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Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

by Marly

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Looking for the perfect vegan Thanksgiving Recipes? Here you’ll find everything delicious, from tasty sides like vegan stuffing, main dishes like vegan turkey, and desserts like vegan pumpkin pie. You’ll love all the delicious options to may your plant-based Thanksgiving dinner perfect!

Vegan stuffing is in a white baking dish. There's a loaf of bread in the background.

Thanksgiving is one of the most special times of the year, especially when you’re hosting. But can you host a vegan Thanksgiving dinner? What are your options when it comes to family members who aren’t vegan?

Here I’m providing answers to those questions in addition to my absolutely favorite vegan Thanksgiving menu. You’ll get everything from breakfast ideas, appetizers, main meal, side dishes (oh how I love the side dishes), and dessert.

Table of Contents show

How to Host Vegan Thanksgiving

If you’re hosting or attending a family gathering for Thanksgiving, here are some ideas on how to make it entirely or partially vegan.

  • Imagine you’re hosting dinner and some of your family are not vegan. Can you provide the vegan feast and allow family to bring their own dishes? If you’re comfortable with that, it’s a nice compromise.
  • If you’re attending dinner hosted by a family member, ask if you can bring your own vegan feast. You’ll need an oven to heat up your food.
  • I have family members who sometimes attempt to make us a vegan side dish. I truly appreciate their efforts and usually eat it, even if I question some of the ingredients included (for example, using a vegetarian cheese instead of vegan cheese). You’ll need to think through how you want to handle situations like these.

Here are the recipes I love when it comes to our vegan Thanksgiving menu:

Breakfast

It may be tempting to skip breakfast to save up on calories for the big meal, but if you’re hosting overnight guests, providing a delicious breakfast is a nice touch. Besides, starting your day with breakfast is always a good idea.

Syrup is being poured over a stack of vegan French toast. There's a plate with more French toast in the background.

These vegan breakfast recipes are easy to make and can be made the day ahead and reheated for a quick and delicious start to the day.

Cocktails & Beverages

I’m always tinkering with making the best vegan Thanksgiving recipes. That include cocktails and beverages. Having some drinks ready for the pre-dinner hour can be a nice way to get your guests relaxed and ready for the big meal. Here are some of our favorites.

Appetizers

If you have guests that arrive early, having some light finger foods on hand is a great way to get people mingling. This takes the pressure off of you, the cook, with also being the host. Set out these vegan finger foods and a few beverages, and you can continue master cheffing in the kitchen!

Main

What can vegans do for the main dish? Plenty! Here are some of my favorites.

  • Vegan Ham

    This vegan ham is perfectly seasoned with smoky sweet flavors and topped with a pineapple glaze. Serve it as a loaf or sliced on sandwiches.

  • Vegan Turkey

    This vegan turkey recipe delivers a delicious roast full of flavor and plant-based protein. Serve it for the holidays or any time of year.

  • Vegan Pot Pie

    This vegan pot pie features a buttery crust filled with your favorites, like vegan chicken and vegetables in a creamy gravy-like sauce.

  • Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

    This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie made is perfect for those comfort-food cravings. It’s made with a stew infused with veggies and mashed potatoes.

Salads

I include salads as their own category here because I may pick and choose from different sides, but I ALWAYS include a salad. It’s non-negotiable for me. I’m from the midwest so we can really do a salad right here. These are what I consider to be some of the best!

Sides

The side dish is one of my favorites when it comes to the holidays. These tasty vegan side dishes are delicious and easy to make, too.

Desserts

Now we get to the real star of the show. These vegan desserts are great any time of year, but they are especially loved on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Week Meal Prep

Now that you’ve got your vegan Thanksgiving recipes in order, it’s time to create a plan for how to go about making them all. Here’s how I break down my week:

Sunday

  • Clean out the fridge and freezer to make room for the extra dishes and leftovers created this week.
  • Create a shopping list
  • Shop for any ingredients you don’t have on hand.

Monday

  • Prepare the stuffing (but don’t bake it), cool, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake on Thursday.
  • Make the pie crust dough, wrap tightly and refrigerate.
  • Prepare the dinner rolls and chill until ready to bake.
  • Make the vegan turkey.

Tuesday

  • Prepare the red velvet cake, but don’t frost it. Wrap tightly and refrigerate.
  • Prepare the vegan cream cheese frosting (for the red velvet cake). Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to frost the cake.
  • Prepare the vegan gravy, set it aside to cool, then cover and refrigerate.

Wednesday

  • Make the salad dressing and refrigerate.
  • Make the green bean casserole, cool, cover, and refrigerate.
  • Peel and chop the potatoes, cover with water, and refrigerate.
  • Make the pumpkin pie, set aside to cool, then cover and refrigerate.
  • Make the pecan pie, set aside to cool, cover, and refrigerate.
  • Prepare the salad, but do not top with dressing.
  • Make coconut whipped cream, cover and refrigerate.

Thursday

Some of this can be done ahead of time, but the rest you can do an hour or so before guests arrive.

  • Boil the potatoes until tender, then mash them according to the recipe instructions.
  • Bake the dinner rolls.
  • Frost the cake and place it on your dessert table.
  • Place the pies on your dessert table.
  • Transfer the stuffing to a baking pan and bake.
  • Heat the vegan turkey, green bean casserole, and gravy.
  • Add the dressing to the salad.

Thanksgiving Meal Tips

After years of hosting big dinners, here are my favorite tips to share with you. My hope is these tips will help make your day as wonderful for your guests and you as possible.

