Vegan Thanksgiving Menus - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

This Vegan Thanksgiving Menus post showcases all my BEST TIPS for a delicious vegan Thanksgiving! You'll find:

• The best vegan appetizers, mains, breads, side dishes, sauces and desserts to make for Thanksgiving.
• Top tips for preparing, cooking and hosting a Thanksgiving dinner.
• Three different vegan Thanksgiving menus, including a super easy menu, an impressive menu and a budget-friendly menu.
• A step-by-step process of how to effortlessly make an easy Thanksgiving dinner from start to finish, including preparation tips.
• All the recipes are gluten-free and refined sugar free.

Other Thanksgiving posts

• Vegan Gift Guide - lots of vegan gift ideas, including homemade edible gifts, vegan cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and vegan food products!
• 35 Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts - pies,cakes,breads,muffins,brownies,cookiesandbars, as well as lots of otherappleandpumpkin-based desserts!
• 75 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes- a selection ofcosybreakfasts,shareableappetizers + snacks,heartymains + sides andindulgentdesserts!
• Vegan Thanksgiving Leftovers Ideas!

Tips for Thanksgiving cooking and hosting

• Make sure to ask in advance what dietary requirements your guests have - if you're unsure, you could send them the recipe you'll be using to make sure they're ok with all the ingredients. If there's a particular part of the meal you're struggling with (eg. dessert), you could always ask them to bring something of their own. For more tips on cooking for people with different dietary requirements, check out this article I wrote for Gluten-Free Heaven magazine.
• Don't feel bad about asking your guests to bring something - if everyone brings a side dish or a dessert, then there's much less pressure on you! Just make sure to co-ordinate who's bringing what, so that everyone doesn't end up bringing the same thing!
• Don't make anything that you'll be making for the first time - it's always best to plan what you want to make and do a trial run first. Not only to make sure you're comfortable with making it, but also to make sure it suits your personal taste preferences.
• When planning your menu, think about your oven space, stove space and how many people you will be serving.
• Try to prepare as much in advance as possible, so check whether some dishes can be prepared ahead of time and make sure you know how best tostoreandreheatthem before serving. I've included this information for each recipe in my round-up of 75 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes.
• Designate serving plates ahead of time so that you're not rushing around at the last minute looking for serving dishes.
• Set the table as far in advance as you can - this will relieve a lot of last-minute stress on the day!
• Do your grocery shopping as far in advance as possible. Any dry ingredients, tinned ingredients or drinks can be bought weeks before the day. Make sure to buy any fresh ingredients a few days in advance so that you can have the day before free to focus on preparing the food.
• Make a checklist of tasks you need to do on the day so that you don't forget to make/serve something!

You can find a full round-up of all my Thanksgiving recipes here.

Appetizers

You'll want some appetizers for your guests to nibble on, and it's key to choose ones that can be served cold/at room temperature and prepared in advance, as you'll want to save all your time and energy for the main course. For many more appetizer ideas, check out my 16 Vegan Appetizers post.

Candied Nuts: I seriously cannot recommend these enough: they'reincredibly moreish, can be prepared days in advance and takeless than 10minutesto make!

Pumpkin Hummus: It’sfull offlavour,creamy and fragrant, and such aneasy make-ahead appetizer!

Cashew Cheese Ball: It'screamy,tangyand honestly tastes like cheese! It can be made in advance, is perfect forsharingand looks beautiful!

Mushroom Pâté: It'srichandmeaty,smoothandsilkyand supereasyto make. The flavour and texture is even better the day after it's made so it's great for making in advance!

Crackers: They're crispy and crunchy, super easy to make and so much better than anything you'll buy at the store. Perfect for eating with dips, pâté or cheese!

Mains

A vegan main course can be just as hearty and filling as a meat one. Just make sure you make something that contains lots of protein, which will make sure guests are satisfied.

Meatloaf: Made withheartyblack beans,earthywalnuts andsavourymushrooms – it’srichandflavourful and supereasyto make!

Wellington: A seriously hearty and flavourful filling wrapped in a crispy and flaky pastry crust. A seriouslysatisfyingplant-based showstopper!

Fish Pie: Slightly unusual for Thanksgiving, but it's the best comfort food! A fragrant, creamy sauce packed with white beans and veggies, under a blanket of mashed potato.

Breads

Cornbread: It's sweet,buttery, moistandfluffy and just perfect for mopping up gravy and cranberry sauce. Alternatively, you could make Cornbread Muffins!

Dinner Rolls: They'reyeast-free,no-kneadandcompletely free from sugar.

Garlic Bread: It'scrispy,crunchy and super fragrant! It’s seriouslyeasyto make and perfect forsharing!

Carby Sides

For even more side ideas, check out my 32 Vegan Side Dishes post!

Pumpkin Quinoa Salad: A super flavourful salad made with creamy pumpkin, nutty quinoa, sweet onions and juicy cranberries. It can be served at room temperature so it's great for making ahead too.

Scalloped Potatoes: Superrichandcreamy,softandtenderand supercomforting - the most indulgent side dish. For a nut-free version of this, check out my Potato Dauphinoise Gratin, which is a very similar recipe that can easily be made nut-free. The Scalloped Potatoes do taste more indulgent, though.

Stuffing: Packed with seasonal flavours like cranberries, chestnuts, apples and sage, you definitely won't miss the meat! You can use any type of bread to make this and it tastes especially good made with cornbread!

Chickpea Kedgeree: A curried rice to add some varied flavour to your plate! For a similar recipe with a milder flavour, you might like my Yellow Turmeric Rice. Another great rice side dish is this Rice Casserole.

