Plant-Based Alternatives to Holiday Favorites

Holiday festivities are right around the corner. That means it’s time to start brainstorming what foods you will make for your family and friends. Here are some delicious plant-based alternatives you can serve for Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays. Your guests may never even miss the meat.

When cooking for the holidays, it’s best to plan as far in advance as possible. This time of year is hectic, and things can pile up fast. Get ahead of the game by planning your recipes, making lists of the ingredients you need and shopping for nonperishable items. 

You could even do a trial run of recipes you’ve never made before to ensure they’re as good as they look. Use these tips to tweak traditional favorites, like stuffing, to be vegan-friendly. From your main course to your dessert, here are some vegan and plant-based options for your holiday table. 

Vegan Stuffing 

You’ll need a loaf of dry bread that you can set out the night before or put in the oven at 200 F for 20 minutes. It should be crunchy and not mushy. 

Use vegetable stock to combine celery, garlic and onions with the bread. Use thyme, rosemary and sage seasonings to spice it up. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes with foil, and then remove the foil and continue cooking for about half an hour to toast the bread. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole is a crowd favorite in many households during the holiday season. Boil your sweet potatoes and preheat the oven to 375 F. Use coconut milk instead of cream and butter, or you can choose another replacement, like applesauce or avocado.  

Add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to your pot and mash your potatoes. Transfer them into a dish and then start on a nut topping. You’ll need walnut pieces, raw pecan halves, all-purpose flour, kosher salt and coconut oil. Mix it, put it on the potatoes and cook for about 30 minutes.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

It might seem impossible to recreate mac and cheese without the key ingredient – cheese – but you’d be surprised how many alternatives you can use. There are countless vegan cheese options on the market. You can pick whichever alternative appeals to you, and then follow any normal mac and cheese recipe. 

If you really want to get the savory taste of a cheesy pasta dish, add nutritional yeast into your cheese sauce. Your guests may not even realize it’s not real cheese. 

Lentil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

For this meatless main dish, you’ll need cabbage, quinoa, brown lentils, vegetable broth, onion, soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil. You’ll also need oat flour, paprika, salt and pepper, maple syrup and tomato puree. Begin the process by steaming your cabbage and precooking your lentils and quinoa with onion, paprika, soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil. 

Make your sauce with maple syrup, vinegar and tomato puree, and season it with salt and pepper. Put your sauce in the bottom of your baking dish and layer with cabbage rolls. Make them by taking a leaf off your steamed cabbage, placing some mixture in it and rolling it up. Pour the rest of the sauce on top of the rolls and bake until the sauce starts to bubble. 

Peanut Butter No-Bake Pie

Finish your holiday meal with a no-bake pie that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s so simple to make and works great for last-minute desserts. Children love these pies, so they’re great for picky eaters. This recipe is even easier if you have an extra crust on hand. 

However, you can make a chocolate pie crust that pairs deliciously with this peanut butter pie. For the filling, you’ll need natural peanut butter, chia seeds, maple syrup, coconut oil and canned coconut cream. Use a blender to make a peanut butter mousse for your pie filling, and refrigerate it until it sets. 

Holiday Favorite Alternatives

There are many plant-based alternatives that you can enjoy during the holidays. Try one of these vegan-friendly recipes or create your own for festivities. They’re sure to be crowd-pleasers.