Thanksgiving Vegan Comfort Food Food Fall Holiday Vegan for Beginners Recipe

50 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is one of the year's biggest holidays and is known for having the best food. Try these vegan Thanksgiving recipes today.

Nov 8, 2021

by Megan McFadden

50 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez / Unsplash

Introduction

I’m not a fan of Thanksgiving anymore because I associate it with bad memories. A few years ago, we had a house fire on Thanksgiving weekend. Luckily, all of us made it out okay, but the house didn’t make it.

Hopefully, this Thanksgiving will be more memorable in a positive way. I’m grateful for the newest addition to the family, a black kitten named Sabrina. I also thank Edward, Crash, and Patches because they are a great support system.

If you want some Thanksgiving meal ideas, try these vegan Thanksgiving recipes today including the following.

5 Vegan Charcuterie Boards
5 Vegan Appetizers
5 Vegan Main Courses
5 Vegan Stuffing Recipes
10 Vegan Hot Side Dishes
10 Vegan Cold Side Dishes
5 Vegan Pie Options
5 Vegan Fall Desserts

Please note that many of these recipes are better for smaller Thanksgiving gatherings (< 10 people) or to have some vegan options at a larger celebration. If you’re trying to accommodate 100+ people like at my family’s Thanksgiving, you may want recipes that are better in bulk or stay good in a lunchroom crockpot.

1. Rainbow Fruit and Veggie Platter With Hummus

One of the best appetizers for a holiday gathering is food trays. They are very customizable to people’s tastes and dietary preferences.

Make a fruit and veggie platter with the help of Cadry’s Kitchen.

2. Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Tray

I like creating recipes that resemble the holiday you’re celebrating. It would be a turkey with Thanksgiving because that is one of the most popular Thanksgiving symbols and foods.

Have a Thanksgiving turkey veggie tray at your Thanksgiving festivities from Make It Dairy Free.

3. Vegan Cheese Board

Vegan cheese has come a long way since becoming vegan in 2017. Create a vegan cheese board thanks to Ain't Too Proud To Meg.

4. Antipasto Platter

Antipasto is an Italian appetizer. Even though I’m not that into olives and pickled foods, you may like this antipasto platter from Full of Plants.

5. Charcuterie Board

After you master a basic food platter, try making a charcuterie board. Learn the basics of creating a vegan charcuterie board from No Sweat Vegan.

6. Deviled Potatoes

In case you aren’t aware, eggs aren’t vegan because they come from chickens. If you want to make a vegan version of deviled eggs, here’s a vegan deviled potatoes recipe from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

7. Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Everything tastes better with bacon. Even though I don’t believe that because I never liked bacon, you should have these vegan bacon-wrapped dates from Meatless Makeover anyway.

🥓

If you would instead save the bacon for breakfast, here are some vegan breakfast ideas.

8. Jalapeño Poppers

If you like spicier appetizers, I recommend making jalapeño poppers. Have vegan jalapeño poppers from Crowded Kitchen.

🇲🇽

You may also like my blog post on vegan Mexican recipes.

9. Fried Shrimp

If you’re a seafood fan, you might like a shrimp appetizer. Prep some vegan fried shrimp from The Hidden Veggies.

10. Bruschetta

The last vegan Thanksgiving appetizer I have for you is some topped toast. Make some vegan bruschetta thanks to Loving It Vegan.

11. Seitan Turkey

Having turkey at Thanksgiving is so 20th century. Meat alternatives are becoming more and more of a thing, especially at holiday celebrations.

Ditch the turkey and try a meat alternative, like this vegan turkey recipe from The Edgy Veg.

12. Hamless Roast With Maple Glaze

We usually have ham as one of our main courses no matter what holiday we’re celebrating. Have a vegan ham roast from Nora Cooks.

🍍

If you like pineapple with more things besides ham, make these pineapple recipes.

13. Tempeh Ribs

If you have a smaller Thanksgiving gathering, ribs would be a great option. Try vegan ribs from My Darling Vegan.

14. Holiday Roast

I like buying and baking a vegan holiday roast from Natural Grocers. If you would rather make one, make this vegan holiday roast recipe from Vegan Huggs.

15. Meatless Meatloaf

Meatloaf has been very popular in American cuisine since the Great Depression. Make some vegan meatloaf thanks to Detoxinista.

16. Butternut Squash Apple Stuffing

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to have some winter squash. One idea is making butternut squash apple stuffing from May I Have That Recipe.

😋

Have more winter squash recipes.

17. Wild Mushroom Stuffing

A decent amount of wild mushrooms grow at my parents’ place, i.e., morels. Use some in this wild mushroom stuffing from Rainbow Plant Life.

18. Cornbread Stuffing

In the United States, there are two main types of cornbread: Northern and Southern. You’ll find Northern cornbread in a baking dish, while Southern cornbread is made in a cast iron skillet.

Try some cornbread stuffing from Minimalist Baker.

19. Quinoa Stuffing

With all the calories people consume on Thanksgiving, we should try our best to make the food healthier, right? For example, make quinoa stuffing over regular stuffing from Simply Quinoa.

20. Apple Hazelnut Stuffing

After pumpkin, apples are a popular fall favorite. Use a Granny Smith to create this apple hazelnut stuffing from My Darling Vegan.

🍎

If you have plenty of apples to spare, make more vegan apple recipes.

21. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

My dad wants me to help with this year’s making of Thanksgiving mashed potatoes because my brother, who volunteered initially, will be in Florida. Also, my uncle, who regularly contributes, will be recovering from a recent surgery.

If I decide to make our Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, I want to save a few potatoes to create this vegan mashed potatoes and gravy recipe from This Savory Vegan.

22. Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potatoes are so good, especially in the fall. Have some vegan sweet potato casserole from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen.

