Here's your premier source for vegan Thanksgiving recipes and menus to create a memorable dinner—suitable for any vegetarian guests as well! Create mix-and match vegan Thanksgiving menus from the following recipes, from soup to dessert, complete with vegan stuffings and main dishes—all the holiday traditions you adore, updated for a compassionate plant-based feast. Shown above, Butternut Squash With Whole Wheat, Wild Rice, & Onion Stuffing; photo by Hannah Kaminsky.
For even more recipes and menus for vegan Thanksgiving and other major holidays, see Nava’s book, Vegan Holiday Kitchen). Enjoy, and share the blessings! Would you like these choices narrowed down a bit? Here’s a link to our absolute favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes.
95 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
SOUPS AND BREADS
Thanksgiving dinner is a big meal, and for some, serving soup might not seem necessary. But if you're having extra guests and want to stretch the central part of the meal, a warming soup can be a nice first course. Consider serving one of these lighter seasonal soups that feature sweet potatoes squashes, and corn with a homemade quick bread, then taking a break (a brisk walk is always nice!) before settling in for the main meal.
A warming soup with an appealing golden color. The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes gives this soup a surprising flavor twist.
Squash, corn, and sweet potato combine to make a hearty chowder that’s especially perfect for fall. Though this admittedly involves a bit of preparation, none of it is difficult.
In this luscious cool-weather soup, onions, garlic, winter squash, and silken tofu are all enveloped in the familiar flavor of potatoes, making this a wonderful vehicle for lots of nourishing ingredients.
Squash tastes great paired with pear. If you like, you can add a pinch of cayenne for contrast.
A satisfying soup that gets its golden-orange color from sweet potatoes and carrots, this will warm you throughout the fall and winter.
This moist vegan cornbread, spiked with green chile peppers, is an ideal companion to bean dishes, stews, and other hearty fare.
These simple vegan sweet potato biscuits are so moist and flaky, they practically melt in your mouth.
Once you’ve got the butternut squash baked, this autumnal soup comes together quickly. The mellow flavors of coconut milk, kale, and red onions synergies delectably with the squash, and look gorgeous together as well.
This hearty soup is packed with flavor from sugar pumpkin, fresh veggies, and protein-packed beans. It's delicious, warm, comforting, and perfect for Fall!
MAIN DISH OPTIONS
Everyone wants to know—what do vegans like to eat as the main dish for Thanksgiving? What do we think of Tofurky? (Answer: not our personal choice, but we have no problem with it if that's what vegans want. Holidays are about nostalgia and familiar fare, and it's certainly a more compassionate choice than the bird). We like to focus on the ingredients that were actually celebrated at the first Thanksgiving—beans, corn, and squash. Stuffed squash dishes are our absolute favorite! And sometimes we go a bit further afield from the traditional holiday ingredients with other classic holiday favorites, our vegan versions of shepherd's pie and pot pie, listed below. If you'd like to see our absolute favorites, see VegKitchen's Best Vegan Thanksgiving Main Dish Recipes.
This satisfying dish of butternut squash stuffed with whole grain (or gluten-free) bread, wild rice, and onions makes a handsome centerpiece for the holiday meal.
The flavor and texture are excellent in this hearty vegan and gluten-free lasagna, everything you’d want from a meal on a cold winter day.
Brown rice and pecans are a tasty team in this thyme-scented stuffed squash recipe.
This simple and comforting casserole will remind you of macaroni and cheese. There’s no cheese here, just a delectable combo of smooth butternut squash, nutritional yeast, and silken tofu.
This mild mashed potato-stuffed squash makes a great alternative main dish for Thanksgiving, but it's any time during fall harvest season or as a winter comfort food.
This hearty Three Sisters Stew is loaded with tender squash, protein-packed beans, and fresh corn. It's delicious comfort food, and makes a perfect vegan main dish for Thanksgiving too!
Served in its shell, this simple preparation of spaghetti squash makes a dramatic presentation as part of an everyday winter meal.
This layered casserole of cooked cornmeal topping a tasty bean chili is adapted from a Native American recipe.
This vegan shepherd's pie recipe, richly flavored with lentils and mushrooms, can only be described as a deep dish of comfort.
A dairy- and tomato-free lasagna featuring a creamy silken tofu sauce, this recipe highlights sweet potatoes and mixed mushrooms. It’s offbeat and luscious.
With the addition of sweet potatoes, this easy chili is filling and warming. Baking or microwaving the sweet potatoes ahead of time cuts down on both the preparation as well as the cooking time.
