Vegan Twists On Classic Thanksgiving Dishes

Plant-based diets are increasingly popular. We believe that no matter your meat or veggie preference, you deserve a place at our table. But we also know that finding a vegan alternative to classic Thanksgiving dishes can be intimidating for any chef.

Converting meals to vegan or vegetarian in the past meant utilizing some unsavory and unsatisfying meat substitute. Today there is an abundance of products that mimic the taste and texture of meat without many of the unfortunate issues that come from consuming animals.

Our goal here isn’t to convince anyone to change their diet. Instead, we want to offer some vegan and plant-based twists on Thanksgiving classics to ensure everyone feels satisfied with our menu. (And if we’re happy to take a veggie-forward approach to Memorial Day grilling, we’re confident we can do the same for Turkey… er, Tofurkey Day.)

So even if you wouldn’t eat cauliflower if your life depended on it, we think you’ll be surprised by how dang good you’ll find some of our vegan Thanksgiving dishes.

Vegan Stuffing

There’s a good chance your stuffing is already pretty close to being vegetarian if not outright vegan. And, even if your recipe contains animal products, there are already popular vegan analogs to swap in.

For instance, instead of chicken broth, use vegetable broth. Or, instead of butter, try margarine or nutritional yeast.

If your typical stuffing has sausage in it, there are numerous plant-based sausage products available. If you’re not sure which one to get, consider asking the vegetarian or vegan in your life for their recommendation.

You can also skip over meat or meat substitutes entirely and load up on savory veggies like mushrooms or squash. Onions can also add that missing savoriness to your vegan stuffing. Or, if you want to think outside the box just a bit, add nuts — in the case of our recommended vegan stuffing recipe, we’re talking about pecans, specifically. 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Mashed potatoes and gravy are another Thanksgiving classic that is already nearly vegetarian or vegan. Butter, cream, and turkey gravy are usually what holds this dish back from being entirely plant-based. However, each has a simple vegan substitute that’s easy enough to swap in.

You can find margarine or vegan butter at most major grocery stores. Cream is easily replaced with plant-based alternatives, such as oat or cashew milk. (Some milk alternatives come in an extra creamy variety, too, but make sure to pick the unsweetened version. We don’t want vanilla-flavored mashed potatoes.)

Switching out the turkey gravy for one made from veggies can be just as delicious. Ingredients like mushrooms, onions, veggie broth, and soy sauce can create the necessary savoriness. Even if you don’t want to make one from scratch, you should be able to find vegan gravy alternatives at your local grocery store.

Our preferred recipe: the best damn vegan mashed potatoes and six-ingredient mushroom gravy will have your meat-eating guests wondering how you pulled this dish off without cream or turkey gravy.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese may not necessarily be considered a Thanksgiving classic, but it’s commonplace enough to be considered a needed entry on any modern menu. With its cheesy, creaminess, it’s a favorite for kids and adults alike.

If you only need to adhere to the rules of vegetarianism — that is, dairy and eggs are a-okay — then you really don’t have to change anything, unless you usually incorporate bacon or a meat-based broth.

Changing the recipe to vegan is slightly trickier, though definitely not impossible. Some of the substitutions are similar to what we’ve already mentioned. For instance, replacing milk or cream with plant-based alternatives. 

However, it’s the titular cheese of macaroni and cheese that requires some creativity. Nutritional yeast is a common ingredient to make vegan food “cheesier,” and you’ll find it in many vegan macaroni and cheese recipes.

There are also some vegan cheeses out there but their quality is varying and it can be hard to find one that melts in the way we expect when someone offers us mac and cheese.

Our preferred vegan macaroni and cheese recipe resolves this issue by skipping over vegan cheeses and creating their own “cheese” sauce with vegan butter, all-purpose flour, coconut milk, vegetable stock, dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and a variety of spices. 

This dish may be the biggest leap of trust so far, but we think that when you give it a try, you’ll be thoroughly and pleasantly surprised.

Vegan Turkey Substitutes

For those who refer to Thanksgiving as Turkey Day, it may seem sacrilegious to consider swapping out poultry for plants. Indeed, this vegan twist may be the toughest to nail in a one-to-one way, and, in fact, we suggest you don’t try to mimic turkey but instead swap out the bird for a savory, vegan main dish.

If you want to make it easy for yourself, you can always pick up a vegan alternative at your grocery store. The oft-mocked Tofurkey, for instance, tastes better than we think most people realize, but we understand those who claim it’s a pale substitute. You can also peruse your grocery store’s shelves for other name-brand turkey roast substitutes, which are often made from meat alternatives like seitan or extra-firm tofu.

If you’re feeling adventurous as a chef, we do have one turkey replacement recipe to consider: the best vegan turkey roast. For plant-based folks who miss the flavors of Thanksgiving turkey, we think this one gets the closest.

But our true recommendation is to go outside the box and not consider a direct turkey alternative. Instead, we think you should employ a savory substitute that doesn’t try to mimic poultry. That’s why we suggest the vegan lentil shepherd’s pie with parsnip and potato mash.

This recipe offers savoriness, warmth, and enough classic Thanksgiving flavors to feel like the holiday without feeling like it has to compete with turkey nostalgia. 

Vegan Pie

You can’t have Thanksgiving without pie. Of course, you often can’t have pie without eggs, milk, and butter. Each of these ingredients is vegetarian but not vegan.

Again, there are some common substitutes to use here. Eggs are often the trickiest to replace, especially for the role they play in baking. However, there are still ways to avoid all animal byproducts while offering a delicious sweet treat.

Our favorite vegan pumpkin pie recipe combines canned pumpkin with unsweetened coconut milk for a pie with a smooth, delicate texture that’s somehow more pumpkiny than traditional pumpkin pie. The recipe also calls for cornstarch as a replacement for eggs, which serves a thickening purpose in most pumpkin pie recipes. (And we should note that this recipe includes a link for a gluten-free pie crust. So, it’s appropriate for those with restrictive diets of all sorts.)

We know the idea of a tofu pie can be a turn-off for some folks. We get that. However, after trying Alton Brown’s moo-less chocolate pie, you may find yourself wondering why you’re so dismissive. This pie is incredibly chocolatey, and when we tell guests that one of its main ingredients is silken tofu, we get double takes and confused looks as they try to ponder how something typically deemed so tasteless can become so flavorful.

Our Favorite Vegan Twists on Classic Thanksgiving Dishes

Thanksgiving is a day for stuffing yourself with as much food as your belly can carry. Vegans and those on plant-based diets shouldn’t feel left out of this culinary celebration. So, whether you’re a vegan or know someone who is, give some of our favorite vegan twists on classic Thanksgiving dishes a try!

Who knows? Before the night is through, you may find that more people around your table are vegan-curious.