Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and if you celebrate this food oriented holiday, then you are thinking about what gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes you can prepare. It’s important to be able to enjoy the day, including plenty of good, safe, gluten-free food.
Sure, the day is about spending time with loved ones and being thankful for all that we have, but nobody likes to feel left out when it comes to the food. Thankfully, there are plenty of gluten-free options.
Turkey, Stuffing, and Gravy
Cooking a gluten-free turkey is easy to do. Select a plain fresh turkey. Most are gluten free. Read the label and check with the manufacturer if you’re not sure. If it includes a seasoning packet or gravy packet, that is less likely to be gluten-free and definitely needs to be scrutinized.
If using an oven bag to cook the turkey, be sure that you (or whoever is cooking it) do not put wheat flour inside. Use any kind of gluten-free flour including corn starch. It’s easy for non gluten-free cooks to overlook that little bit of flour, so let them know it’s important and easy to remedy.
You can also easily cook a turkey breast in your slow cooker to save oven space. The results are moist and delicious too!
Do not stuff the turkey unless you are using gluten-free stuffing. Regular stuffing is not gluten free, and since it’s going right inside the bird, it will cause cross contamination. You can purchase gluten-free stuffing. I saw some at ALDI last week. Or you can make some yourself. My stuffing recipe uses homemade gluten-free French bread, but you could use any gluten-free bread.
If gravy is important to you, corn starch can be used for that too, though sweet rice flour is my favorite option. And if you are grain free, remember that arrowroot starch or cassava flour is a good substitute as a thickener.
Side Dishes
Thanksgiving is not just about the turkey! These side dish recipes would be a great addition to a holiday meal. Most of them are dairy free and many are grain free.
Remember that traditional green bean casserole is not gluten free. It can be made gluten free if you use gluten-free soup and fried onion rings (ALDI now has gluten-free onion rings available).
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Coconut
Sweet Potato Casserole (a sugary version topped with marshmallows)
Sweet Potato Casserole from Crunchmaster
Gold Potato Casserole (lots of dairy in this one)
Desserts
There are plenty of gluten-free dessert options for ending your holiday meal with a delicious treat. Here are a few pumpkin desserts and a sweet potato dessert, but if you’re looking for something different, take a look at my dessert archives.
Pumpkin Poke Cake (paleo)
Pumpkin Roll (great for making ahead)
I am the only Gluten Free eater in our household….My husband is wanting to put his signature stuffing inside the stuffing. What should I do? Would the Gluten transfer to the turkey meat, sorry I am new to this .
I answered your question on Facebook, but I will answer a little more in depth here. Stuffing the turkey with traditional (gluten filled) stuffing would most definitely cause cross contamination. The gluten wouldn’t transfer from the stuffing into the meat, but it would get on the meat, and I don’t believe there would be a way to safely avoid that. My suggestion, if you can’t talk him out of stuffing the turkey, would be to roast a separate turkey breast.
Here’s what I do. Make the stuffing and bake it in the oven, using a baster while turkey is cooking and making all it’s wonderful juices, continue to take some of those juices out and squirt into the stuffing. My husbands favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and stuffing is the BEST part. He truly thinks it tastes just as good prepared this way.
You most definitely do NOT want to eat a turkey that is stuffed with gluten-containing stuffing… my first Thanksgiving after being diagnosed with Celiac contained just such a dish… we figured, as long as I eat the turkey that didn’t touch the stuffing, and used a fork and knife that hadn’t either, I’d avoid getting sick… WRONG!!!! I was down the rest of that day and the following four days… if your husband refuses to care for your needs, PLEASE cook your own turkey breast in a covered dish prior to his using the oven!!!
Thanks
My child cannot have glutten (wheat, oats or barley), corn, rice nor coconut oil. What suggestions might you have for pumpkin pie. He cannot have grapes or oranges. I would love to try and make him something to eat as a desert. Thank you
It sounds like he can have dairy. I would use this pumpkin pie recipe baked without a crust and topped with whipped cream. You could also search for a paleo pie crust recipe which would not have rice. It might use coconut oil, but butter could be substituted. http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/pumpkin-pie-totally-from-scratch/
I am very new to gluten free cooking and eating. This will be my first Thanksgiving as gluten free and I’m in charge of dessert. My husband and I love carrot cake. Any suggestions on a good and moist gluten free carrot cake recipe?
Yes! This one is delicious. I recently made it for a party and the gluten eaters couldn’t believe it was gf. My kids always ask for this cake for their birthday and one of them just asked me to make it for Thanksgiving.
http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/delicious-carrot-cake/
Thank you so much for the carrot cake recipe. After reading all the comments I can’t wait to make and try it!
Looking for good recipes for gluten free for my granddaughter my husband.
I make gluten free cornbread from Betty Hagman’s cookbook and use it ti make dressing. I bump it up with the traditional sauted veggies, gf turkey stock & 3 different wild mushrooms. I also use the mushrooms in green bean casserole. I use Progresso Mushroom soup thickened with corn starch and top with Funyons which are gf. GF Thanksgiving is si doable!
Do you have a recipe for gluten-free graham cracker crust, or similar, to make a cheesecake with?
I use a nut crust in my cheesecake. Here are both recipes:
http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/nut-crust/
http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gluten-free-cheesecake/
What a delicious and pretty healthy Thanksgiving recipe roundup! Thanks for sharing, Linda.
Shirley