You Won't Believe this Mouthwatering Thanksgiving Menu Has No Added Sugar (Even the Dessert)

Thanksgiving favorites, like sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce and apple pie skip the sugar in this healthy holiday menu. Instead of sugar, maple syrup or honey, these delicious recipes use sweet-tasting spices (like cinnamon and vanilla), inherently-sweet ingredients (like fresh and dried fruits) and techniques like roasting (which caramelizes the natural sugars in food) to achieve the sweet flavor naturally. Just as delicious as the traditional dishes, you won't feel like you're missing out with these healthy Thanksgiving remakes.

On The Menu

Cocktail:

Cranberry Sangria

Appetizer:

Classic Deviled Eggs

Starter:

Apple-Cheddar Side Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Main Dish:

Spatchcock Turkey with Thyme & Sage

• No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole: No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole
• Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions: Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions
• No-Sugar-Added Cranberry Sauce: No-Sugar-Added Cranberry Sauce

Dessert:

No-Sugar-Added Mini Apple Pies

Cranberry Sangria

This festive twist on classic red sangria combines wine with no-sugar-added cranberry juice, oranges, apples and cinnamon for a wintery spin on a traditionally summer cocktail. Use a natural wine in place of regular, as natural wines are made without added sugar.

Classic Deviled Eggs

We love the taste of dill relish in the filling of this deviled egg recipe (plus, dill relish doesn't have added sugar, like sweet relish). Our secret to healthy, creamy deviled eggs with fewer calories is to swap out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt. Look for a mayonnaise made without added sugars.

Apple-Cheddar Side Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

This salad is easy and festive-the perfect healthy addition to your holiday table. The no-sugar-added dressing blends well with the sweet notes of apple and sharp Cheddar cheese, and crunchy pecans round out the dish.

Spatchcock Turkey with Thyme & Sage

When it comes to cooking a whole turkey quickly and evenly, spatchcocking-removing the entire backbone from the bird and splaying it open-is a great technique. This skin on this spatchcocked turkey gets crispy and browned because nearly all of the skin is exposed. This recipe uses a simple blend of oil, fresh herbs and spices for classic roasted turkey flavor. Look for a small turkey, about 12 pounds, as it fits better in most roasting pans.

No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole

Instead of loading up this comfort food side with tons of brown sugar and marshmallows, we turned to sweet spices, vanilla and inherently sweet dried fruit to enhance the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. A topping of pecans and pepitas replaces traditional marshmallow topping to keep it healthy and add texture and color for a beautiful casserole.

Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

Thanks to fresh green beans, an easy homemade cream sauce free of added sugars and crispy onion topping, this green bean casserole recipe is healthier and more delicious than traditional recipes that use canned soup, beans and onions. Plus, the slow cooker saves you time cooking at the stove. Make sure to use fresh green beans, as frozen green beans will become mushy.

No-Sugar-Added Cranberry Sauce

Most cranberry sauce recipes add tons of sugar to mask the tart taste of the cranberries. In this simple cranberry sauce, we lighten things up by skipping the sugar and opting for a healthier combination of dates and apple cider which adds just enough sweetness without overpowering the cranberry flavor.

No-Sugar-Added Mini Apple Pies

These delectable single-serving tarts are sweetened with dates instead of refined added sugars. Top with a little unsweetened whipped cream to take this special-yet healthy-dessert to the next level.

Watch: How to Spatchcock a Turkey

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