30 Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes

October 30, 2024

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Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is all about the amazing sides, and a vegan Thanksgiving dinner is no different. From classics like stuffing and cranberry sauce to new favorites like roasted cabbage steaks and apple walnut salad, this list has all the vegan side dish recipes you need to make this Thanksgiving a delicious success!

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This Thanksgiving will be my 10th Thanksgiving as a vegan, so I've accumulated quite a collection of the best recipes, enjoyed by myself and my vegan and omnivore friends and family. While the main course is important, the vegan Thanksgiving side dishes are the most exciting part for me. What I love most is that these sides taste even better than the original versions with dairy, eggs, or meat.

Below, I'm sharing my favorite side dishes from my own collection, plus some great recipes from other talented vegan recipe developers. I hope some of these recipes will find their way onto your Thanksgiving dinner table, and this year is your best vegan Thanksgiving yet!

If you're looking for more vegan Thanksgiving dinner recipes, try my complete vegan Thanksgiving menu, my collection of vegan Thanksgiving main dishes, or my favorite vegan Thanksgiving desserts.

Classic Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Classic Vegan Stuffing
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
This stuffing isn't just pretty; it also has all the flavors you love in classic stuffing, without any eggs or dairy. It's made with fall herbs, celery, and onion, so it's a perfect recipe to customize to your liking with add-ins like dried cranberries or vegan sausage.
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Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Gluten-Free Pecan Crumble
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Sweet potato casserole is a must-have dish at my Thanksgiving dinner table, and this vegan version from Bakerita is a great way to enjoy a favorite without the dairy. This recipe is subtly sweet with a pecan crumble that's also gluten-free. If you decide to modify it with a marshmallow topping, make sure you look for a vegan brand of marshmallows like Trader Joe's or Dandies.
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Vegan Mac and Cheese
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Using vegan cheese, vegan butter, vegan milk, and flour to create a creamy cheese sauce, this vegan side from Sunglow Kitchen satisfies your mac and cheese cravings. It's also nut-free and gluten-free (just make sure your vegan cheese, butter, and milk is too), so it's perfect for serving to guests with allergies.
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Classic Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 58 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 18 minutes
A favorite at the Thanksgiving dinner table, this vegan version is a step up from the traditional dish. It's made with fresh green beans and mushrooms and a flavorful cashew cream, topped with crispy fried onions.
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Vegan Cranberry Sauce
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Switching from canned cranberry sauce to homemade was a game-changer for my Thanksgiving dinners! This version from Ooh La La It's Vegan combines sweet and tart flavors using cranberries, orange juice, and warm spices like cinnamon. It's also sweetened with agave, so it has no refined sugar.
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Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Packed with umami flavor, this vegan mushroom gravy from Nuts and Twigs is delicious with a vegan roast, meatloaf, roasted veggies, or any potato side dish. It uses vegan roux to achieve its ultra-creamy texture, while mushrooms provide its savory flavor.
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Vegan Sausage Stuffing Balls
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Combine vegan stuffing with tempeh sausage, chestnuts, and sage for a festive twist on classic stuffing. This vegan sausage stuffing balls recipe from The Vegan Larder is flexible, so you can use store-bought tempeh or make your own!
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Vegan Potato Sides

Vegan Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
These mashed potatoes are easy to make and full of flavor, thanks to vegan butter, vegan sour cream, and chives. No one will miss the dairy in this tasty Thanksgiving side dish!
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Loaded Baked Potato
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Topped with vegan sour cream, vegan cheddar, sun-dried tomatoes, and chives, these loaded vegan baked potatoes are an indulgent Thanksgiving side dish that's also easy to make. The recipe also includes a trick for getting perfectly melted vegan cheese every time.
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Vegan Sweet Potato Mash
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
This vegan sweet potato mash from Plant Based Folk is a healthier take on your typical mashed potatoes. It's made only with whole foods, using no processed ingredients like vegan butter or oil.
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Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Get perfectly seasoned and roasted potatoes with this easy garlic herb roasted potatoes recipe from Chew Out Loud! They take just 15 minutes to prepare and make a beautiful and crispy addition to your vegan Thanksgiving dinner table.
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Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Thinly sliced potatoes drenched in a creamy, cheesy sauce and baked to golden perfection? Yes, please! This vegan scalloped potatoes recipe from Serene Trail satisfies all your cheesy potato cravings with absolutely no dairy.
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Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Truffle Oil & Thyme
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Get fancy with your mashed potatoes with this recipe for garlic mashed potatoes with truffle oil from Well Vegan. They use creamy Yukon gold potatoes for the best texture, and there's even an Instant Pot option if all your stovetop burners happen to be occupied.
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Vegan Vegetable Sides

