No matter if you are a vegan for many years or you’re just starting out with your vegan lifestyle, Thanksgiving dinner is a great time to show your vegan dishes to your friends and family who might be meat-eaters. Thanksgiving holiday is the best time to show off and share the most delicious vegan recipes with others.
For many vegans, Thanksgiving is the most favourite time of the year because they can encourage new vegans in a family and others to go or at least try to go plant-based. They present their vegan dishes that are easy to make and as delicious as non-vegan food on a Thanksgiving table.
How to plan a vegan Thanksgiving dinner
The trick is that almost any non-vegan dish can be done in a plant-based version and trust me or not, a lot of people wouldn’t even notice that their meal is vegan!
If you are the only vegan in a family and there is no way to make vegan dishes for everyone, you can still make your Thanksgiving plate of many side dishes. Sweet or white mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, bean casserole, and vegan stuffing can be found on any Thanksgiving table.
Pu these vegan side dishes together and assemble your own plate, just like Halley from the Chi City Vegan did for her Thanksgiving dinner some time ago!
Susan Tucker from Green Beat Life recommends that if a group consists of vegans and non-vegans, the best thing you can do is to start planning in advance what dishes will be veganized, such as gravy or stuffing. The great approach is also finding something that everyone can eat. That’s usually vegetable and mashed potatoes without dairy butter.
Some vegans take the Thanksgiving dinner as a challenge and look for the festive and representative dishes they could find on the Internet or in cookbooks! Luckily, there are tons of vegan recipes that are not only simple side dishes or steamed vegetables!!
If you are one of the vegans looking for some amazing inspiration for Thanksgiving dinner, I make your search easier for you.
Here you can see vegan Thanksgiving recipes that are tasty, festive, and easy to make!
Appetizers
1. SPICY AVOCADO HUMMUS
This spicy avocado hummus on the Written By Vegan website is smooth, filling, and very spicy. Add cayenne pepper, hot chipotle sauce or a little bit of ground chili! Eat it alone or with a slice of your favourite bread (I prefer whole grain gluten-free bread).
2. MINI VEGAN CARROT DOGS IN A BLANKET
Mini vegan carrot dogs in a blanket from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen are a vegan, healthier and tastier version of classic mini hotdogs. Just easily fill a vegan pastry with glazed mini carrots and surprise everyone with something new!
3. VEGAN GRAIN-FREE STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Easy peasy vegan grain-free stuffed mushrooms on the Cara’s Cravings website are a classic appetizer that can’t be missed in any party or a holiday occasion! Stuff these mushrooms with parsley, dried tomatoes, and walnut! Everyone will love them!
4. CHERRY TOMATO TOAST WITH VEGAN SOUR CREAM AND PESTO
Toasts are usually considered to be great for breakfast but they make an amazing appetizer, too! These cheery tomato toasts with vegan sour cream and pesto on Written By Vegan page are so tasty because they have the yummiest pesto you could ever dream of. They also have roasted cherry tomatoes and homemade sour cream!
5. PARATHA, POTATO-CAULIFLOWER STUFFED FLATBREAD
This is a gluten-free paratha, potato-cauliflower stuffed flatbread that is also filled with red bell pepper, and some fresh coriander leaves. It’s an easy recipe with homemade flatbread. This recipe is great as a snack, breakfast, and appetizers for every holiday menu! This recipe was created by Nele Liivlaid and you can find it on her website Nutriplanet.
Main Dish
6. FALL HARVEST SALAD WITH TEMPEH, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS
This fall harvest salad with tempeh, butternut squash, and Brussels sprouts was made by Marina Yanay-Triner from Soul In The Raw. It’s the perfect light meal you can have as a main dish for your vegan Thanksgiving dinner. It’s hearty, satisfying, creamy, salty, sweet, and absolutely delicious! This salad is accompanied by creamy and super tasty cashew sauce.
7. CREAMY CASHEW ALFREDO BASIL PASTA
If you are hoping for vegan Mac and Cheese this year for Thanksgiving, think about a healthier version. Why not make greener and super creamy cashew Alfredo basil pasta instead? Try this Alfredo pasta recipe that comes from Emerald Martin’s Green Vibes Wellness!
8. SWEET POTATO AND CARROT SHEPHERD’S PIE
Casseroles and shepherd’s pies are usually and traditionally non-vegan but did you know that you can very easily veganize them? Beans casseroles are delicious and covering them with mashed potatoes or carrots is even better! Find the recipe for this sweet potato and carrot shepherd’s pie on the Written By Vegan website!