This southwestern-style casserole makes for a nice change-of-pace holiday main dish, but this is also easy enough to make for weeknight meals.
These tender roasted delicata squash boats are stuffed with a sweet and savory blend of herbed wild rice, lentils and cranberries. Be sure to make extra so the non-vegetarians can enjoy some too!
Everyone loves the nostalgic classic, vegetable pot pie, whether for everyday meals or as a crowd-pleasing vegan option for Thanksgiving or Christmas menus.
This delectable stew of tempeh, sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts is a lovely main dish option for the Thanksgiving table, though you can make it any time you crave something hearty and warming.
This Vegan Thanksgiving Torte combines all your favorite Thanksgiving varieties of classic textures and savory flavors which come from its combination of wild rice, mushrooms, nuts, and sage.
This vegan sweet potato variation on shepherd's pie makes a festive holiday centerpiece, especially for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
VEGAN STUFFINGS
Is there anyone who doesn't love stuffing? But as crave-worthy as it is, it seems like it's not the kind of thing anyone thinks to make for any occasion other than holidays. So don't forget this tasty and comforting side dish when planning your vegan Thanksgiving dinner!
You need not wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy this vegan stuffing, made hearty with regular and sweet potato and whole-grain bread. That said, it is most welcome at the holiday table!
Everyone loves stuffing! The sweet apple and red onion contrast nicely with the herbal notes. Of course, you can use a gluten-free bread if need be.
Cornbread is only as good as it is fresh; and when it’s past that point, I like to make this simple, comforting stuffing.
This hearty, casserole-type bread and potato stuffing need not be stuffed into anything; simply enjoy it as a side dish.
For your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations, please the vegans and everyone else with this basic yet completely delectable bread stuffing.
Wild rice adds a wonderful texture to this stuffing, and the slight sweetness of dried cranberries lends a delicious flavor.
Vegetable bread pudding provides a tasty way to use up the last few pieces of bread in a loaf and vegetables that are getting a bit tired.
SEASONAL SALADS
Salad isn't the first thing that comes to mind when planning a vegan Thanksgiving meal; but we're of the mind that a salad—even a simple one—is an essential part of any occasion. Here we feature salads with seasonal ingredients—jicama, wild rice, cranberries, kale, greens, nuts—making them a perfect fit for your holiday table.
Jicama is a slightly sweet crunchy root vegetable and adds a great flavor to autumn coleslaws. It's a lovely addition to the vegan Thanksgiving table.
Waldorf salad is a crunchy mixture of apples, walnuts and celery. A perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
This colorful and crunchy salad is a perfect way to dress up a fall harvest or holiday meal. It's the perfect light salad for a lovely vegan Thanksgiving dinner menu!
Here's a colorful and crunchy salad featuring Jerusalem artichokes. In season in the late fall, they are quite fitting to serve as part of Thanksgiving dinner.
This hearty wild rice salad, embellished with corn, black-eyed peas, veggies, and herbs, is an invigorating melange of flavors, textures and colors.
Massaged kale leaves topped with roasted delicata squash, pomegranate seeds, wheat berries, and pepitas. Perfect for Thanksgiving!
This delicious coleslaw is welcome as an everyday salad, yet is festive enough to serve with holiday meals.
Even in its simplest form this massaged kale salad is luscious and festive, and just as welcome for everyday as well as holiday meals.
If you want an easy way to add some greens to your holiday table, this salad is for you.
This simple, colorful salad of mixed greens with crunchy carrots, tart apples, and pickled beets harmonizes well with everyday or holiday meals and adds little hands-on prep time.
This quinoa salad is crunchy and festive, brimming with anise-flavored fennel and toasted walnuts. Dried cranberries and orange juice add a touch of sweetness.
This gorgeous salad of spinach, red cabbage, and oranges adds a burst of color and nutrition to everyday meals and is equally welcome as part of winter holiday meals.
This salad has flavors that speak eloquently of autumn —pears, walnuts, bitter greens and cranberries.
SIDE DISHES
Back in the day, vegetarians and vegans at the Thanksgiving table pretty much relied on side dishes; and they weren't even that great. Things like plain mashed potatoes (we needed to hold the gravy) and overcooked green beans. Today, side dishes are an essential part of the Thanksgiving table. Our top three side dish veggies are brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and corn. And we've even got a vegan green bean casserole for you, too. If you'd like a curated list of our favorites, here are 10 favorite vegan Thanksgiving side dishes.
