Plant Based Thanksgiving: 25 Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

Holidays can be stressful, but your food doesn’t have to be. For the ultimate plant based Thanksgiving, pick from these 25 recipes the whole family will love, even the omnis! There are creative takes and comforting classics, so take a deep breath and let us handle the menu. 

Some are blog recipes and others are exclusive to Clean Food Dirty Girl. Sign up for a free 10-day trial to view all the recipes and give them a go. You’ll wonder how you ever did Thanksgiving without it.

Incredible sides

Skipping the turkey means more room for sides, which we all know are the real star of the Thanksgiving show. 

Win all your guests over with this one! Cubed butternut squash and sliced Brussels sprouts get coated in a heavenly marinade and roasted until tender and golden brown. Rosemary Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts has the power to convert even the most staunch critic.

You’ll love these, too. Having trouble choosing? Don’t! There’s room for all of these yums on your table:

• Elegant Edamame & Cranberry Quinoa Salad
• Garlicky Beet and Kale Salad

Beautiful beans

We don’t think about putting beans on the holiday table often, but we definitely should! They’re savory, delicious, and packed with nutrition. Don’t sleep on these legumes.

Garbanzo beans are flavored with an aromatic blend of thyme and sage that sings with all the flavors of Autumn. Savory Autumn Chickpeas are a tasty accompaniment to rich stuffings and bright cranberry sauces.

Don’t forget about this fun option. Soup can be a great first course for more formal Thanksgivings or a conversation piece for casual affairs.

• Smoky Butter Bean Soup

Sweet potatoes and savory spuds

No holiday feast is complete without at least one (or several in our case) potato dish. Roast, steam, boil, or mash them—any way you serve them, they’re perfection. 

This creamy, simply-seasoned Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Mash recipe is ready for all kinds of sauces, gravy, or toppings. Dress it up or keep it simple. You’ll love it either way.

Prefer your spuds savory? We got you covered:

• Buttery Mashed Potatoes
• Cauliflower Potato Mash
• Garlic Herb Steamed Potatoes

Casseroles and classics

One could argue this category is the backbone of any Thanksgiving meal. Go super traditional or mix it up. 

This easy recipe for fluffy and moist Savory Stove Top Stuffing is the ultimate holiday side the whole family will enjoy! Serve on its own, smother it in gravy, or stuff veggies or tofurkey. You can’t go wrong.

Feast your eyes on these yummy recipes:

• Fennel Fig and Apple Stuffing
• Baked Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
• Green Bean Casserole
• Savory Butternut Squash & Mushroom Lasagna

Unique and traditional fixings

These delicious recipes range from the well-established to the niche. If something piques your interest, we encourage you to give it a try. You just might find a new holiday must-have!

While a Pickled Beets recipe being included in a Thanksgiving roundup might give you pause, we hope you’ll hear us out. There are so many rich, heavy flavors and dishes on most holiday tables that things can start to…blend together. These pickled beets are the answer! Their bright flavor cuts through savory or salty notes, and they provide a beautiful pop of color on your table. Having just a couple of these beauties on your plate makes everything taste better.

Check out these other tried-and-true or (possibly) new-to-you dishes. Our Simple Holiday Gravy is rated five stars, and one member raved, “I’ll never make another gravy! My omni family loves it!”

• Simple Holiday Gravy
• Sage-flavored White Gravy
• Orange Cardamom Cranberry Sauce
• Spiced Pumpkin Butter
• Glazed Plant-Powered Holiday Meatloaf

Drool-worthy desserts

Does your family have any desserts you must have every Thanksgiving? Or do you like to try new things? We’ve got holiday classics and interesting twists on traditional flavors to satisfy either need.

Make the most of the season’s bounty with this Apple Crisp. Sweet, tender, and cinnamon-spiced apples are covered in a crispy oat and nut topping for an absolutely sublime dessert your guests will rave about.

Here are some other desserts both the traditionalists and creatives will enjoy:

• Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
• Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate Pumpkin Trifles
• Pumpkin Bread Pudding

A Thanksgiving to remember

Now that you’ve got these plant based Thanksgiving recipes the whole family will love, prepare to host a stress-free (at least when it comes to the food) holiday everyone will remember. 

All of these recipes can be found in Clean Food Dirty Girl, so add them to your perfect Thanksgiving meal plan using the Magic Meal Planner. Holiday grocery shopping and cooking have never been easier.

If you’re not a Clean Food Dirty Girl member, no worries! Sign up for a free 10-day trial to check it out and access these recipes (plus so much more). 

Looking for a cohesive plant based Thanksgiving menu?

Our recipe developers (AKA Wizards) have created several easy-to-follow meal plans perfect for the holidays. Follow along to create delicious dishes that will have even the staunchest omni relative grinning with delight at your table.

Check out Fall Feast, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, or Canadian Thanksgiving.

See the entire Thanksgiving meal plan collection and consider your feast planned!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Xo
Team Dirty