This gluten free Thanksgiving recipes round-up has all your holiday favorites, including appetizers, side dishes, dinner rolls, desserts and more! Whether you’re gluten free or you’re hosting a friend or family member on a gluten-free diet, you’ll find the best gluten-free recipes for your Thanksgiving table. 

Thanksgiving day is just around the corner, and I’ve got the complete guide to delicious gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes the whole family will love. From classic recipes like cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie to modern twists on your favorite recipes like sweet potato casserole and Brussels sprouts. The best part is your guests won’t even miss the gluten with these easy recipes. 

How to Avoid Gluten on Thanksgiving 

Whether you’re just getting started with a gluten-free diet or your hosting friends or family members who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it can be overwhelming to come up with a menu with Thanksgiving classic without giving up on flavor.

Naturally Gluten-Free Foods

• Turkey (as long as it’s not stuffed or gluten-free stuffing is used)
• Sweet potatoes
• White potatoes
• Vegetables
• Fruit (like cranberries or cranberry sauce)
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Milk and cream
• Nuts
• Salads with homemade or simple dressings like oil and vinegar
• Rice (white, brown, wild) – although boxed rice pilaf or rice mixes may contain gluten so read the label 

Foods That May Contain Gluten

• Some salad dressings (may contain wheat or soy sauce which contains wheat) – it’s best to make your own or use a gluten-free dressing
• Boxed rice pilaf, canned beans, frozen meat can contain gluten – check the label

Foods That Contain Gluten 

• Anything made with wheat flour, such as bread, cornbread, dinner rolls, stuffing, pasta, pie crust
• Turkey gravy (often thickened with wheat flour)
• Desserts made with wheat flour – cookies, cheesecake with a crust, pies, 
• Boxed or pre-packaged meals or dishes – like mac and cheese (wheat pasta), green bean casseroles (fried onions in a can)

Avoid Cross Contamination

If you’re serving dishes that contain wheat flour or gluten at your Thanksgiving table, be sure to take these pre-cautions to avoid cross contamination for those with gluten allergies. This is a great guide on gluten cross-contact. 

• Use separate cutting boards and knives
• Use separate cookware and baking dishes
• Clean dishes, cutting boards, and cookware with separate sponges and dishrags 
• Clean grills or griddles used to cook foods with gluten before cooking gluten-free foods
• Avoid using the same oil for frying gluten-free foods if foods with gluten was already cooked in the oil
• Clean surfaces like countertops, stoves, fridge handles and oven knobs with paper towels that haven’t touched gluten surfaces 

The best thing to do is ask guests who are gluten free if they need surfaces to be cleaned to avoid cross contamination at your holiday meal. Some people can tolerate it while others cannot. 

Since we’re a gluten-free household, we don’t have gluten in our home unless someone brings a dish over that may contain gluten. We just keep the dishes separate and serve different plates and cutlery to avoid any cross contamination. 

Gluten-Free Alternatives for Cooking

Not sure where to find gluten-free options for cooking? Here’s a list of swaps you can make for wheat flour in your Thanksgiving recipes. 

• Use arrowroot powder, tapioca flour or cornstarch to thicken sauces and gravy
• Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour and xanthan gum for recipes to make breads, rolls, pie crust, etc.  
• Make your own gluten-free pie crust, buy a ready-made one from the store or ditch it altogether an make a crustless pie or cheesecake (which is usually naturally gluten free)
• Make homemade salad dressings instead of store-bought ones or use olive oil and balsamic vinegar for an easy option
• Avoid boxed rice as they may contain wheat. Use white rice, brown rice, or wild rice instead 

Check out more gluten-free swaps for your favorite foods here.

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu

The good news is that you don’t have to miss out on your Thanksgiving favorites. This roundup has the best gluten free Thanksgiving dinner recipes that your guests will love and ask for seconds. 

Here’s a tip: Simmer this fall potpourri while guest arrive to get into the holiday spirit.

Gluten-Free Turkey

You have great options when it comes to the main course. For instance, you could choose not to stuff the Turkey, and it’ll naturally be gluten free. Or use a gluten-free stuffing instead (keep reading for recipes). Another option is you could make a separate turkey breast or tenderloin for gluten-free guests.

Gluten-Free Soup & Salads

Soups and salads are a great way to serve up tasty bites for gluten-free guests who may not be able to have all of the Thanksgiving side dishes you serve. 

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Sides 

These Thanksgiving side dish recipes are the perfect complement to the turkey. You’ll find everything from mac and cheese to mashed potatoes to rice pilaf in this list.