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Plan your next full or partial vegan Thanksgiving menu with these 14 delicious, mouth-watering Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes. These plant-powered classics taste as good as, or even better than, their traditional versions, and they are guaranteed to disappear no matter who is at the table.
Meggan’s notes
Whether you need a show-stopping main dish or an abundance of vegan side dishes, this collection of recipes are certain to brighten your vegan Thanksgiving dinner.
For the main event, I suggest a stunning Vegan Pot Pie with a creamy roasted vegetable filling and a flaky puff pastry topping. I’ve also reimagined all of the classic side dishes to put their best plant-powered-foot forward.
These recipes are hearty, filling, nutritious, and 100% plant-based. No carnivore will walk away unsatisfied, either. They are so good, you’re certain to see them all disappear from your vegan Thanksgiving feast.
Classic Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
1. Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes of all kinds are easy to make. If you can boil water, you can make mashed potatoes! And if you avoid traditional dairy products like milk and butter, you can absolutely still enjoy this recipe made with olive oil and almond milk. In fact, these are so good that it’s quite possibly no one would ever suspect they are vegan.
Top them with your favorite vegan mushroom gravy, vegan butter, or vegan sour cream. Fresh herbs might be nice too! You can make the potatoes with another non-dairy milk such as oat, soy, or coconut milk as well.
2. Vegan Mushroom Gravy
It’s always fun when the vegan version of a recipe turns out to be better than the original version. After all, recipes such as mushroom gravy are based on plants and maybe their flavors thrive in a plant-powered dish.
Whatever the reason, this vegan gravy is worth making whether you are a vegan or not. It’s dark, rich, and packed with meaty flavor thanks to the umami power of mushrooms.
3. Vegan Green Bean Casserole
I love traditional Green Bean Casserole so much, especially when it’s made with homemade cream of mushroom soup. But these days, I know so many people who have dairy sensitivities or follow a plant-forward lifestyle, and I want them to eat home-cooked comfort food too.
The biggest change here is making the creamy mushroom sauce vegan instead of with heavy cream. You could certainly use almond, coconut, or oat milk, or any other non-dairy milk, but I decided to use cashew cream instead. It’s easy to do, has a DELICIOUS flavor, and you won’t even miss the dairy.
4. Vegan Thanksgiving Stuffing
The best vegan stuffing recipes are rich, savory, and made entirely from plants. They have a soft chew inside but crispy edges outside. They contain no animal products like classic stuffing, but you don’t even notice it’s dairy-free because it’s just so delicious.
This vegan-friendly stuffing has all the traditional flavors like onions, celery, sage, thyme, and parsley. I’ve also added lots of mushrooms, leeks, and kale for extra flavor, texture, and color. It’s so good! This is definitely my new favorite stuffing.
5. Cranberry Sauce
My grandma always made her cranberry sauce with fresh orange juice, and I think it’s an idea worth sharing. The orange juice will taste sweet against the tart flavors of the cranberries, but it’s a simple contrast that doesn’t feel unexpected.
The recipe itself is just 5 ingredients (including water and salt), and it only takes about 10 minutes on the stove. You can make it a few days before so it’s ready and waiting, or make it 3 months in advance and stash it in the freezer.
6. Vegan Pot Pie
I identify as a true Pot Pie Lover, and this was a fun, rewarding challenge: how to make a vegan pot pie recipe that is so good, you won’t miss the chicken, or the turkey, or anything else.
If you’re new to vegan cooking, you’ll learn some basics like making cashew cream, rehydrating dried mushrooms, and making a vegan egg wash. But everything is easy!
Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes
7. Rice Stuffing
While not traditional, this rice stuffing is cozy and comforting just like any good stuffing should be. For anyone who is gluten-free, vegan, or can only eat so much bread, this is a delicious, thoughtful side dish for your Thanksgiving feast.
You’ll love the chewy cranberries, crunchy pecans, and warm, spicy curry powder. It’s a delicious flavor combination that is unexpected but joyful for the holidays.
8. Cranberry Sauce with Apples
In my family, the Thanksgiving recipes are mostly traditional. Nobody wants any surprises when they sit down to the annual feast. Some recipes might be converted to vegan versions sometimes, but the classic flavors remain in place.
