If the mix of food on Team Salt & Wind holiday tables is any indicator, there is no one Thanksgiving menu. So, when we share these, our best Thanksgiving recipes, it should come as no surprise that there’s a mix of flavors from all over the world. To us, Thanksgiving should reflect your family’s traditions, flavors, and foods, even if that means making mole instead of gravy!
Our Best Thanksgiving Recipes
Since we’re all about California, Hawaii, France, Italy, and Mexico, it’s probably no surprise that our Thanksgiving recipes reflect those places.
We’re talking seasonal farm-to-table flavors from California, twists on classic cocktails, our favorite mashed potatoes inspired by France, and a chocolate recipe that is a showstopper.
We figured it was time to share the recipes we pull out for all our autumn entertaining, from harvest dinner parties to Thanksgiving!
Best Thanksgiving Cockail Recipes
Ciderhouse Pear Cocktail Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Come fall, we cannot get enough of the pears from our favorite fruit farm in Northern California. To us, pears do not get nearly enough love during harvest time, but this cocktail makes up for it. By reducing pear cider to syrup over a few hours, you have a cocktail with the most deliciously intense pear flavor.
Spiced Cranberry Whiskey Sour Cocktail Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Our signature cocktail of the season is this Spiced Cranberry Whiskey Sour. We took the classic whiskey sour cocktail that you know and love, then made it even more delicious thanks to adding a cinnamon-and-clove-spiced cranberry simple syrup. The aroma of the syrup is so good we wish it were a candle scent!
Pomegranate Ginger Apple Cider Punch Cocktail Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Speaking of cider, this apple cider drink is not too sweet, not too boozy, and all-around a perfect pick if you need to make something low-effort but high payoff for a crowd.
Sage Bee’s Knees Cocktail Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Inspired by the scent of wild sage that wafts through the air in our home state of California, this twist on the classic Bee’s Knees Cocktail is our choice if you have just a few guests and can make drinks to order. FYI, you can’t use wild sage in this cocktail as it’s not edible — it’s just inspiration!
Persimmon Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
It is a cocktail so simple you can have your guests make their own. This twist on the classic cocktail with spices and smashed persimmons is as comfy as a real-deal drink as an Old Fashioned gets.
Best Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes
Pepita Pesto Roasted Butternut Squash Dip Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
This oh-so-healthy dip is a light but flavorful way to start the holiday meal, a little sweet, a bit earthy, and loaded with herbs. Oh, and did we mention it’s vegan, gluten, nut, and dairy-free?
Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Hummus Recipe
gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
A twist on hummus that brings the fall flavors, this pumpkin hummus gets layers of flavors from a slow-cooked garlic oil and an oh-so-fall topping of fried sage and pepitas.
Burrata Smashed Green Olive Bruschetta Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free bread), vegetarian
If you ask us, any party is made better with things on toast. This burrata crostini gets topped with smashed green olives, citrus, pistachios, and mint, which brings fresh flavors no matter the time of year.
Roasted Grape Agrodolce Sauce Crostini Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free (if using gluten-free bread), vegetarian (if excluding meat)
Have you ever had an agrodolce sauce? It’s a sweet-sour sauce you find in Italy and here we make a quick (make ahead!) version of it with grapes. This sauce would go smashingly well on salmon, pork, or roast turkey but we like it as an appetizer too.
Caramelized Onion & Roasted Butternut Squash Danish Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free crust), nut-free, vegetarian
Another squash appetizer that’s always a winner? This squash “danish” is made with thyme-scented caramelized onions. The best part is that you can bake these a day ahead and warm them up in a low oven before serving.
Persimmon, Fried Sage, and Goat Cheese Bites Recipe
gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
We’d like to enter this as an applicant for the simplest but most delicious appetizer of all time. With just a few ingredients and everything but the assembly can be done ahead and flavorful but not too heavy, it’s the Goldilocks of appetizers!
Roasted Sweet Potato Chips and Whipped Goat Cheese Recipe
gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
We know, you don’t want heavy appetizers before Thanksgiving, lest you ruin the main affair. A light, airy, but the elegant starter is in order, which, this recipe very much is. Make it even easier by using store-bought root vegetable chips!
Pear Cranberry Brie Mini Tartlets Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free crust), nut-free, vegetarian
This is an appetizer we serve more at December cocktail parties than any other time, but it’s been creeping into our other fall holiday celebrations lately. The classic combo of cranberries and brie get paired with pears and spiced honey for an appetizer that’s a perfect pairing with bubbly wine!
Best Thanksgiving Salad Recipes
Pomegranate Pistachio Arugula Wild Rice Salad Recipe
gluten-free, vegetarian
If you have a bunch of dietary restrictions to deal with, this is the recipe for you. This salad is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian – take out the pistachios to make it nut-free! Oh, and the citrus miso salad dressing is as good on this as it is on a classic green salad.