A slightly sweet glaze of wine gives Brussels sprouts a deep, rich flavor. This is an easy and tasty way to serve Brussels sprouts for everyday meals or a festive Thanksgiving meal.
Halves of Brussels sprouts look pretty mingled with any variety of chard, and they taste wonderful together, too.
Serving Brussels sprouts atop a savory wild rice dish creates a stunning entrée. And this one is made incendiary with plenty of Sriracha sauce.
A cheering fall and winter recipe, this medley of sweet potatoes and apples makes a great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
Silken Tofu or White Bean Scalloped Potatoes
A creamy and delicious sweet potato casserole topped with a pecan and brown sugar crumble. This sweet potato casserole is vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and the perfect side dish for the holidays.
Maple syrup and tarragon are wonderful enhancements for the flavor of sweet potatoes. It's an especially delicious addition to the Thanksgiving meal.
Here's a lightened version of the American holiday classic, candied yams, featuring sweet potatoes sweetened with orange juice and gently spiced with cinnamon
These extra-luscious mashed potatoes and gravy are a welcome addition for both vegan Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner menus.
This quinoa and kale pilaf makes a great everyday dish, or, with the addition of a cup or two of beans can make it plentiful entree for the winter holiday table.
You can make this festive roasted sweet potato dish with yams or sweet potatoes or a combination of both.
These Rosemary Roasted Carrots are simple, healthy, and delicious. Fresh carrots are tossed with olive oil and rosemary, and roasted to perfection. Yum!
This colorful kale and fennel salad is packed with delicious flavor from dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and a homemade sherry dressing. It's simple to make and vegan-friendly too.
Scalloped corn is a comforting casserole that features this all-American veggie topped with tasty bread crumbs.
The texture of this Southern-style dish is more like creamed corn meets quiche than that of dessert pudding. The outer layer is just firm enough so that you can cut into it like a quiche.
Slow-baking onions gives them a mellow sweetness. This is good with naturally sweet Vidalia onions or red onions, but ordinary yellow onions will do just as well.
I wanted a little bit of everything in here; crunch, sweetness, cheesiness, and something that can be prepared ahead of time and thrown together later. I
Green bean casserole is a winter holiday favorite, especially for Thanksgiving. Here’s an updated, veganized, and healthy version of this comfort food favorite.
Here is a simple to make, enticing change-of-pace from ordinary preparations of Brussels sprouts. It's a perfect addition to a vegan Thanksgiving dinner menu.
Salty olives and perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts, with their delicate layers and caramelized outer leaves, make this a totally satisfying dish that isn’t exactly run–of–the–mill.
SAUCES
This short and sweet category brings you the essentials—a delicious mushroom gravy, and three variations on cranberry sauce.
If you like mushrooms, you’ll enjoy this simple vegan gravy, which is great over seitan, tofu, brown rice or other cooked grains, veggie burgers, and best of all, mashed or smashed potatoes.
This cranberry and apple relish adds vivid color to fall harvest meals, and is a nice change of pace from jellied cranberry sauces for Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meals.
If your only experience with cranberries has been in sweet, jelled sauces, this spicy cranberry and apple chutney will provide a welcome change of pace for your grown-up palate!
Include this wonderful sweet-tart cranberry orange sauce at your next Thanksgiving feast.
DESSERTS
By the time you finish Thanksgiving dinner, even if it's all vegan, healthy fare, chances are that you're really full. So you don't need a lot of desserts, just one or two good ones. Pumpkin pie is so easy to make in a vegan version, and for many, that's a must-have. But we've also got some other alternatives, including fruit cobblers and even a pumpkin ice cream, to end your compassionate holiday meal on a sweet note!
Thanksgiving isn't the same without pumpkin pie. But if you're looking for something different and delicious that your guests willl go crazy over, you've found it.
Here’s a vegan cheesecake-like version of pumpkin pie that offers a subtle chocolate twist with each bite.
This homemade vegan pumpkin pie is made 100% from scratch - and it's way easier than you think! It's rich, creamy, totally delicious, and perfect for Thanksgiving dessert.
This vegan pumpkin ice cream is bursting with the flavors of pumpkin, maple, and coconut. It's the perfect sweet treat for Fall!
This pumpkin bread pudding is packed with Fall flavor from pumpkin, warm spices, and a splash of dark rum. And it's vegan too. Yum!
Creamy spiced pumpkin and dreamy coconut cashew cream layered with just the right amount of nutty crunch. These vegan parfaits are decadent, delicious and totally doable.
These vegan pumpkin bars are perfect for Fall! Loaded with rich pumpkin flavor and topped with a creamy vegan frosting. Yum!
