Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes + Tips

post updated: Nov 11, 2019

Here it is, my Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Guide – updated for 2019! This post is jam-packed with my favorite festive recipes that are perfect for your holiday table.

And if you are feeling overwhelmed, hop down to read about my “Choose Five!” approach to holiday cooking.

I hope my recipes can help you celebrate the holidays with ease, joy, comfort, wellness and deliciousness.. Here is what is in this massive post..

Vegan Thanksgiving Intro
All my Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
My Fave Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
My “Choose 5” Approach to Holiday Cooking

Vegan Thanksgiving???

If you are a bit hesitant about your plant-powered feast, read my post: 25 Reasons to Host a Vegan Thanksgiving this Year! Then continue on with this Vegan Thanksgiving Guide…

Vegan Thanksgiving Guide

#Mood when you tell everyone you are doing a #vegan Thanksgiving this year. pic.twitter.com/sTJf5FxjF2— Finding Vegan (@findingvegan) November 7, 2017

You do not need to do a 100% vegan meal to make a difference. Just adding a few new plant-based recipes to your table — or using vegan versions of one or more of your go-to classic holiday recipes is a super way to give your holiday feast a boost for the plant, animals and everyone diving into the deliciousness.

Just veg-curious? Check out my post: When did you know you were a veggie-eater?

How to make small changes? Try a vegan version stuffing this year, or a vegan pumpkin pie. Try taking turkey off the menu and replacing it with an elegant mushroom-chickpea tart or a festive risotto or baked cheesy mac, my fave sweet potato pockets, or one of the many vegan “celebration” options at the grocery store from brands like Gardein, Field Roast and Tofurkey.

Or you can simply add a few more veggies to your feast, a fall salad, vegan mashed potatoes with gravy, roasted veggies, sweet potatoes using vegan butter, a spinach-artichoke dip. Whatever your approach to adding #vegan to your feast, I applaud you for just wanting to add more plants to your celebration.

Thanks. Giving. This season of compassion, gratitude and community is something we can spread through the very foods we eat. Just watch how many people share pictures of their holiday meals on social media. Yup, what is on your table and plate can carry a powerful message to the people in your social circle.

A vegan Thanksgiving is good for the soul! Plant-based recipes help animals, the planet – and you – because eating more plants is always a great thing.

Plant-based recipes help animals, the planet – and you!

NEW! Holiday Guide.

Need a plan? My meal planning program, Finding Vegan Meals is jam-packed with recipes, meal plans and more. Including my holiday guide which includes a shopping list, recipes and tips. Hop over to FVmeals.com to learn more.

If you just want to snag some a la carte Thanksgiving recipes, you’re in the right place..

Kathy’s Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes:

I wanted to keep things really browsable, in list form. If you have any questions about the specific recipes, please let me know in the comments, I am happy to help!…

Appetizers:

– Orange Spiced Pumpkin Hummus
– Cashew Cheese Spread – party-ready
– The secret to really good Hummus
– Mushroom Avocado Toast
– Peppercorn Lentil Pate
– Warm Roasted Swirled Cauliflower Pumpkin Dip
– DIY Cashew Cheese
– Cheezy Artichoke Spinach Dip
– Wild Blueberry Crostini
– Hummus Dip
– Curried Cashew Butter Dip
– Pub Cheese Dip
– Mushroom Toast

Classic (Must-Have) Sides:

Salads:

– Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
– Arugula Avo Mac Mango Salad (sub apple or tangerine for the mango if desired!)
– Tofu Croutons – added protein + flavor for any salad!
– Fall Flavor Leafy Green Salad with apples, nuts, maple dressing
– Fall Raw Kale Salad with beans, citrus
– Curried Carrot Slaw with optional tempeh
– Butternut Apple Pecan Salad with tahini dressing
– Maple Mustard Chard Salad
– Brussels Sprouts Salad, + walnuts, citrus, avocado

Assorted Veggie + Savory Sides:

– Glazed Roasted Carrots
– Spinach with raisins
– Ginger Citrus Roasted Beets
– Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
– Cranberry Maple Tempeh Brown Rice Bowl
– Cheezy Crispy Roasted Potatoes
– Cranberry-Topped Brussels Sprouts
– Tuscan White Beans
– Shiitake ‘Bacon’
– Skillet-Popped Lentils
– Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes

Bread:

Entrees:

– Sweet and Sassy Sweet Potato Pockets
– Pumpkin Sage Risotto
– Mushroom Chickpea Hazelnut Tart
– Mushroom Risotto
– Tofu Steaks, citrus-rosemary
– Fall-Spiced Tofu Cubes with Apple
– Baked Mac ‘n Cheese
– Baked Farro with butternut squash, garlic, onion
– Pumpkin Pistachio Fried Rice with tofu
– Pumpkin Alfredo
– Acorn Alfredo Pasta
– Maple Pumpkin White Bean Quesadillas
– Creamy Cozy Tofu Pot Pie
– Gardein, Tofurkey or Field Roast celebration entrees

Beverages:

Desserts..

