Two Healthy Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menus

Two complete and healthy gluten-free Thanksgiving Menus, including main dishes, appetizers, side dishes and desserts! You can easily mix and match from each menu for a customized holiday feast to remember!

Natalie, from Perry’s Plate, and I are here bringing you two complete Thanksgiving menus that happen to be entirely gluten-free with plenty of grain-free, dairy-free and paleo/keto options.

We have included everything you need for a delicious Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.

Main courses, appetizers, classic sides, and desserts are all included to take the guesswork out of your healthy Thanksgiving menu.

So here we are with two full menu options that you can easily customize to your own liking.

Trust me, if you make one of these menus or mix and match from both, you’re guaranteed a praise-worthy holiday meal that will surely please the whole family!

If you’ve been looking for Thanksgiving menu ideas, you’ve found them! 

We each have our own unique spin on traditional Thanksgiving recipes so that your feast is full of familiar favorites that also happen to be fresh, simple, and minimally processed.

So let’s hop to it! I’m sharing my family’s Thanksgiving dinner menu first, followed by Natalie’s.

Menu Option One:

Appetizer: 

Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta with walnuts, cranberries, and honey are a winning appetizer for any occasion! This easy two-bite finger food is loaded with flavor and is so fun to make and share!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Use pure maple syrup instead of honey, pecans instead of walnuts, and/or add orange zest to the ricotta. Replace the dried cranberries with any dried fruit.

Main Entrée:

Garlic Butter Roast Turkey brings bold, classic flavor to a traditional Thanksgiving feast! This impressive centerpiece is sure to please all who try it, as it results in the most flavorful, tender turkey! I have included everything you need to know about making perfect turkey in this post, from thawing frozen turkey, to brining and flavoring the whole turkey.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Swap out the ghee for grass-fed butter, avocado oil, or beef tallow. You can use this same method for bone-in breasts.

Side Dish #1: 

Healthy Green Bean Casserole made dairy-free and gluten-free is a marvelously flavorful side dish perfect for any gathering! This healthier keto green bean casserole recipe is fun to assemble and is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Low-carb, creamy and delicious!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Replace the coconut milk with heavy cream if you prefer it and you aren’t dairy-free. Make this delicious casserole up to 4 days ahead of time.

Side Dish #2: 

Big Batch Roasted Vegetables is a crowd-pleasing healthy side dish for feeding lots of people. Plus, these roasted veggies are absolutely delicious as leftovers.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Swap out any of the vegetables for your favorites. You can prepare this side dish up to 4 days ahead of time to save space in your oven the day of. Make my Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables  https://www.theroastedroot.net/balsamic-roasted-root-vegtables/ as another alternative.

Side Dish #3:

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole – with crispy nutty streusel topping – a grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free recipe that’s also paleo-friendly. This casserole is the perfect side dish for the holidays!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Replace the almond flour with cassava flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour. Use kabocha squash instead of sweet potatoes if you’d like. Make sweet potato casserole up to 5 days in advance to minimize prep and save oven space on Thanksgiving. 

Side Dish #4:

Gluten Free Hawaiian Rolls are a marvelous slightly sweet fluffy dinner rolls for any meal! A riff off of the classic iconic Hawaiian Rolls, this gluten-free and dairy-free version is an excellent alternative to the traditional favorite.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Make these using regular all-purpose flour if you aren’t gluten-free. If you’re grain-free, make Almond Flour Dinner Rolls.

Side Dish #5: 

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce with Maple and Ginger comes together lightning quickly and is so fresh and flavorful! An amazing condiment for your Thanksgiving turkey, this homemade cranberry sauce is always a crowd-pleaser.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: This recipe comes together quickly in your Instant Pot AND saves oven space and space on your stove top! You can sweeten it with honey or brown sugar instead of pure maple syrup if you’d like.

What I love about this recipe is you can make it up to 1 week ahead of time or the day of your feast because it doesn’t require oven or stove top space and comes together quickly. Make it in your slow cooker if you don’t have a pressure cooker.

Dessert #1: 

Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake made without flour, dairy, or refined sugar. This marvelous holiday dessert recipe tastes even better than the real deal! This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is low-fuss, dairy-free, vegan, and I have included a keto option for my low-carb friends!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: If you prefer classic pumpkin pie, make my Healthy Pumpkin Pie or my Paleo Pecan Pie Bars.

Dessert #2: 

Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Cobbler made dairy-free and vegan-friendly is a fabulous celebration of apple season! You’d never guess this easy cobbler requires few ingredients is gluten-free and dairy-free and easier to prepare than regular apple pie!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Make the cobbler using pears instead of apples if you’d like! Swap the coconut oil for melted butter in the topping if you aren’t dairy-free.

