Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes (Vegan, SCD options)
Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo (Some Vegan + SCD Options)
Hi Friends! 🍁We rounded up six of our favorite sweet and savory Paleo Thanksgiving recipes and put them all together in one handy post. Four of these recipes–the Apple Pie, Stuffing, Gravy and Cranberry Cherry Pie all have vegan options as well. And the Pumpkin Pie and Stuffing are Specific Carbohydrate Diet Friendly, so there are quite a few options here!
First of all, you can never go wrong with Pumpkin Pie! You’ll find two choices for the crust, the SCD version and the Paleo version which is in the “Tips” section below.
And I can’t wait for you to try this Vegan + Paleo Apple Pie, we tested this recipe until the taste and fragrance transported us back into my great grandmother’s kitchen. Wonderful with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
This is our favorite way to incorporate cranberries into a Thanksgiving meal. The sweetness of the cherries balance out the tart cranberries and when you pair them with a buttery crust, well you can just imagine!🍒
Pecan Pie is always a great crowd pleaser, sometimes we make two because they always seem to disappear as soon as they hit the table!
Stuffing has been a life long favorite of mine. We, like so many other families, have a wonderful recipe that’s been passed down from generation to generation– which is why I wanted to create a grain-free version. So many great options here with this recipe as you’ll see in the “Tips” section below.
And no Thanksgiving meal is complete without a healthy serving of gravy! This gravy can be made vegan or paleo, whatever suits your needs best.
Tips:
-You will find all six recipes below this post.
-Alternatively, you can visit the actual posts themselves (The gravy is included in the Stuffing post). Pumpkin pie, apple pie, cranberry cherry pie, pecan pie and stuffing.
-Here are the ingredients for our Paleo Crust–you may use this in place of the SCD Crust in the Pumpkin Pie recipe if so desired:
1.5 cups almond flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled + cubed (ghee or solid coconut oil also works)
1 egg yolk (yolk only)
1/4 cup cold water
-For the SCD version of our Stuffing, use our SCD Rolls to make the croutons.
-The Paleo Version of our Stuffing works with either the SCD Rolls or you can use our Paleo Sandwich Bread if you prefer.
*And you can use any Paleo or SCD Bread recipe of your choice if you happen to already have some on hand. Shortcuts are a blessing when putting together such a sizable feast!
A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, enjoy the recipes!
PrintSCD Pumpkin Pie
- Total Time: 80 min
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Ingredients
- THE CRUST: (See Tips section in post above for Paleo version)
- 1.5 cups Almond Flour (Bob’s Red Mill) or hazelnut flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1.5 tsp gelatin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Butter (or ghee)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tsp water
- THE FILLING:
- 1 3/4 cups Pumpkin (Trader Joe’s is BPA-free + additive-free. Or you can use cooked pumpkin that is very well drained-see Tips in post above for fresh pumpkin cooking recommendations).
- 4Â Eggs (If jumbo size, just 3 eggs)
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/3 cup Coconut Milk (full fat, no additives). Trader Joe’s is BPA-free + additive-free.
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (or equal measures of ground cinnamon, clove and ginger).
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (no additives).
- 1.5 teaspoon gelatin
- Coconut Whipped Topping:
- The solid cream from two cans of chilled coconut milk (view instructions for details)
- 1/2 teaspoon gelatin
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- drizzle of honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Start with your crust. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, gelatin + salt.
- Cut butter into flour.
- Add water. Work into flour until dough forms. Dough will be sticky. Use the dough right away.
- Press the ball of dough with the palm of your hand into the middle of the pie tin. Work dough up the sides and flute edges if desired. You can mend any cracks with a touch of water.
- In a large, separate bowl, add pumpkin, eggs, honey, coconut milk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Blend until smooth. Sprinkle 1 tsp gelatin over top, blend again until smooth.
