Here are a bunch of traditional Thanksgiving recipes for holiday favorites like roast turkey, sweet potato casserole, homemade stuffing, turkey gravy and homemade pies all in one place!
The best news!! All of these are dairy free and gluten free recipes and they ACTUALLY TASTE GREAT! You can make this gluten free dairy free Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people for under $35! (The cost depends on how many pies you make.) Don’t let your food sensitivity hold you back! Try these recipes and enjoy Thanksgiving without paying for it later!
How to Save on Thanksgiving Dinner
This is the gluten free, dairy free version of our Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes. Some of the recipes include butter, which is dairy. In these cases, I have included dairy free butter OR butter because if you’re gluten free but not dairy free, you can use regular butter.
- Keep Thanksgiving Dinner Simple! You don’t need a ton of food.
- Don’t make a lot of side dishes. Just 2 or 3 will be fine.
- Make less expensive desserts like chocolate and pumpkin pies instead of pecan pie.
- Cut small slices of desserts and dish out food for kids. They can come back and get more but then food isn’t wasted and thrown away.
- If others are coming, have them help with dinner and bring some dishes.
- Make it yourself. Homemade food tastes so much better and it really is fairly quick and easy.
- Don’t use elaborate recipes with expensive spices.
- Make the table look nice and decorated. Then the food looks great even if it’s not a lot of food.
- Don’t drink soda, cider and other expensive drinks. Just have iced tea, coffee and water.
- Stock up now for your Christmas baking while sugar, gluten free flours, etc. are cheap.
Gluten Free Dairy Free Thanksgiving Recipes
We’ve included all of the traditional Thanksgiving recipes below, but here’s a breakdown of the costs to prepare this Thanksgiving Dinner For 10. (The links are to the traditional versions of the recipes.)
- Turkey – .69/lb. 15 lbs. $7 ($10.35 for the entire turkey. You won’t use the entire turkey) This recipe is adapted from volume 1 of our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
- Stuffing – 5.00
- Turkey Gravy – $.25
- Dinner Rolls Homemade – .50 Store bought $2.00
- Mashed Potatoes $1.50
- Broccoli Salad – $2.00
- Deviled Eggs – $1.00
- Jello Salad – $1.50
- Sweet Potato Casserole – $2.00
- Chocolate Pie Homemade – $2.00
- Pumpkin Pie Homemade – $2.00
- Apple Pie $3.00
- Dairy Free Whipped Coconut Cream
- Iced Tea – .25
Dairy And Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes
Try these easy tips for how to roast a turkey, along with an easy gluten free and dairy free roast turkey recipe! This is the best roast turkey recipe ever and everyone raves about how moist and delicious it is! And with these instructions, it’s easy to make it gluten and dairy free!
How To Roast A Turkey
Turkey isn’t expensive at all so stock up now. I got two turkeys today for .39/lb. I had the butcher cut them in half just like last year and the year before! If you know how to roast a turkey, you can stock up during the holidays, serve turkey in place of chicken and save a bundle on your food bill! Tawra
Thawing
Sometimes turkeys do not cook properly because they don’t get thawed. You need to allow 1 day of thawing time for every 4 lbs. of turkey plus you can keep a thawed turkey in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. Thaw your turkey with the breast side down so the juices will run into the breast.
PrintDairy And Gluten Free Roast Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
1 turkey, 20-22 lbs.
1/2 cup dairy free butter or butter
Instructions
Defrost frozen turkey for several days in the refrigerator according to the directions on the package. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Remove the insides of the turkey and save for giblet gravy or for fried livers and gizzards.
Lay turkey, breast side down, in the pan and place the stick of dairy free butter on the inside. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 250° for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 200° and roast for 10-15 hours. Cooking time can be longer to fit your schedule. Test with a meat thermometer to make sure the temperature in the thigh is 180°.
If I have a 20-22 lb. turkey, I put it in the oven one hour before I go to bed (that way I can turn it down to 200° and sometimes I go down to 180° before I go to bed.) It will be done by noon the next day. Because it is at such a low temperature, if you aren’t going to eat until 1-2 PM, it will stay just fine in the oven until then.
If I have a 10 lb. turkey, I put it in the oven early on Thanksgiving morning (about 6 or 7 AM in order to eat at noon. You don’t need to worry too much about it getting done. An hour or two before the meal, check it and see how it is doing. If it isn’t cooking quickly enough, you can always raise the temperature to 350°. With a 10 -12 lb turkey you only need to use half of a stick (about 4 Tbsp.) of butter. You can place it in a large crockpot on low, too.
This is the best turkey you will ever eat. The meat will just fall off the bones so you will have to serve it already carved. It will be very juicy and moist.
Here’s an easy gluten free and dairy free mashed potatoes recipe. It is so easy and delicious, you would never guess they were gluten free and dairy free mashed potatoes!
The BEST Gluten Free Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
5 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. dairy free butter or butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
Instructions
In a large saucepan, place potatoes and enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes depending on your altitude). Drain. Transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl and mash. I use a hand mixer for this but you can use a potato masher. Add mayonnaise, dairy free butter, chicken broth, sugar and salt. Beat until smooth. Serves 5-6.
For Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Add 15 cloves garlic, peeled and halved, to the potatoes when boiling.
This dairy free and gluten free sweet potato casserole recipe is super tasty! It’s a great dish for holiday dinners and potlucks as it can be made the day before and baked the next day – and the best part is you can make it gluten free and dairy free!
Dairy Free And Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
3 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 cup dairy free butter or butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
Topping
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup gluten free flour (tested with Pamela’s Gluten Free Flour)
1/3 cup dairy free butter or butter, melted
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients and put in a 9×9 casserole dish. Sprinkle on topping. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20 minutes. This is a great dish for holiday dinners and potlucks because it can be made the day before and then baked the next day. Serves 8-9.
This is my grandmother’s classic stuffing, modified to be a dairy free gluten free stuffing recipe – And it tastes great! Now you don’t have to be left out when it comes to yummy Thanksgiving traditional stuffing recipe made with bread, sausage and more!
Dairy Free And Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe
This is my Grandma’s stuffing recipe (Jill’s Mom). It is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes! It has been in our family for years and is a family favorite! -Tawra
I have hesitated to include our stuffing recipe because it is one of those recipes where it is hard to give exact measurements. You can adjust any of these ingredients to suit your taste and if you want, you can add different things to the dish.
For example, you can replace some of the gluten free bread with gluten free cornbread or you can add mushrooms, celery, apples, or giblets and many other things according to your own taste. This is one of those recipes that looks complicated but is really easy once you make it.
For a drier stuffing, use less liquid and for a moister dressing, add more dairy free butter. Butter doesn’t evaporate and won’t make your dressing “soggy” instead of moist the way liquid will. You can also add a little milk if the stuffing seems too dry.
When you bake stuffing inside a turkey or if you cook it in a covered pan, it won’t dry out so keep this in mind when testing for moistness.
If you want your stuffing to be fluffier, beat the eggs in the recipe before adding.
Here is the basic dairy free and gluten free stuffing recipe:
Ingredients
8–10 cups dried gluten free bread, cubed or torn (You can use anything including hot dog buns, dinner rolls)
1/2–1 lb. pork sausage
1/2–1 onion (or onion powder to taste)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups broth*
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4–1/2 cup dairy free butter, butter or margarine
3 heaping tsp. ground sage
salt and pepper
1 small bag or box of seasoned gluten free croutons or homemade gluten free croutons
Instructions
Cube and tear gluten free bread. Place in a very large mixing bowl and let it sit out overnight if not dry enough. Fry sausage and onion. I don’t like celery in my dressing but if you do you can add it at this time. Drain and add to the bowl of bread. Pour broth into a large measuring cup. Add dairy free butter and bouillon cube and heat in the microwave to melt butter and bouillon cubes. Pour this mixture and eggs over bread. Add sage, salt, pepper and onion powder if not using onions and croutons. Using your hands, mush it all together until well mixed. Place in a well greased casserole dish or pan. Cover. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes.
If you like your stuffing soft on the inside with a crispy crust, just remove the cover for the last 15 minutes. If your dressing seems too dry, add a little flax milk for more moisture.
*For broth, I simmer the neck and giblets in a pan of water for an hour or two as soon as I take them out of the turkey. Then I use this water and some broth from my turkey, which has been cooking, to make my 1 1/2 cups.
If you are baking your stuffing in the turkey and can’t tell if it is done, just test with a meat thermometer and it should be 165°.
Dairy Free Gluten Free Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
3–4 cups turkey juices/drippings
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
Pour turkey juices/drippings into a saucepan. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Whisk. Add salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring once in a while until it is the right consistency.
If the gravy is too strong or you need to stretch it just a little, you can add a small amount of water.
This is the VERY BEST homemade pie crust recipe adapted to be a dairy free gluten free pie crust! It tastes great and has a great texture to make the perfect pies! I have tested it with Pamela’s Gluten Free Flour and it was wonderful! I was so happy to be able to eat apple pie again!!
The BEST Dairy Free And Gluten Free Pie Crust
Ingredients
2 cups gluten free flour (tested with Pamela’s Gluten Free Flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening, cold (regular shortening can be used)
1 egg, cold
1 Tbsp. vinegar, cold
2/3 cup water, cold
sugar
Instructions
Mix gluten free flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives (I use my fingers). Add egg, vinegar and 3 tablespoons water. Mix lightly. If dough is too dry, add more water. Mix with hands. Don’t over mix. Mix just until the dough sticks together.
Divide in half. Roll out to make 2 pies crusts. When using the crust for the top of the pie, sprinkle sugar on top and poke with a few steam holes. Crust can be frozen in balls and then defrosted and rolled out when ready to use. Makes 2 crusts.
This is the best dairy free and gluten free apple pie recipe you will ever taste! The traditional version has been in our family for 75 years or more and still takes the #1 spot at any meal when served. I recently started making it dairy and gluten free and it is just as delicious! If you’re dairy free or gluten free, you will definitely want to try it!
