My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (2024)

Get ready for an uber tasty holiday roundup of all my favoriteVegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes! With vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, there’s something delicious for everyone to eat!

It’s the tastiest time of the year!

I started tearing through my archives trying to plan this year’s Thanksgiving spread and realized my eyes are no less than1000x bigger than my stomach; I want it all! We might have to do this old schooland just turn one day of thankful face-stuffage into a week-long feast.

To celebrate, here are a fewof my favorite vegetarian thanksgiving recipes from the past severalyears. I’d be beyond honored if one winds up on your plate this year! How cool would that be!?

Keep me posted so I can do my infamous obnoxious happy dance and really test the limits of those jeggings!

Love you all like woah!

So I totally decided to focus on the fruit and veggies for this little round-up, since they’re in need lots of love on the big day! The turkey and ham and sometimes even tofurkey tend to steal the show, but for us it’s all about the side dishes. They’re hands-down my favorite part of any holiday meal!

Diversify your eats and let those colors pop on the table! A colorful plate is a healthy plate, even if one of those colors is CHOCOLATE!

Yeah I said it!

Above all else, enjoy the holidays even if you’re channeling moi circa 2011 and eating veggie pizza in your pjs. Find your happy and eat. yo. veggies!

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes

To help you find what you’re searching for, I’ve divided these into categories: appetizers, side dishes, salads, and dessert.

Let’s get our recipe on!

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Appetizers

  1. Cranberry Walnut Holiday Cheese Ball
  2. Restaurant-Style Olive Oil and Herb Bread Dip
  3. Cranberry Goat Cheese Log
  4. White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms
  5. Classic Stuffed Mushrooms

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (5)

Honey, Apricot, and Almond Goat Cheese Spread

5 from 47 votes

Honey, Apricot, and Almond Goat Cheese Spread: This easy, cheesy appetizer will add a burst of color and a whole lot of deliciousness to your holiday table!

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This appetizer has over 40 rave reviews and makes a great crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving starter! You can serve it up with sliced apples and pears along with fresh sliced baguette, crostini, and crackers. It’s fantastic on it’s own or as part of a cheese board or Thanksgiving charcuterie board!

Though most people only have stuffed mushrooms on Thanksgiving, I eat these year round! They’re easy, cheesy, and oh so delicious!

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (6)

Mini Candied Pecan Cranberry Goat Cheese Balls

5 from 18 votes

Quick, easy, and totallydelicious, theseMini Candied Pecan Cranberry Goat Cheese Balls make a tasty party appetizer for fancy yet fuss-free entertaining!

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (7)

Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

5 from 29 votes

These easy cheesy Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms are stuffed to the brim with the most amazing garlic, parmesan, and spinach cream cheese filling. They’re great as a party appetizer and can even be prepped in advance the day before!

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (8)

Cranberry Brie Phyllo Cups

Cranberry Brie Phyllo Cups are always a hit! This easy yet elegant appetizer features crisp phyllo shells filled with creamy brie cheese and warm cranberry sauce.

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Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sides

  1. Baked Apple Cranberry Stuffing
  2. Pumpkin Cornbread
  3. Cheesy Cheddar Biscuits
  4. Cranberry Clementine Brussels Sprouts
  5. Slow Cooker Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
  6. Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Sauce

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (9)

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta

4.99 from 104 votes

This sweet and savory side dish is perfect for the holidays and loaded with Fall flavor!

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This side dish is one of my top recipes, and for good reason too! It’s super simple, easy to make with basic ingredients, and looks and tastes AMAZING! It’s one of those effortlessly impressive recipes that is always a Thanksgiving show stopper. You’ve got to try it!

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (10)

Spicy Southern Hot Corn

4.98 from 70 votes

This sassy Southern-style recipe has been part of our holiday meal tradition for years and doubles as a side dish AND a dip.

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My spouse grew up eating this spicy side dish every year at Thanksgiving with his family. Since we’ve been married I’ve made it for him every holidayand love how much he lights up when I pull it from the oven. He’s like a bird with a french fry and takes the absolute biggest serving ever with full intention of going back for more. It makes my heart happy.

I, of course, want some to make it onto my own plate so I often find myself doubling or tripling the recipe. The leftovers are phenomenal and we always look forward to them the next few days, rationing them best we can!

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Broccoli Cauliflower Brussels Sprout Gratin

4.95 from 17 votes

This lusciously cheesyBroccoli Cauliflower Brussels Sprout Gratinisn’t your average casserole. Ditch the canned cream-of-craziness, grab some veggies, and meet me in the kitchen!

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (12)

Classic Slow Cooker Stuffing

4.82 from 11 votes

Save precious oven space with this classic Slow Cooker Stuffing recipe! Since converting my mom’s Thanksgiving stuffing to the crock-pot I’ve been OBSESSED with the results. It comes out perfectly tender on the inside and crisp on the outside!

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (13)

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

4.88 from 40 votes

This delicious Stuffed Mushroom Casserole transforms my family’s favorite appetizer into a super easy casserole!

Recipe yields 4-6 servings.

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Healthy Salad Recipes

Lighten things up with one of these healthy side salad recipes. They’re nutrient dense and perfect for sharing!

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (14)

Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad

4.99 from 99 votes

Fresh, flavorful, and totally tasty, this simple Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad is a breeze to toss together and ready in under 15 minutes!