Maple syrup brushed on the warm cobbler adds color and shine to the other-wise pale topping. And don’t save this excellent cobbler for wheat-sensitive people only; everyone will like it.
If you'd like an alternative to pumpkin pie for fall celebrations like Thanksgiving, or everyday meals, this vegan pear and apple crumble is a welcome dessert.
A rich, creamy dairy-free pudding made with chia seeds.
This delicious and very pretty cake is a lovely dessert to serve at for winter holiday meals, but you need not wait for a special occasion to make and enjoy it.
This dessert has a zippy sweet-and-tart flavor and is an ideal, easy-to-prepare, make-ahead holiday dessert.
This vegan pumpkin mousse is light and silky, yet totally indulgent. It's the perfect plant based dessert for Thanksgiving!
This simple and pretty combination of winter fruits is a refreshing finish to any meal, and pretty enough to serve as a Christmas dinner dessert, accompanied by your favorite cookies.
These fig bars have all of the chewiness and sweetness of traditional Fig Newton cookies, but they’re made with wholesome almonds, oats, and real dried figs.
These cookies taste every bit as sweet and indulgent as a cookie should, but they're surprisingly nutritious.
You won't believe how easy it is to make these unbaked vegan chocolate brownies, rich with nuts and sweetened with dates.
Cardamom is the perfect compliment to the classic combination of chocolate and orange. This mousse is so rich and decadent, no one will suspect that it's dairy-free!
In this light dessert, pears are lightly cooked in red wine and apple juice and gently spiced with cinnamon and allspice.
If you’re in need of a fuss-free, healthy dessert that will impress guests, look no further. These date and nut-based "truffles" are gluten-free, oil-free, quick, and easy.
One of my favorite ways to use dates in a dessert is with these decadent peanut butter fudge truffle that is easy to make and contains only 5 ingredients.
Two or three crisp apples or firm pears plus vegan chocolate chips add up to a seriously good dessert recipe.
The pairing of orange and cranberry makes for a lively flavor combination in vegan muffins. And for winter holiday baking or giving, this batter is nice made into mini-loaves.
This vegan Cranberry-Carrot Cake is festive and luscious, and is a nice alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner and wonderful for Christmas as well.
Creamy butternut squash tastes just as good as pumpkin in this classic holiday pie recipe. And it's vegan friendly too!
- Here are more tips for keeping a vegan Thanksgiving and making the Holidays and Special Occasions healthy!
- Too busy? Here's a Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner in Less Than an Hour
- Enjoy 6 Vegan Stuffings for Thanksgiving and Beyond
Jane says
The three sisters stew and black bean chili are delicious. I make them every year.
Esther says
I'm filling a pumpkin with stuffing and fake meat this year and baking it! 🙂
Sabita says
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm vegetarian and was wondering what should i cook for TG.
Erin says
Thanks! ^^ This'll be a great help.
Austin says
thanks for posting this article. will be very useful, and great piece to share 🙂
Icare says
Great site! Thx for these great recipes!
Jean Aly says
Can't wait to make this! We are so fortunate to be able to have a Vegan Thanksgiving. So cool!
Jackie says
Thanks gonna do the Quick Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili this year.
Crosby M. says
Have been looking for an ultimate resource for vegan holidays! Tired of just eating boring standard side dishes at my family's Thanksgiving. Love that there are lots of ideas with flavor profiles that fit in with traditional Thanksgiving flavors!
Nikita says
I always feel like my youngest sister and her family get left out at TG because they are the only ones in the fam whom are vegans. when I ran across your website and your delicious recipes, I knew that TG dinner would never be the same in our family!
Nava says
Thanks, everyone; that's what VegKitchen is here for — to make Thanksgiving (and everyday) meals easy, tasty, and compassionate!
erica gold says
man this Thanksgiving menu looks a million times better than the traditional meat infested ones, no comparison!! cant wait to make it this year!! thanks so much for posting all the recipes 🙂
roseatta @ vegetarianbreakfastrecipes.net says
I'm planting kale in the garden and looking for recipes to use it. Your Festive Kale and Fennel sounds amazing and super nutritious. I'm going to test it out this week. Thanks.......great site
Kate says
What a wonderful list, thank you. Many Orthodox Christians start fasting on Nov 15 until Christmas Day. It's so hard to celebrate Thanksgiving and yet keep the fast! This list will help!