We’re also including a variation for French apple pie. You use the French apple pie when you have only 1 crust for the bottom and need something to top it with. It is a cross between a pie and apple crisp.
PrintGrandma’s Apple Pie Recipe – Gluten Free And Dairy Free!
Ingredients
6–7 cups of medium apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. gluten free flour (Pamela’s Gluten Free Flour)
2 Tbsp. dairy free butter or butter
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except the butter. Microwave this filling mixture 2-3 minutes. Then pour into the pie crust. Dot with chunks of the butter and top with the other crust. Cut steam slits in the top crust and sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Then turn down to 350° and bake for 35-45 minutes, until apples are tender and juices are bubbling nicely out of the steam slits.
French Apple Pie Topping
Ingredients
1/2 cup dairy free butter or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup gluten free flour
Instructions
Mix ingredients until crumble-like and sprinkle over the top of the apples. Bake as usual.
This is the best dairy and gluten free pumpkin pie recipe! I love pumpkin pie, but after going dairy and gluten free I wasn’t able to eat it. I did a lot of testing and here’s a tasty pumpkin pie you can actually eat!
The Best Dairy And Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
1 gluten free pie crust
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 (12 oz.) can full fat coconut milk (or evaporated milk, if not dairy free)
Instructions
Bake pie crust at 350° for 1-2 minutes until crust starts to puff with small bubbles. Watch carefully. Then remove from the oven. Blend all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into pie crust and bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350° for 45 minutes. When a knife is inserted into the center of the pie and comes out clean, it is done. Makes one pie.
Here is an easy dairy free and gluten free pecan pie recipe you can enjoy, even if you have one of these dietary restrictions. This is the BEST homemade pecan pie recipe and is so much less expensive than buying a prepared dairy free and gluten free pecan pie from the bakery!
Dairy Free And Gluten Free Pecan Pie
Ingredients
1/2 cup dairy free butter or butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped
1 (8-9 inch) unbaked gluten free pie crust
Instructions
Brown butter in a pan until golden brown. Do not burn. Cool. Add other ingredients in order given in a separate bowl. Mix well. Blend in cooled butter well. Pour into pie crust. Bake 10 minutes at 425° and then 40 minutes at 325°. Makes one pie.
This coconut whipped cream recipe makes a tasty gluten free dairy free whipped cream, perfect for holiday pies and other desserts!
Coconut Whipped Cream
Ingredients
1 can full fat coconut milk
1–3 Tbsp powdered sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Refrigerate coconut milk overnight in the can. When ready to use, open can carefully so you don’t mix the coconut milk with the coconut fat. Gently remove the hardened coconut fat off the top* of the can and place in a bowl. (Save the milk.) Whip until thick and creamy, up to 3-4 minutes. If chunky, add a bit of the leftover coconut milk to smooth it out. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, to taste. Whip until well blended. Serve.
You can store this coconut whipped cream in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
*If you don’t have hardened fat on the top of your coconut milk, you probably got one with added water or “light” coconut milk. To tell if it’s full fat, it should have 130 calories for 1/3 cup on the nutrition label.
Occasionally the coconut cream will just not set up. Chill 2 cans of full fat coconut cream in case one doesn’t work out.
Most of these Thanksgiving recipes are in the gluten free dairy free edition of our cookbook:
Easy Gluten Free Recipes That Actually Taste Good! (Sale Up To 50% Off!)
Click here to get our Dining On A Dime Cookbook, Gluten Free Dairy Free edition SALE Up To 50% Off NOW, with tasty GFDF recipes and great tips to make your life easier and save you money!
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Thank you again for great recipes, Tawra! I have two grandsons who are dairy free.
I’ve recently had to go gluten and egg free. What can I do to substitute eggs? They seem to be in all the gluten free recipes and most the gluten free comercial products. I don’t have dairy issues.
A lot of people have to use egg substitutes.
Great helpful ideas! Thank you
I’m allergic to eggs. JUST EGG Brand Vegan Egg Substitute is Great! You find it in the Egg section that has the Fleishman low cholesterol Egg Substitute (in a carton), etc.. Just Egg is even very good fried or in omelets. You can add “Black Salt” to give it a more eggy taste. It’s sulfury so if it’s the sulfur in eggs that bothers you, don’t use it. I’m so excited that I can now have Omelets again! It’s not really to expensive considering how much the price of eggs has gone up. Where I live it’s about $7 for what equals 8 Large maybe Extra Large Eggs. Safeway and Albertsons have Just Egg on sale quite often for around $5 or $6. You can freeze it in the bottle. It really doesn’t keep long in the fridge. I’d definitely use it up by the suggested time on the bottle. It’s made from Mung beans. I’ve found recipes on line to make it straight from the dried mung beans. It tastes close if you add the black salt, but it has a more pancake consistency. I guess The company separates the protein from the starch, so that’s the difference. They also sell Just Egg already cooked in patties in the freezer section, but I haven’t tried them as they have onions in them and I’m allergic to onions. 😊❣️
Thank you So much!