These Thanksgiving deviled eggs are sprinkled with surprising spices that give them a smokey, Autumn zing! Nutmeg and smoked Spanish paprika put a Fall twist on this colorful, creative appetizer recipe that everyone will love!
They’re also garnished with tiny capers and Japanese maple leaves that make them the prettiest appetizers at the party!
I’ve never used nutmeg in deviled eggs before, and I’m so happy I gave it a try! Just a teeny bit goes a long way. It’s such a surprising and delightful little flavor to put in a deviled egg!
I’ve put everything on deviled eggs from bacon roses to mustard caviar to sprigs of dill, but this one little spice really gives these deviled eggs an original flair!
The garnish of capers was also a yummy choice I haven’t tried before! Nice and salty with a rich, pickley flavor and fun popping texture.
Why This Recipe is Special
They’re a delightful Thanksgiving appetizer everyone loves – Everybody loves deviled eggs, and these are particularly special. No need to make them look like turkeys or color them with red and orange food dye to make them look seasonal. A simple maple leaf and capers make these deviled eggs beautifully themed for an autumn celebration.
The maple leaves make them so pretty and colorful – They’re such an original and lovely garnish! They’re also completely edible, too.
They’re easy to prepare ahead and garnish before serving – I slice my eggs and mix the filling the night before, then store the egg whites in a container and simply put the filling in a sealed pastry-pipping bag. That way, I can simply remove the whites and fill them just before folks arrive and pop on the garnishes in no time.
How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step
1. Add 6 large eggs to a pot of cool water, then place them on the stove and boil them over MEDIUM heat for 20 minutes (that’s 20 minutes from when you turn the heat on to turning it off). Once boiled, place them in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Once the eggs are cool, remove the shells by carefully tapping around the center and peeling. Crack and peel very carefully so the egg is pristine and free of tears and dents.
3. Slice the eggs. I slice through the center-middle, as opposed to longways. I find the egg-halves have a more sturdy base when cut this way. Carefully remove the yolks and place them in a bowl. They’ll almost always slide out if you’re gentle, so you don’t have you use a spoon. You may sometimes have a little left over, but it’s easier and less damaging to the egg white to try sliding first.
4. Slice a tiny bit off the bottom of the whites so your deviled eggs sit perfectly flat. This will prevent them from sliding around the plate. Set them aside.
5. Push the yolks through a mesh strainer. This will break up the yolks and ensure that your filling is perfectly smooth when you mix in your other ingredients.
6. In a small mixing bowl, mix your egg yolks, 1 tbsp. of mayo, 1 tsp. of mustard and 1 tsp. sour cream. Add ⅛ tsp. nutmeg, salt and pepper.
NOTE: The measurements of mayo, sour cream and mustard are purposely on the light side so you can customize your texture until perfect. Your consistency should be similar to hummus so give it a taste, and see which condiment you would like to make it a bit more creamy.
When ready, fill your lovely deviled eggs, place a small maple leaf on the side, small capers around the edge and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Common Questions
Yes they are! Just be sure to wash them, and use tiny ones.
You can make your deviled eggs and use a well -washed, plastic egg container (with no paper inside) to transport them, then use a spoon to carefully remove them once you get to your destination, but I find this method a little wrought to uncertainty. One little bump or jump in the car, and they can get messy.
My preferred method is to first slice my eggs and make the filling. Then, I place the egg whites in a washed plastic container, then add the filling to a pastry piping bag with a tip. I seal both ends of the bag with twisty ties, and when I get to my destination, I simply remove the egg whites from the container, remove the twisty-ties and fill them in the kitchen.
Here are 2 solutions: First, don’t slice your eggs longways, slice them through the center with the egg standing up, then slice a tiny bit off the bottom to make a nice, flat base. You’ll find directions below for this method.
Second, you can put a tiny dot of filling under your deviled eggs to prevent them from sliding around. It will work like a tasty glue that keeps them nice and still.
A Few Tips
1. Don’t fill the eggs until a half-hour (or less) before serving.
You really want to fill them as close to party-time as possible for maximum prettiness, as they will start to dry out after about a half-hour. I highly suggest slicing your eggs, then placing them in a sealed container in the fridge. Then, make your filling and add it to a bag (or pastry piping bag), seal it with twisty-ties and don’t fill the egg whites until just before guests arrive.
2. A pastry piping bag makes deviled eggs extra pretty!
Always use a pastry piping bag and a pretty tip. It really makes your eggs look so much more professional.
3. Never garnish deviled eggs with spices by sprinkling directly from the container.
When garnishing with a spice, pour a bit into your hand first and use your fingers to gently sprinkle. Otherwise, if you pour directly from the bottle, it’s very likely too much will come out at once, and you’ll end up with a deviled, over-spiced heart break.
Help Yourself to a Little More Thanksgiving Recipe Inspiration!
- Spiced Cabernet Cranberry Sauce
- Thanksgiving Salad with Beet, Pear & Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto with Caramelized Onions
- Colorful Thanksgiving Crudités
- The “Sparkling Apple Pie” Thanksgiving Cocktail
For more inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest, tiktok, and Facebook! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!
Thanksgiving Deviled Eggs
Equipment
- 1½ quart pot to boil 6 eggs
- cutting board and sharp knife
- small mixing bowl
- mesh strainer
- pastry piping bag and tip
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tbsp. mayo
- 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
- 1 tsp. sour cream
- ⅛ tsp. nutmeg
- smoked paprika – just a sprinkle
- salt & pepper – to taste
- 1 tbsp. capers – for garnish
- Japanese maple leaves – optional for garnish
Instructions
- Add 6 large eggs to a pot of cool water, just covering the eggs, then place them on the stove and boil them for 20 minutes over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. After 20 minutes, place them in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes.
- Once the eggs are cool, remove the shells by carefully tapping around the center and peeling. Crack and peel very carefully so the egg is pristine and free of tears and dents.
- Slice eggs in half and carefully remove the yolks. They’ll almost always slide out if you’re gentle, so you don’t have you use a spoon. You may sometimes have a little left over, but it’s easier and less damaging to the egg white to try sliding first. Set whites aside.
- Push the yolks through a mesh strainer. This will break up the yolks and ensure that your filling is perfectly smooth when you mix in your other ingredients.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix your egg yolks, 1 tbsp. of mayo, 1 tsp. of mustard and 1 tsp. sour cream. Add ⅛ tsp. nutmeg, salt and pepper. When ready, fill your lovely deviled eggs, place a small maple leaf on the side, small capers around the edge and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tanja
This looks so amazing! Can you tell me where you got those japanese maple leaves from? I can’t find them anywhere 🙂
Genevieve Morrison
Awww, I actually have a Japanese maple tree growing in my back yard, and I picked a few for these photos. Sadly, they’re not easy to find all on their own in stores, but if you have a botanical garden near by, you may be able to find them there, depending on where you live 😉
Alice
Fresh eggs work just fine. You need to steam them for about 15 minutes and then put them in cold water or ice water. The shells will come off VERY easily. I have used this method numerous times with very fresh eggs. Secondly, NEVER ever put the prepared eggs back in that carton they came in. There is high risk of cross contamination. There are egg plates with indentions for serving them.
Melanie Sakowski
Genevieve, this flavour pairing is intricate, unconventional and intriguing- cool creativity I just instinctively grated nutmeg on my eggs that I’ve been enjoying with some vanilla extract and found your recipe after deciding to look up the combo from curiosity and I’m big impressed because I can see how these all match together!
Genevieve Morrison
Thank you so much, Melanie! I was amazed too! So glad you enjoyed it! xoxo