I LOVE to make appetizers. If I could eat appetizers for dinner I would (and sometimes I do!)

Fall is one of the best times of year for cozy foods and cozy flavours. Whether you’re having a casual get-together or kicking off a big dinner party, easy appetizers for Fall are a must.

What flavours will you find in these easy appetizers for Fall

• Apples and cinnamon
• Pears and walnuts
• Dates and pistachios
• Butternut squash and sage
• Carrots and feta
• Sundried tomatoes and pesto

With appetizers like baked brie to bite-sized appetizers and of course dips, you’re sure to find an easy appetizer for any type of gathering.

Baked Cheese Appetizers

Baked brie is a quintessential appetizer any time of year but I enjoy it best during the Fall season! And if you want to try a new baked cheese, try baked feta or gruyere wrapped in puff pastry.

Baked Brie with Maple Cinnamon Apples and Pecans

This Baked Brie with Maple Cinnamon Apples & Pecans is the ultimate easy appetizer for Fall. Enjoy tender apples & creamy brie in each bite!

Check out this recipe

Baked Feta Appetizer with Dates, Pistachios & Honey

Make this Baked Feta with Dates, Pistachios and Honey in just 20 minutes! This easy appetizer is a true crowd-pleaser during the holidays!

Check out this recipe

Quick and Easy Maple Pecan Baked Brie Appetizer

This Maple Pecan Baked Brie is a perfect appetizer for Fall and Winter gatherings! Easily made with just 6 ingredients & best enjoyed warm.

Check out this recipe

Pear & Walnut Baked Brie

This Pear & Walnut Baked Brie is one of the easiest appetizers you'll ever make. Pears, honey and walnuts go beautifully with the melty brie!

Check out this recipe

Puff Pastry Baked Gruyere with Fig Jam & Rosemary

Make this melty, delicious Puff Pastry Baked Gruyere appetizer in just 30 minutes. With fig jam & rosemary, it's a perfect savory bite.

Check out this recipe

Bite-sized Fall appetizers

For quick easy appetizers for Fall, try one of these bite-sized appies! Packed with Fall flavours, many of these bite-sized appies can be prepared ahead of time too.

Prosciutto, Sage & Gruyere Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Make these Prosciutto, Sage & Gruyere Puff Pastry Pinwheels appetizer with just 5 key ingredients! They're a perfect savoury appetizer bite!

Check out this recipe

Easy Caramelized Onion Mini Cheese Balls Appetizer

Make these Caramelized Onion Mini Cheese Balls for an easy appetizer any time of year! A savory & delicious bite-sized appetizer for a party.

Check out this recipe

Easy Pear & Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer with Honey

Make these pear appetizers in under 20 minutes! Crostini topped with goat cheese, sliced pear, toasted almonds & honey are the perfect bite.

Check out this recipe

Easy Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites Appetizer

These buffalo chicken puff pastry bites are the perfect game-day appetizer! Cheesy, spicy and crunchy, they're a must-make delicious bite.

Check out this recipe

Best Dip Appetizers

One of the most classic appetizers for any season is a dip recipe! I’ve put my Fall twist on classic dips using delicious seasonal produce like red grapes, butternut squash and sage or sundried tomatoes.

Quick Whipped Ricotta Dip with Hot Honey Appetizer

Make this creamy whipped ricotta dip with hot honey for a quick & delicious appetizer! Top with rosemary & walnuts, for savory & sweet bite!

Check out this recipe

Butternut Squash Crostini Appetizer with Crispy Sage

This divine Butternut Squash Appetizer is made for holiday gatherings! Served on crostini it's the best sweet & savory bite guests will love.

Check out this recipe

Easy Pizza-Inspired Olive Oil Dip with Burrata Cheese

Make this Olive Oil Dip with Burrata Cheese in 10 minutes! Enveloped by pizza-inspired flavours, this burrata appetizer is hard to resist.