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate & Pecans
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Roasted brussels sprouts get a colorful and festive twist with this showstopping side dish from Bakerita. The combination of brussels sprouts, leeks, pecans, and pomegranate seeds isn't just beautiful, it's also packed full of flavor that will have your guests going back for seconds and thirds.
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Mashed Butternut Squash
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Creamy, flavorful, and easy to make, this simple side dish is a great way to add more veggies to your Thanksgiving dinner table. Made with maple syrup and cinnamon, it's slightly sweet and totally delicious!
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Vegan Creamed Peas and Leeks
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Peas, leeks, and cashew cream combine into this incredibly creamy and delicious vegan creamed peas recipe from Veggie Society. It's the perfect way to transform this classic Thanksgiving side into a plant-based favorite that you'll make year after year.
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Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Rice, vegan sausage, apples, and cranberries are stuffed into a sweet and savory roasted butternut squash shell with this delicious side dish recipe from Vegan Huggs. It's a colorful dish that will look gorgeous on your Thanksgiving dinner table, and it's filling enough to qualify as a main dish, too!
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Roasted Mashed Cauliflower
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
This vegan mashed cauliflower from Ooh La La It's Vegan is the perfect low-carb complement to the filling sides on your Thanksgiving table. To achieve its creamy texture, this recipe roasts the cauliflower in the oven and combines it with roasted garlic and fresh herbs for tons of flavor.
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Maple Mustard Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Cabbage may be one of the most underrated vegetables out there, and this maple-mustard roasted cabbage steak recipe from Spabettie proves it. Roasting the cabbage creates a delicious caramelization and with a soft but crunchy texture that is a treat for the senses.
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Butternut Squash Casserole
Easy? No
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
This vegan Thanksgiving side is as delicious as it is nutritious, loaded with veggies like butternut squash, leeks, kale, and pecans. It gets a burst of flavor from tangy cashew cheese, making it a dish that will be finished quickly at your dinner table.
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Vegan Italian Stuffed Mushrooms
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Italian stuffed mushrooms are a delicious side dish or appetizer that's perfect for holiday gatherings and dinners. This version from The Jam Jar Kitchen is meatless and made completely vegan with vegan butter and vegan Parmesan.
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Vegan Side Soups & Salads

Vegan Apple Walnut Salad
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
A homemade vegan feta cheese takes this flavorful salad to the next level. With apples, candied walnuts, cranberries, and a maple-balsamic vinaigrette dressing, it combines the best fall ingredients into a single delicious side salad.
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Creamy Pumpkin Carrot Soup
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Pumpkins, carrots, and ginger combine with cashew cream and warm spices to create a delicious and creamy soup that will warm your body and spirit. It's a bright and colorful addition to your vegan Thanksgiving table that everyone will love!
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Vegan Butternut Squash and Cranberry Salad
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Combining fresh arugula with roasted butternut squash, black rice, dried cranberries, and pecans, this hearty salad from The Sidesmith is a delicious and healthy addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table. It's finished with a maple orange salad dressing that provides the perfect balance of sweet and citrusy flavors.
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Sweet Potato Kale Salad With Tahini Lemon Dressing
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
This recipe from Cooked and Loved is a fabulous combination of vegan flavors, with pickled onions, tahini lemon maple dressing, and kale that's massaged to soften its texture. If you try this recipe, make sure you follow the vegan option with maple syrup instead of honey.
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Vegan Potato Soup
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
This vegan potato soup combines all the flavors of a loaded baked potato into a creamy and chunky chowder. Anything but bland, this dish has vegan sour cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Yukon gold potatoes.
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Harvest Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Wild rice is a favorite at Thanksgiving tables all over, and this creative dish from The Rustic Foodie combines it with roasted butternut squash, cranberries, and a maple Dijon dressing for an unforgettable fall salad.
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Vegan Dinner Breads

Vegan Cornbread Muffins
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
The perfect vegan bread for your Thanksgiving table, these vegan cornbread muffins are easy to make and packed with sweet corn flavor. They perfectly complement your side and main dishes, and they're made into individual muffins that require no cutting!
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Vegan Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 19 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 39 minutes
I can't get over how cute these pumpkin dinner rolls from Herbivore Cucina are! They're made with real pumpkin purée for color and flavor, and they're sure to attract plenty of attention at your holiday dinner.
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Vegan Parker House Dinner Rolls
Easy? Yes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Pillowy and soft with a buttery crust, these vegan dinner rolls from Earthly Provisions are the perfect complement to all your Thanksgiving sides and mains. They're made in an iconic semicircle shape that was made famous by the Parker House Hotel in Boston.
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