Diabetes-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes

Having diabetes doesn't mean you have to skip out on all the tasty treats of Thanksgiving. From Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes to Miniature Apple Galettes, these classic Thanksgiving recipes make for a decadent diabetes-friendly holiday. Recipes with our Diabetes-Appropriate tag are low in calories and are consistent with recommendations for average carbohydrate intake (about 3-4 carbohydrate servings per meal). They also meet our heart-healthy criteria for saturated fat and sodium. See our Diabetes Nutrition Parameters.

Editors' Picks

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Garlic

Bone-in, skin-on turkey breasts, also called split breasts, are inexpensive, flavorful, and nice for (just enough) leftovers. Try this any time of year!
By Hilary Meyer

Persian-Style Butternut Squash Soup

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Stock up your Iranian-inspired spice cabinet to brighten up a simple butternut squash soup for your Thanksgiving feast.
By Naz Deravian

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

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

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A slimmed-down white sauce makes this creamy green bean casserole side dish recipe low fat.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

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

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

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
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Inspiration and Ideas

17 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Desserts for Diabetes
Ease some of the Thanksgiving cooking stress with these make-ahead diabetes-friendly dessert recipes.
19 Vegetarian Diabetes-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes
Our 20 Best Diabetes-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes
Herb-Roasted Turkey
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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.

All Diabetes-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes

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

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

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

Basic Crustless Pumpkin Pie

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This low-fat crustless pumpkin pie is a perfect dessert for the dieters at your holiday meal or people who are watching their carbs.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Chile-Lime Peanuts

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These spicy nuts were inspired by ones sold by street vendors across Mexico. If you can only find salted peanuts, omit the added salt. Add the maximum amount of cayenne pepper if you want an extra hit of spice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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This simple slow-cooker mashed potatoes recipe skips tedious peeling and boiling and helps save precious stovetop space by letting the slow cooker do the work. It's a great timesaving set-it-and-forget-it side dish recipe to round out any hearty meal. Buttermilk makes the mashed potatoes creamy while garlic and shallots add flavor.
By Carolyn Casner

Sautéed Butternut Squash

Sautéeing butternut squash in olive oil quickly yields perfectly cooked results and slighly caramelizes the squash for extra flavor. This recipe makes a delicious vegetable side dish to pair with roasted meats.
By Carolyn Casner

Cinnamon Baked Pumpkin

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Baked pumpkin is a fun twist on tradition. A sprinkle of cinnamon is a delicious nod to the usual pie and transforms the squash into an enchanting side dish recipe.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Curried Cashews

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These curried cashews are impossibly addictive--every time we made them in the Test Kitchen they disappeared in a flash. If you use salted cashews, omit the added salt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Light and Luscious Pumpkin Pie

If pumpkin pie is a must for the holidays, this version fulfills that holiday tradition without derailing your meal plan.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Honey-Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash

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Tangy cider vinegar, sweet honey, crunchy pine nuts and fresh mint come together to make an amazing glaze in this healthy roasted winter squash recipe. If you use delicata, the whole squash--including the gorgeous skin--is edible.
By Lia Huber

Spatchcock Turkey with Sage & Thyme

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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.
By Carolyn Casner

Caramelized Spiced Pears

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Serve these caramelized pear slices over ice cream, stir into plain yogurt or enjoy as a topping for pancakes or waffles. Brown-skinned Bosc pears hold their shape during cooking, but any variety of pears tastes delicious.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smoky Aioli

The delicious dipping sauce makes this easy Brussels sprouts recipe an irresistible appetizer or side dish. If you want to double the recipe, use two large rimmed baking sheets and swap their spots in the oven halfway through cooking.
By Carolyn Casner

Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars

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These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Dill Mustard Sauce

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This tangy mustard-dill sauce recipe is delicious served with smoked salmon, used as a vegetable dip or spread on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Moroccan Chickpea-Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Think of this healthy vegetarian side dish recipe as a meatless tagine served in a squash bowl. Kabocha, sweet dumpling or carnival squash make good alternatives to acorn squash. To make this side a hearty vegetarian meal, serve 2 halves each.
By Raghavan Iyer

Green Beans with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

A much healthier take on the old-fashioned green bean casserole, this version thankfully skips the canned soup and fried onions! Fresh green beans are cooked until crisp-tender and topped with a garlicky-thyme mushroom sauce, shallots and crumbled chèvre.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Garlicky Green Beans

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We cook then cool the beans in advance so they can be heated up and seasoned moments before the meal. If you don't like tarragon, substitute dill or leave it out completely.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Brown Sugar-Glazed Beets

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Try a sweet glaze on beets or other root vegetables to help balance their earthy flavor. This easy recipe will work with steamed carrots, turnips or rutabaga too.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Garlic-Yogurt Sauce

A creamy garlic-yogurt sauce pairs well with the sweetness of these crispy roasted sweet potatoes. To achieve the signature hasselback appearance, position two wooden spoons alongside the potatoes as you cut. The spoons will prevent you from cutting through the sweet potatoes entirely and won't cause damage to the knife blade.
By Wendy Lopez

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

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Garlic cloves, cooked along with the potatoes, give this puree extra body and lots of flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mini Brie & Apple Quiches

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We love the way Brie and apples taste together in these mini quiches. Mini phyllo cups make it swift and simple to create an elegant appetizer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

All-American Apple Pies

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Skip the bottom crust to save time and carbs by making mini baked stuff apple pies.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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