Check out this recipe

Whipped Ricotta with Roasted Grapes & Hazelnuts

This Whipped Ricotta with Roasted Grapes is sweet and savory, a true delight! A perfect appetizer for entertaining in the Fall & Winter!

Check out this recipe

Easy Cheesy Baked Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

This easy cheesy baked pesto dip is packed with flavour and juicy sun-dried tomatoes. It's an easy appetizer for the holidays and game-day!

Check out this recipe

Easy Sun-Dried Tomato Dip Recipe (perfect chip dip!)

Make this creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Dip in just 10 minutes with cream cheese, yogurt, seasonings & sun dried tomatoes. A quick dip to serve guests!

Check out this recipe

Cocktail Pairings for Appetizers

What pairs best with appetizers, seasonal cocktails of course! Here are some of my favourite cocktail pairings.

Pair baked brie or baked feta with a cocktail featuring bourbon or something fizzy –

Apple Cider Bourbon Fizz

Full of warm spices, apple cider, bourbon and fizzy prosecco, this divine bourbon cockail is fully flavoured and perfect for Fall & Winter.

Check out this recipe

Pair dip recipes or bite-sized Fall appetizers featuring pesto, sundried tomatoes, salty cheeses like parmesan or gruyere or prosciutto with an aperol spritz cocktail –

The Best Pomegranate Aperol Spritz Holiday Cocktail

This pomegranate aperol spritz is the perfect holiday cocktail! Made with just 4 ingredients, everyone will love this festive sip!

Check out this recipe

Winter Cranberry Aperol Spritz

This Winter Aperol Spritz is dressed up for the holidays with the addition of cranberry juice and a festive rosemary sprig!

Check out this recipe

The post 15 Easy Appetizers for Fall (perfect for a party) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Buttery puff pastry is baked with nutty Gruyere cheese, apricot jam and almonds for the perfect crunch.

Topped with a drizzle of honey and fresh thyme, these bites are sure to become a new appetizer favourite!

If you love my other Gruyere appetizer recipes like this Puff Pastry Baked Gruyere with Fig Jam & Rosemary and Prosciutto, Sage & Gruyere Puff Pastry Pinwheels, you’re sure to love these flaky puff pastry bites. The whole thing takes under 30 minutes to make! (Especially when using defrosted puff pastry).

Whether for Spring or Summer entertaining, or the holiday season, these little bundles of flaky puff pastry, Gruyere cheese and jam are sure to impress!

Why you’ll love these puff pastry bites

• This delicious recipe is an easy appetizer made with just 6 simple ingredients!
• Easily customizable depending on the season; use fig jam in the cooler months instead of apricot jam.
• A perfect appetizer to serve a crowd!
• Use store-bought puff pastry to make this recipe a breeze.
• No need to use a pastry brush to brush egg wash on the puff pastry; just pop in the oven and bake!

Ingredients needed to make these puff pastry appetizers

Puff pastry: you need one sheet of puff pastry dough (usually can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store); make sure to defrost it before making this recipe (follow the instructions for defrosting on the puff pastry packaging).

Gruyere cheese: nutty gruyere cheese that is cut into cubes pairs lovely with the slight sweetness of apricot jam

Apricot jam: for the Spring season, the slight sweetness of apricot jam pairs perfectly with the gruyere cheese. See below for other jam suggestions for Fall and Winter seasons.

Almonds: sliced or chopped almonds as just a touch of crunch to these puff pastry bites

Garnishes: a hint of fresh thyme sprigs and honey makes the perfect garnish

How to make these Gruyere puff pastry bites

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a muffin tin well with cooking spray or butter. Roll out the defrosted puff pastry sheet to approximately a 10×10 square. Cut into 16 squares using a pizza slicer or sharp knife (about 2-inch squares to 2.5 inch squares). Since a typical muffin tin has 12 cups, put 4 squares of puff pastry into the fridge to store while the others bake. Alternatively, you could use two muffin tins and bake them all at once.

