So it’s not just a matter of being inclusive anymore; chances are, you’ll need a few of these vegan Thanksgiving recipes this year! The beauty of most of these meat-free recipes is that many can be used as replacements or as sides to go along with your turkey. From potatoes and roasted veggies to pie and cookies, you just need to find a few simple substitutions to make them dairy-free. And don’t worry, you can find everything in your local supermarket.
35+ Best Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
1. Vegan Turkey Roast
If you really want to impress your vegan friends and family this year, why not go all out and make this fantastic turkey roast? It’s a type of seitan, which, unlike tofu, has a meatier texture. Made using vital wheat gluten, seitan cannot be gluten-free. This flour is processed to the point that there is very little starch, which can be made at home by making a simple dough and washing it clean. This recipe is a little easier than other seitan recipes, though, and all you’ll need to do is make a seasoned chickpea blend and combine it with the flour.
2. Vegan Stuffing
Stuffing is typically made with sausage and chicken stock, making it salty, meaty, and super delicious. But you can make something just as tasty without any animal products. Like making bread pudding, start by leaving the bread out overnight to dry. You can speed this up in the oven if you’re in a rush. Then, to get the most flavor, be sure to use fresh herbs.
3. Apple Cranberry Sauce
Love it or hate it, no Thanksgiving table is complete without a bowl full of cranberry sauce. I often find cranberry sauce too sour, but I also don’t want to add too much sugar. So instead, adding apple to the mix will help to mellow out the tart berries. You’ll also need brown sugar and agave for a touch of caramel and sweetness that’s not overwhelming.
4. Super Simple Garlic Herb Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Do you make mashed potatoes with oodles of butter and cream? Is it even possible to have creamy and indulgent potatoes without dairy? Believe it or not, you can make luscious mashed potatoes using nothing more than minced garlic and leftover potato water. By adding the cooking water back into the dish, you’ll add flavor, salt, and lots of creamy starch to boot.
5. Vegan Green Bean Casserole
I’m the first to admit that green beans aren’t the sexiest of vegetables, and they can be pretty sad if you don’t cook them right. Mushrooms are a terrific and earthy flavor powerhouse. Once they’ve softened with garlic, you’ll make a simple roux with flour and dairy-free creamer (unsweetened works best). The last layer of crispy onions is crucial in this dish; otherwise, it’s too creamy. You need the onions for texture more than anything else.
6. Beet Wellington With Balsamic Reduction
I can’t get over how great this dish looks. It’s bright, juicy, plus it looks just like the real deal. And just like the real deal, it takes a little TLC to get right. To start, you’ll need to prep and bake the beets so they’re tender. Try to find evenly-sized beets, so they cook at the same rate and look neat in the pastry. When making the spinach layer, be sure to drain it as much as possible before putting it in the pastry case. If you don’t, the bottom won’t cook at all.
7. Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes are tasty on their own, but they’re also easy to make extra-delicious. And if you serve them as part of a vegan feast, you should do your best to make them special. Add non-dairy milk, brown sugar, vegan butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the sweet potatoes and mash until they’re as smooth as you prefer. You’ll then put pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a food processor to make a nutty crumble topping.
8. Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I’ve always loved Brussels sprouts, so much so I eat them raw! But if you ask me, these roasted sprouts are as good as it gets. The trick is to roast them at a pretty high temperature. That will ensure the layers start to crisp up and that the middle doesn’t turn to mush. Another top tip is to leave enough room for each sprout on the tray. If you group them together, they’ll steam rather than roast.
9. Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
Acorn squash tastes a lot like butternut squash; only it’s a little easier to work with. Since it’s smaller, you should be able to cut them without much effort. Plus, they work so well as individual portions. Where butternut is harder to portion without cutting it into chunks, you can serve everyone their own squash half. Fill it with vegan stuffing if you want them extra unique.
10. Vegan Apple Crisp
Guess how easy it is to make apple crisp vegan? Just swap the butter out for coconut oil or vegan butter, and it’s ready to go! This recipe is a little more colorful, adding cranberries to the apples to give you pops of tart fruity goodness throughout. You’ll mix the fruit with maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Over that, you’ll scatter a nutty oat blend.
11. Roasted Vegetables
Vegetables are bright, full of texture, and loaded with amazing natural flavor. But if you don’t cook them right, they can be soggy, rubbery, and bland. Roasting veggies is the best way to add flavor, thanks to the caramelization. The important thing to remember is that not all vegetables cook at the same time. So, if you want root vegetables and red onion, you might need to hold some back and add them to the tray halfway through.
