Today we’re going to take a look at dairy free Thanksgiving recipes. From appetizers to desserts, I’ve got you covered for Turkey Day. Not only are we looking at dairy free Thanksgiving recipes, but the recipes I’m sharing are all gluten free and very allergy friendly. If you manage Celiac Disease and/or multiple food allergies, rest assured, your Thanksgiving table will be full of safe and delicious food.
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Tips For Those with Multiple Dietary Restrictions and/or Mixed Allergy Household
Whether this is your first year managing multiple dietary restrictions, I’ve got some good tips and reminders for you as you prepare to shop till you drop and fire up your oven(s).
Don’t Do It All
When my kids were little, I made the HUGE mistake of trying to do it all. The problem is, I had three kids with DIFFERENT restrictions. I had to make three versions of each Thanksgiving classic I wanted to serve. Add to that the fact that the extended family wanted to have a huge spread and I wanted my kids to feel included… well… I ended up cooking a lot of food, all by myself.
It’s simply not sustainable. The solution though is easier than you may think. Pick a few family favorites and just cook those. That’s all you really need. When you’re new to all of this, limit yourself to no more than 10 recipes. The limit is a great way to ensure you don’t burn yourself out.
If This is Your First Year, Do a Trial Run
If you’re new to managing food allergies, Celiac Disease, and other restricted diets, don’t wait to make your new recipes on Thanksgiving day, especially if you found the recipe on social media.
Cut the recipe in half, or even down to 25% and do a test run. Make sure you actually like the food before committing to a larger batch, especially if you’re sharing the food with others (or if you’re the host).
Take notes as you go along if you make tweaks so you’re able to replicate the dish on the big day.
Cook for Your Greatest Common Denominator
Where you can, cook for the greatest common denominator. If you need gluten-free recipes for one person, egg-free recipes for another, and refined sugar free recipes for a third, don’t make three recipes. Make one that rolls all the needs together. Honestly, that’s one of the biggest perks of the Advanced Recipe Search on RAISE. You can mix and match over 100 filters for free-from needs (allergens, diet types, etc.) so you can cook and bake for your GCD.
Cooking and baking this way will save you a lot of money, mental bandwidth, and time. Where you can’t cook this way, aim for an easy recipe for each person, rather than something with 84 steps and 33 ingredients.
Ditch Tradition
Finally, the BIGGEST tip I can give you is to ditch tradition. Here’s the thing. It’s YOUR holiday meal, not Sally’s from across the street. After burning myself out year after year, one year, I got smart. I talked to my kids and threw out the idea of a Thanksgiving pizza. Their little free-from minds were blown.
They asked if that was even allowed, and I told them, this is our holiday meal and we can do what we want. If that’s the food you LOVE, that’s the food we should make. Needless to say, they were on board. I went from slaving away in a kitchen for days to making a few pizzas. It was beyond liberating.
So, as you look at a Thanksgiving meal or Christmas dinner, remember, the perfect dish is one that you love. If you want pancakes for Christmas dinner, DO IT. Who’s going to stop you? Santa??
You’ll end up enjoying the day so much more when you aren’t super stressed over food that’s nice, but not the food that you love. Obviously, if traditional and classic dishes make you happy, put in the work, But if they don’t, ditch them.
Dairy Free Dinner Rolls (Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly)
There are a lot of brands that sell dairy free dinner rolls. However, I’d like to point your attention to a few brands to investigate this holiday season that are dairy free + gluten free, since a lot of DF folks need GF as well:
- B-Free Foods
- Bread SRSLY (sourdough, top 9 free, dedicated facility)
- Canyon Bakehouse (they have Hawaiian bread and rolls!!)
- Kim & Jake’s
- Modern Bread & Bagel
- Schär
Appetizers for Your Holiday Table
Here are just a few recipes and ideas to get you started. Appetizers are an interesting category because sometimes it just feels like you’re serving a smaller version of a main dish. When in doubt, think light and fresh for your appetizer course, but also know, you can totally skip it.
- Gluten & Dairy Free Focaccia
- Dairy Free Queso (this is one of my kids’ personal favorite dips that I make)
- Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe (grain free, top 14 free)
- Gluten & Dairy Free Fried Eggplant (Aubergine)
- Salmon Cakes
- Dairy Free Pumpkin & White Bean Soup (vegan, gluten free, top 9 free)
- Dairy Free Cheese Filled Bacon Bomb Meatballs
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Side Dishes to Enjoy at Your Thanksgiving Dinner
Here are some fantastic dairy free, top 9 free side dishes. Each and every one would make a delicious addition to your holiday meal. For more ideas, you can browse through this 100 free-from side dish recipes and ideas article.