Step 2: Place one square of puff pastry into each muffin tin. Then layer a cube of gruyere cheese followed by 1/2 tsp apricot jam and a pinch of sliced almonds onto each square of puff pastry. Bake the gruyere bites in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until the puff pastry starts to turn golden brown.

Step 3: Let the Gruyere bites sit in the muffin tin for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack or serving tray. Serve immediately garnished with fresh thyme leaves and a drizzle of honey.

Expert tips to make these appetizer bites

• Remember to defrost the frozen puff pastry, according to package directions, before using in this recipe! I like to put the frozen puff pastry in the fridge the day before I’m going to use it as it will defrost overnight and you’ll have a defrosted puff pastry sheet ready to go.
• Switching up the jam is a great idea depending on the season. Try a different jam pairing than apricot such as: cherry or grape for the Spring/Summer or grape, fig or apple jam for the Fall/Winter seasons, especially on Christmas eve.
• If you’re afraid of the puff pastry, apricot jam or melty cheese sticking to the muffin tin, you can use a small piece of parchment paper or muffin tin liner instead of cooking spray. The puff pastry bites should still bake up nicely!
• Get creative and serve these as a part of a charcuterie board too!

Common questions

Can I use a different cheese instead of Gruyere?
While Gruyere cheese is preferred for this recipe, in a pinch you can use another type of cheese. An old cheddar cheese, swiss cheese or gouda cheese would work well in place of gruyere cheese and still make a delicious finger food to serve to guests.

Will phyllo pastry work instead of puff pastry?
Phyllo pastry is much thinner than puff pastry and is made with different ingredients, so I wouldn’t recommend using it for this recipe. I would recommend sticking with butter puff pastry for these cheese puffs.

Can I use a mini muffin tin instead of regular muffin tin?
This recipe has only been tested with a regular muffin tin so I would suggest sticking with that size instead of using a mini muffin cup.

Storage

These puff pastry bites are best served fresh from the oven! I don’t recommend storing them for longer than 2-3 hours at room temperature.

More puff pastry appetizer recipes to love from the blog:

Apricot Jam and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Easy Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites Appetizer

Valentine’s Day Raspberry Puff Pastry Hearts

Print

Easy Apricot Jam & Gruyere Cheese Puff Pastry Bites

For a quick and impressive appetizer make these Apricot Jam & Gruyere Cheese Puff Pastry Bites! All you need is 6 ingredients & 30 minutes!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine american-inspired

Keyword baked gruyere

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16 bites

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 1 sheet defrosted puff pastry
• 150-175 g gruyere cheese, cut into 16 half-inch cubes
• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• 3-4 tbsp sliced or chopped almonds
• fresh thyme and honey for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a muffin tin well with cooking spray or butter. Roll out the defrosted puff pastry sheet to approximately a 10x10 square. Cut into 16 squares using a pizza slicer or sharp knife (about 2.5 inch squares).

  Since a typical muffin tin has 12 cups, put 4 squares of puff pastry into the fridge to store while the others bake. Alternatively, you could use two muffin tins and bake them all at once.
• Place one square of puff pastry into each muffin tin. Then layer a cube of gruyere cheese followed by 1/2 tsp apricot jam and a pinch of sliced almonds onto each square of puff pastry. Bake the gruyere bites in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until the puff pastry starts to turn golden brown around the edges.
• Let the gruyere bites sit in the muffin tin for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack or serving tray. Serve immediately garnished with fresh thyme leaves and a drizzle of honey.

Notes

• Depending on the season, try a different jam pairing than apricot - cherry, fig, grape or apple jams will go well with the gruyere cheese as well.
• If you're afraid of the bites sticking to the muffin tin, you can use a small piece of parchment paper or muffin tin liner instead of cooking spray. The puff pastry bites should still bake up nicely!

The post Easy Apricot Jam & Gruyere Cheese Puff Pastry Bites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I took the beginning of the year a little slower, took some time to reflect on last year and start planning for this year.

And so here are my favourite things from this past month and What’s In Season to make for February!

