader Joe’s Savory Thins are a great gluten free Thanksgiving appetizer if a cheese board or GF dips are part of your spread. Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart says these are the best rice crackers and a year-round staple in her home. These thins have a bold sesame flavor that’s paired with a light crispy crunch that makes them the perfect choice for pairing with cheese, dips, or other gluten free Thanksgiving appetizers. No one on your Thanksgiving guest list will miss the gluten.
Read the full ranking of the best rice crackers
- Trader Joe’s Tirokafteri
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Oh hey, were you looking for a great gluten free dip to pair with your Savory Thins to really create a complete gluten free Thanksgiving appetizers? Look no further than the TJ’s dip section. Their Tirokafteri, a spicy feta cheese- and pepper-based concoction, may be a little light on heat but that just makes it a gluten free Thanksgiving food that everyone can enjoy, whether or not they like a little sizzle. Open up a tub of this, put it on the snack table alongside your crackers and cheese, and, voila, you’ve got yourself one of the easiest gluten free Thanksgiving appetizers out there.
Read the full review of TJ’s Tirokafteri
- Trader Joe’s Thai Banana Fritters
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Yep, another Trader Joe’s product made our list of the best gluten free Thanksgiving appetizers, and this one is coming to you from the frozen appetizers section of the store. These sweet-savory fried banana bites are a sendup of the Thai street food kluay kaek, and while street food might sound like a weird fit for a Thanksgiving appetizers spread, hear us out. TJ’s Thai banana fritters feel fancy. They have a wonderfully complex and balanced flavor—they’re a little bit nutty from the sesame seeds in the batter but sweet enough to do double duty as dessert if you serve them with some vanilla ice cream. Plus, so many bread and fried bites are not gluten free, so these are a real treat for your GF guests when you serve them as a gluten free Thanksgiving appetizer.
Read the full review of the best Trader Joe’s appetizers
- Holy Hummus Traditional Classic Hummus
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Last Thanksgiving I had what was quite possibly the best discovery of my life: hummus. I mean yes, I’ve had hummus before, but it was such a game changer as a Thanksgiving appetizer. It’s tasty and filling enough to tide you over if dinner is running behind (and Thanksgiving dinner is always running behind). Holy Hummus is the best hummus you can buy, and it counts as a gluten free Thanksgiving appetizer. This stuff has an unbelievably good tahini-forward flavor and an irresistibly smooth texture that Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling absolutely loved, so you know it has to make our list of gluten free Thanksgiving food.
Read the full review of the best hummus
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!