- Cranberry Chicken Salad (fantastic if you’re looking for a healthy side dish)
- Brussels Sprouts & Bacon
- Cream of Mushroom Soup (vegan, dairy free, top 9 free, top 14 free)
- Delicious Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes (top 9/14 free)
- Dairy Free Cheesy Green Beans (can be made with frozen or fresh green beans)
- Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Gluten & Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Winter Harvest Stuffing
- Gluten & Dairy Free Classic Pork Stuffing (such a fantastic Thanksgiving classic)
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Main Dishes for a Free-From Thanksgiving Feast
The most traditional main dish to serve at Thanksgiving is going to be a whole turkey. It’s very easy to adapt traditional turkey recipes to make them dairy free. Where the recipe calls for dairy products such as butter, swap for the dairy free version you love. Now, if you’re looking for something that’s not turkey, here are a few delicious ideas.
- Easy Whole Oven Roasted Chicken
- Thanksgiving Pizza
- Pumpkin Pasta (vegan, gluten free, dairy free, top 9 free, top 14 free)
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes + Chicken Meatballs
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Sauces & Gravy Recipes for Your Dairy Free Thanksgiving
Here are some dairy-free Thanksgiving recipes for traditional sauces. Each recipe is dairy free, top 9 free, top 14 free, and more. Inclusion for the win!!
- White Gravy
- Cranberry Sauce
- Mushroom Gravy (this is a top 9 + gluten-free gravy recipe)
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Helpful Free-From Articles
As you prepare to attend, serve, and host a holiday meal, here are some articles that may be helpful.
- Cross-Contact (great info if you’ll be hosting people with other food allergies)
- How to Substitute Maple Syrup
- Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts
- Holiday Tips (social scenarios and more)
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Dessert Recipes for Thanksgiving
Here’s a collection of the best dairy free desserts I can share with you for your Thanksgiving feast. These are not only great options for a dairy free Thanksgiving, but they’re all vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, super allergy friendly, and more.
- Top 9 Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe (I’m told it tastes like traditional pumpkin pie)
- Raw Pecan Pie (made with simple ingredients, egg free, Paleo, Vegan, Raw)
- Easy Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting
- Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream (such a tasty vegan option, truly corn free, top 9 free)
- Gluten & Grain Free Ginger Cake Recipe
- Amazing Apple & White Chocolate Sheet Pan Cake Recipe
- Vegan + Top 9 Free Smooches Cookies (Hershey’s Kiss Dupe)
- Vegan + Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe (top 9 free)
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Dairy Free Cashew Pumpkin Pudding (refined sugar free, vegan)
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (gluten free, allergy friendly)
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- AIP Paleo & Truly Corn Free Pumpkin Cookies
- Truly Corn Free Sweet Potato Pie (grain free, Paleo, top 9 free, top 14 free)
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Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
The best part about this article is that a lot of the recipes are vegan. If vegan food is your priority this year, here’s a sample vegan Thanksgiving menu, along with some delicious recipes to enjoy.
Appetizers for Your Vegan Table
- Fried Mushroom Bites
- Easy Vegan Sushi Rice Balls
- Delicious Chickpea Patties
- Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan Pumpkin Pizza Rolls
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Vegan Side Dishes
- Air Fried or Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Mushroom Gravy or White Gravy
- Zucchini Mashed Potato Boats
- Baked Cinnamon Potato Slices
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Ideas for Vegan Main Dishes
- Chickpea Wild Rice with Tomatoes & Fresh Herbs
- Spinach & Mushroom Dairy Free Cheese Ravioli with a Creamy Sauce
- Butternut Squash Pasta
- Gluten + Dairy Free Broccoli Mac n Cheese Recipe (great for kids and adults)
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Delicious Vegan Desserts
To see awesome Thanksgiving recipes for your vegan holiday meal, scroll back up. All of the desserts in the main dessert section of this article are all vegan recipes.
Answering Your Questions About Dairy Free Thanksgiving Recipes
Is goat cheese considered dairy free?
No, goat cheese isn’t considered milk free, lactose free, or dairy free. However, if you manage a cow’s milk protein allergy only, and can have milk from other mammals, then goat milk would be fine.
Start at this section in this article on all things dairy free and read for a bit. You’ll see definitions of the different terms relating to milk, dairy, cow’s, and other mammals.
Can I use olive oil instead of dairy free butter in recipes?
Sometimes. It really depends on the recipe and what it’s trying to achieve. For example, in a turkey gravy recipe, I wouldn’t make the swap. You’ll be toying with viscosity and overall flavour.
If a recipe has you cook green beans on the stovetop, like this one, then that kind of swap won’t be an issue. Ultimately, you’ll have to assess each recipe to see what the butter was doing before making that kind of swap.
I can also add this: in baking recipes, no, you absolutely cannot make that swap unless the recipe developer has advised that you can.
Is non-dairy milk the same thing as dairy free milk?
If you manage a milk/dairy allergy, it’s important to know that generally, no, they don’t mean the same thing. Nondairy (also written as non-dairy) used to imply that there could be a very small amount of cow’s milk dairy in a product. Dairy free on the other hand means zero dairy. Period.
Whilst the regulation has changed over the years, the US FDA generally has the viewpoint that “non dairy” could contain up to 0.5% of dairy milk derivatives such as caseinate. Dairy free always meant zero milk or milk derivatives.
