Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Make this year your best Thanksgiving yet! Think roasted turkey, healthy green bean casserole and decadent pies that the holiday wouldn't be complete without. Following a special diet? We've got you covered with gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and diabetic-friendly recipes that will shine on your holiday table.

Most Popular

Mini Crustless Caramelized Onion & Cheese Quiches

These crustless mini quiches are packed with savory caramelized onions and flavorful cheese. This technique for making caramelized onions uses way less fat, and by using sweet onions (like Vidalia, if you can find them), you don't need to add the sugar some recipes call for.
By Stacey Ballis

Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze

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This sweet potato pound cake started out as a way to use up leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, but quickly became its own reason to make sweet potatoes. The cake gets better as it sits, so it's a great make-ahead candidate for any occasion.
By Stacey Ballis

Melting Sweet Potatoes with Maple Butter

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As the name implies, these sweet potatoes melt right in your mouth. After browning in a hot oven, thick slices of sweet potato simmer in broth and soak up the flavors of maple syrup and lemon. This simple dish is great alongside roasted chicken or pork and makes a great Thanksgiving side dish.
By Carolyn Casner

Roasted Honeynut Squash

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Honeynut squash looks just like mini butternut squash, but on the inside you'll find an even sweeter, deeper orange flesh. This winter squash has only been available at farmers' markets and in select grocery stores for a few years. If you see it, grab a few to try! This simple roasting method enhances the natural flavor of the squash with butter and spices.
By Carolyn Casner

Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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In this healthy side dish recipe, sweet potatoes are tossed with maple syrup, butter and lemon juice and roasted until tender and golden brown. The delicious glaze that forms on these maple-roasted sweet potatoes transforms this ultra-simple dish into something sublime.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Cranberry Crumble Bars

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These cranberry-orange bars freeze well. Make a batch on a free afternoon and pop them in the freezer so you'll always have a healthy dessert on hand when company calls.
By Summer Miller

Fig & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Roll

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Buttery puff pastry is a tasty shortcut ingredient that can be used in many delicious ways. Here we roll out a pastry sheet and cover it with fig jam and crumbled goat cheese, then roll it up into a log and bake it. The end result is a sweet-and-savory appetizer that looks and tastes impressive, especially considering it has just three ingredients.
By Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD

Butternut Squash Casserole

This simple butternut squash casserole recipe combines sweet butternut squash with a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon and is finished with a buttery, crunchy topping. It's sure to be a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving menu.
By Julia Levy

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions

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Fresh herbs, onion and sautéed bacon flavor this easy Brussels sprouts recipe. This savory dish is delicious in the fall and winter months, when Brussels sprouts are in season. If you can find them still attached to the stalk, don't be intimidated--buy them, as they're likely more fresh. Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Herb-Roasted Turkey

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This easy method produces all the good looks and moist flavor you dream of in an oven-roasted turkey. Make sure you show this beauty off at the table before you carve it. Garnish your serving platter with fresh herb sprigs and citrus wedges for a showstopping Thanksgiving turkey.
By Jessie Price

Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

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Stuffing is not just for Thanksgiving, and this easy chicken and stuffing casserole is proof. It's packed with plenty of veggies, making this a healthy casserole you can feel good about serving year-round.
By Julia Levy

Broccoli Casserole

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The lightened-up luscious sauce elevates this easy casserole recipe over standard broccoli and cheese side dishes.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD
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Inspiration and Ideas

16 Thanksgiving Desserts You Can Make Ahead of Time
From pies you can store in the refrigerator to cakes that can be wrapped and ready days in advance, these desserts are easy additions to your Thanksgiving menu.
16 Easy Recipes to Bring to a Friendsgiving
From bake-and-take side casseroles to festive drinks, these recipes are perfect to bring to this year's Friendsgiving.
14 Snacks for Grazing Before Your Thanksgiving Meal
The Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce
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Fried Apple Pie Rolls
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Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel
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Leftover Turkey Stew
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This hearty and healthy turkey stew recipe is just about the best use of Thanksgiving leftovers we can think of. And we don't just mean the turkey. The stew is packed with leftover roasted vegetables--use whatever vegetables you have on hand, such as Brussels sprouts, parsnips, sweet potatoes and green beans. And leftover gravy is used to add depth of flavor and body. Possibly the best part of this stew recipe? It comes together really quickly--because don't we all need a 20-minute dinner after the craziness of Thanksgiving? Add some leftover bread or rolls and dinner is done. This recipe is equally delicious with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, and we've included instructions for making a quick gravy in case you don't have leftovers, so you can serve this Thanksgiving-in-a-pot year-round.

All Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

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Now everyone can enjoy classic Thanksgiving favorites, like this dairy-free green bean casserole. We make a homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup using almond milk for the creamy base that's combined with fresh green beans. Top it off with classic french-fried onions (we have a vegan recipe for that, too!) for a side dish everyone will devour.
By Hilary Meyer

Diabetic Carrot Cake

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With this luscious take on an all-time favorite, you can fit this low-sugar cake into a diabetic meal plan with style.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Creamy Peanut Soup with Sage

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This creamy peanut soup lets the flavor of the peanuts truly shine, and fresh sage adds a nice autumnal flavor. While we often call for natural peanut butters in our recipes, they're not recommended here, as they can make the soup gritty and oily.
By Stacey Ballis

Layered Mashed Potato & Mushroom Casserole

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Fancy up regular mashed potatoes with a layer of mushroom duxelle--a sauté of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots. We omitted the traditional butter in the duxelle and added chard for a nutritional boost. Serve this hearty side in place of mashed potatoes at any holiday feast or enjoy it as a vegetarian main dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

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Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

17 Best-Ever Thanksgiving Hors d'Oeuvres

Set the tone for the big Thanksgiving dinner with easy, delicious hors d'oeuvres. These healthy bites will keep guests out of the kitchen and give them something light to munch on throughout the day.
By Alex Loh

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

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The deep flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg make these wholesome pumpkin cookies delicious without the addition of butter--and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour. They are also the perfect texture for a sandwich cookie--fill them with a slightly sweetened cream cheese frosting.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Custard Pecan Pie

While every bit as delish as the classic pie, this one has less sugar. Cane syrup, a toasty alternative to corn syrup or molasses, sweetens the pie along with brown sugar. Because the filling for the pie is wet, we brush the crust with egg white and par-bake it to create a barrier to prevent sogginess.
By Virginia Willis

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

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The genius hack in this recipe: topping sweet potatoes with marshmallows while they're still piping hot from the slow cooker yields a baked marshmallow topping that's typical with baked sweet potato casseroles.
By Carolyn Casner

I'm a Dietitian & These Are My Favorite Dessert Recipes for Thanksgiving

Many of these healthy and flavorful recipes can be made in advance so that you can save oven space and prep time on that day.
By Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie

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While pumpkin pie deserves respect as a Thanksgiving icon, it's fun to shake up tradition. Surprise your family and friends with a frozen pie this year--it just might become one of their holiday favorites. No need to let them know how easy it is.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

No-Sugar-Added Cranberry Sauce

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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.
By Carolyn Casner

Healthy Green Bean Casserole

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Typical green bean casseroles bathe ingredients in a heavy cream sauce and top them with buttered breadcrumbs or cheese. Our healthier version saves about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional recipe.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Steamed Butternut Squash

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Butternut squash steams quickly, making this a great cooking technique to enjoy this fall vegetable as a weeknight side dish. For extra flavor, toss the steamed butternut squash with salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil, butter or Parmesan cheese after cooking.
By Carolyn Casner

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie

Some sweet potato pies call for boiling these root vegetables, but here they're roasted to concentrate their flavor. This helps the earthiness come through, which we enhance with the nuttiness of browned butter. The overall effect is a sweet potato pie that's more complex and a little less sweet.
By Virginia Willis

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

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Pure maple syrup adds body and rich flavor to the dressing, providing a perfect counterpoint to the smoked cheese.
By Ruth Cousineau

Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

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Thanks to fresh green beans, an easy homemade cream sauce 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.
By Carolyn Casner

I'm a Dietitian & These Are My Favorite Appetizers to Bring to Friendsgiving

Try these light and flavorful appetizers to help kick off the holiday fun without ruining the main event.
By Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Corn Muffins

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Call on these hearty cornmeal muffins to help boost a soup, stew, chili, or salad into a filling meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

23 Thanksgiving Casseroles You Can Make Ahead of Time

Make cooking Thanksgiving a little easier with these make-ahead casserole recipes. You can easily prep parts of the casserole, if not the whole thing, a few days ahead of the big meal. Whether it's riffs on the classic side dishes like Vegan Scalloped Potatoes or Cornbread & Oyster Mushroom Stuffing, these casseroles are healthy, seasonal and delicious.
By Alex Loh

Caramelized Onion & Apple Stuffing

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Caramelized onions are a sweet and savory addition to this healthy stuffing recipe. Choose an apple that becomes tender yet holds its shape when cooked--try Jonagold or Cortland.
By Summer Miller

Surprise Pie with Pears & Ginger

This dessert recipe is incredibly simple and adaptable—you can use just about any fruit you have on hand. The combination of pears and ginger is lovely in the wintertime. Come springtime try rhubarb or strawberries. Peaches or blueberries shine in the summer, and apples in the fall. If you don't love the taste of ginger, substitute an equal amount of cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom. When serving the cake, you can flip it over to show off the fruit or keep it right-side up so the fruit at the bottom is a surprise.
By Emily Saladino

Winter Charcuterie Board

A cheeseboard is an ideal stationary hors d'oeuvre for holiday entertaining. Select a variety of cheeses, making sure to include an aged variety, a creamy cheese, a blue cheese and perhaps a smoked cheese. Round out the platter with cold cuts, bread, an abundance of seasonal fruits, dried fruit, crudité, nuts and olives. We even included some dark chocolate to cap it off!
By Charlotte Autry

Fresh Apple Squares

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One batch of dough does double duty as both the crust and streusel topping to make one of the easiest desserts around.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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