This is a near exact replica of what my family has on our Thanksgiving table each and every year. We often mimic the same thing for Christmas and substitute a Prime Rib for turkey.

Add my Vegan Butternut Squash Soup or my Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash for a delicious and nutritious non-traditional salad recipe. This is a great option for those of you looking for vegetarian options.

While my family doesn’t typically make stuffing, you can make my Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing recipe if you’d like!

If your family prefers going with the fish or seafood route for your main entrée, I humbly recommend my Mediterranean Salmon in Parchment Paper. It has been made by thousands and always receives rave reviews! 

Menu Option Two:

Appetizer: 

Holiday Smoked Salmon Board – A smoked salmon charcuterie board makes the perfect appetizer (or meal!) during the holidays! Here are some tips for creating a smoked salmon board that everyone will love whether it’s a fancy brunch, a cocktail party, dinner parties, or Christmas Eve with your family. It makes a beautiful presentation and it’s a great way to please everyone in your group because it’s so customizable!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Take advantage of the prepped items at the grocery store to whip this up quickly! It can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready.

Main Entrée: 

Dry Brine Turkey with Orange Rosemary Herb Butter – A dry brine turkey along with a flavorful orange-rosemary herb butter for good measure! It’s so much easier than using an immersion brine — no need to fill your stock pot and then hunt for a place to put it in your fridge.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Swap out the orange for lemon or use different fresh herbs. Make sure to allow time for the turkey to dry out completely in the fridge before roasting.

Side Dish #1:

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange Chili Butter – These mashed sweet potatoes are easily made in your Instant Pot and have a unique orange-chili butter mixed in! This flavor combination is STELLAR and more delicious than you’d think!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Orange chili might seem like a strange addition to sweet potatoes, but it’s super delicious and goes so well with the turkey! If you don’t want the potatoes to have any heat, just omit the chili flakes.

For buttery mashed potatoes made with white potatoes, make my Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan.

Side Dish #2:

Paleo Roasted Cauliflower Stuffing with Sausage & Walnuts – This roasted cauliflower stuffing is filled with bits of sausage, crunchy walnuts, and fresh herbs. You won’t even miss the bread!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: A great “stuffing” alternative if you’re looking for something grain-free. The bits of sausage and walnuts in this make it extra hearty & delicious.

Side Dish #3: 

Bacon Fried Green Beans – Never heard of Bacon-Fried Green Beans? It’s the ONLY way to eat green beans, really. Just TWO ingredients (I’ll let you guess which two), a hot skillet and you’re set!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Natalie’s favorite way to make green beans! Just two ingredients and it doesn’t take up any oven space. You’re welcome.

Side Dish #4: 

Gluten Free Millet “Cornbread” Muffins – These sweet, tender muffins taste almost like actual cornbread, but are made with millet flour! It’s a great alternative if you’re avoiding cornmeal or just want to incorporate more ancient grains into your baking.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Did you know that ground millet tastes amazingly like cornmeal? I love these muffins — they’re naturally gluten-free and a great alternative if you’re avoiding corn.

Side Dish #5: 

Healthy Cranberry Sauce with Cider & Vanilla – This healthy cranberry sauce recipe is quick, easy, and and eons better than canned cranberry sauce! I included all of my favorite wassail flavors — apple cider, orange, cinnamon & vanilla. It’s a beautiful and colorful addition to any Thanksgiving table!

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Homemade cranberry sauce is the only way to go! This version includes my favorite wassail flavors — cider, cinnamon, orange, and vanilla.

Condiment:

Smooth Homemade Honey Butter – This super delicious, super spreadable honey butter is naturally sweetened and is made with a secret ingredient that makes the texture SUPER smooth. Nope, it’s not marshmallow fluff.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: Drizzle this delicious honey butter on any kind of roll or cornbread muffin! You can make this several days in advance — just let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours to loosen it up.

Dessert: 

Gluten Free Berry Hand Pies – These sweet little gluten-free hand pies are filled with my easy 3-ingredient berry sauce and fun to eat! Make extra berry sauce to drizzle on top. And ice cream is a MUST.

Recipe Notes/Substitutions: These little hand pies are so fun! It uses my Perfect Gluten Free Pie Crust with my Easy Berry Sauce. Top them with some ice cream for a tasty after dinner treat.

So there you have it!

Two full holiday dinner menus for turkey dinner that are a one-stop shop for deliciousness!

Let me know what you try! I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season!