So when it comes to cranberry sauce, there isn’t a whole lot of wiggle room. But I can get away with adding apples! Apples add an element of surprise without upsetting anyone, and apples mixed with cranberries somehow make a lot of sense. It might be even better than standard cranberry sauce, and of course it’s naturally vegan, as all cranberry sauces are.
Vegetable Side Dishes
9. Roasted Butternut Squash
This easy Roasted Butternut Squash is delicious at your Thanksgiving table or any time of year. Toss the squash in olive oil and add some fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary. Spring with salt, pop in the oven, and roast until golden brown.
10. Roasted Carrots
Roasting sturdy, affordable, and crowd-pleasing carrots at a high heat brings out the natural sugars hiding inside the carrots. Add a little oil and some fresh herbs, and this healthy side dish might just steal the spotlight from the entree you pair it with.
11. Roasted Root Vegetables
Clean out your refrigerator’s vegetable drawer with this easy sheet pan side dish recipe. After investing just 15 minutes of prep time, you’ll not only make the most of the random pieces of extra produce you have lying around, but also coax out their tasty and crowd-pleasing natural sugars.
12. Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts are delightfully crunchy, addictive, and made in a pinch. They are dressed with balsamic and seasoned with garlic powder, and with a crispy outer shell and slightly caramelized interior, this is my favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts!
13. Balsamic Mushrooms and Onions
I know mushrooms can be a bit polarizing, especially for the younger crew at the table. But I’m a certified mushroom lover. I can tackle a full pound at once (no shame!), especially when they are Balsamic Mushrooms and Onions.
14. Roasted Sweet Potatoes
These easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes are great for dinners, meal prep containers, and all your salads and grain bowls. A touch of fresh rosemary infuses the whole dish with delicious flavor, and it’s a recipe you’ll reach for again and again.
15. Roasted Fennel
This easy recipe for Roasted Fennel brings out it’s natural sweetness, making it the perfect side dish for mild meats like chicken, fish, and shellfish.
16. Oven Roasted Potatoes
These Oven Roasted Potatoes are an simple, delicious side dish that goes with everything from everyday family meals to special holiday feasts. You’ll love how crispy they get in the oven, and you can customize the herbs to your favorites.
Vegan Salads for Thanksgiving
17. Fennel Apple Salad
If you’re on the hunt for a fabulous Thanksgiving salad, this Fennel Apple Salad might be a contender. Take advantage of the best apples of fall when varieties are plentiful and the bushels are full. Fennel, too, is a great Thanksgiving vegetable. Here, shave it paper-thin so you don’t have to work too hard when crunching through each piece.
18. Cabbage Salad
This fresh and crunchy Cabbage Salad is filled with colorful vegetables, golden raisins, and raw pepitas drizzled with a tangy maple vinaigrette.
19. Fennel Orange Salad
This delicious Fennel Orange Salad recipe is crisp, refreshing, and the perfect winter salad. It’s made with crunchy fennel, juicy oranges, soft butter lettuce leaves, and fresh mint, all drizzled with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette.
20. Broccoli Slaw
My Crunchy Broccoli Slaw is one of the best potluck side dish recipes, and requires just 5 minutes of prep time. It’s a little sweet, delightfully tangy, and remarkably crunchy; the ideal pairing for a glass of lemonade and a warm day.
21. Citrus Salad
Fresh herbs, citrus fruit, berries, and pomegranate seeds team up in this refreshing and easy winter fruit salad. It’s simple enough to add to a weekday breakfast menu, but showy enough to share as a holiday party side dish.
Vegan Bread Recipes for Thanksgiving
22. No Knead Bread
A good loaf of sturdy bread needs only flour, water, salt, and yeast. This rustic loaf has loads of character, a dense, chewy interior, and a crispy outside crust.
This no-knead bread comes out of the oven looking so impressive, your guests will balk when you say you made it from scratch. It also just happens to be vegan! Maybe make two.
23. Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Even if you’ve never baked a loaf of bread in your life, Italian Focaccia Bread is an easy, forgiving, and extremely delicious way to dabble. The famous flatbread is spongy on the inside, yet delightfully crusty on the outside. This is the recipe I learned in culinary school, and I’ve been making it ever since.