🍠

Feel free to create other vegan sweet potato recipes.

23. Green Bean Casserole

One of my siblings likes eating canned Green Giant corn and green beans for a snack. Most would rather have green bean casserole, like the one from A Virtual Vegan.

🎓

This would also be a great vegan option for a plant-based grad party.

24. Meatballs

One classic hot side at my family’s Thanksgiving is ham balls. For a vegan option, here are vegan meatballs from Love and Lemons.

25. Creamed Corn

Corn is an essential part of life in Iowa. Corn is the main crop my dad farms (corn for livestock farming, not for human consumption). Plus, you can eat a lot of fresh sweet corn in July and August. At Thanksgiving in particular, we have corn casserole and/or creamed corn (It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken).

🌽

If you like corn, you may be interested in reading my vegan corn blog post.

26. Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

If you have picky eaters at your Thanksgiving, mac and cheese would be a good option for them. If you want a recipe with an autumn vibe, make pumpkin mac and cheese with the help of From My Bowl.

🍽️

If you want more options, check out my mac and cheese blog post.

27. Stuffed Butternut Squash

If you want a squash side, I recommend having something with butternut squash. Have stuffed butternut squash from Emilie Eats.

28. Cornbread

A massive pro to having a large Thanksgiving gathering is the more options you have to eat. We’ll have at least seven hot sides served by the turkey and twenty cold sides in the salad bar. We typically have Northern cornbread as one of our hot sides, like the one from Nora Cooks.

🌽

Cornbread is one of many traditional American recipes.

29. Rosemary Roasted Carrots

You can never go wrong with having a side of carrots. Here are rosemary roasted carrots from Oh My Veggies.

🥕

Who wants to try more vegan carrot recipes?

30. Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls taste so good after you dip them in your mashed potatoes and gravy. Try these vegan dinner rolls from Pies and Tacos.

31. Cranberry Sauce

Cranberries are very common to have around Thanksgiving time. Make some cranberry sauce from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.

😋

You may like my vegan cranberry blog post.

32. Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Normally, I find a jello salad at the salad bar. Try this strawberry pretzel salad from My Quiet Kitchen.

🍓

Have more vegan strawberry recipes.

33. Tropical Fruit Salad

My great aunt is the one in charge of making the holiday fruit salad. One idea is having a tropical fruit salad from Simple Vegan Blog.

34. Waldorf Salad

Waldorf University is only a couple of hours north from here, but that isn’t related to the Waldorf salad. Here’s a vegan Waldorf salad recipe from Plant-Based Cooking.

🥗

Here are some vegan salad resources for you to look over.

35. Greek Salad

I’m not a big Greek salad fan because it contains olives. If you like feta cheese and olives, have part of a Greek salad from Yup, it’s Vegan.

36. Coleslaw

If you like cabbage, here’s the salad for you. Try vegan coleslaw from The Simple Veganista.

🍽️

37. Pasta Salad

My uncle had more severe autism than me, where he would put an entire egg in a recipe needing eggs over cracking the eggs first.

I would not be surprised if he would make this pasta salad from Love and Lemons with uncooked pasta.

🍝

I recommend these vegan fall pasta dishes.

38. Caesar Salad

Caesar salad is one of those salads that makes you feel healthy while not tasting the salad at all with its abundant dressing. Toss this Caesar salad from Ambitious Kitchen.

39. Caprese Salad

My family and I went to an authentic Italian restaurant for my older brother’s wedding ceremony rehearsal dinner. One of the salads they served was a Caprese salad.

Here’s a vegan Caprese salad from This Savory Vegan.

40. Fall Harvest Salad

The last Thanksgiving salad suggestion is making a seasonal salad. Try this fall harvest salad from Running on Real Food.

41. Pumpkin Pie

With how common pumpkin-flavored food is during the fall, it’s not a surprise that pumpkin pie is sought after on Thanksgiving. Bake a vegan pumpkin pie from Minimalist Baker.

🎃

Here are some vegan pumpkin recipes.

42. Pecan Pie

The other pie star at the Thanksgiving dessert bar is pecan pie. Here’s a vegan pecan pie recipe from Making Thyme for Health.

43. Sweet Potato Pie

A great alternative to pumpkin pie is sweet potato pie. Have some sweet potato pie from Nora Cooks.

44. Apple Pie

The final apple recipe I have for you is apple pie. Make an apple pie from Loving It Vegan.

45. Chocolate Cream Pie

The only pie I like is chocolate pie because I don’t like baked fruit. Here’s a vegan chocolate cream pie from The Vegan 8.

🥧

If you want more pie variation at your Thanksgiving, here are more pie ideas.

46. Pumpkin Bars

My grandma makes excellent pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. For a vegan version, have these vegan pumpkin bars from Oh My Veggies.

47. Fudge

Remember to have desserts that aren’t pumpkin-flavored at Thanksgiving because not everybody likes pumpkin. One idea is to make vegan fudge from Detoxinista.

48. Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

My great-aunt makes the best sugar cookies. If you like them too, bake pumpkin sugar cookies from ShortGirlTallOrder.

🎃

Then, make more vegan cookies.

49. Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

The tastiest Thanksgiving recipe I found was this pumpkin cheesecake brownie recipe from Bianca Zapatka. Even though I’m not too fond of cheesecake, the cheesecake taste and texture combo would work well with pumpkin and brownies.

🟫

50. Pumpkin Cheesecake

If you like cheesecake, here’s the recipe for you. Have a vegan pumpkin cheesecake at your Thanksgiving from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen.

Conclusion

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to try new foods and cherish traditional recipes. If you liked this blog post, I have one on vegan Halloween recipes and will have more entries on vegan Christmas recipes, vegan Valentine’s Day recipes, and vegan Easter recipes. Ciao for now!