The Best Thanksgiving Snacks for a Proper Snacksgiving

If you’re the type of person who would subsist entirely on hors d’oeuvres if given the option, you have something to be thankful for this year: Snacksgiving is going mainstream. What is Snacksgiving? It’s a Thanksgiving feast made up entirely of snacks, of course. People who aren’t into turkey have quietly celebrated Sidesgiving for years; Snacksgiving takes things one step further by nixing all the fussy stuff that requires way too much time in the kitchen and putting the focus entirely on fun little bites, chips and dips, and cheese and crackers

trader joe's portuguese bacalhau tartlettes review

Snacksgiving!

Portuguese Bacalhau Tartelettes

These delicious little tarts are like the passed hors d’oeuvres you’d get at a really nice party. They’re oceanic without being fishy. They are adorable and come in miniature pie tins. They’re oily in all the right ways. We recently updated our ranking of the best frozen appetizers at Trader Joe’s, and these were a new and very delicious addition to the list. Before you go with the same ol’ premade mini quiche for your Snacksgiving, give these a shot. 

Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

best spinach artichoke dip

Snacksgiving!

Marketside Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Any good Snacksgiving needs a good dip, and you kind of can’t go wrong with this spinach dip from Walmart. This is a special occasion spinach dip. It’s indulgent and ultra creamy, but still wonderfully tangy thanks to the delicious hunks of artichoke in the mix. It has a cream cheese base, but it gets big flavor from mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago cheese. Whether you’re doing a full on Snacksgiving or just looking for some good Thanksgiving snacks to put out before the big meal, this stuff should be on your list. 

Read the full ranking of the best spinach dip

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

best crackers for charcuterie

Snacksgiving!

Firehook Sea Salt Organic Mediterranean Baked Crackers

Snacksgiving requires cheese and cheese requires crackers. We tasted a lot of crackers, but these are the best we found to go with charcuterie and cheese boards. They’re sturdy but not dry. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling loved their crunch and ample smattering of salt, which gives them even more crunch. Whether you’re serving hard or soft cheese—hey, it’s your Snacksgiving—these crackers are the correct crackers.

Read the full ranking of the best crackers for charcuterie

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

snacksgiving snacks

Snacksgiving!

Boursin Black Truffle & Sea Salt

Speaking of soft cheeses, we recommend Boursin Black Truffle & Sea Salt for your Snacksgiving spread. You could obviously go with regular Boursin (which always slaps), but this stuff is just a little bit fancier thanks to the inclusion of black truffle, which amps up the umami factor. It’s a Thanksgiving snack idea that will keep people talking till Christmas.

Read the full review of Boursin Black Truffle & Sea Salt

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

best coconut shrimp

Snacksgiving!

Whole Catch Crunchy Coconut Butterfly Shrimp

Some fried shrimp are solidly main course material, but I think we can all agree that coconut shrimp are appetizer fare and therefore perfect for a Snacksgiving spread. The frozen coconut shrimp from Whole Foods are basically restaurant quality. They’re big, firm, and flavorful. The coating is coconutty without being overly sweet. They don’t come with a dipping sauce, but grab a bottle of the best sweet chili sauce and you’ve got one of the best Thanksgiving snacks on your hands.

Read the full ranking of the best frozen coconut shrimp

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Mini Hold the Cone Pumpkin Ginger

Snacksgiving!

Trader Joe’s Mini Hold the Cone Pumpkin Ginger

You’re not getting out of serving dessert just because you’re hosting a Snacksgiving rather than serving a multi-course meal. What we have here is a dessert that is also a snack (and vice versa). These mini ice cream cones from TJ’s are incredible. You get nice, creamy pumpkin ice cream, a sweet coating, and a cone that tastes like a cinnamon-spiked graham cracker. When you’re stocking up on Thanksgiving snacks, buy two boxes just to be safe. 

Read the full ranking of the best pumpkin ice cream

Credit: Merc

Rating:

10/10

Sporks


About the Author

Gwynedd Stuart

Gwynedd Stuart, Sporked’s managing editor, is an L.A.-based writer and editor who spends way, way too much time at the grocery store. She’s never met an Old El Paso taco or mozzarella stick she didn’t like.