The Best And Easiest Vegan Thanksgiving RecipesOver the years I've tested and gathered vegan Thanksgiving recipes, many of which started out as popular non-vegan recipes that I just veganized.
In fact, when I host non-vegans for Thanksgiving, I don't even mention that all the side dishes are vegan. They never know because the recipes are that good. All they know is that everything is delicious. Just like with other vegan holidays, many of the typical Thanksgiving dishes can easily be veganized by simply using a non-animal product. Mashed potatoes, for instance, are easy. You just need some nondairy milk and butter, and you're all set. You can look for rolls made without dairy products or check out my favorite vegan bread recipes, which I turned into an ebook. I love the whole wheat crescent rolls for Thanksgiving recipes. There are many dishes you can do in a semi-homemade Sandra Lee fashion, like looking for canned cranberries that have no gelatin and buying vegan gravy. Most stuffings are already vegan, so as long as you don't stuff them into any body cavities, you can use them as is. There's even vegan creamy vegan soups, so you can substitute that in to your green bean casserole recipes in no time.
The thing is... food from scratch always taste best though, doesn't it? Depending on my time and motivation that year, I sometimes prefer to make everything myself, and that's what you can find on this page of vegan Thanksgiving recipes. Some people might really miss the big show stopper turkey on their first attempt at vegan thanksgiving recipes, and others have no problem with it. One of the best substitutes for the least adventurous cooks is the Tofurky. It has a great meaty texture and meat-eaters tell me it's just like the real thing. Field Roast also makes a really nice seitan roast that you can turn into a Thanksgiving "turkey." You can also make an amazing seitan dish with the same flavors as turkey. The most important thing is to remember that your decision to change your eating habits has a positive impact on the animal kingdom, your body, and the world around you. If you need encouragement on having a vegan Thanksgiving, I put together some great tips on keeping a positive, healthy attitude focused on the most important part of Thanksgiving; family and friends. Here are my favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes: Vegan Appetizers and Side Dishes: The sides usually make up the big dinner, and without them, the big entree wouldn't seem as big. These are my favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes for side dishes. Dips and Chips You can start with traditional chips and dip style vegan appetizers, especially for those who are munching and watching football. This page has my favorite hummus recipe, an excellent quick, straight-forward guacamole, and a white bean dip. All of these dips are great with crudite, chips, pita bread, or crackers. A standard at Thanksgiving is the sweet potato; sometimes baked, sometimes turned into a casserole, and sometimes mashed.
I love this vegan Thanksgiving recipe for its ease in fitting in with any celebration. Another delicious way to serve it is to add chopped pineapple and maple syrup, top it with vegan marshmallows*, and then put it in the oven to brown the marshmallows! You can adjust the spices to fit your tastes, and no one will be the wiser about its small amount of non-dairy butter. *My favorite vegan marshmallows are by the brand name Dandies. They actually brown and melt just like the real thing. You can get them from Vegan Essentials, which is where this link takes you. This vegan Thanksgiving recipe is easy and delicious. Dinner rolls that are great at the big meal, and even better stuffed with some seitan turkey and gravy the next day! I also love the whole wheat crescent rolls recipe, and my nephews get a huge kick out of making and eating my monkeybread recipe on Thanksgiving. You can't have Thanksgiving without the standard green bean casserole. You could go for a really easy version by simply substituting a good quality non-dairy creamy soup instead of the typical cream of mushroom soup. This vegan Thanksgiving recipe takes it one step further by making its own sauce. It is really simple and delicious. A lot of people like to serve a soup to start their Thanksgiving meal, and I love these vegan soup recipes. This page houses a really nice, light butternut squash, sweet potato, and apple soup recipe that would be perfect for Thanksgiving. You can also find a chili recipe and my favorite split pea soup recipe.
The Main Vegan Thanksgiving Event: What would Thanksgiving be without the big stomach stuffer? A nice Tofurky roast is yummy, but if you can master a homemade dish, you are going to be the life of the party. This is my favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipe for your entree. Seitan Roast with Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing Happy Thanksgiving memories should always be filled with thoughts of this delicious, fragrant seitan roast. I adore the crunchiness of the nuts with the soft sweet-tart cranberries. You can use a store-bought plain seitan, or get adventurous and make your own. This vegan Thanksgiving recipe is from Vegan Planet, a massive collection of great recipes by Robin Robertson. The first time I made it, I used cashews instead of chestnuts and it was still delicious. It will serve 8 people. Ingredients: 1 lb. raw seitan (use Vegan Dad's recipe) Directions: Marinate the seitan and soy sauce in a ziplock bag for at least one hour, turning it several times. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium sized pan. Add the onions and celery and cook, covered, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, sage, and brandy and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside. Put the bread in a large bowl with the chestnuts, cranberries, parsley, water, salt, and pepper. Stir in the onion mixture and mix well. Adjust seasonings and water, if necessary. Roll the seitan to about 1/4" thick. Spread the stuffing mixture over the top, and then roll up like a cinnamon bun. Put the seam side down in a baking pan and bake until the top is firm and golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature, and then cut into 1/2" slabs and serve with gravy. Serves 6-8.
