Finding vegan options for Thanksgiving can honestly be a little tricky for a lot of people. Products come and go, seasonal items can be hard to find, and what’s available at one store may not be available at another. But there are still plenty of options, whether you’re looking for a holiday roast, prepared sides, dessert or a complete meal.
I’ve put together this guide to help you find vegan Thanksgiving products in stores, prepared holiday meals and catering options, plus some of my own recipes for anyone who wants to cook from scratch. I’ll continue updating it as I find new products and holiday offerings throughout the season but remember, this isn’t an exhaustive list of every vegan Thanksgiving product on the market across the USA. Celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving? I’m posting early just for you, though availability on some featured products will vary north of the border!
Swipe through the galleries below for some of the vegan Thanksgiving products I’m already finding in USA stores for 2026 and some that are hopefully returning.
Vegan Main Dishes & Roasts
From vegan classics to turkey slices for a smaller celebration, the vegan roast and turkey-style products category still has options. You’ll find roasts (one even looks like a whole turkey!), stuffed entrees and other hearty mains that can serve as the centerpiece of your celebration. And yes, most of us mourn the options that are no longer available like Trader Joe’s turkey-less roast and others, but there is still enough variety at stores and available for shipping online to satisfy most looking for this type of main dish. Some may be harder to find based on local availability, but there are online sites that ship directly, so perform a web search to find a specific product and remember, ordering early is always advised.
Your Thanksgiving main dish doesn’t have to look like turkey. Some people want a traditional-looking vegan roast, while others would rather serve something completely different. A stuffed squash, vegetable Wellington or nut loaf can be just as festive. I might suggest making my vegan stuffing pot pie which is the number one recipe on this blog!
PRO TIP: If you’re serving a frozen plant-based roast, transfer it to the fridge 24 to 48 hours before baking. Larger stuffed roasts take longer to thaw than you might think, and skipping this step can lead to a hot exterior with an icy center on the big day!
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Vegan-Friendly Thanksgiving Sides
You don’t have to make every side from scratch (I never make homemade cranberry relish for example), and many grocery stores often have a mix of prepared foods and off-the-shelf items that can take a lot of the work out of preparing a Thanksgiving meal.
Whole Foods, Sprouts and other grocery stores usually have ready-to-serve or heat-and-eat vegan sides in their prepared-food departments during the holiday season. If you’re counting on a prepared dish for Thanksgiving, I recommend preordering whenever possible. Holiday quantities can be limited, and there’s nothing worse than showing up on Thanksgiving morning hoping to grab a particular item only to find that it’s not available.
You’ll also find plenty of easy grocery store shortcuts that require little more than heating or mixing. Think boxed vegan stuffing mixes, potato flakes for mashed potatoes, canned sweet potatoes, washed and pre-cut vegetables and similar products that can get a side on the table without starting completely from scratch. Below are a few options to consider but know this is not an exhaustive list of products available. For ingredients, look up the item online but Stove Top pork stuffing for example has been widely reported to be vegan-friendly for years. I post items with no known animal derived ingredients and often use a Kosher Pareve designation that no animal ingredients are hiding in natural flavors (fish and eggs could be present but those are major allergens and must be disclosed).
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Vegan Desserts & Sweet Treats
This is the favorite part of the meal for some and everyone has their own likes and traditions. Pumpkin pie is hard to find prepared in bakeries at stores (I’ve only found it at Whole Foods Market over the years), but apple pie is generally easier (including some accidentally vegan lattice pies at Costco and Sam’s Club). Check out the fresh and frozen pie sections at your store because quite a few fruit pies happen to be made without dairy, eggs or lard in the pie crust.
I’ve unfortunately never seen a vegan sweet potato or pecan pie available at a major grocery store chain but if those are part of your Thanksgiving tradition, I have great recipes for holiday pies below in this post, so you can make them yourself. My pumpkin and pecan pie recipes are both five-star rated so you might want to try them. One time saver is that I always use a frozen premade pie crust to make it easier but check those ingredient labels as a lot contain lard. Note that the Abe’s pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin swirl brownies are exclusive to Sprouts Market this season.
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Vegan Thanksgiving Catering
If you prefer to order some or all of your Thanksgiving meal, Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market both offer dedicated Thanksgiving catering menus with online ordering, and their holiday selections include prepared vegan and plant-based dishes that may be available for order and pickup, and grab-and-go as Thanksgiving approaches. I recommend checking the menus early and preordering if there’s something specific you want, since popular holiday items can sell out.
Other local and regional grocery stores near you may also offer Thanksgiving catering or prepared holiday foods, including vegan options, so it’s worth checking those stores directly to see what might be available.
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods has been offering vegan Thanksgiving options for a long time (I worked there from 2004-2018 and often manned the holiday table for ordering), with past holiday offerings ranging from individual prepared sides and vegan roasts to complete plant-based Thanksgiving meals. The specific menu changes from year to year but has included chef-created vegan meals and different prepared dishes in the past. They are the only national chain retailer I know of that offers a vegan pumpkin pie and hopefully it will return this year and I will update if there’s anything new and notable on this year’s menu.
