Need help deciding your Thanksgiving menu that will cater to your food allergies? Then you wobbled into the right spot! This round-up will have you gobbling all Thanksgiving day long!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It used to be very heartbreaking when I would dread the day just because of my food allergies. We should never let our food allergies hold us back! There is always a way to make the holiday dinner safe and delicious, no matter what you are allergic to.
We have created many recipes over the years, a lot of which we now make every Thanksgiving, and we are excited to share our Thanksgiving Food Allergy-Friendly Recipe Round-Up with you. The following dishes are free from gluten, corn, dairy, soy, nutmeg, coconut, canola, and nightshades, as well as nuts.
Thanksgiving Food Allergy-Friendly Recipe Round-Up
Before we dig in, we wanted to share some brands we use to complete our "Free From" Thanksgiving meal:
Happy Campers Gluten-Free Bread - we use Happy Campers for our stuffing recipe or to create gluten-free breadcrumbs out of the bread.
Circle C Farm - we order chicken, but you can look into any of the poultry that works for you. Get a 5% off coupon when you use our link!
Date Lady's date sugar - we use date sugar as an alternative to cane sugar for selected recipes.
Kettle & Fire broth - we use their grass-fed beef bone broth for selected recipes.
The Thanksgiving Menu
Dishes featured in this round-up:
Ashley's Apple Picking Pancakes
Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin and Apple Harvest Muffins
Pumpkin Banana Chip Muffins
Apple Pie Bagel
Antipasto
Joe's Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
Bagel Stuffing using The Greater Knead
Herb Bread
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Seasoning
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Breakfast Menu
It's Thanksgiving morning! The parade is on T.V., the coffee is brewing, and you are having one of the following for breakfast:
Ashley's Apple Picking Pancakes: Nothing like a sweet but healthy dish to start your day! This breakfast will set the tone for the day ahead, with its autumn seasonings and apple slices. The plus side is that apples have immune and gut health benefits, which may be ideal for the meals coming later on.
Pumpkin Muffins: This well-balanced and super-nutritious option will give you the boost you need for a day of cooking! Not only is it a great recipe to bake ahead and is super delicious, but pumpkin is also rich in vitamins and antioxidants, making this option incredibly healthy.
Pumpkin and Apple Harvest Muffins: This is another quick breakfast you can prep ahead of time. Our harvest muffins will give you the morning jolt you need to start a day of cooking.
Pumpkin Banana Chip Muffins: Looking for something sweet but still healthy? Try this muffin recipe. They can even double as a dessert.
Apple Pie Bagel: With just the right balance of sweet and savory your dessert for breakfast satisfaction receptors will reach the moon.
Starting Course
Set the tone for the evening by putting out a very basic antipasto platter. This is a standard fare in an Italian household. Joe is typically responsible for this platter which usually includes pepperoni, salami, prosciutto, a variety of cheeses, and Joe's homemade roasted peppers.
For my smaller, allergen-safe antipasto board, I include safe cheese (until my safe brand went out of business *sad face*), Applegate's prosciutto, and homemade bread with olive oil we season ourselves for dipping.
Growing up, my mom was always in charge of making stuffed artichokes for Thanksgiving, and her artichokes were always pretty darn amazing. After developing my gluten allergy, she would try to make stuffed artichokes for me using safe breadcrumbs I could have, but it was never the same.
Instead, I now make this recipe:
Steamed Lemon-Garlic Artichokes
Ingredients:
2 artichokes
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon for each artichoke
Himalayan salt
Freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Clean the artichokes by cutting off the pointy tips and bottom steam. Cut so the artichokes stand upright.
Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and place the artichokes in a steamer tray.
Add the garlic around the artichokes and drizzle the olive oil over everything. Squeeze the lemon over the top and sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper.
Cover and steam over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the leaves can be pulled off quickly.
Both options pair perfectly with a glass of wine...CHEERS!
Main Course
Here comes the star of the day...the bird!
For our first year hosting, Joe took on the challenge of making a perfect Thanksgiving turkey. He did research, watched videos, and read lots of recipes before falling upon how he would make his turkey. One thing he hated most was how turkey can often come out dry. His solution was to break down the turkey into parts, dry-brine it, and roast it. This is how we have been cooking turkey for every Thanksgiving since 2019!
As for my main course, since I haven't found a turkey I can eat (or one with a price I can justify for one day out of the year), I opt for chicken instead. We like to turn to our Chicken and Brussels Sprouts with Apple Cider Sauce recipe for Thanksgiving.
One recipe, two options! You can either just make the chicken portion of this recipe or opt-in to also make the Brussels Sprouts side dish too! The apple cider sauce adds a delicious and warm touch to the meal.
