Unpopular opinion: Thanksgiving is better than Christmas! Now, please don’t stop reading there just because you love Christmas and start preparing for it the day after Halloween. I love Thanksgiving because it’s a day filled with my favorite food and favorite people. I get to see my cousins and family who are away at college for the rest of the year, like me. We watch the Harry Potter marathon and eat until we can’t move.
Every single Thanksgiving my mom makes her “famous” Oreo cheesecake that everyone in my family practically begs her to make. Personally, I would rather have a slice of apple pie, but that’s just because year-round I don’t eat dairy. Usually on holidays, I make an exception just for my aunt’s mashed potatoes. Over the past few falls, I have dived into the realm of fall-themed vegan desserts just so I can indulge without the negative side effects of eating dairy. The ones below are my six favorites – I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do!
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
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First off is a Thanksgiving classic: pumpkin pie. Honestly, can Thanksgiving even be considered Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie, or two, on the table? This one is the best vegan pie that I have found thus far. It tastes so authentic and has only nine ingredients, which makes it super easy for anyone to make!
- Mini Pecan Pies
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Personally, pecan pie is not my cup of tea, but it is my mom’s favorite, so I had to find a vegan recipe to make for her. My mom is actually vegan and since we both have the biggest sweet tooth, I always send her vegan dessert recipes to try at home since I am stuck at college with no kitchen. This is one that she loved! She makes a regular pecan pie every Thanksgiving that is delicious, so being able to make an equally delicious one that is vegan is a huge win. Another plus is that these are bite-size, which makes it a great vegan treat for on the go!
- Vegan Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
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Apple & caramel – could this sound any better? Apple crumble is one of my favorite desserts (don’t worry, that’s coming soon) and this is a bit of a spin-off of that. The description of these even makes my mouth water: “These vegan salted caramel apple pie bars have a bottom crust, a layer of sweet apples, and are topped with a crumble topping and salted caramel sauce.” I made these last fall on a trip home and they were gone the next day! Definitely a must-bake for someone with a sweet tooth! I mean, who can resist homemade caramel? Not me, that’s for sure.
- Vegan Apple Crisp
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I told you the vegan apple crisp was coming! This classic fall dessert is something that no one can say no to, especially with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream on top! This recipe is one I have used countless times. It has the perfect ratio of apples to crumble, which I find to be especially important in apple crisp recipes, especially since so many people get it so wrong. This is a dessert you can make super quickly at the last minute, but it’s also super good!
- Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll
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Now, this recipe is not for the faint of heart. This is definitely for someone more skilled in the kitchen since it requires you to do so many things at once, at such specific times and temperatures. Even though this recipe may seem daunting, it is worth the task, and maybe a little frustration. This recipe is something that will become the highlight of any Friendsgiving and your friends will beg you to bake it every year! It is insanely rich and has just the right amount of sweet and spice combination.
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies
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This last recipe is my favorite out of the six (as you can tell by my own photo of when I made these cookies myself). But this recipe, at least on the website, is not vegan. So I made this recipe vegan myself, by substituting ingredients. Here is my edited recipe:
Pumpkin Spice Cookies:
– 1/2 cup vegan butter (my recommended vegan butter)
– 1 cup sugar
– 2 flax eggs (see: how to make a flax egg)
– 1 cup canned pumpkin
– 2 cups flour
– 4 tsp. baking powder
– 1 tsp. salt
– 2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
-1/4 tsp. ginger
Cream Cheese Frosting:
– 1/2 cup vegan butter (my recommended vegan butter)
– 8oz. of vegan cream cheese (my recommended vegan cream cheese)
– 3 tsp. vanilla
– 4 cups powdered sugar
– 1 tsp. cinnamon
I hope these recipes end up on your Thanksgiving table just like they end up on mine!
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