When does ordering start? Their Thanksgiving catering menu ordering window typically begins towards the end of October or early November. You can check your local store’s menu online at shop.wfm.com, and I’d recommend preordering if there’s something specific you’re looking for rather than waiting until Thanksgiving week. Although some items may be available for grab and go, you should not count on it.
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sprouts has had some particularly good vegan options on its Thanksgiving catering menu in the past and last year, the selection even included a vegan butternut squash lasagna, along with plant-based green bean casserole, cornbread stuffing and sweet potato casserole (these were even available packaged for sale in-store at some locations). They also offer some vegan dessert options but I have not seen their current menu yet as it’s still a bit early.
The 2026 menu may change this year, so check the current offerings before making plans. You can browse the Sprouts Catering menu or use the Sprouts app to check what’s available at your local store once their menu goes live which should be the around the first week of November.
My Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
If you’d rather make some or all of your Thanksgiving meal yourself, I’ve put together a separate roundup of my favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes. It includes everything from breakfast and soups to main dishes, sides and plenty of desserts, including recipes for my top rated pumpkin and pecan pies! Click the image below to view my recipe roundup.
Thanksgiving Planning
☐ Pick your main dish
Decide whether you’re buying a vegan roast, making something from scratch or skipping a main for sides.
☐ Plan your sides
Choose the ones you want, then decide which ones you’ll make and which ones you’ll buy prepared. If trying a new recipe, always test drive it first to make sure you’re going to like it.
☐ Don’t forget the gravy
A vegan main without gravy is a sad Thanksgiving in my opinion. Check whether your roast includes it or pick up a separate vegan option.
☐ Figure out dessert
If pie or a certain cake is important to you, don’t wait until Thanksgiving week to look for one. Options can be limited the closer it gets to the holiday.
☐ Check the store before you go
Use the retailer’s website, app or Instacart to check availability, especially for seasonal products.
☐ Order prepared foods early
If you’re relying on catering, prepared sides or a holiday meal, preorder whenever possible.
☐ Have a backup plan
Seasonal products sell out and availability varies by location. Have a second option in mind for anything that’s essential to your meal.
Store holiday hours. Some retailers are open limited hours on Thanksgiving Day, so check their website or social media accounts for more information.
Your Vegan Thanksgiving Cooking Timeline
What’s always helped me is separating the meal into three groups: make ahead items, make early and hold, and make right before serving. That way you’re not trying to cook everything during the last 30 minutes which adds unnecessary stress.
1–3 Days Before: make in advance items & planning
- Desserts and pies
- Cranberry sauce
- Gravy
- Thaw your frozen roast in the fridge
- Dry out fresh bread for stuffing
- Casseroles that can be assembled ahead of time
- Sauces and other condiments
- Appetizers like vegan cheese platters or charcuterie
Thanksgiving Morning: Get the big jobs done
- Assemble casseroles and stuffing
- Prep vegetables
- Cut potatoes for mashed potatoes and keep in water
- Prep your vegan roast by placing in a roasting pan and add vegetables if preferred
- Set the table
- Pull refrigerated dishes out when appropriate so they’re not ice cold going into the oven
About 1 Hour Before Dinner: Start the dishes that need reheating
- Put casseroles, stuffing and other oven dishes in to heat
- Mash potatoes
- Bake the vegan roast if it needs to finish close to serving time
15–30 Minutes Before Serving: Save these for last
- Roast finishes and rests
- Make or finish fresh vegetables
- Warm or bake rolls or biscuits
- Finish gravy and sauces
- Add any fresh garnishes
- Transfer everything to serving dishes
Then, enjoy your guests and the fruits of your hard work!
Frequently Asked Questions
For a Thanksgiving meal with several sides and dessert, plan on about 1 pound of food per adult, with a little extra if you want leftovers. For a vegan main dish, a good starting point is 4–6 ounces per person, depending on how substantial the roast or main is and how many sides you’re serving. If you’re serving a lot of guests, you may need two roasts. I’m always in the make more than less camp as I love the leftovers and you don’t want to be embarrassed by running out of food.
Talk to your host ahead of time rather than waiting until Thanksgiving Day. Offer to bring a main dish or a couple of sides, and let them know which traditional dishes can easily be made vegan. You don’t need an entirely separate meal if a few substantial dishes are prepared without animal ingredients. This is also one situation where a store-bought vegan roast can make things considerably easier.
You don’t need to make two completely separate Thanksgiving dinners. Make as many of the sides vegan as you can, then add a vegan main dish for your vegan guests. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce and gravy can all be made vegan without making the meal feel like a separate menu. If you’re not sure what your vegan guests will want, ask them ahead of time and let them help choose or bring a dish.
Thanksgiving probably isn’t the time to settle the great vegan debate. If someone wants to question your food choices, make jokes or start an argument at the table, you don’t have to engage. Change the subject, keep the conversation moving or simply say, “I’m here to enjoy Thanksgiving, not debate veganism.” If you’re hosting, you can make the same expectation clear to everyone before dinner.
I hope this guide helps make your Thanksgiving a little easier, whether you’re cooking a full meal, bringing a dish to someone else’s table or looking for a few good shortcuts. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I know how much easier it is when you know what to look for before you head to the store. I’ll be updating this post with more info as it becomes available and I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and best dishes!