This first weekend in February is pretty much the best in my mind; it’s Super Bowl (I love football!) and we usually celebrate both my husband’s and my birthdays. So, this weekend is full of delicious food and cake!

Each year I make us a cake so this year we chose to make something a little nostalgic. Do you remember those ‘rainbow chip’ cakes from when you were a kid?! It was a vanilla cake with rainbow chocolate chips and a rainbow chip icing. I LOVED all of the colours and those rainbow chips, YUM!

So, I found a recipe in one of our cookbooks, Date Night In, that is a homemade version of that rainbow chip cake! It’s a two layer cake with a cream cheese icing and all of the rainbow chips you could ever want! It also pairs perfectly with a glass of prosecco (just sayin’ 😉 )

Not only are we having cake this weekend but I’m making these Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps to accompany our Super Bowl game-watching!

And if you need a little more snacking inspo for the big game, check out my Kettle Chip BBQ Chicken Nachos recipe that’s simple to make and perfect for a crowd.

So, what other recipes are great to make this month!?

Apples – Kale, Apple & Cheddar Salad with Spicy Chickpeas

Grapefruit – Grapefruit Lavender Spring Blossom Cocktail

Kale – Kale Mushroom Grilled Cheese

Lemon – Lemon Coconut Power Balls

Pears – Spiced Oatmeal with Honey Pears

Peppers – Kettle Chip BBQ Chicken Nachos **This is a perfect snack for Super Bowl!*

Needless to say this month is filled with food and celebrations and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

And if you need a little Valentine’s Day inspo, these Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Chocolates are really fun to make and make a lovely little gift for your loved ones.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Since I was little I have always felt a sense of joy around the holiday season; there was always something sort of magical about this time of year.

So, let’s dig into all of the deliciousness of the season with my Monthly Favourites including which recipes to make in December!

I had A LOT of client work in November and not much downtime, so I’m really excited for a slower holiday season.

We did get away for a little long weekend in mid-November, heading to BC for a little mountain downtime which was the perfect re-charge before finishing up many projects the rest of the month.

During the last week of November we got our Christmas tree up and decorated. I bought alllll of the butter at the grocery store to start my Christmas baking and I’ve watched my favourite holiday movies about 8x each, haha.  Some of my favourites are Elf, The Holiday, Love Actually and Home Alone which I like to watch whilst baking!

Stay tuned to the blog during December as I have a few more treats up my sleeve plus my baking list for the season and perfect shareable recipes for entertaining!

And, I’m planning all of the delicious dishes to make the rest of this month too! Here are some of my favourite recipes to make in December:

Prosciutto Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Cranberry-Pear Chia Seed Jam

Kale, Apple & Cheddar Salad with Spicy Chickpeas

Baked Pears with Cardamom Cream

Baked Parsnip Fries with Garlic Yogurt Dip

Lemon Squares

PLUS, if you need holiday appetizer inspo, check out this awesome round-up of 20 appetizer recipes from Food Bloggers of Canada which includes my New Year’s Eve Party menu!

I’m really looking forward to being at home this month; enjoying time reading by the Christmas tree; visiting with family and friends; and, cooking at home.

And, if you need any book gift ideas, a couple of my favs from this year are:

Healthyish is one of the only cookbooks I’ve purchased this year and we cook out of it all, the, time! Seriously so many delicious dishes that are simple to make, especially during the week. There is a Spiced Chicken & Chickpea Flatbread with Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki that is so simple for a weeknight dinner, plus a TON of flavour! Then my other favourite recipe in the book is a Single-Serving Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookie; for when you need a cookie, stat!

If you need a few novel ideas, The Little French Bistro and Little Beach Street Bakery  are two really cute books that I absolutely loved. Both books have a foodie-twist, are easy to read and totally heartwarming.

I’d love to know what some of your favourite dishes are to make during the holiday season! Drop me a note below in the comments or visit me over on Instagram.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

P.S. Thank you to the lovely Janelle Saccucci for the photos of me in this post! We had a great time taking holiday-inspired photos!

The post What’s in Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.