9 No-Fail Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes and Holiday Cooking Tips

Hiya Gorgeous,

It’s official. The holidays are here. And if you haven’t already, it’s a good time to start planning a scrumptious menu packed with vegan Thanksgiving recipes!

This is such a busy time of year for most of us… kitchen headaches are the last thing we need! That’s why I decided to team up with a couple of my favorite chefs—Joy Pierson (one of the masterminds behind the incredible Candle Cafe in NYC) and Chloe Coscarelli (inventive vegan chef and prolific cookbook author)—to help me pull together a manageable, but still show-stopping, vegan Thanksgiving menu.

Need some vegan Thanksgiving recipes for your own festive affair?

Are you prepping for a hungry group at your place, too? Or do you need the perfect side or dessert? Either way, I know you want to wow your friends and fam with healthy, delectable dishes—especially if they tend to be skeptical about plant-based food! Well toots, it’s your lucky day because I’ve got just the thing…

You’re gonna love the Crazy Sexy Thanksgiving Menu I created with Joy and Chloe! It features 9 fabulous salads, soups, sides, mains and desserts that will have your whole crew raving (yup, even the picky folks!). And here’s the best part: All of the vegan Thanksgiving recipes we featured are from Joy’s Vegan Holiday Cooking, Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen and my Crazy Sexy Kitchen, so downloading the meal plan is like getting a free sneak peek at each of these amazing cookbooks!

Here’s a preview of the drool-worthy dishes you’ll get to prep and enjoy:

Make sure to grab your Crazy Sexy Thanksgiving Menu now so you have time to check out the 9 easy, tasty plant-based recipes before the big day rolls around. And don’t forget to take pics of your Thanksgiving spread or behind-the-scenes of you cooking up a storm—post ‘em on Facebook and Instagram and tag me, @crazysexykris, so I can share them with our community!

Once you download your menu and recipes, make your way back here because I’m not done with ya! What can I say? I love you all year ‘round, but I’m feeling especially thankful during this season of gratitude and giving. And I couldn’t think of a better way to show my appreciation than with some bonus tips to help you make it a stress-free holiday.

Hassle-Free Holiday Cooking Tips from Pro Chefs!

I asked Joy and Chloe to share their top tips for simplifying holiday hosting and cooking. These ideas are here to help you dial the holiday stress way down so you can focus on having fun, connecting with your loved ones and enjoying yourself in the kitchen and at the table!

Joy Pierson’s Tip: Get Everyone Involved

Plant-based holidays are all about compassionate indulgence, but they still take planning and coordination. One of the strategies I use to pull off a giant cruelty-free Thanksgiving is including everyone in the preparations. I like to invite the whole family to get involved—not just at the table but in the kitchen, too. Here’s how we make it happen:

• Menu planning starts 2-3 weeks ahead of time. Once it’s complete, I send it to everyone to get them excited and hopefully inspire some offers to help.
• Everyone chips in (including the young ones!) to do most of the prep and cooking before Thanksgiving Day. The whole team brings their almost-done dishes to the big celebration, which makes it fast and easy to get everything on the table!
• The fun starts and ends in the kitchen. Putting the final touches on our meal as a team adds so much fun and satisfaction to the holiday. Our time at the table is the vegan gravy on top!

Chloe Coscarelli’s Tip: It’s All About Food Prep!

Do AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN ahead of time. You should just be reheating and assembling on the day of (there’s no reason to be chopping onions that day). Here’s how to prep my recipes ahead of time and save yourself a ton of work on the big day.

• Golden Gravy: This scrumptious sauce can be made 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.
• Parmesan Roasted Asparagus: The Parmesan Topping can be made 5 days in advance and refrigerated. Make the asparagus the day before, then reheat it in a preheated 400°F (205°C) oven for about 10 minutes. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sugars, which makes them buttery soft with nice crispy edges. Pro tip: Turn asparagus often to make sure all sides become crisp. Sprinkle with room-temperature Parmesan Topping before serving.
• Italian Meatloaf: You can make this magnificent main 2 days before your meal—just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then, reheat it in the oven on Thanksgiving Day.
• Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cake: Assemble the cake batter and streusel topping in the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake the cake fresh the next day!

My Tip: Plan for the Big Day and Beyond!

Now that we’ve covered prep work and recruiting extra hands in the kitchen, it’s time to put these strategies to work. It may sound simple, but you’ve gotta write it all down and think ahead. Here’s what I recommend:

• Once you’ve locked your menu, make a shopping list. Take a moment to review the vegan Thanksgiving recipes you plan to use (don’t forget to reference your Crazy Sexy Thanksgiving Menu!). Determine what you already have in your kitchen and make a list of every ingredient you still need to get. It’ll make your trip to the store a breeze… especially during this chaotic time!
• Whip out your calendar and schedule everything. Whether it’s in your planner or Google Calendar, it’s a good idea to schedule time for shopping, meal prep and cooking. Otherwise, other holiday and life activities are going to get in the way, leaving you stressed out on Thanksgiving Day.
• Plan for leftovers from the beginning. Are you really going to feel like cooking in the days following your feast? I know I never do and I’ll also have extra mouths to feed with family staying over. My solution: Doubling some of the recipes so that sandwiches, soups and salads are easy-peasy over the long weekend. Less cooking and fewer dishes means more time to relax. Ahhhhh.

I hope these tips and vegan Thanksgiving recipes take the tension off your plate and give you more time to take care of yourself this month. Don’t forget to download your free menu if you haven’t yet (you’re not gonna believe how scrumptious these recipes are!). Mwah!

Now it’s your turn: What’s your number one holiday cooking tip or favorite recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

Peace & pumpkin pie,