Thanksgiving is coming! That means ALL the food, but also in our house it means an allergy-friendly Thanksgiving menu. We have a few allergy sufferers and dairy is not my BFF, so planning a delicious Thanksgiving menu that’s allergy-friendly is a must. While I love having a few days off with family, I’m not a huge fan of all the cooking and cleanup that happens with Thanksgiving. Thankfully, we’ll be celebrating with family, so the burden isn’t all on me!
For our Thanksgiving menu we’ll be dumping dairy from the main ingredients, and skipping out on gluten, too. We also don’t eat sugar, so I’ve made sure the recipes are missing that as well. (the pie uses either maple syrup or an alternative sweetener, and you can skip the whipped cream or ice cream)
Additionally, I’ve made sure the menu is free from common allergens or shared adaptations when necessary. That way if you’re hosting family and friends who are coping with allergies you’ll be able to accommodate everyone without any trouble.
If you aren’t dealing with food those specific allergies you can include those items, or if you know your guests aren’t extremely sensitive you can put them on the side. (like putting butter on the table or leaving the nuts on the side) Lastly, everything other than two items (the turkey and charcuterie plate) are vegan!
I put this together early this month so you have plenty of time to get your ingredients, do a dry run of new dishes, and have it bookmarked for when you need it!
Allergy-Friendly Thanksgiving Menu
Appetizers
- Cheese plate (we like Daiya cheese for dairy-free folks) with dried fruit, and gluten-free rice crackers. Sides of whole grain mustard, and pickled veggies are lovely additions.
- Charcuterie plate with salami, ham, pepperoni, or other meats.
- Fresh veggies with dairy-free dip
- Fruit kabobs with dairy-free yogurt dip (mix plain yogurt with some honey and cinnamon for a fall flavor)
Soup:
Butternut Squash: This recipe is my go-to. I just replace butter with olive oil and use vegan stock. Little known fact: some people have a skin reaction when they peel butternut squash. Ask me how I know. Paying the extra for pre-cut squash is worth it if I don’t have to itch my hands all day long.
Salad:
Pear and cranberry salad: Mix red leaf lettuce with diced pears and unsweetened dried cranberries, top with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette (optional: add goat cheese and walnuts)
The mains:
Perfect Turkey (recipe from Martha Stewart, adapt by using olive oil in lieu of butter)
Roasted, stuffed squash (try quinoa as the grain) or roasted, stuffed sweet potatoes (leave off tofu for soy allergies)
Sides
- Easy homemade cranberry sauce
- Gluten-Free stuffing: Use your favorite allergy-friendly bread in your favorite recipe-we like Rudi’s, but it contains eggs.
- Roasted squash, carrots, and onions: Make with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper
- Steamed green beans with sea salt
- Mashed potatoes: Use potato water for liquid, and add sea salt and pepper. For a twist you can create a ‘mashed potato bar’ and include some fun mix-ins like dairy-free cheese, non-dairy sour cream, fresh rosemary, caramelized onions, and more.
Bread:
Make cornbread muffins or cornbread mini loaves: Use a gluten-free mix, and sub in your favorite non-dairy or non-nut milk depending on allergies.
Dessert: Vegan and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie: optional with dairy-free whipped cream and ice cream (or choose dairy options if you have no dairy allergies).
Drinks:
- Warm Apple Cider
- Flavored Water (Cranberry+ Clementine or Apple + Cinnamon)
- White Cranberry Apple Cosmo
- Wine
- Coffee and tea for dessert
What are your favorite Thanksgiving recipes?
Kelly
For more Thanksgiving ideas read these posts:
- DIY Thanksgiving Decor
- Perfect Thanksgiving Recipes
- Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Reuben Recipe
- Last-minute Thanksgiving Crafts
For post-Thanksgiving Shopping
[…] Here is our vegan allergy-free Thanksgiving menu. […]