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30 Festive Vegan Recipes for the Holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas)

Be perfectly prepared for Thanksgiving/Christmas with these Festive Vegan Recipes for the Holidays. This post includes many ideas for main courses and side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas! No meat, no dairy, no eggs – all vegan!

Hi friends, with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, I’ve wanted to compile my favorite festive recipes from blogging friends and my blog into one post.

Below you’ll find various main course recipes and side dishes that are just perfect for the holidays: From lots of impressive centerpieces like Couscous-Stuffed Acorn Squash, Lentil Roast, Smoky Southern-Style Meatloaf and Homemade Seitan Steaks to comforting sides like Molasses, Miso, and Maple Candied Sweet Potatoes, Savory Pumpkin Tart, Roasted Yams, Smashed Purple Potatoes, Braised Red Cabbage and more! I’ve also added sauces like my 3-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce and Peppercorn Sauce.

30 Festive Vegan Recipes

Main Courses

Vegan Seitan Steak
Vegan Steak
This vegan Seitan Steak is juicy and super easy to make! You can combine all the ingredients in a food processor – so no kneading required! By adding sparkling water and canned chickpeas to the mix, our seitan is softer than many of the tough seitan cutlets you can usually buy in stores. It goes perfectly with roasted potatoes and herb butter.
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Couscous-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Couscous Stuffed Acorn Squash | ElephantasticVegan.com
This is one of my favorite recipes for a fancy vegan Thanksgiving meal: Couscous-Stuffed Acorn Squash with smoked tofu bits and mushrooms. Serve it with a homemade Cranberry Sauce and dig in!
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Lentil Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy by Wallflower Kitchen
Lentil Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy - Wallflower Kitchen
A delicious and easy-to-make lentil loaf, for a meat-free but ‘meat-‘alternative, great for roast dinners, Sunday lunch and Christmas main.
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Smoky Southern-Style Meatless Meatloaf by Veganosity
Smoky Southern-Style Meatloaf - Veganosity
Delicious vegan BBQ meatloaf made with black beans and chickpeas for protein and a spicy homemade BBQ sauce. Meat lovers will love this!
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Couscous Stuffed Butternut Squash Boat
Couscous Stuffed Butternut Squash
Recipe for a vegan Mediterranean Couscous Stuffed Butternut Squash Boat. It’s healthy, flavorful, and the PERFECT fall dish!
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Vegan Potato & Spinach Strudel
Vegan Potato and Spinach Strudel from the side with cilantro sunflower sauce in the background
Recipe for a vegan savory strudel filled with potatoes and spinach. It’s the perfect easy lunch or dinner. A cilantro lemon dip is the perfect sauce/dip to go with it!
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Seitan Roast with Bread Stuffing
Seitan Roast with Bread Stuffing
Don't want to miss out on a roast for Thanksgiving? Try this delicious, vegan Seitan Roast, stuffed with a bread filling. Surprise your family and friends!
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Fried polenta stacks with squash u0026 cashew cream by Cadry’s Kitchen
Polenta Stacks with BBQ Squash & Cashew Cream - Cadry's Kitchen
Fried polenta stacks are a dazzling holiday dish. Using prepared polenta from a tube, the stacks are layered with BBQ squash and cashew cream.
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Side Dishes

