Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes (5 Complete Allergy-Friendly Meal Plans!)

Are you wondering what allergy-friendly magic to work for Thanksgiving this year? Whether you eat traditional foods, gluten-free, Paleo, GAPS, or AIP, here are five *complete* allergy-friendly menu plans full of the best healthy Thanksgiving recipes to make your holiday dinner delicious!

The phone rings at Grandma’s.

“Hello?” she answers.

“Hey, Grandma! Count our family in for Thanksgiving at your house this year! And oh, by the way, Junior tested positive for Celiac disease and I was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, so we’ve made a few, uh, dietary modifications. We don’t do dairy, grains, gluten, nightshades, or nuts. Let us know if we can bring anything, okay? See you next week!”

Can you even imagine? Or maybe you can…

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes & Allergy-Friendly Menu Ideas

Raise your hand if you love to meal plan! (Haha, oh the sarcasm.) If the number of meal-planning services and websites is any indicator of how much we adore meal planning… well… I won’t finish that sentence. 😉

Maybe this is your first Thanksgiving to follow a special, healing diet, and you’re at a loss over how to enjoy your traditional Thanksgiving favorites without cheating. Maybe you’re the cook this year, and you’ve got people coming who must follow a particular eating style for health reasons and you just don’t know where to begin.

You’re in luck. I’ve done all the work for you. Whether you’re gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, Paleo, GAPS, or all of the above, I’ve gotcha covered.

Today, I’m sharing five complete menu plans, from appetizers and stuffing to lots of side dish options and desserts. These will take the guesswork out of figuring out what you or your loved ones can eat on these special diets: Traditional/WAPF-Style, Gluten-Free, GAPS Diet, Paleo, and Autoimmune Protocol.

These recipes aren’t the school cafeteria’s turkey, gravy, and nasty green beans. I’ve found your favorite, classic Thanksgiving dishes (and a few unique not-so-classics) that are not only nourishing to your body but gourmet delights. I mean, the photography on these is enough to make me drool.

What is healthy to eat for Thanksgiving?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of specific meal plans, let’s talk big picture. No matter what you make for Thanksgiving, these real food swaps will make your meal much healthier.

• Pastured and wild meats instead of factory-farmed or feedlot meats.
• Organic, pastured eggs instead of regular.
• Raw or low-temp pasteurized grass-fed dairy instead of grocery store milk.
• Traditional fats like butter, tallow, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, and even some expeller pressed veggie oils like avocado instead of trans fats, margarine, or chemically or high heat processed veggie oils or GMO oils like corn and soy.
• Unrefined sweeteners like maple syrup and raw honey.
• Real salt that has color and minerals instead of chemical table salt that poisons your body.

You can also replace store-bought staples with homemade equivalents… like salad dressings, mayonnaise, “cream of” soups, breads, crackers, hot chocolate, and more! Just making foods from scratch is a big step in the right direction.

Get started with traditional foods with my 6 simple steps!

TCS recipe found here. 

Traditional Foods / WAPF-Style

The following healthy Thanksgiving recipes call for whole, real foods: high-quality meats, traditionally prepared grains*, traditional fats, and unrefined sweeteners.

Grains contain anti-nutrients like phytic acid that interfere with nutrient absorption and digestion. Traditional preparation methods like soaking, sprouting, or fermenting neutralize these anti-nutrients and also break down hard-to-digest components like gluten. Plus, taste and texture improve, too!

Learn all about this in my free traditional cooking video series.

Most of the recipes in this entire round-up include a soaking, sprouting, or fermenting step if necessary. If not, we’ve made a note so you can include one.

Appetizers & Snacks

• Kefir/Yogurt Cheese Balls
• 3 Variations of the Traditional Holiday Cheese Ball
• Cheese and Soaked Cracker Tray
• Roasted Toasted Hazelnuts
• Soaked Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese Filling

Main Dish & Stuffing

• Perfectly Moist Turkey Every Time — Learn how to bake a heritage bird to perfection!
• Turkey Cutlets with Pan Gravy — Gluten-free option.
• Traditional Turkey Broth Gravy
• Traditional Sprouted Stuffing Recipe
• Savory Sourdough Stuffing

Side Dishes & Vegetables

• Creamy Smashed Rutabaga
• Savory Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Swiss
• Simple, Elegant Rice Pilaf
• Savory Sourdough Bread Pudding
• Autumn Rice Pilaf
• Green Bean Casserole
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Breads

• Whole Grain Sourdough Bread (einkorn, spelt, or whole wheat)
• Sourdough Soda Bread — We love the dinner roll variation of this recipe!
• Soaked Crescent Dinner Rolls
• Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Condiments

• Cultured Butter
• Bone Marrow Butter
• Fermented Cranberry-Orange-Apple Relish
• Lacto-Fermented Cranberry Sauce

These condiments are all suitable for GAPS, as well. Simply omit the sucanat in the relish recipe. The others are GAPS-friendly as-is.