9. QUINOA STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
This very festive butternut squash is perfect for special occasions when a whole family comes together and celebrates. Stuffed turkey? No, you don’t need that since you have discovered this caramelized, stuffed and roasted whole quinoa stuffed butternut squash! Find this recipe on Klara’s website Written By Vegan!
1. VEGAN SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH LENTILS AND SWEET POTATO
A classic meat shepherd’s pie can be remade and done began, too! Bean and lentils casserole is so tasty and full of protein! So now you know what you cook the next time someone asks you where you get your protein from! This recipe is from Klara’s Written By Vegan blog.
SIDE DISHES
11. VEGAN PUMPKIN MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
Vegan mac and cheese that is made of gluten-free pasta and pumpkin pureé can be a great side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner! It’s so super creamy and it has a very rich colour and flavour! The recipe for rich vegan pumpkin Mac and Cheese can be found on Written By Vegan blog by Klara!
12. CARROT SOUP WITH ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Autumn carrot soup with crunchy, spicy roasted chickpeas can be served as a delicious side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a very rich, creamy, and thick soup. Usually, it takes only a little bit of this carrot soup with roasted chickpeas to get a full belly! Klara tested this recipe for you and ca be found on her website Written By Vegan.
13. ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH TAHINI AND MUSTARD DRESSING
Asparagus is an amazing vegetable full of nutrients. Together with kale, cherry tomatoes, and avocado this asparagus salad can be served as a hearty side dish on a special dinner occasion, such as Thanksgiving or Easter. This asparagus salad with tahini and mustard dressing can be found on Klara’s Written By Vegan blog.
14. MAPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Of course, no Thanksgiving dinner can be left without some yummy cranberry sauce on the side! This maple cranberry sauce must-have side dish that recipe can be found on Kate Dean’s blog I Heart Eating.
15. CREAMY VEGAN MASHED POTATOES
If you wish to have the creamiest vegan mashed potatoes on the side, then you have to make this recipe! The thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be completed without mashed potatoes! The recipe is found on FOODAL website and it was made by Raquel Smith. Try it!
DESSERTS
16. BAKED APPLES WITH PUMPKIN SPICE CREAM
This amazing dessert for Thanksgiving was created by Susan Tucker from Green Beat Life, and we absolutely love it! Apples and pumpkin are in a season in the Northern hemisphere now so take and advantage of it! Apples are so easy to bake and pumpkin spice cream is just to die for! These baked apples with pumpkin spice cream will not disappoint you!
17. EASY VEGAN SPICED APPLE PIE
This no-bake, dairy-free, and gluten-free easy vegan spiced apple pie is a very special dessert for a holiday season. It’s a great dessert to introduce to non-vegans and it’s just so yummy. No baking is required! This recipe is from Klara’s Written By Vegan blog.
18. HOLIDAY VEGAN CHERRY PIES
The softest, sweetest, and the juiciest holiday vegan cherry pies you could have ever imagined are these holiday vegan cherry pies! They are also gluten-free and loved by everyone! Find the recipe for these little tasty guys on Written By Vegan website by Klara!
19. RAW LEMON AND STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
This raw strawberry and lemon cheesecake is incredible at the end of any festive dinner. You might think it’s great for St Valentine’s day but not only for that! It makes up for a stunning dessert in a Thanksgiving dinner, too! If you can’t get fresh strawberries, just use frozen ones! This cheesecake is raw, indeed! Find the recipe on the Written By Vegan website.
20. CHERRY CUPCAKES WITH PERFECT CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Cherries and chocolate is always the best combination when it comes to a dessert! So does the Thanksgiving dessert! One cherry cupcake with perfect chocolate ganache for everyone will satisfy even the most skeptical people in a room! Try it! Go to Written By Vegan website to get this recipe!
This year will be vegan Thanksgiving!
So now when you have learned how easily you can veganize many traditionally non-vegan dishes, you are going to prepare the best vegan Thanksgiving dinner for everyone!
Start preparing in advance and share your vegan Thanksgiving recipes with your family and friends!
Klara Walterova
Klara is a professional freelance writer for hire. She offers web content, blog posting, ghostwriting and copywriting. She writes for a healthy lifestyle, wellness and travel websites. She focuses on veganism and the vegan diet. When she's not writing, she develops new tasty vegan recipes, travels the world or plays with her cats. Please contact her for her online writing services on her website writtenbyvegan.com or visit her Instagram profile @writtenbyvegan.