- Place pie shell onto cookie sheet. Pour filling into shell. Wrap the edges of the pie all the way around with aluminum foil to prevent the crust from burning. Place into oven and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50-60 minutes. You will know pie is done when filling has a soft set. The film (skin) will not be as pronounced as with traditional pumpkin pie and will look a touch softer. The gelatin will firm it just the right amount during refrigeration.
- Let the pie cool 20 minutes, then chill in refrigerator overnight (if you want to serve it same day, place it in the freezer for 3 hours + then transfer to the fridge for another 3 hours before serving).
- Whip your coconut cream topping together right before serving: Open two cans of chilled coconut milk and remove just the cream on top, being careful not to transfer liquid a long with it. Place the cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of gelatin overtop and add a very small drizzle of honey and 1/8th tsp of vanilla extract. Blend for just 10-15 seconds, over blending tends to loosen the cream. Place in piping bag with star tip or spoon a dollop on each pie serving. Serve and enjoy! Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
Paleo + Vegan Apple Pie
- Total Time: 1hr 40 min
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 2 2/3 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed (Earth Balance for Vegan, Ghee for Paleo version)
- 1/4 cup + 1tbsp cold water
- Filling:
- 4Â large apples, or 6 small (peeled, cored and sliced).
- 1/2Â cup + 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon gelatin (agar powder for vegan version)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Coconut Whipped Topping: (Optional)
- The solid cream from two cans of chilled coconut milk (view instructions for details)
- 1/4 teaspoon gelatin
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- drizzle of honey or tiny pinch of stevia
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Peel, core and slice apples and place them into large bowl. Add vanilla, lemon juice and zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together your coconut sugar, 3 tbsp of tapioca starch, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp gelatin (or agar powder). Add into apple mixture and toss well until distributed evenly. Set bowl aside.
- Now start on your crust: In another large bowl, whisk together your almond flour, tapioca starch and salt. Cut butter into flour with pastry cutter, making sure no pieces are larger than pea size.
- Slowly add your cold water into your flour/butter blend until dough has formed. (You can mix by hand or food processor if preferred). It will be stickier and more pliable than traditional dough–similar to play-doh. Let dough rest for a few minutes, it will thicken slightly.
- Press half of your dough into the pie pan and work dough up the sides and around the edges. You may find it easier to work with the dough if you dip your fingers into water first. I keep a small cup by my working station. (Alternatively, you can roll the dough in-between two pieces of parchment paper, remove top layer and turn over onto pie pan and make any necessary adjustments.
- Then pour apple filling into the prepared pan.
- Roll out the remaining half of the dough in between two pieces of parchment paper. Peel off top layer of parchment paper. Swiftly and carefully turn rolled dough onto pie. Peel back the paper and trim excess. (View instructional photos above for guidance). It’s ok if there are cracks, they can be fixed easily by dipping your fingers into water and mending.
- Make a few vent holes, apply egg wash (we brush coconut milk on the pie for a vegan sub), flute or crimp edges with a fork. Carefully place pie into oven for 45-60 minutes (my oven takes closer to 60 minutes, but start checking in at 30 minutes. I like to place aluminum foil or a pie crust shield around the edges at this point to avoid outer edge burning. Make sure to let pie cool before serving, filling will set during cooling process.
- Make your coconut whipped topping right before serving the pie. Open two cans of chilled coconut milk and remove just the cream on top, being careful not to transfer liquid a long with it. Place the cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of gelatin overtop and add a very small drizzle of honey and 1/8th tsp of vanilla extract. Blend for just 10-15 seconds, over blending tends to loosen the cream. Place in piping bag with star tip or spoon a dollop on each pie serving. Serve and enjoy! Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 55 min
Cranberry-Cherry Pie
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Ingredients
- CRUST:
- 2 2/3 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, ghee or (Earth Balance for vegan version)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cold water
- FILLING:
- 3 cups Frozen Cherries
- 1 1/2 cups Fresh Cranberries
- 3/4 cup Coconut Sugar
- 2.5 tablespoons Tapioca StarchÂ
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1.5Â teaspoons gelatin (or 1 tsp agar powder for vegan)
- zest of one half an orange
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
**full fat coconut milk to be used as “egg” wash (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
- For The Filling:
- In a medium to large bowl, add cherries and fresh cranberries. Add orange zest and juice, vanilla extract and toss until evenly combined. (If cherries and berries are frozen, allow them to come to room temp, do not discard liquid).