Vegan Dad's Seitan Turkey Roast
Vegan Dad has numerous incredible seitan recipes, and this vegan Thanksgiving recipe for turkey roast is an excellent one. It's much cheaper than buying this much Tofurky, and it's so easy to make. Also, you can double or triple the recipe for a large group, just remember to make sure you can fit the roast in your steamer. Ingredients: 1 1/2 c. vital wheat gluten Directions: Set up a steamer and begin boiling the water. Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, and then add them to the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon into a wet dough. If it seems too wet, add a bit more gluten flour. It should be soft and pliable, but still hold together. If not adding stuffing in the middle, skip the next three steps: Transfer dough to counter top or board. With your hands, flatten into a rectangle, about 1/2" thick. The width will depend on how wide your steamer is, so check now to see if it will fit. Put stuffing in a line in the center of the dough. Compress the stuffing in your hands so the center of the roast will be firm. Gently but firmly roll the seitan with the stuffing in the middle (i.e. make sure there is a cavity in the middle with the stuffing in it--don't roll it like a jelly roll). Seal the ends and seam as best you can. After stuffing, or instead of stuffing: Transfer the roll to a piece of extra wide, extra strength aluminum foil, and tightly roll up like a Tootsie Roll. Steam for 30 mins, turning over after 15 mins. While steaming, preheat oven to 350°F. Then, place roast in a loaf pan and bake for 25 mins. Let roast stand for 15 mins before unwrapping and slicing with a very sharp knife. Serves 4. Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes Vegan Desserts: My mom is famous for making so many desserts at a party that each guest could have one to themselves. Yes, that's right, a 1:1 ratio. These are classic vegan Thanksgiving recipes, and so delicious that no one will know you left out the milk and butter! To your already fragrant with cinnamon, apples, and pumpkin household aroma, this vegan gingerbread recipe adds a new dimension. This is my mom's old fashioned recipe and it's light, fluffy, and incredibly flavorful. This pumpkin bread is outstanding and makes a perfect vegan Thanksgiving recipe for dessert, or just as something to have around for munching. It's dense, but fluffy, and the flavor is to-die-for. It works wonderfully in a loaf, but would also be fun for smaller snacks in muffin shapes. The Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe I made this pumpkin pie purely by accident, and on chance, it turned out to be the best vegan pumpkin pie I've ever had. The texture is perfectly firm and creamy at the same time, and it has the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor with just a dash of spiciness. Delicious. Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake This delicious recipe comes from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. It's not fat-free, but Susan posted it because it is just that good.
This vegan Thanksgiving recipe is flawless, but if you want it to have more of a pumpkiny taste for Thanksgiving, add another 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree. Ingredients:
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350F. Put the first set of ingredients (toffuti through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth, with no lumps at all. Remove a cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it in the bottom of the crust. Add the next set of ingredients (pumpkin through nutmeg) to the ingredients remaining in the food processor and process until well blended. Smooth it carefully over the white layer in the crust, heaping it slightly in the middle. Bake until the center is almost set, about 45-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours. Simply Delicious Apple Pie This vegan Thanksgiving recipe is from The Joy of Vegan Baking, Ingredients: 2 Flaky Vegan Pie Crusts Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour, and lemon juice in a large bowl and let stand for 10-15 minutes until the apples have softened. Roll the crust a few inches wider than a 9" pie pan. Roll the top layer and keep it in the fridge until ready. Pour the apple mixture into the crust and dot the top with the pieces of butter. Brush the overhanging crust with water and put the top layer of crust on top. Pinch the edges together and crimp with a fork or your fingers. Make slits on top of the crust to allow for ventilation. Sprinkle the crust with cinnamon and sugar and bake for 30 minutes. Then, put a cookie sheet underneath the pie to catch any spills and lower the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until fruit feels tender when poked with a knife, about 30-45 minutes. Here's the tricky part... you have to let the pie cool for 3-4 hours so it can set. It really will be tastier like this. If you like warm apple pie, stick it in the oven for 15 minutes right before serving. It can stay on the counter for a few days once it's cut. Join in the spirit of love and gratitude and share your favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes below... How Do You Celebrate Thanksgiving As A Vegan?
Thanksgiving can be a hard meal for vegans to deal with for multiple reasons. Some people feel left out of the celebration because they don't eat the same food. Others are grossed out by the stuffed animal sitting as the centerpiece. We can all use more ideas on how to celebrate Thanksgiving the right way; with compassion and gratitude for what's great in our lives. Other Visitors's Thanksgiving StoriesClick below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
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one of my favorites. It is so easy, even though there are a lot of ingredients. I love a lattice crust, but you can also do a full crust across the top with a few holes for steam.
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