12. Vegan Gravy
Homemade gravy gets most of its taste from the meat juices you add. It’s pre-seasoned and loaded with umami goodness, after all. To recreate that without meat, you’ll need tahini, soy sauce, vegetable broth, maple syrup, and spices. Unlike some other recipes, this doesn’t need any flour to thicken. Instead, you’ll use tahini for that, which adds a very subtle nutty taste.
13. Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pudding
Pudding will always be a classic dessert beloved by kids and grown-ups alike. This pumpkin version is about as festive as it gets, plus it’s gluten-free. Where standard pudding recipes call for eggs (mostly their yolks) for a rich and thick finish, this vegan dish uses cornstarch. Heat the mixture gently, constantly stirring until it thickens. Then, if you want to be sure it’s totally smooth, you can pour it through a sifter before portioning it to cool. Use a spatula to help push it through and discard any lumps.
14. Vegan Casserole with Chickpeas and Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is an excellent source of fiber and potassium, where chickpeas are bursting with protein. The sauce is wonderfully creamy, blending cooked squash with vegan half & half and vegetable broth. Of course, since butternut squash is naturally sweet, you could also use coconut cream instead.
15. Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
This vegan cheese sauce is made by blending soaked cashews. They’ll need to sit overnight in order to soften enough to blend, so set a reminder! Since you want the sauce smooth, you’ll need a decent blender. If you have something that struggles with smoothies, it might not be strong enough for this. Nutritional yeast is a must here if you want a cheesy taste, and I like to add extra mustard for a bit of a kick.
16. Brown Rice and Sweet Potato Salad
Rice is notorious for being bland. If you don’t give it some love, it’s just a bowl full of boring grains. In keeping with the festive theme, this rice dish is full of buttery pecans, tart, dried cranberries, and lovely sweet potato chunks. That said, one of the easiest ways to dress up a bowl of rice is to add dressing. In this case, you’ll mix orange zest and juice with vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and diced shallots.
17. Vegan Hasselback Potatoes in Herby Oil
Hasselback potatoes on their own are usually vegan. They’re made with olive oil rather than butter to prevent anything from burning. They become very un-vegan when you top them with bacon, cheese, and sour cream. To get the cuts just right, try using chopsticks on either side. They should hold the potatoes in place and will prevent you from cutting all the way through. I like to use a pastry brush for the oil because you can get into the cracks, which keeps the middle from drying out.
18. Butternut Squash Soup
I love serving soup as a starter. It’s easy to make, not overly filling, but still pleasantly warm and satisfying. As far as vegan soups go, you’ll never go wrong with butternut squash. The vegetable itself makes this incredibly creamy, but you could add coconut milk if you want it extra decadent.
19. Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese
Most Thanksgiving tables will see kids reaching for the turkey and avoiding the sprouts. So, if you’ve got picky eaters on your hands, it’s probably a good idea to serve up a bowl of creamy mac & cheese. Like the cauliflower recipe above, the sauce here needs blended cashews and nutritional yeast for flavor.
20. Cauliflower Steaks
Cauliflower is one of the most-used vegan ingredients around. It’s crazy versatile and so easy to season. Unlike florets, these steaks are closer to a meaty texture, and the caramelization is to die for. Not to mention, they look way better served up on a platter!
21. Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms are thick, savory, and the perfect shape to house a generous portion of garlicky nuts. First, you’ll toast the nuts to help draw out the natural oils. Pine nuts are excellent but slightly expensive, so you can substitute with pecans, cashews, or even pistachios if you like. Blitz them with onion, celery, garlic, nutritional yeast, rosemary, thyme, paprika, sage, and black pepper for the most scrumptious stuffed mushrooms ever.
22. Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad
Winter and fall salads are best when they’re full of veggies and crisp fruits. They need to be extra filling to keep you full in the cold, right? This recipe takes it up a notch with farro, a protein-packed grain that’s similar to quinoa but slightly bigger in size.
23. Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Do you see how vibrant that pasta is? It’s so colorful, the kids will be fighting each other for a second helping. And they don’t have to know it’s full of veggies (wink, wink). This is the perfect sauce to make when you need something nut-free. Instead of cashews, you’ll combine coconut milk with pumpkin puree, vegan butter, paprika, and salt.
24. Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is generally made with lamb, and cottage pie is usually made with beef. Other than that, they’re mostly the same. So, you could call this vegan cottage pie if you want. Either way, the mashed potato top is enough.