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, tapioca starch, cinnamon and gelatin.
- Pour dry mixture over cranberry/cherry mix and toss again. Set aside.
- For The Crust:
- Whisk together almond flour, tapioca starch and salt.
- Cut butter into flour, making sure no pieces are larger than pea size.
- Slowly add your cold water into your flour/butter blend until dough has formed. (You can mix by hand or food processor if preferred). It will be stickier and more pliable than traditional dough–similar to play-doh. Let dough rest for a few minutes, it will thicken slightly.
- Press half of the dough into the pie pan and work dough up the sides and around the edges. You may find it easier to work with the dough if you dip your fingers into water first. I keep a small cup by my working station. (Alternatively, you can roll the dough in-between two pieces of parchment paper, remove top layer and turn over onto pie pan and make any necessary adjustments.
- Pour filling into prepared pan.
- Roll out the remaining half of the dough in between two pieces of parchment paper. (And not too thin, you want a little thickness for the top layer, it will be easier to work with).
- Peel off top layer of parchment paper. Swiftly and carefully turn rolled dough onto pie. Peel back the paper and trim excess. It’s ok if there are cracks, they can be fixed by dipping your fingers into water and mending.
- Make a few vent holes and brush with full fat coconut milk as an “egg” wash if desired. Sprinkle the top with coarse coconut sugar, flute edges and carefully place pie into oven for 45-60 minutes (my oven takes closer to 60 minutes, but start checking in at 30 minutes). I like to place aluminum foil or a pie crust shield around the edges at this point to avoid outer edge burning.
- Let pie cool before serving as the filling will set during the cooling process. Enjoy!!
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 50 min
Paleo Pecan Pie
- Total Time: About 75 min
- Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter (or ghee, or earth Balance)
- 3 tablespoons water
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup honey
- 3Â eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or ghee or Earth Balance), melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups pecans (halves or chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Start with your crust. Whisk together almond flour, tapioca starch and salt. Cut butter into your flour with a pastry cutter, making sure no pieces are larger than pea size.
- Add water into you flour/butter mixture and combine until dough forms. We like to do this by hand, but a food processor works well, too. Dough will be sticky and a bit like play-doh. Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Form your dough into a ball and press into the middle of your pie pan and work up the sides. I keep a little dish of water by my working station to make the process easier– you can mend any cracks with just a touch of water. (Think of it like working with clay). Use a fork to crimp the edges or flute them if desired. Set pie crust aside.
- Now for your filling: In a large bowl, whisk together your coconut sugar + salt. Stir in your honey, melted butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Add your eggs, one at a time, stirring until filling is smooth and all is incorporated evenly.
- Pour or arrange your pecan halves into your prepared pie shell. Pour filling over top and allow pecans to rise to the tops. Occasionally, some will stick to the bottom just use a fork or a clean finger to release any that are sticking.
- Place your pie on a cookie sheet and place into preheated oven.
- Bake at 350 for about an hour. (Sometimes it can take an additional 5 – 10 minutes). At 30 minutes in, place aluminum foil lightly overtop. This will keep the crust and pecans from over browning. Check in at 45 minutes. You’ll know when it’s done as the filling will rise a bit and set. (It will set around the edges first, and then finally in the middle, it will spring back just a touch).
- Let pie cool for a few hours before serving. We like to let ours cool for an hour and then put it in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Cover any leftovers and refrigerate. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 55-65 min
Grandma’s Grain-Free Stuffing
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Ingredients
***You can use our Paleo Bread or SCD/Keto Bread in this recipe and skip straight to the vegetable mix below once you have your croutons made, just make sure to add the 2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning to your bread mix before baking).
