I tested 15 vegan Thanksgiving sides — these 4 were the only empty dishes by dinner’s end

Last Thanksgiving, I showed up with four side dishes. My sister brought her famous green bean casserole. My cousin made his “award-winning” scalloped potatoes. By the end of the night, my dishes were scraped clean. Theirs went home in Tupperware.

I spent two months testing every vegan side dish I could find, looking for ones that could hold their own at a table full of butter-lovers and skeptics. These four passed the test—not because they’re vegan, but because they’re actually better than the traditional versions. Total active cooking time: about 2 hours spread across 2 days.

1. Maple-bourbon glazed sweet potatoes with candied pecans

Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, adds depth)

For the candied pecans:

• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.
2. Roast 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway, until edges are caramelized and potatoes are fork-tender.
3. While potatoes roast, whisk together maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl.
4. For the pecans: toss with maple syrup and salt, spread on a small baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until fragrant and sticky. Let cool—they’ll crisp as they cool.
5. When potatoes are done, drizzle with bourbon-maple glaze and toss gently. Top with candied pecans right before serving.

Why this works: Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in sweet potatoes, so you need less added sweetener. Bourbon adds complexity without tasting boozy—the alcohol cooks off, leaving warm, vanilla-like notes. This is what sweet potato casserole would be if it grew up.

Make-ahead: Roast potatoes and make pecans up to 2 days ahead. Store separately. Reheat potatoes at 375°F for 10 minutes, then add glaze and pecans.

2. Roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate and tahini drizzle

Serves: 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the tahini drizzle:

• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water (more as needed)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread cut-side down on a baking sheet.
2. Roast 20-25 minutes until deeply charred on the bottom and crispy on the edges. Don’t flip them—the char is what makes them work.
3. Make the tahini drizzle: whisk tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and salt until smooth and pourable. Add more water if needed.
4. Transfer roasted Brussels sprouts to a serving dish. Drizzle with tahini, scatter pomegranate seeds and parsley on top.

Why this works: The char is everything. That bitter edge people hate about Brussels sprouts disappears when you roast them hard enough. Tahini adds creaminess without dairy, and pomegranate seeds give pops of sweetness that cut through the richness.

Make-ahead: Roast Brussels sprouts up to 4 hours ahead, leave at room temperature. Make tahini drizzle up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate. Assemble just before serving.

3. Herb and garlic mashed potatoes

Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (good quality matters here)
• ¾ cup oat milk, warmed
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Flaky sea salt for finishing

Instructions

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 15-18 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
2. Drain well and return to the pot. Let steam 1 minute to dry out slightly.
3. Mash potatoes and garlic until smooth. Add olive oil and mash until incorporated. Add warm oat milk gradually, mashing until creamy. Don’t overmix or they’ll turn gummy.
4. Stir in chives, parsley, and thyme. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with more olive oil, and finish with flaky sea salt.

Why this works: Yukon Golds have a naturally buttery texture that works without dairy. The key is using high-quality olive oil—fruity, peppery oil adds complexity butter can’t match. Warm oat milk prevents the potatoes from cooling down and getting stiff.

Make-ahead: Make completely up to 2 days ahead. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash more oat milk, stirring frequently. They’ll taste freshly made.

4. Sourdough sage stuffing with wild mushrooms

Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large loaf sourdough bread (about 1 lb), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb mixed wild mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, cremini), sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2½ cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup dry white wine
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on baking sheets and bake 15 minutes until dried and lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook without stirring 3-4 minutes until browned on one side. Stir and cook another 3-4 minutes until caramelized and dry. Season with salt. Transfer to bowl with bread.
3. In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Add onion and celery, cook 8-10 minutes until softened. Add garlic, sage, and thyme, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Pour in wine and scrape up any browned bits. Cook until wine reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.
5. Pour stock mixture over bread and mushrooms. Toss gently, letting bread absorb the liquid. It should be moist but not soggy. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more until the top is golden and crispy. Garnish with parsley.

Why this works: Mushrooms bring the umami depth you’d normally get from sausage or turkey drippings. Sourdough holds up better than white bread—it doesn’t turn to mush. Wine deglazes the pan and adds acidity that brightens everything.

Make-ahead: Assemble completely through step 5, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before baking, then bake as directed, adding 5 minutes if needed.

The real strategy

These four work together because they cover all the bases—something sweet, something green, something creamy, something savory. They also hit different textures: crispy pecans, charred Brussels sprouts, smooth potatoes, crusty stuffing.

The sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts both roast at 425°F, so you can bake them simultaneously if you have two oven racks—cutting your cook time in half.

More importantly, they’re all designed to be made ahead. The day before Thanksgiving, I roast the sweet potatoes, make the pecans, roast the Brussels sprouts, prep the mashed potatoes, and assemble the stuffing. Thanksgiving morning, everything just needs a quick reheat or final assembly.

Storage: All sides keep refrigerated 3-4 days. Reheat Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes at 375°F for 10 minutes, mashed potatoes on the stovetop with a splash of oat milk, and stuffing covered at 350°F for 15 minutes.

When my sister asked how everything turned out so good, I told her the truth: I stopped trying to veganize classics and just made food that happened to be vegan. Once you stop apologizing for what’s not there, people stop noticing what’s missing.

The empty dishes speak for themselves.