25. Caramelized Onion Tart
You’ve probably seen tarts like this before, but they’re usually pretty thin. This is something else! It’s almost like a caramelized onion quiche, though, of course, there are no eggs in the mix. The filling is a blend of leeks, onions, and bell peppers, which you’ll cook until they’re soft and caramelized. The vegan cheese is optional, but I think it adds something extra yummy.
26. Vegan Cauliflower Soup
Remember I said that cauliflower is one of the most versatile ingredients in your vegan arsenal? Well, that’s because it’s very mild in flavor. So, in order to make this soup sing, you’ll add onions, garlic, olive oil, dried thyme, and rosemary.
27. Vegan Pumpkin Pie
You wouldn’t believe how bad vegan pastry used to be. But now, with all the new vegan butters available, you can make light and tender pastry in a snap. And thanks to the magic of cornstarch, the filling for this is silky smooth and beautifully thick without any eggs.
28. Vegan Apple Cinnamon Galette
Working with pastry can be a pain, especially if you’re in a rush to make a whole Thanksgiving dinner. I like to speed things up and make rustic galettes instead. Just pile your filling in the middle and fold the edges up to keep it all in place. You can even buy vegan pastry right in the freezer section.
29. Vegan Creamy Polenta and Red Wine Mushrooms
Polenta is like sweet corn porridge, and it’s supposed to be soft and smooth with just a hint of grain. If you like mashed potatoes and corn, you’ll go nuts for this dish. On its own, it’s incredibly delicious, but when you add mushrooms, you get a light meaty texture too. Not a fan of mushrooms? Serve it alone or top it with caramelized onions instead.
30. Vegan Cranberry Tart
Like cranberry sauce, this tart isn’t overly sweet. You’ll add maple syrup, but there’s also a bit of spice from the ginger to go along with the sour berries. Plus, the pastry recipe isn’t sweet either, so you could even serve this along with your turkey. If you want it a little sweeter, try adding orange zest to the mix.
31. Easy Sweet Potato Chocolate Fudge Squares
Imagine serving your family (and kids) bright pasta full of pumpkin followed by delectable chocolate fudge that’s secretly bursting with sweet potato. Talk about a healthy dinner! You could have as much as you want, guilt-free. Just blitz dairy-free milk with cooked and cooled sweet potato, almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add melted chocolate to that, so it sets, and then top it with whatever extras you like.
32. The Best Vegan Cornbread
Cornbread is way easier to make than dinner rolls, and the sweet corn flavor works perfectly alongside a helping of turkey and stuffing. Even though there are no eggs in sight, this recipe is very light and fluffy. Oil keeps it moist, and the almond milk gives it a creamy taste. I like it on the sweeter side, but this dish has just the right balance. However, you could add a little extra sugar if you want.
33. Thanksgiving Potato Stuffing Balls with a Cranberry Center
If you want to make sure everyone gets their fair share of the good stuff, these stuffing and potato balls are ideal. I found it far easier to scoop and freeze the cranberry filling, so it doesn’t seep out as you handle them. Bake these or deep fry them if you want them super crunchy.
34. Hot Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach and artichoke dip is creamy and super cheesy. To get a similar texture and taste, you’ll use cashews again. Add soaked raw cashews to a powerful blender with non-dairy milk, lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), tapioca starch, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and yellow or white miso. The miso is optional, but it provides a unique savory flavor.
35. Parsnip Puree
Parsnips are slightly sweet, a little nutty, and a fantastic vegan option for your next Thanksgiving dinner. To bulk this out and mellow the earthy taste, you’ll also include cauliflower. It makes the parsnips extra creamy and more affordable, too.
36. Healthy Creamed Spinach
Spinach might be good for you, but once it’s cooked, it shrivels up into a fairly bland side dish. That’s why people like it with lots of garlic, cream, and cheese. It probably won’t come as a surprise to hear that this creamy sauce uses cashews. To speed things up, just cover them with boiling water and leave for an hour or so.
37. 20-Minute Vegan White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
White chocolate and dried cranberries pair so well because they’re essentially opposites. One is rich, creamy, and sweet, and the other is chewy and tart. They’re also contrasting colors that look fantastic in a cookie. Cookies are surprisingly easy to make vegan since they don’t often need too much lift, which means they don’t need eggs. Just remember that white chocolate is not usually vegan, so you’ll need to find a dairy-free brand to make these. Click on a star to rate it!
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