: Rich,creamyand socomforting. For a quicker and easier version, you can use tinned pumpkin purée instead of the butternut squash.

Mashed Potatoes: They’remelt-in-your-mouth creamy,softandfluffy. Blended cashews create the silkiest texture.

Sweet Potato Casserole: Creamy, subtlyspicedmashed sweet potatoes topped withcrunchy oats and pecans. The bestsavoury-sweet side dish! If you prefer a more savoury sweet potato side dish without the spices, you might like these Scalloped Sweet Potatoes.

Potato Salad: Creamy and tangy, and an excellent room temperature side dish that can be made ahead. This Macaroni Salad is very similar, just made with pasta instead of potatoes!

Vegetable Sides

Green Bean Casserole: Green beans in a rich mushroom sauce topped with crispy breadcrumbs and onions!

Persimmon Salad: It's always nice to have a fresh salad to balance out the richness of the rest of the meal. This one is beautifully colourful, sweet and fruity with a tangy dressing that keeps it light. This Apple Fig Walnut Salad is a good alternative.

Cauliflower Cheese Gratin: The creamy, "cheesy" sauce transforms humble cauliflower and broccoli into something you won't be able to stop eating!

Steamed Mixed Veg: You can use any vegetables you like (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans, green peas all work well). Instructions included in the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Sauces

Sauces are essential for making everything else taste better! Both the Meatloaf and Wellington taste particularly good with gravy and cranberry sauce.

Cranberry Sauce: Every bit as flavourful as the shop-bought version, but this version is refined sugar free. An easy make-ahead sauce.

Gravy: Rich, flavourful, full of umami flavour. Can be made ahead and reheated on the day.

Desserts

You can never have enough dessert, and this is just the tip of the iceberg - you'll find many more Thanksgiving dessert ideas in my 75 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes post!

Pumpkin Pie: This is the traditional version, but I also like this No-Bake Pumpkin Pie because it's easier to make and keeps for days without the texture changing! This Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake is another option. If you're not into pumpkin, you might like this Sweet Potato Pie.

Apple Crisp: A comforting dessert that's super easy to throw together. These Apple Crumble Bars are similar - they work better as a make-ahead dessert as they keep for ages.

Pecan Pie: It has acrispy,butteryandflaky crust, isloaded withtoasty pecans and has a superfudgy, caramel-like filling. For a similar but slightly easier recipe, check out my Pecan Pie Bars.

Apple Pie: You can never go wrong with a traditional Apple Pie! This one ispacked withjuicy apples,toasty cinnamonandtastes like salted caramel. For a similar but slightly easier recipe, check out this Apple Galette, or my Apple Pie Bars.

Blueberry Pie: An excellent alternative if you're looking for a fruity pie that isn't made with apples. Another comforting blueberry dessert you might like is this Blueberry Crisp, or these Blueberry Crumble Bars. If you don't like blueberries, this Cherry Pie might take your fancy.

Pumpkin Brownies: Rich and fudgy, and they keep for days. If you don't like pumpkin, try these Sweet Potato Brownies instead!

Pumpkin Cake: It's moist and fluffy, warmly spiced and covered in a tangy "cream cheese" frosting. This Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is a nice chocolatey alternative!

Sliced Baked Apples: Softandtender,perfectly spicedand they taste likecaramel! A seriously low-maintenance dessert and they taste great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Menus

Here are some menu suggestions for what dishes you might want to pair together.

Super Easy Menu

Here's the easiest, most foolproof combination of recipes. They're not all necessarily the quickest ones to make, but the simplest ones that you won't get wrong even if you're a complete beginner!

Appetizer: Candied Nuts or Pumpkin Hummus.

Main: Meatloaf.

Bread: Garlic Bread.

Carby side: Mashed Potatoes.

Sauces: Cranberry Sauce and Gravy.

Vegetable sides: Persimmon Salad and Steamed Mixed Veg.

Dessert: Sliced Baked Apples.

Impressive Menu

These are the most impressive dishes that are guaranteed to have guests saying "I can't believe it's vegan!"

Appetizers: Cashew Cheese Ball and Crackers.

Main: Wellington.

Bread: Dinner Rolls.

Carby sides: Scalloped Potatoes and Stuffing.

Sauces: Cranberry Sauce and Gravy.

Vegetable sides: Persimmon Salad and Cauliflower Cheese Gratin.

Dessert: Apple Pie, Pecan Pie or Pumpkin Cake.

Budget-Friendly Menu

These are the most budget-friendly options, but still tasty!

Appetizer: Pumpkin Hummus.

Main: Meatloaf.

Bread: Garlic Bread.

Carby sides: Potato Dauphinoise Gratin or Yellow Turmeric Rice.

Sauces: Cranberry Sauce and Gravy.

Vegetable sides: Green Bean Casserole and Steamed Mixed Veg.

Dessert: Sliced Baked Apples.

• If you're looking for Vegan Thanksgiving Leftovers Ideas, be sure to check out this post!
• If you're looking for vegan gift ideas, including homemade edible gifts, vegan cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and vegan food products, be sure to check out my Vegan Gift Guide!

Other Thanksgiving posts

• Vegan Gift Guide - lots of vegan gift ideas, including homemade edible gifts, vegan cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and vegan food products!
• 35 Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts - pies,cakes,breads,muffins,brownies,cookiesandbars, as well as lots of otherappleandpumpkin-based desserts!
• 75 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes- a selection ofcosybreakfasts,shareableappetizers + snacks,heartymains + sides andindulgentdesserts!
• Vegan Thanksgiving Leftovers Ideas!

If you make any of these recipes,I’d really love to see what you come up with! You can show me bytagging a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.