Side Dishes
Now for the best part of the day...the sides! Here is a list of side dishes we must have on Thanksgiving day.
Top 8 Free Stuffing: Stuffing is my favorite side dish for Thanksgiving. I would look forward to dinner just for a huge serving of it. When my allergies started to develop badly, I thought stuffing was far-fetched to have again. Using Happy Campers Gluten-Free bread, my momma and I worked hard to create a stuffing that we are absolutely obsessed with!
Bagel Stuffing: This was a dish I have been seeing for a while now but was too set in my ways to try it. We decided to host a Friendsgiving and for that dinner, I gave the bagel stuffing a try. I figured if I didn't love it, at least I would still have the regular stuffing to look forward to on Thanksgiving. Not sure why I doubted this recipe because it was awesome!
Shingled Rosemary Sweet Potatoes: This turned out to be one of our most popular side dishes on the page! This elegant dish is very easy to put together and has been a hit at our gatherings for several years now.
Mashed Yuca: If you must avoid nightshades, mashed potatoes are unfortunately a big NO for Thanksgiving. Try mashed yuca instead. The cassava root creates a potato-like texture that tastes just like the real thing! Based on your preference and restrictions, you can also look into using Japanese Sweet Potatoes instead.
Apple Cider Brussels Sprouts: A savory side with a sweet twist. The apple cider creates a delicious roast on the Brussels that will bring your family back for seconds!
Sweet Potato Bites: A twist on a classic dish! Candied yams were always a staple at our Thanksgiving table when I was growing up. This was one of the first recipes I wanted to revamp when I started this website. You can now get your sweet potato fix on a flakey crust using The Greater Knead's all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Dessert Menu
By this time of the evening, everyone is stuffed. The house is filled with the chatter of conversation and laughs of joy, all trying our best to make room for the course we all brought too much food for. Ladies and gentlemen, it is dessert time!
Pecan Pie: Not for my nut-free folks but definitely for anyone looking for a sweet and savory pie this Thanksgiving! Serve a slice HOT, with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle on top, with a side of dairy-free whipped topping.
Apple Pie: If pecan pie is not for you, maybe this good ol' fashion apple pie will work for your family's menu! The recipe includes gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free options!
Paleo Apple Pie: Created with date sugar, maple sugar, maple syrup, and a gluten-free crust, this recipe tastes just like the good old fashion recipe! You will be surprised by what natural sugars can do.
Pumpkin Pie: Another delicious dessert that is created from allergy-friendly and clean ingredients. This pumpkin treat may be free from nutmeg but tastes just as delicious with the replacement spices.
Mini Pumpkin Pie: Using the same pumpkin pie mixture as above, we created mini pies using Pampered Chef's mini pie pan.
Holiday Spice Cake: A tender cake laced with warming spices of cinnamon, clove, and ginger, coated in fluffy cream cheese buttercream and caramel sauce drip. Our Holiday Spice Cake with Cranberry Filling is a delicious and beautiful cake to serve this holiday!
Other
Pumpkin bread: Whether you make it for breakfast or just have it out to pick on, you can never go wrong with having a fresh pumpkin loaf available. Our recipe is free from gluten and nutmeg!
Gluten-Free Herb bread: from your sweet to your savory. This bread can be welcomed with your antipasto board or on the dinner table next to the turkey.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice seasoning: if you are allergic to nutmeg like I am, store-bought pumpkin spice seasoning is not really an option for you. Instead, opt to make your own using our easy 4-ingredients, 3-step recipe!
Homemade Whipped Cream
Vanilla or Coffee Flavor
Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream, cold (about 2 cups)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Javy coffee concentrate (skip this ingredient if you just want to make plain vanilla whipped cream
Directions
Add all the ingredients to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until stiffened and fluffy.
Amanda's Autumn Sangria
Ingredients
1 bottle of white wine (we recommend using a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay)
1 bottle of 100% agave tequila (we use Espolon Blanco Tequila)
1 gallon of Apple Cider
½ of a 32oz bottle of Organic Pure Cranberry juice (we use this brand!)
Juice from one-half of the orange + slices of orange from the other half
½ cup of lime juice
1 teaspoon cloves
5 cinnamon sticks
2 gala apples, wedged
1 granny smith apple, wedged
½ cup cranberries
Directions
In a 1.75-gallon drink dispenser, begin by pouring in all the liquid ingredients: the bottle of wine to the lime juice. Give the mixture a nice stir using a wooden spoon.
Add in the clove and cinnamon sticks, giving the dispenser another stir.
Add in the fruits and stir one last time. If you want the orange slices to stand up against the glass as shown in the picture, add those in last. Being that all the fruit will mostly float, you can use the apples to help keep the oranges in place.
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We wish you a happy and food-safe Thanksgiving!
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