Vegan Potato Croquettes
Vegan Potato Croquettes | ElephantasticVegan.com
Recipe for vegan Potato Croquettes – the perfect side dish for festive Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – just like they should be!
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Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts in Soy Sauce
Brussels sprouts in pan
Recipe for vegan Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts in soy sauce – the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner! Easy to make and absolutely delicious.
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Vegan Mashed Potatoes with onions and garlic
vegan mashed potatoes in a bowl
Mashed potatoes are amazing as they are, but this flavorful version with caramelized onions, garlic, and parsley is an easy way to bring your vegan mashed potatoes game to the next level!
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Vegan Thanksgiving Power Bowl by Feasting on Fruit
All the typical Thanksgiving-goodies in a bowl!
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Molasses, Miso and Maple Candied Vegan Sweet Potatoes by Go Dairy Free
Molasses, Miso, and Maple Candied Vegan Sweet Potatoes - Go Dairy Free
Prepared with fresh flavors, this filling vegan sweet potatoes side dish can be enjoyed any time of year, and is a perfect gluten-free holiday recipe.
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Savory Pumpkin Tart by Vegan Family Recipes
Savory Pumpkin Tart - Vegan Family Recipes
A Savory Pumpkin Tart recipe made with puff pastry and either a hokkaido or pie pumpkin. Drizzled with a garlic cashew sauce.
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Festive Vegan Falafel with Cranberry Pear Dip by Vegan Heaven
Festive Vegan Falafel with Cranberry Pear Dip - Vegan Heaven
These festive vegan falafel with cranberry pear dip make the perfect appetizer for Christmas! Healthy, super easy to make, and so delicious!
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Vegan & gluten-free Green Power Bowl
Recipe for a vegan and gluten-free Green Power Bowl with collard greens, broccoli and potatoes. Easy to make, healthy and super tasty.
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Vegan Green Bean Casserole by Fried Dandelions
Vegan Green Bean Casserole - Fried Dandelions
This Vegan Green Bean Casserole has all of the classic flavors you remember from your Grandma’s Thanksgiving table.
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Roasted Yams with Lime Sunflower Seed Sauce by The Mostly Vegan
Roasted Yams with Lime Sunflower Seed Sauce - The Mostly Vegan
These Roasted Yams with Lime Sunflower Seed Sauce would look so pretty on your Thanksgiving dinner spread!
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Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Slices
Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Slices
These Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Slices are a delicious side dish or snack! They are a great alternative to regular potato fries or wedges.
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Oven Baked Potato Slices
Baked Potato Slices
These Oven Baked Potato Slices are easy to make and versatile. You can serve them as a side dish or with a dip as a snack! They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
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Smashed Purple Potatoes by Green Evi
Smashed Purple Potatoes - Green Evi
These smashed purple potatoes make the perfect side dish for your Christmas table. Simple and easy recipe.
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Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts by My Darling Vegan
Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts and Rosemary - My Darling Vegan
Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts are a sweet and savory vegan side dish perfect for your next holiday dinner. They are perfectly tender roasted and tossed together with roasted hazelnuts and rosemary.
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Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts
Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts
These Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts with Sriracha Mayo are the perfect appetizer/snack for all Brussels Sprouts lovers! They are crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth-sprouts in the center.
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Braised Red Cabbage
Braised Red Cabbage | ElephantasticVegan.com
Recipe for a Braised Red Cabbage – it’s the perfect side dish for thanksgiving and christmas! Vegan & Gluten-free.
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Tri-Color Quinoa with walnuts and cranberries
Tri-Color Quinoa with walnuts and cranberries
If you want to combine healthy with festive, then this Tri-Color Quinoa with walnuts and cranberries is the perfect side dish!
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Easy Maple Roasted Carrots by Veggies Don’t Bite
Smoky Maple Roasted Carrots Lemon Thyme Sauce - Veggies Don't Bite
Maple roasted carrots are the perfect sweet and salty buttery side dish! This recipe has a hint of smoke, with an optional creamy lemon sauce!
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Pan-Fried Bread Dumplings
Pan-Fried Bread Dumplings with Pumpkin Goulash
These pan-fried Bread Dumplings are a no-boil/no-steam alternative to regular Bread Dumplings. They are much quicker to make and have a crispy outside. You can serve them with all kinds of goulash and stews, or as a side for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
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Easy Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe by Cook with Kushi
Garlic Knots are addictive and flavorful vegan bread bites that are crispy on the outside with a light and airy texture inside.
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Sauces

Easy 3-ingredient Cranberry Sauce
Easy 3-ingredient Cranberry Sauce | ElephantasticVegan.com
Recipe for an easy, 3-ingredient Cranberry Sauce made from scratch with fresh cranberries. Perfect addition for any Thanksgiving dinner!
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Vegan Peppercorn Sauce
Vegan Peppercorn Sauce
This Vegan Peppercorn Sauce is quick & easy and you only need staple ingredients to make it. It's perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts and helps bring them to the next level!
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Don’t forget to bookmark/save/pin this page, so you’ll always have lots of impressive plant-based recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas! And please let me know your favorite festive vegan recipes in the comments below! :)

More Thanksgiving Recipes

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Turtle

Sunday 19th of November 2023

These all look amazing! I can't wait to spring them on the inlaws!

Amy

Monday 21st of November 2016

All of these sound amazing! I wish I could go to a Holiday potluck serving them all :)! I am going to have to try some of these recipes!

Bianca

Monday 21st of November 2016

Oh yes, that would be amazing! Thank you so much Amy! <3

Stefania

Monday 21st of November 2016

Super Yum! Thanks Bianca! x

Bianca

Monday 21st of November 2016

Glad you like them, Stefania! :)

Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite

Monday 21st of November 2016

Thank you so much for including me!! What a delicious looking bunch of recipes. Can we all just get together and have a thanksgiving please?! YUM

Bianca

Monday 21st of November 2016

Oh yeah, a friendsgiving would be amazing! :)

Mary Riley

Sunday 20th of November 2016

Iam Vegan and now on a GLUTEN free diet. I hope you can help me

Bianca

Monday 21st of November 2016

Hi Mary, you can find all my gluten-free and vegan recipes here: https://www.elephantasticvegan.com/tag/gluten-free/ Hope you find some nice inspiration! :)