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Cranberry Quinoa Salad with Candied Walnuts

4.98 from 38 votes

This tasty cranberry quinoa saladis packed with juicy cranberries, vibrant veggies, and homemade candied walnuts!

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Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Cranberries

5 from 19 votes

I’m beyond obsessed with this Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad topped with honey roasted cranberries and crispy seasoned chickpeas. It’s healthy and delicious!

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (17)

Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad with Candied Pecans and Feta

5 from 26 votes

This Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad with Candied Pecans is the perfect Fallsalad! Tender kale, tart cranberries, creamy feta, and nutty quinoa are tossed in a super simplevinaigrette and topped with buttery homemade candied pecans.

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Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

  1. Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Sugar Streusel
  2. Chocolate Cranberry Phyllo Cups
  3. White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
  4. Pumpkin Coffee Cake
  5. Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (18)

Cranberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars

4.88 from 31 votes

Put your leftover cranberry sauce to good use with these deliciously festive cranberry cheesecake streusel bars! They’re quick, easy, and gluten-free too!

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I like to make my cranberry sauce the day before Thanksgiving (it is fantastic for meal prep and can be frozen too) and use it to make these cranberry cheesecake streusel bars for a delicious Thanksgiving dessert. They’re great the next day too so no worries if you have leftovers or want to make these the day before to free up time on the big day. Simply pop them in the fridge and you’re good to go!

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Mini Cranberry Tarts

5 from 7 votes

Grab a package of phyllo cups and make these bite-sized Cranberry Tarts for the holidays! This easy dessert features a flavorful make-ahead cranberry orange curd topped with a swirl of whipped cream.

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (20)

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 14 votes

Get festive with these mini pumpkin cupcakes topped with a cinnamon-kissed cream cheese frosting.

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (21)

Cranberry Banana Bread

4.98 from 44 votes

A fantastic way to use up fresh Fall cranberries, this Cranberry Banana Bread is fluffy and flavorful!

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My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (22)

Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Bread

5 from 13 votes

Cranberry-Orange Pumpkin Bread: everything you love about pumpkin-spiced pumpkin bread with a cranberry bliss twist!

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Just writing this has me ridiculously excited for Thanksgiving! Stay-tuned this upcoming week for a few ubereasy last minute dishes for your holiday line-up as well as some pretty stellar uses for all those leftovers!

What’s your all-time favorite Thanksgiving dish?

If you get a chance to try these Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

Peas and Crayons is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites at no cost to readers.

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About The Author:

Jenn Laughlin

Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.

Learn More

My Favorite Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes - Peas and Crayons (2024)

FAQs

How to be vegetarian on Thanksgiving? ›

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Dishes
  1. Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington. Alexa Weibel. ...
  2. Spicy Roasted Mushrooms With Polenta. ...
  3. Ombré Gratin. ...
  4. Baked Brie and Caramelized Vegetable Pie. ...
  5. One-Pot Vegetable Biryani. ...
  6. Broccoli Cheese Casserole. ...
  7. Butternut Squash and Fondue Pie With Pickled Red Chiles. ...
  8. Roasted Mushrooms in Ata Din Din.

What does everyone cook for Thanksgiving? ›

Plan the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

Whether you're planning a traditional Thanksgiving menu featuring classics like turkey, savory green bean casserole and homemade cranberry sauce or experimenting with new takes on your family traditions, you're going to need a few ideas to get you started.

Does God want me to be a vegetarian? ›

Within the Bible's New Testament, the Apostle Paul states that people of "weak faith" "eat only vegetables", although he also warns both meat-eaters and vegetarians to "stop passing judgment on one another" when it comes to food in verse 13 and "[It is] good neither to eat flesh" in verse 21.

What are the 3 most popular food dishes served on Thanksgiving? ›

The 10 Most Popular Thanksgiving Dishes
  • Roast turkey. We've already filled you in on how to carve a turkey like a chef. ...
  • Stuffing. Good stuffing is key to a successful Thanksgiving dinner. ...
  • Mashed potatoes. ...
  • Green bean casserole. ...
  • Corn casserole. ...
  • Sweet potato casserole. ...
  • Honey-glazed Brussels sprouts. ...
  • Cranberry sauce.
Nov 2, 2022

Do vegetarians celebrate Thanksgiving? ›

Whether you're looking for a satisfying meatless alternative to turkey or want to have a variety of vegetable-forward side dishes, these vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes are all ideal for holiday gatherings. Start off your meal with crispy kabocha squash fritters or a flavor-packed caramelized onion dip.

How do you eat vegetarian when your family is not? ›

What to Do When Your Loved Ones Aren't on Board with a Plant-Based Diet
  1. Lead by Example. Forget about being pushy or preachy. ...
  2. Cook Together. Research shows that kids who help prepare their own meals are more likely to eat them. ...
  3. Nerd Out. ...
  4. Meet Halfway. ...
  5. Call in the Experts. ...
  6. Make It fun.
Jan 5, 2023

How do vegetarians survive without meat? ›

Eat beans, pulses, eggs and other sources of protein

Pulses are particularly important for people who don't get protein by eating meat, fish or dairy products. Other non-dairy sources of protein include eggs and meat alternatives, such as tofu, mycoprotein (such as Quorn), textured vegetable protein and tempeh.

Can vegetarians eat turkey meat? ›

According to the Vegetarian Society, vegetarians are people who do not eat the products or byproducts of animal slaughter. Vegetarians do not consume: meat, such as beef, pork, and game. poultry, such as chicken, turkey, and duck.

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