While a majority of the country is feasting on turkey, buttery mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and dairy-packed casseroles, have you ever wondered what vegans eat for Thanksgiving—besides Tofurky? The answer is many delicious main and side dishes and desserts! And these 30 meatless and dairy-free vegan Thanksgiving recipes offer something for everyone, from soups and salads, to cakes and other vegan desserts.
Related: 100+ Best Vegan Recipes Perfect for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner (and Desserts)
What Do Vegans Eat for Thanksgiving?
You might be surprised to find that many Thanksgiving recipes you already enjoy are vegan. Recipes like roasted acorn squash, most pumpkin soup recipes and roasted carrots are commonly vegan.
And other Thanksgiving favorites can easily be adapted to be vegan by simply swapping in a few ingredients like dairy-free butter, vegan cheese or simple olive oil.
Related: 25 Vegan Christmas Recipes to Wow All Your Plant-Based Dinner Guests
So, whether you are living a vegan lifestyle or just looking to incorporate a few vegan dishes into your Thanksgiving menu, you’ll want to keep scrolling because we’ve got everything from vegan appetizers to entrees and side dishes, plus mouth-watering vegan desserts like Peanut Butter Pie!
The Best Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
Alison Ashton
Jessica Seinfeld (yep, Jerry’s wife) uses a traditional technique to make her vegan cheese sauce—a fat-and-flour roux to thicken plant-based milk, then stirring in vegan cheese. A couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast lend extra umami heft.
Get the recipe: Jessica Seinfeld’s Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Kristy Turner
Here, Kristy Turner re-creates her grandma’s peanut butter pie with readily available plant-based ingredients. “It’s rich and decadent and every bit as good as I remember Grandma’s pie being,” she promises.
Get the recipe: Kristy Turner’s Vegan Peanut Butter Pie
Foody Schmoody Blog
Cooking sweet potatoes in the air fryer is a great alternative to using an oven for roasted sweet potatoes. This recipe is for savory sweet potato cubes but feel free to use the cook times as a guide and season with your favorite sweet seasonings instead.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
Vegan Huggs
The base of this vegan Wellington filling is made with mushrooms and chickpeas that are broken down for a nice meaty texture.
Get the recipe: The Ultimate Vegan Wellington
Urban Bliss Life
This easy vegan appetizer is uncomplicated to cook, full of flavor, and contains no dairy or animal products whatsoever.
Get the recipe: Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Gift of Hospitality
This stuffing is the perfect mix of soft on the bottom and crispy on top, with lots of fresh herb dairy-free flavor.
Get the recipe: Vegan Sourdough Stuffing
Homemade in the Kitchen
Mushroom Gravy is an easy from scratch vegan-friendly homemade brown gravy recipe made with mushrooms, onion, and garlic.
Get the recipe: Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Zardyplants
Decadent yet healthy, this home cooked plant-based turkey is moist, packed with flavor, and has an awesome meaty texture. This is the perfect meat alternative main for a holiday centerpiece, easy meal prep, or even just a nice main dish for a family dinner.
Get the recipe: Seitan Turkey
fab Everyday
Whether your guests are vegan, gluten-free, both, or neither, this stuffing will please the whole crowd!
Get the recipe: Vegan Gluten-Free Stuffing
Vegan on Board
Who says deli meat gets to have all the fun? You can bulk up a charcuterie board with vegan cheeses, vegan meats, fruits and veggies to provide guests with a snack-able feast for all the senses.
Get the recipe: Vegan Charcuterie Board
Plant.Well
These doughy bread knots are brushed with a garlicky olive oil instead of butter.
Get the recipe: Vegan Garlic Knots
The Urben Life
Luscious olive oil replaces butter for a light, luxurious, and fluffy dairy-free side dish. These mashed potatoes are perfect for the holidays or paired with dinner any night of the week!
Get the recipe: Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Vegan Gravy
Addicted to Dates
Crumbly flaky vegan pastry crust houses a sweet, luscious apple pie filling to make a Thanksgiving pie for everyone regardless of dietary restriction.
Get the recipe: Vegan Apple Pie
Cubes N Juliennes
Naturally sweet and earthy, and pretty to boot, pair these caramelized parsnips with your favorite Thanksgiving mains.
Get the recipe: Easy Roasted Parsnips
Addicted to Dates
Made with real pumpkin puree and warm spices, this creamy vegan pumpkin cheesecake is the ultimate dairy-free dessert for Thanksgiving.
Get the recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Recipe Runner
Lentil, Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffed Squash will not only be a beautiful and flavorful side dish for your Thanksgiving table, but they’re hearty enough to be a main dish for your vegetarian or vegan guests.
Get the recipe: Lentil, Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffed Squash
The Dizzy Cook
Crispy fried shallots are placed on top of green beans tossed in an easy homemade cream-less mushroom sauce.
Get the recipe: Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole
My Kitchen Love
Containing only 5 ingredients, not one of them being dairy, this beautifully sliced butternut squash recipe is perfect for the holiday season, including an easy make ahead side dish.
Get the recipe: Hasselback Butternut Squash
Healthy Taste of Life
This is the casserole you must make this Thanksgiving. Butternut squash gets sweetened with dried fruits and sweet potatoes, complemented by earthiness of brown and wild rice, and finished with balsamic notes.
Get the recipe: Healthy Butternut Squash Casserole with Sweet Potato