Pumpkin Pie Options:

– My go-to Pumpkin Pie Recipe (with video!)
– Coconut Whip (pie topping)
– Hubbard Pumpkin Pie
– Maple Bliss Pumpkin Pie
– My pumpkin pie from scratch, gingersnap crust
– Swirled cheesecake pumpkin pie!
– How to make a vegan pie crust from scratch
– 4-Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Pie
– Crust-free pumpkin pie with pecan streusel
– No-bake walnut pumpkin pie – oat-nut crust

Other Desserts:

– Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream
– Pumpkin Brownies
– Gingerbread Cookies
– Pumpkin Ice Cream
– Fruit + Nut Chocolate Bark
– Vegan Baked Cheesecake
– Vegan Peach Pie with DIY crust
– Dark Chocolate Mousse Pie
– Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
– Vegan Caramel Apple Pie
– Vegan Caramel Sauce
– Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream
– Gingerbread Cookies
– Two-minute pumpkin pie pudding with walnuts
– Pumpkin Ice Cream
– Fruit + Nut Chocolate Bark
– Vegan Baked Cheesecake
– Pumpkin Brownies
– Vegan Peach Pie with DIY crust
– Dark Chocolate Mousse Pie
– Vegan Caramel Apple Pie
– Vegan Caramel Sauce
– Two-minute pumpkin pie pudding with walnuts
– Pumpkin Pie Parfaits

Breakfast:

– Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
– Vegan Pumpkin Pie Tarts with glaze
– Pumpkin Spice Scones
– Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf
– Green Apple Celery Ginger Juice
– Eggnog French Toast (vegan)
– Cranberry Sparkle Loaf
– Pumpkin Loaf, Classic
– Holiday Banana Bread
– Holiday Fruit Salad
– Apple Walnut Crumble Coffee Cake
– Jack-o-Pumpkin Breakfast Sandwich
– Easy Energy Almond Banana Shake – for a boost!
– Holiday Pancakes
– Banana Bread Breakfast Quinoa
– Pumpkin Waffles or Holiday Waffles
– Vegan Breakfast Sandwiches
– Pecan Pumpkin cinnamon Rolls
– Cashew Banana Bread French Toast

Another great source of vegan Thanksgiving recipes is my other site, FindingVegan.com/Thanksgiving. Or browse recipes in my cookbook Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen.

Some of my Thanksgiving favorites..

Menu Planning Worries? Keep reading!..

If yDoes Thanksgiving already have you feeling overwhelmed? Well, we do not want that! Try my Choose Five method for approaching your Thanksgiving feast..

My “Choose 5” Method for the holidays!..

I choose five recipes that I make with gusto. These recipes can change from year to year or you can make your same go-to recipes every year.

A few notes..

Guests can pitch in! Let them bring whatever they want. But you only worry about five things.
Store-bought goodies? Sure! You can buy a few store-bought goodies as boosters. Examples include, rolls, cranberry sauce, nut cheeses and crackers or even a holiday main like a “veggie meat” entree.

Examples Thanksgiving Menus – ‘Choose Five Method’

1. Main: chickpea tart
2. App: pomegranate mimosas and a homemade cashew cheese platter
3. Side: sweet potatoes
4. Side: vegan stuffing
5. Dessert: vegan pumpkin pie
Store-bought bonuses: cranberry sauce, dinner rolls

1. Main: baked farro with butternut squash
2. App: Pumpkin-Cauliflower Dip
3. Side: cranberry sauce
4. Side: fall salad
5. Dessert: pumpkin pie with homemade coconut whip
Store-bought bonuses: dinner rolls

1. Main: vegan stuffing with added lentils, mushrooms or veggie sausage
2. App: homemade hummus + veggie + cracker platter
3. Side: homemade cranberry sauce
4. Side: simple roasted sweet potato + pecan + apple salad
5. Dessert: hot chocolate or a holiday bark
Store-bought bonuses: dinner rolls, vegan pie

1. Main: sweet potato pockets
2. App: skip and app and add a hearty salad: Fall Flavor Salad
3. Side: Mashed Potatoes
4. Side: homemade cranberry sauce
5. Dessert: pumpkin pie
Store-bought bonuses: dinner rolls, sparkling cider, hummus and crusty bread + veggies

And here is what my go-to Thanksgiving dinner usually looks like..

1. Main: Sweet Potato Pockets
2. Side: Vegan Stuffing
3. Side: Homemade Cranberry Sauce
4. Side: Green Veggie or Festive Salad
5. Dessert: Homemade Pumpkin Pie with whip
Store-bought: Fresh bread or dinner rolls, appetizer fare: nut cheese and crackers

Have the BEST Vegan Thanksgiving!

I hope you found a few recipes you are inspired to try. And remember, the best meals and celebrations are not the fanciest or the ones with the most items on the menu, they are the ones made with love and that serve to comfort, uplift and bring together the people at the table. Sending you all my biggest holiday hugs!..

One more way to find holiday recipes: my book Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen is loaded with holiday favorites like a Gingerbread Bundt Cake, Gingerbread Cookies, loads of holiday-worthy salads and veggie sides, soups and even special dinner-approved entrees.

Thank you as always for your love and support of my recipes and projects!