Desserts

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse Pie
• Sourdough Chocolate Cake
• Spiced Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bundt Bread {with soaked einkorn!}
• Coconut Creme Brulee
• Homemade Whipped Cream
• Sprouted Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
• Sprouted Spelt Pumpkin Roll With Cream Cheese Filling
• Soaked Apple Cider Donuts
• Applesauce Custard Pie
• Maple Pecan Pie
• Healthy Homemade Pumpkin Pie
• Sweet and Buttery Sourdough Pie Crust
• Homemade Pie Crust — Use sprouted flour to make this recipe with traditional preparation methods! Learn how to sprout your grains for flour here.

Drinks

• Cinnamon Spice Kombucha
• 5 Kombucha Flavors for Fall
• Vanilla Ginger Chai Tea
• Eggnog
• Frothy Peppermint Mocha

Image courtesy of Cathy’s Gluten-Free. 

Gluten-Free

To keep these healthy Thanksgiving recipes gluten-free, use gluten-free oats and a non-grain-derived vanilla extract. Learn how to make your own vanilla extract here!

All of the drinks shared in this round-up are gluten-free if using a non-grain-derived vanilla extract, so feel free to peruse other sections to find your favorite!

Check out our archives for many gluten-free recipes!

Appetizers & Snacks

• Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
• Fresh Fig Canapes
• “Cheezy” Gluten-Free Crackers

Main Dish & Stuffing

• Pork Roast with Winter Vegetables
• Pot Roast with Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Prunes
• Holiday Turkey Gravy
• Crispy Moist Roast Chicken or Turkey
• Super Flavorful Paleo Turkey Brine
• Southern Cornbread Stuffing

Side Dishes & Vegetables

• Roasted Asparagus
• Green Bean Casserole
• Sweet Potatoes Anna with Spiced Ghee
• Dairy-free Potatoes Au Gratin
• Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
• Root Vegetable Sauté
• Roasted Pear, Walnut and Kale Salad

Condiments

• Cranberry Sauce Recipe With Fresh Whole Berries and Orange
• Cranberry Orange Relish

Breads

• Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread
• Gluten-Free Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Desserts

• Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
• Instant Pot Orange & Dark Chocolate Cheesecake
• Paleo Sugar Cookies With Pumpkin Glaze
• Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe
• Grain-Free Pecan Pie
• Nourishing Pumpkin Pie
• Grain-Free Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Swirl Bars
• Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta
• Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie — This is keto-friendly, as well!
• Instant Pot Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
• No Bake Coconut Snowball Cookies — Also dairy-free.
• Gluten-Free Apple Spice Sourdough Donuts
• Quick and Easy Vanilla Custard
• Rustic Honey Caramel Apples
• Grain-Free Hazelnut Pie Crust — Also keto-friendly.
• Grain-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake — Includes a keto option.
• Maple Pecan Blondies — Use pre-soaked oats to make this recipe with traditional preparation methods.

TCS recipes found here and here. 

GAPS Diet (Gluten-Free/Casein-Free)

The GAPS Diet returns to the most basic and nutrient-dense of all foods — like meat stock, vegetables and ferments — to heal one’s gut. Grains and pseudo-grains, starchy vegetables, canned and processed foods, and many sweeteners are not permitted.

Visit our GAPS archives for more information and GAPS-friendly recipes!

Appetizers & Snacks

• Almond Sunny Seed Crackers
• Crispy Mushroom Chips
• Salmon Avocado Dip
• Finally! Easy-To-Peel Chestnuts!

Main Dish & Stuffing

• Cook’s Illustrated Roasted Brined Turkey
• Homestyle Stuffing
• 10-Minute Make-Ahead Instant Pot Gravy — Invest in a large gravy boat to enjoy ladle-ful after ladle-ful of this culinary masterpiece!

Side Dishes & Vegetables

• Butternut Squash Casserole with Pecan Crunch
• Roasted Radishes
• Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots
• Almond Orange Spinach Salad
• Rich and Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Condiments

• Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
• Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Breads

• Grain-Free “Looks Like Whole Wheat” Biscuits

Desserts

• Pumpkin Custard Bars
• Honey-Sweetened Pecan Pie
• Giant Pumpkin Cookie with Buttercream Frosting
• Slow Cooker Apple Pie Filling

Drinks

• Honey-Sweetened Ginger Beer
• Spontaneously Fermented Sparkling Apple Cider
• Homemade Water Kefir
• Naturally Fermented Jun

TCS recipe found here. 

Paleo/Grain-Free/Dairy-Free

Those following the Paleo Diet concentrate on nutrient-dense foods without grains, dairy, or legumes. In other words, they eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did without all of the processed foods. It’s a high-protein, high-fat, and low-carb lifestyle.

