Melissa's 2025 Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up - dairy free : gluten free : refined sugar free : paleo : vegan
- Melissa Peralta
- Nov 18
- 3 min read
Festive Mocktails
Instead of pre-made batched cocktails, I like to make mocktails that can be "spiked" by guests with optional alcohol that I provide on the side. My personal favorite is the Cranberry Apple Citrus Spritzer without Cava, but there's bound to be something for everyone on this list!
This one ridiculously easy recipe can be used to elevate almost any dish on your Thanksgiving table! Smash it up and smother it all over your bird for the last 15-30 minutes in the oven for an intense flavor crust. Toss a few whole cloves in with your roasted potatoes before serving. Use the oil to season your veggies. Trust me, you'll endless ways to use this recipe!
I love stuffed mushrooms, but they take FOREVER to make - so, I came up with this creamy bean based dip recipes to bring all of the same super savory flavors of a traditional stuffed mushroom to my Thanksgiving starter menu - without having to assemble a bunch of individual little pieces. It's good cold, but best when you get it nice and warm in the oven first. I love serving this dip with paleo crackers or grain free chips.
This perfectly balanced kale salad is easily one of my most popular recipes! It can be dressed and assembled in advance, so it's perfect option for an occasion like Thanksgiving, when just being able to plate and serve at meal time is ideal!
If you're looking for a warm kale dish to add to your table instead of a cold kale salad, I cannot recommend this one enough! As a Thanksgiving dish I like to serve this in deconstructed elements with the sweet potatoes, steamed veggies, dressing and toppings served separately for my guests to combine themselves. I usually skip the avocado for this occasion, but you do you!
It might seem daunting to make your own cranberry sauce, but it's really just simple as combining a few ingredients into a pot until it turns into sauce! Made with date syrup and orange juice instead of corn syrup or cane sugar, this refined sugar free cranberry sauce not only tastes way better than the canned stuff, but also cuts back on added sugars without skimping on sweetness!
I love having this vibrant dressing out as an additional sauce with my traditional cranberry and gravy options. It goes unexpectedly well with most traditional Thanksgiving dishes, and provides some very welcome digestive support with lots of fresh ginger!
Somehow, the combination of boiled garnet yams, unrefined coconut oil and SALTERY's flakey Duxbury Sea salt takes on a subtle hint of marshmallow that makes for a perfectly creamy sweet and savory side! I love serving this on its own for my guests to mix with other dishes based on their on presences.
This dish doesn't scream "American Thanksgiving", but trust me, it will be a beautiful accompaniment to all of your traditional dishes! Think of it as your traditional roasted carrot or smashed sweet potato's slightly elevated and eccentric sister dish!
As soon as fall rolls around, this dish instantly enters my meal rotation on repeat in various forms, and I love the opportunity to share this gem with my guests at Thanksgiving! I've served this recipe on it's own, combined with ground sausage and stuffed into roasted squash halves, and it's always a hit with even the pickiest of my guests!
This annual favorite is always at the top of my list for Thanksgiving dessert picks! It's wholesome, yet decedent - and SO easy to make!
This super versatile, plant-based caramel recipe comes together in about two minutes, and tastes so much like a traditional caramel, that your guests won’t even notice that it’s dairy free, gluten free AND refined sugar free! It's great served as a dip with sliced apples, drizzled over desserts (like that Pecan Pie I mentioned!) and even as a sticky rim for festive drinks!
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