Tableside conversations notwithstanding, it’s tough out there for a vegan on Thanksgiving. Aside from the most basic salad and the cranberry sauce, there’s not much that’s safe to eat.

Or is there?! The truth is, mainstream Thanksgiving side dishes often have meat, dairy, and/or eggs in them, but do they necessarily need to? No, no they don’t!

With more and more people opening up to the idea of plant-based cuisine, there are more delicious crowd-pleasing vegan Thanksgiving side dishes to choose from than ever. Here are 19 vegan Thanksgiving side dishes that prove the point!

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides

Potatoes & Gravy

Mashed potatoes are usually full of cream and butter; gravy often uses meat drippings or butter. But here are some delicious alternatives that are strictly plant-based. Bring on the comfort, vegan style!

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Vegan Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes with Garlic & Chives

Vegan Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes with Garlic & Chives – I think this recipe is doubly awesome because I LOVE anything that uses a slow cooker on Thanksgiving. If it frees up the inevitably overstuffed oven, that’s a very good thing! With red potatoes, mellowed garlic, and fresh chives, this mashed potato recipe is sure to be a winner all around.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Rustic Rosemary Thyme Mashed Potatoes

Rustic Rosemary Thyme Mashed Potatoes from Strength and Sunshine – loads of herbs, coconut milk, and herbed olive oil make these vegan mashed potatoes special enough for the holiday table.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Golden Mashed Potatoes

Vegan Golden Mashed Potatoes – Flavored with cumin, garlic, and a bit of that yellow powerhouse, turmeric, golden mashed potatoes bring something a little different to the table.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Garam Masala Vegan Brown Gravy

Garam Masala Brown Gravy – A rich brown gravy elevated by garam masala spices and a hint of ginger.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Vegetarian Onion Gravy

Vegetarian Onion Gravy (vegan option) – Just use the vegan option to get a simple, all-purpose gravy that’s so tasty everyone at the table will want to gobble up. (Seriously, I make this every year and everyone loves it!)

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Garlic Butter Scalloped Potatoes

Garlic Butter Scalloped Potatoes from Contentedness Cooking – I can’t imagine anyone would miss the mashed with these gorgeously creamy potatoes on the table.

Hearty Vegetable Sides

You wouldn’t think that straight-up veggies would be an area of concerned for plant-based folk, but yep, they can be a minefield too. Here are some attractive alternatives, including the Thanksgiving perennial fave, sweet potatoes:

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Coconut Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecan Drizzle

Coconut Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecan Drizzle – Simmer sweet potatoes right in the coconut milk, and then mash! These winning whipped sweet potatoes are decadently delicious yet so easy to make. Plus, they should complement just about anything else on table.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Cranberry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Cranberry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Thyme & Love – I love the gorgeous colors and, just, the pure Thanksgiving-ness of these!

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Healthy Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Healthy Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Food, Faith, Fitness – I don’t know that I’d ever want to go back to the traditional version after trying this one. Those crispy onions!

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Citrusy Winter Root Vegetables

One Pot Citrusy Winter Root Vegetables from Foolproof Living – I love the story behind this blogger’s family recipe of celery root, potatoes, and carrots cooked with olive oil and drizzled with orange juice. So perfect for the season.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Vegan Creamy Scalloped Cauliflower

Vegan Creamy Scalloped Cauliflower from Veggies Don’t Bite – I am totally in love with this one. I mean, just look!

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Vegan Acorn Squash Quinoa Salad with Cranberry and Pistachio

Vegan Acorn Squash Quinoa Salad with Cranberry and Pistachio from Avocado Pesto – I love that this takes the fall salad up a notch with satiating quinoa. So colorful too!

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Pumpkin Salad

Pumpkin Salad from Occasionally Eggs – Whoa! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more gorgeous salad. I love that this recipe uses both roasted pumpkin AND the seeds for a hearty, vibrant vegan Thanksgiving side.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Perfect Vegan 7-Layer Salad

Perfect Vegan Seven-Layer Salad from Namely Marly – For salad purists, here’s a version that looks and sounds like an old family recipe, but with a deliciously vegan spin.

Stuffing!

Oh how I love stuffing, and I truly feel no Thanksgiving meal is complete without it. Luckily, there are many plant-based options!

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Herbed Wild Rice & Quinoa Stuffing

Herbed Wild Rice & Quinoa Stuffing – This stuffing recipe hits all the special diet bases. It’s gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free, and of course vegan. Plus, it’s delicious! I love the flecks of dried cranberry.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Vegan Pecan Tarragon Stuffing

Vegan Pecan Tarragon Thanksgiving Stuffing from Veganosity – Love the tarragon in this one. The perfect mainstream stuffing but with a little something extra special.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing

Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing from Vegan Richa – Festive! Cornbread stuffing is a fave of many, and the addition of pumpkin makes it even more perfect for the Thanksgiving Day table.

Pasta

Pasta sides are great to bring along for Thanksgiving (or serve for the vegans in the fam). Bonus: Everyone will want some! Just make sure your resident vegan gets a first crack at it. 😉

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Creamy Butternut Pasta Bake

Creamy Butternut Pasta Bake – Bubbly and creamy with a nice golden layer of panko breadcrumbs on top, this pasta bake is a winner with just about everyone, no matter their dietary preferences.

19 Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes #veganholiday #veganthanksgiving #vegansides #veganthanksgivingsides #thanksgivingsides
Baked Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Baked Pumpkin Mac & Cheese from V Nutrition – Macaroni and cheese is a quintessential Thanksgiving Day favorite. This one brings pumpkin and plant-based into the picture. Yum.

What are your favorite vegan Thanksgiving side dishes? Share in the comments below!

More for Your Vegetarian Thanksgiving (and Christmas too!)

Looking for more meatless Thanksgiving recipes? I’ve got you covered!

Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a portion of the proceeds. More about this here.