For The Vegan Croutons:Â
- 2 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp potato starch, (not potato flour).Â
- 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
- 1Â teaspoon baking powder (Hain brand is grain-free)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 + 1/4 cups milk or any plain milk substitute
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2Â tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- For The Vegetable Mix:
- 1 + 1/2 onions, sliced
- 5 celery stalks, diced
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter (Earth Balance)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries (or more if desired)
- 1/2 cup cooked + crumbled sausage or vegan sausage (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, potato starch, Italian seasoning, guar gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt. (Or skip this step and swap in your bread of choice, SCD/Keto+ Paleo Bread links above).
- Blend in milk, olive oil and apple cider vinegar until batter is smooth.
- Immediately pour batter into parchment paper lined 8×8 baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until firm. It will resemble cornbread.
- Remove from oven and let cool COMPLETELY before cutting. When cooled, cut into crouton size cubes. Place cubes on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until crisp-turning them over as each side browns, about every 8 minutes or so–this process takes about 25-30 minutes altogether. Remove from the oven and let them cool and dry out.
- While you’re waiting for the croutons to cool, chop and then sauté vegetables in olive oil and butter at medium heat, starting with the celery then adding in the onions and mushrooms last. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Do not overcook as they will continue to cook when stuffing is in the oven.
- Once your croutons have baked, and cooled completely, –Place croutons in a large bowl and pour sautéd vegetables overtop. Toss mix until vegetable are evenly distributed, salt to taste. Add dried cranberries and combine evenly.
- Add a little chicken stock at a time and toss again. Let mix stand for 5 minutes while croutons absorb some of the moisture. Toss again lightly and pour into casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until cooked through and crusty on top.
- Stuffing may be prepped and stored in the fridge the day before. Feel free to add sausage and pecans, or your family’s favorite stuffing ingredients! Leftovers should be refrigerated and will keep for three days. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Paleo Gravy
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 6+ servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch (3.5 tbsp potato starch for non paleo)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or turkey drippings (Earth Balance Spread for vegan butter)
- 2 cups milk (or any plain dairy-free sub). Chicken or Vegetable Stock can also work.
- 2 tablespoons additional butter
- additional salt to taste
Instructions
- In a medium to large bowl, whisk together tapioca starch, salt and pepper.
- Slowly whisk in your milk until combined evenly. Pour melted butter (or drippings) over top and combine again.
- Pour milk mixture into a large pan. (The pan needs to be large, as the whisking can cause splatter in a smaller pan). Cook on medium heat, whisking the entire time so the tapioca does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- At about 3 minutes in, the liquid will start to thicken, continue to whisk vigorously. You will notice that soon the liquid will start to thicken more quickly. As soon as it hits the thickness you desire, take it off the heat.
- Add in your pats of butter and stir the gravy while it melts and add additional salt to taste. If the gravy has thickened past the point you like, whisk in one or two tablespoons of milk or stock until you have the consistency you desire. (If for any reason you want to thicken the gravy, add 1 tbsp of tapioca starch to a small dish and whisk in 2 tbsp milk or stock. Add this mixture into the gravy and heat until gravy thickens).
- Leftover gravy can be refrigerated. It will solidify somewhat in the fridge, so reheat with a bit of milk or stock to thin it out. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
These recipes look over-the-top delicious! How could Thanksgiving go wrong? And your photos Catherine- you are such a pro! Your talent in recipe development and food styling shine through with these beauties!
Aw thank you so much Noelle, you are too kind!! 😀 I am always blown away by your recipes and photos as well as all of the helpful information and tips you give on the ingredients you use!!
Oh my Thanksgiving just got sooooo much better!
Haha, thank you! I hope you enjoy the recipes!
All beautiful pies, and the stuffing sounds wonderful. Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!
So kind of you to say, thank you! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving too!