18 Vegan Recipes for a Terrific Turkey-Free Thanksgiving (2024)

Whether you follow a vegan diet year-round or took on Beyonce's challenge this month, let this collection of 20 plant-based recipes be your guide for planning an outstanding Thanksgiving meal. Featuring both hearty main courses and indulgent desserts, even your meat-eating guests will fawn over your feast. Even better: Each recipe can be whipped up with ease by well-seasoned and newly minted vegan chefs alike!

MAINS

18 Vegan Recipes for a Terrific Turkey-Free Thanksgiving (1)

Slow-Cooker Marsala Veggie Grain Bowl

Make things easy on yourself by turning to a slow-cooker recipe this Thanksgiving. This grain-bowl is warm, nourishing, and will keep you full throughout all the tofurkey-day festivities. (via Brit + Co)

18 Vegan Recipes for a Terrific Turkey-Free Thanksgiving (2)

One-Pot Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili Recipe

It doesn't get much more comforting and warming than chili. Serve up the vegan version with this hearty and delicious sweet potato and black bean concoction. (via Brit + Co)

Herbed Seitan Vol-Au-Vents

Don't be put off by the fancy name. Instead, think of these beauts as elegant pot pies baked in flaky puff pastry shells. (via May I Have That Recipe)

Maple Hazelnut-Crusted Tempeh Cutlets

A maple-syrup-laced sweet and savory sauce infuses tempeh with a ton of flavor before it's coated in a crispy hazelnut crust. Talk about a terrific turkey alternative. (via Keepin' It Kind)

Stuffed Thanksgiving Burger

These homemade veggie burgers have Thanksgiving written all over them, but they may very well end up in your year-round dinner rotation. (via The Post Punk Kitchen)

Nutty Curry Stuffed Squash

Vegans and omnivores alike will enjoy these spiced, personal-sized squash. Packed with an assortment of filling grains and nuts, they're a superb holiday centerpiece. (via Robin Asbell)

Baked Pumpkin Ravioli With Rubbed Sage Cream

Totally-from-scratch ravioli enrobed in an herbal cashew cream is definitely worthy of this year's Thanksgiving table. (via Olives for Dinner)

Kale-Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Loaded baked potatoes may be a more casual main dish option, but the kale, quinoa and sliced almonds offer a certain amount of elegance to this oh-so-tasty sweet potato. (via Spinach for Breakfast)

Lentil Shepherd's Pie With Parsnip and Potato Mash

Relieve your day-of holiday workload by breaking the prep for this casserole over a couple days. A word to the wise: You may want to double the parsnip-potato mash to be safe — it has a tendency to attract spoons… (via Food52)

DESSERTS

18 Vegan Recipes for a Terrific Turkey-Free Thanksgiving (3)

Vegan Apple Nice-Cream

All the flavors of fall are showcased in this insanely delicious and easy-to-make vegan ice cream creation. Bonus: You only need FOUR ingredients to whip up this decadent dairy-free dessert. (via Brit + Co)

18 Vegan Recipes for a Terrific Turkey-Free Thanksgiving (4)

Apple Pie Tacos

You are *not* going to be able to stop at just one of these completely vegan-friendly dessert tacos. Bonus points for emblazoning "PIE" on the side of each shell. (via Brit + Co)

Cranberry Chocolate Breakfast Cake

We love that this cake can be enjoyed for both breakfast and dessert. (via The Pancake Princess)

Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake

Oven space is often in short supply during the holiday season, so it's especially nice having a few no-bake desserts to fall back on. This cheesecake gets its luscious texture from cashews and a plume of whipped coconut cream on top. (via The Cake Merchant)

Apple Oat Crumble

Enjoy this crumble as a quick and easy alternative to pie. Simply swap out the apples with pears for a whole new experience. (via A House in the Hills)

Coffee Roasted Pumpkin Seed Snack Clusters

Serve up these clusters as a sweet, caffeinated treat at the end of your feast. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Mini Pumpkin Pies (Gluten-Free)

After a large meal, just a touch of dessert is all you need. These bite-sized pies fit the bill perfectly. (via The Colorful Kitchen)

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

It's hard to believe that this silky panna cotta is gelatin- and dairy-free. A sprinkle of pumpkin seed brittle on top lends an awesome textural contrast along with an extra boost of flavor. (via Lands and Flavors)

Are you planning to cook any vegan Thanksgiving recipes this holiday season? A whole feast's worth or just a few? Let us know @BritandCo!