Anytime you’re at grocery stores and want to purchase plant-based milk but you see the term non-dairy rather than dairy free, contact the brand for clarification. You can also start on their website, as some brands have a robust FAQ.
If you don’t like the answer, or are uncomfortable, do not purchase the milk.
Where can I purchase dairy-free + gluten-free stuffing cubes?
The two brands that I know of are Bread SRSLY and Young Kobras. Check their websites to make sure they still offer them during the holidays. They both ship nationwide, but know that their products are sourdough based.
If you’re not a fan of sourdough, I suggest checking Gluten Free Mall and VitaCost to see if there are any dairy-free + gluten-free stuffing cubes available. Grocery stores will be hit and miss, but natural, organic, and co-op style stores are more likely to have what you need.
Will most grocery stores carry dairy free Thanksgiving sides?
Honestly, most stores are going to have Thanksgiving sides that contain dairy products in the form of heavy cream, milk, and butter. If you want to purchase a dairy-free option, grocery stores such as Sprouts and Whole Foods are going to be the better choice. You can also see if there are vegan or allergy friendly restaurants in your are area, as they may have options that meet your dietary needs for Thanksgiving.
More than anything, the best advice I can give you is to call ahead. There’s no point in driving around and wasting time only to find that a store doesn’t have what you need, or that they’re all sold out.
Also know that stores such as Whole Foods has a pre-order program (they did last year but make sure it’s still happening). They have a lot of classic recipe options to choose from, and offer lots of options for special and restricted diets. However, last I checked, a lot of the items are made on shared equipment, so if you’re in the 30% group that can’t do shared equipment, get in touch with them to make sure the items you want to order will be safe for you.
Where can I purchase dates not made on shared equipment with tree nuts?
I’m SOOO excited to answer this question, as you and I both know this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Check out Sam Cobb Farms. I’ll warn you, the website is clunky, and the ordering process can be a bit… less than modern.
However, he’s such a cool guy and I’ve talked with him. His family is committed to growing and sharing an amazing product and you can safely serve his nut free dates on the big day. Actually, serve them year round. In addition to being nut free, his dates are top 9 free, top 14 free, and more.
Do you have a good gluten-free cornbread stuffing recipe?
Given my life-threatening corn allergy, no, I don’t have a gluten-free cornbread stuffing recipe. However! My good friend over at Mamma Knows Gluten Free does. Her recipes are loved by the free-from community and it’s a good starting point. Be sure to check out her other recipes, as I”m sure there are several you would enjoy.
What’s the best vegan butter to use for Thanksgiving recipes?
Honestly, any brand will get the job done. Depending on where you live, and the types of grocery stores you frequent, you’ll see different vegan butter options. Earth Balance is a popular brand and is available nationwide. There are a few others, and some contain major allergens such as soy or tree nuts.
Ultimately, it’s going to come down to your taste buds. If you like the taste, use it in your recipes. They all perform about the same, and it’s going to be a 1:1 swap in Thanksgiving recipes.
The only time you should be super picky, in my humble free-from opinion, is when the vegan butter is front and center. So perhaps it’s not melted down, but instead on the table for people to grab. In that case, you’re going to want a dairy free butter that doesn’t taste synthetic or have an off putting mouthfeel.
If you can have brands such as Miyoko’s, check them out. It contains tree nuts, but will have a “cleaner” taste when compared to some of the other options available.
Is coconut milk a good option for dairy free Thanksgiving recipes?
If we’re talking about the boxed/watery style of coconut milk, yes, it will be a good option. If we’re talking about full fat coconut milk from a can, no, it won’t be the best choice.
The reason is because of the fat content. Standard dairy free milks are all a 1:1 exchange for each other, and cow’s milk. Once you get into specialty milks however (whole milk, heavy cream, etc.), it’s no longer a 1:1 swap and you have to do equations to make sure the fat content is properly addressed.
For best results, stick to a standard dairy free milk as you go about making Thanksgiving recipes. If you want to use a special milk, make sure you follow a recipe that uses it, rather than blindly swap. This will make sure you don’t waste delicious, precious, expensive ingredients.
Is nutritional yeast really a good dairy free cheese alternative?
I’m going to be so honest with you: probably not. I’ve talked with people with and without food allergies, as well as vegans and non-vegans. It’s completely hit and miss. I’ve had vegans tell me it’s gross, and tastes nothing like cheese. Personally, I find the smell off-putting.
However, it’s all going to come down to perspective, personal preference, and your unique taste buds. You can purchase nutritional yeast at most grocery stores these days, so pick up a small container. I’ve also learned from those in the know that nutritional yeast performs best when mixed into something, so don’t try to make it the star of the show.
From there, sample and see what you think.If you love it, I’m so glad you have a new option. If you don’t, you have my condolences and commiserations. This article on Parmesan has brands that make dairy free cheese and it may be worth reading and investigating.