Visit our recipe archives for more Paleo-approved recipes for any time of year!

Appetizers & Snacks

• White Wine and Pecan Cashew “Cream” Cheese Ball
• Sesame Sunflower Seed Crackers

Main Dish & Stuffing

• Instant Pot Lamb Roast With Potatoes — Follow the recipe as-is for Mediterranean flavor, or sub your own spices for more traditional fare!
• Classic Onion Gravy — Be sure to check out the Puerto Rican and AIP-friendly variations, as well!
• How to Brine a Turkey
• Dry Brine Turkey or Chicken
• Grain-free Stuffing with Sausage
• Sweet Potato Sausage Stuffing
• Heritage Turkey and Mashed Parsnips

Side Dishes & Vegetables

• French Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots
• Best Sweet Potato Casserole — This recipe is adaptable to GAPS, too!
• Roasted Broccoli with Crispy Prosciutto
• Roasted Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Pecans
• Radicchio with Fennel and Apple Salad
• Green Beans with Bacon & Mushrooms
• Pomegranate and Persimmon Salad
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Blender Sweet Potato Casserole
• Winter Salad With Warm Kale, Butternut Squash and Crispy Shallots
• Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions

Condiments

• SCD/Paleo Cranberry Sauce
• Raw Honey-Sweetened Cranberry Sauce With Fresh Orange and Thyme

Breads

• “White” Dinner Rolls

Desserts

• Instant Pot Pumpkin Pudding
• Allergy-Friendly Pumpkin Pie — Dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free, but still the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had!
• Spicy Chocolate Gingersnaps
• Paleo White Chocolate Pie
• Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake
• Pumpkin Bars — Omit the cream cheese frosting if you are strictly Paleo.
• Nut-Free Pumpkin Pie
• Grain-Free Apple Pear Crumble

Drinks

• Mulled Wine with Honey
• Instant Pot White Hot Chocolate
• Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate

TCS recipe found here. 

Autoimmune Protocol (Egg-Free)

The Autoimmune Protocol was designed specifically to help people struggling with inflammatory conditions such as autoimmunity. By removing foods that provoke an inflammatory response in those who have autoimmune diseases, their bodies are given a chance to heal. Grains, dairy, eggs, nuts and seeds, nightshades, legumes, and all processed foods are not permitted.

Fill your Thanksgiving table with these indulgent, allergy-friendly recipes and you won’t feel like you’re missing out!

Appetizers & Snacks

• Garlic-Rosemary-Plantain Crackers
• Deep-Fried Rutabaga Chips
• Bacon-Wrapped Butternut Squash Bites

Main Dish & Stuffing

• Roast Lamb with Olives, Lemon and Oregano
• Oven-Roasted Chicken with Pears
• Beef, Celery, Walnut and Apple Stuffing — Omit nuts.

Side Dishes & Vegetables

• No-Fail Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes — Omit black pepper.
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple-Sage Brown Butter — Omit black pepper.
• Bacon-Braised Brussels Sprouts
• Cauliflower Mash-tinis
• Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Cream
• Colorful Fresh Kale Salad
• Green Bean Casserole
• Roasted Sweet Potato Purée with Coconut, Orange and Ginger

Condiments

• Raw Cranberry Sauce
• Healthy Cranberry Sauce — Use coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup to sweeten. Can be keto-friendly!

Desserts

• Cinnamon Clove Coconut Macaroons
• Pumpkin-Coconut-Maple Custard Cups

Drinks

• Turmeric Ginger Latte (Golden Milk Latte) — Omit black pepper.
• Homemade Cranberry Juice
• Hip Apple Rose Tea

Bonus! What To Do With Thanksgiving Leftovers

• Curried Turkey Salad — Gluten-free.
• Turkey Shepherd’s Pie — Gluten-free if gravy was made with a gluten-free thickener.
• Black Friday Pie — Gluten-free and Paleo.
• Cranberry Vinaigrette — Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free. Use an appropriate cranberry sauce to make this permissible on your special diet.

Follow these menus exactly, or feel free to pick and choose from the lists to create your own! Many of these healthy Thanksgiving recipes can work or be modified to fit any special diet. I hope this helps you get a stress-free holiday meal on your table!

If you want to learn more about special diets and which one might be the best fit for you, check out our Healthy Diets eCourse!

Are you following a special diet during the holidays? Share your experiences with us, or share your own healthy Thanksgiving recipes!

Main images courtesy of Mark’s Daily Apple, TCS gravy, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. 

This post is a combination of two posts originally published and written by Wardee Harmon and Lindsey Dietz on 11/18/11 and 11/13/2014. The posts were combined, updated, and republished on 11/18/21.