  • Plan your menu. What is the number of guest you’ll have? Does anyone have a gluten intolerance? Keep these things in mind as you prepare your menu. If you have only one vegan turkey, plan to make more side dishes.
  • Take it Easy Where You Can. It’s ok to use storebought, such as a storebought stuffing mix (as long as it’s vegan). This is a big meal you’re planning for and keeping it simple (while also delicious) is the way to go.
  • Meal Prep Thanksgiving Dinner. I’ve found doing as many recipes ahead of time rather than the day of the big meal, helps me have dinner on the table on time.
  • Don’t Use an Untested Recipe. Thanksgiving day is not a time to be testing a new recipe. I recommend planning your menu early and testing a new recipe before making it for Thanksgiving. That way you know you’re got a winner!
  • Plan the Scene. Where will you be serving dinner? At the dining room table? Clean that room early and plan what each place setting will look like. Do you need place mats? Napkins? Do you have enough plates and silverware for everyone? Do you have enough serving utensils? Will you serve the food buffet style (in the kitchen) or family style (on the table). Thinking through these logistics ahead of time can make the day of the big event better.
  • Set the Scene. Go ahead and clean the dining room and set the table early. That way it’s one thing out of the way.
  • Clean the Fridge. Making space in the fridge ahead of time is important! It will help create space for dishes you make ahead, but also leftovers on the big day!

Keeping the Peace

Try to make space to enjoy this special time with family. That means preserving peace, whatever that means for you.

I used to be a huge BeeGees fan so I watched the recent documentary with Barry Gibb. They showed all the struggles that he and Robin went through, and then one day, Robin died. Barry said afterward how much he regretted letting those little things get in the way of their relationship. So, my advice to myself is to not let differences of opinion get in the way of relationships.

Use the friendship model for guiding yourself through this day. Create a spirit of friendship, even among family. That means being playful and/or fun, listening, and enjoying each others’ company.

On a very basic level, I like to imagine that on this day we come together over a meal created with love. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that.

Being Grateful

Holistic coach Mally Alliman says that taking a moment of calm before eating not only helps with digestion, it can help to create space for mindful eating. I love these terms of gratitude/blessings that can be expressed before any meal.

  • Itadakimasu — This is an expression of gratitude for everyone who had a hand in creating the meal.
  • Universe Blessing — Thicht Nhat Hhan said in his book that he says this prayer before meals, “In this food I see clearly the entirety of the universe supporting my existence.”
  • The Humanist Benediction — For the meal we are about to eat, for those that made it possible, for those with whome we are about to share it, we are thankful.
  • Buddhinst Meal Blessing — We receive this food in gratitutde to all beings who have helped to bring it to our table, and vow to respond in turn to those in need with wisdom and compassion.
  • Native American Blessing (variation) — We give thanks to the plants that have given themselves so that we can enjoy this meal together. We give thanks for our friends and family who have traveled here today. May this meal bring us strength and health.
  • Nature Blessing — Blessed be the Earth for providing us this food. Blessed be the Sun for helping it to grow. Blessed be the wind and Birds for carrying its seed. And blessed be the Rain for the water’s loving flow. Blessed be the hands that helped prepare this meal. Oh, blessed be our friends, our families, and all of our loved ones. Blessed be our Mother Earth.
  • Secular Blessing — Dear earth who gives to us this food, dear sun who makes it ripe and good. Sun above and earth below, our loving thanks to you we show.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some popular questions oftentimes asked about vegan Thanksgiving.

What do vegans east for Thanksgiving?

Vegans have a number of options to eat for Thanksgiving, including plant-based turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more. Side dishes are always a favorite because they’re often vegetable-focused. Substituting plant-based milk, butter, and cheese transforms side dishes into tasty plant-based alternatives. The same is true for dessert.

What can I serve besides meat for Thanksgiving?

There are plenty of non-meat options you can serve for Thanksgiving. These include vegetarian shepherd’s pie, Tofurkey, Field Roast, or even making a homemade vegan turkey.

Is pumpkin pie vegan?

Pumpkin pie is typically made with evaporated milk and eggs and is therefore not vegan. However, it’s easy to make it vegan by substituting plant-based milk and cornstarch as an egg substitute.

I hope you love these Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes and tips. Do you have a favorite vegan Thanksgiving side dish? Please share it in the comments below!

Picture of Vegan Stuffing in a white casserole dish with a loaf of french bread in the background

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes + Easy Vegan Stuffing

Here's over 30 recipes to make your vegan Thanksgiving dinner amazing! You'll find everything from appetizers, main meal, all the plant-based sides you can imagine, dessert, and more! Plus, this simple vegan stuffing recipe is ready in minutes! Serve it on the stovetop or bake it for golden crispy topping.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate Save
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 248kcal
Author: Marly McMillen

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 375°F/190°C. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan or casserole dish.
  • Heat the vegan butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the chopped celery and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Pour the vegetable broth over cooked onions/celery and give it a good stir. Cook over medium heat until this just begins to boil.
  • Pour in the stuffing and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
  • Add more seasoning—like dried sage, salt, and pepper—to taste. Pour into your prepared baking dish.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, until the stuffing is golden and crusty on the top.

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

*I’m able to find Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mixes in my local grocery store.
Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 898mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

2 Responses to Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyBecca November 11, 2021 at 7:38 am Reply

    5 stars
    Thanks for so many great recipes and tips. Also, this stuffing is the best!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly November 11, 2021 at 7:39 am

      You’re welcome, Becca. Glad you like them!

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