Karen says
Any ideas for main dishes that aren't loaded with carbohydrates? I'm hypoglycemic, and can't handle a meal based on pumpkin, potatoes, and wild rice. Something heavy on lentils, mushrooms, and/or nuts might work. I'm not trying to complain about the recipes here--they look quite tasty. I'm just frustrated with the general carb-loadedness of all the vegan holiday recipes I'm finding.
Nava says
Karen, you're right that Thanksgiving is a very carb-heavy holiday! Take a look under the main dishes at Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie (you can replace the potato layer with soft polenta if need be) or Pueblo Corn Pie. Tempeh Stew with Wine and Shiitake Mushrooms might work, too. Under Side Dishes, see Red Quinoa Pilaf with Kale and Corn. With added black beans, that would be a good main dish as well. I hope that helps!
Vegan4lyfe says
Thank you, thank you! We're also doing sweet potato/chard fritters with nutmeg & brown sugar. Yum!
Angela says
Hi.
Thanks so much. I wanted to try something different. I'm vegan & eating with traditional families. I'm making the Jicama salad with Orange slices & Watercress & Wine-Glazed Brussels Sprouts. It sounds yummy! I've never used Jicama before so I'm glad to try something new. I've tried the faux Turkey & not a fan of the texture of faux meat. It makes me think I'm eating the real thing. Weird, but I'm a veggie-girl all the way. So, thank you again for this post!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
butcher says
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for vegan pumpkin pie
Chris Mulholland says
These recipes look wonderful. I am anxious to try them, and I love to read reviews from others.
Jackie says
I was so inspired by your recipes. This is my first vegan Thanksgiving and I am really looking forward to it now. I will have all of November to test cook the recipes I've chosen and whittle them down to 4 or 5 of my favorites. Thanks for the inspiration and I enjoyed the comments made by your more experienced cooks.
Ali says
Thanks ... This is a fantastic collection of vegan dishes and they are not just for Thanksgiving ...
ella shul says
WOW! It looks so yummy! I will definitely try the wallnut-apple stuffing this year! BTW - I found a great vegan wine at Whole Foods Market, it is called "Deccolio Prosecco" and it will be great aperitif to the holiday dinner.
chris says
I have a vegan daughter coming for Tday. Can the 3 sister stew be made early in the week and be heated just before the meal? Can it be frozen after the meal for future use? Love your recipes....doing for meat eaters and vegans is a little hard with limited kitchen space. Thanks
Nava says
Chris, you can make this on Tuesday and it will still be just as good on Thursday. And it does freeze very well. I hope that your mixed group of eaters enjoy all that you're making for them!
Roz says
Great recipes!! However, MAJOR turnoff to have to see an ad on the side of the page featuring a cooked TURKEY!!!! Talk about a total disconnect!!!
Nava says
Roz, sometimes these ads slip through on the ad networks and I can block them. Thanks for letting me know! I totally agree!
Kristina says
First year as vegan, really anxious for family get together! Family is typical turkey dinner! Also no suger diet! Help!
Steve says
Awesome site! Plan to make several of these recipes for the omnivore family.
Nathan says
Thank you for a great list of vegan recipes. I'm trying to make the switch over to vegan and this would be my first vegan Thanksgiving. For me, becoming vegan is a health issue, not a moral issue. I grew up on a farm, so it gives me a different perspective.
Nevertheless, it looks like I'll have fun cooking and being healthy at the same time! 🙂
Sally says
Hi! Great recipes-- I made your sourdough stuffing last year and it was a great hit. But I tried to click the link this year and it's dead 🙁 http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/sourdough-stuffing-with-pine-nuts-and-raisins/
Nava says
Hi Sally — you're the 2nd person who is missing that recipe! When we did a new stuffings round-up, it seemed to overlap a couple of them. Take a look at this round up: http://www.vegkitchen.com/uncategorized/6-savory-and-comforting-vegan-stuffings/ — it's probably closest to the Classic Bread Stuffing. Hope you find something you like here.
Shanasy says
THANK YOU so much for this wonderful list. I will share this will my FB group '10 Minute Plant Based / Vegan Activism. It will make a great tip to recommend people to pass on these wonderful plant based recipes!
Carol says
I love the cookbook - Vegan Holiday Kitchen and am glad this list is here at the website. So many wonderful, delicious, creative choices. Nava, you never disappoint! - Thanks!
Nava says
Thank you, Carol! And thanks for being such a longtime reader.
Carol says
Ty for sharing vegan thanksgiving recipes
Ric CheckYourFood says
Wonderful list. This article will help a lot of vegan people, but not only vegans. I can't wait to try some of these recipes. Thanks for sharing this delicious dishes.