This article has been updated.

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Heather Sage

Heather Sage is a gluten-free recipe developer and freelance writer living in Orlando by way of the Silicon Valley. When she isn’t playing around with alternative flours in the kitchen, she can be found tackling DIY projects around the house or exploring her neighborhood. Check out her gluten-free recipe blog, A Sage Amalgam.

18 Vegan Recipes for a Terrific Turkey-Free Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

How do vegans celebrate Thanksgiving? ›

"A traditional Thanksgiving menu has lots of options for vegans and vegetarians: green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed or roasted potatoes, and sweet potatoes and yams—it's a carb-loaded feast, and we will happily lick our plates," says Peart.

How to be vegetarian on Thanksgiving? ›

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Dishes
  1. Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington. Alexa Weibel. ...
  2. Spicy Roasted Mushrooms With Polenta. ...
  3. Ombré Gratin. ...
  4. Baked Brie and Caramelized Vegetable Pie. ...
  5. One-Pot Vegetable Biryani. ...
  6. Broccoli Cheese Casserole. ...
  7. Butternut Squash and Fondue Pie With Pickled Red Chiles. ...
  8. Roasted Mushrooms in Ata Din Din.

What do vegans eat instead of turkey on Thanksgiving? ›

Here are some popular options:
  • Stuffed Acorn Squash: - Roast acorn squash halves and fill them with a flavorful stuffing made with grains, nuts, dried fruits, and herbs.
  • Vegan Roast: - Many brands offer pre-made vegan roasts made from plant-based ingredients like seitan, tofu, or tempeh. ...
  • Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms:
Nov 17, 2021

What is the vegan version of turkey? ›

Other protein-filled vegan options that could replace turkey in your vegan Thanksgiving table are tempeh, tofu and seitan. Choose one of these plant-based turkey alternatives, or combine more than one in your table, complimenting with veggies, rice, salads, or any other plant-based whole foods ingredients you want.

What is the most popular vegetarian alternative to a turkey dinner? ›

1. Burmese Tofu (aka Chickpea Flour Tofu) For an alternative to turkey that's mild in flavor and can be treated like any other protein, turn to Burmese tofu, which transforms chickpea flour, oil, and water into a sturdy tofu-like dish.

What is a silent vegetarian? ›

Acronym for silent vegetarian option, a dish to be substituted at the request of guests, but not explicitly offered to everyone.

What does vegetarians eat on Thanksgiving? ›

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Dishes
  • Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington. Alexa Weibel. ...
  • Spicy Roasted Mushrooms With Polenta. ...
  • Ombré Gratin. ...
  • Baked Brie and Caramelized Vegetable Pie. ...
  • One-Pot Vegetable Biryani. ...
  • Broccoli Cheese Casserole. ...
  • Butternut Squash and Fondue Pie With Pickled Red Chiles. ...
  • Roasted Mushrooms in Ata Din Din.

Do vegans celebrate Thanksgiving? ›

Every holiday dish can be made vegan, including with meatless roasts, dairy-free mashed potatoes, and no-egg desserts.

What do vegans think about Thanksgiving? ›

And while Thanksgiving is supposed to signify gratitude and abundance—the holiday centers around the autumn harvest—for many, it's the opposite. “It's all about eating and the murder of these birds or other animals,” Patty Shenker, a 30-year vegan told the LA Times.

Do vegans eat turkey on Thanksgiving? ›

And no, vegans do not eat chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, or even cheese, though they are often asked. But keeping a vegan happy on Thanksgiving is not difficult. Plenty of traditional dishes are (almost) vegan anyway, and the oven is on for baking special treats.

What does Christianity say about vegans? ›

Genesis 1 identifies human beings as uniquely images of God and grants them dominion over other animals, but the end of the chapter prescribes a vegan diet for humans, so this original dominion does not include permission to kill animals for food.

References

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