Arugula Beet Orange Salad with Achiote Dressing Recipe
gluten-free, vegetarian
The classic beet citrus salad gets a definitely Mexican treatment thanks to the addition of deeply toasted walnuts and sesame seeds as well as a cinnamon-laced achiote sauce that’s used as the dressing.
Mediterranean Herbed Brown Rice Salad
dairy free, gluten-free, vegan
Look we love us some mashed potatoes but sometimes you want to add in a lighter, healthier carb to the menu. Enter this easy brown rice salad recipe that we make for everything from potlucks to Thanksgiving. Here it’s made with crisp cucumbers, loads of herbs, pomegranate, currant, and toasted nuts but you can change it to the seasons too!
Parmigiano-Reggiano and Walnut Celery Salad Recipe
gluten-free, vegetarian
Inspired by the abundance of produce at the open-air markets in Bologna, Italy, this fresh, crunchy, simple salad of celery, walnuts, and Parmigiano-Reggiano is a favorite around here! It’s a classic Italian salad made during the colder months, and the zingy vinegar flavor is a perfect balance to all the heavier Thanksgiving flavors.
Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Shaved Root Vegetable Salad Recipe
gluten-free, vegetarian
If there’s ever a time to pull out the mandolin, this shaved root vegetable salad is it. The veggies are sliced paper-thin and then tossed with goat cheese, hazelnuts, and, of course, avocado because we Californians basically can’t eat a meal without it!
Best Thanksgiving Main Recipes
Pear Gravy And Herb-Orange Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free
How to do Thanksgiving when you’re fewer? A roasted turkey breast! We add a definitively California twist–read: lots of herbs and citrus–to make this dish anything but boring!
Best Thanksgiving Sides Recipes
Pistachio Thyme Marinated Roasted Beets Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
It’s easy to go overboard during the holidays. To make too much food with too many flavors, and then it all gets to be just too much. That’s why we always try to work in a side dish that’s just so straightforward it can mix and match with pretty much anything like these roasted beets.
Dates and Pepitas Shaved Brussels Sprouts Slaw Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Have you picked up on the constant? Around here, we tend to do Thanksgiving a little lighter and fresher. It’s our California roots if you ask us! And that’s why we make our brussels sprouts more like slaw and add in some crunchy pepitas and sweet dates for a CalMed take on Brussels!
Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
If you like your Brussels sprouts crispy, this recipe is for you. The Brussels are tossed with olive oil and whole grain mustard and roasted until tender then maple syrup is added and cooked until it caramelizes and a scattering of toasted walnuts and pomegranate arils top it off. This is a healthier, lighter take on roasted Brussels sprouts than the classic fried sprouts and bacon combo.
Spiced Mulled Wine Cranberry Salsa Recipe
gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan
Why do we have a toast recipe down here in our list of Thanksgiving sides? Because the Cranberry Salsa makes an unexpected (but welcome!) twist on classic cranberry sauce. The key is that you make a quick take on mulled wine which brings sweet, spiced holiday flavor.
French Pureed Mashed Potatoes Recipe
gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Mashed potatoes may be an American Thanksgiving essential, but our favorite spuds of all time are the traditional French way with lots of butter. The secret? There is lots of butter, but the potatoes are also passed through a food mill to make them extra smooth and airy!
Portuguese Sausage Cranberry Brioche Stuffing Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free bread), nut-free
Our founder, Aida, often spends Thanksgiving in Hawaii, and this non-traditional stuffing recipe is a direct inspiration from her time there. Like the chorizo of the Rainbow State, Hawaiian Portuguese sausage (also known as linguica) is a fresh or smoked sweet-spicy sausage used in breakfast dishes, plate lunches, and at many tailgates.
Croque Monsieur Savory Bread Pudding Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free bread), nut-free
One of the all-time most popular recipes on our site, this savory bread pudding is a major crowd-pleaser. It works as well as part of a brunch spread as it does at the Thanksgiving table. But it is by no means traditional so it may upset the stuffing purists out there!
Acorn Squash with Apple Walnut Stuffing Recipe
dairy-free, vegetarian
If you’re in need of a vegetarian main for your Thanksgiving table, consider this Acorn Squash with Apple Walnut Stuffing Recipe. It’s just as delicious in the roasted acorn squash as it is without so you could serve it as a whole grain stuffing if you’re looking to do things a bit healthier this year.
Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake Bars Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free crust), nut-free, vegetarian
Using ricotta in desserts is classically Italian. Adding it to Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars most definitely is not. But the result is a light, airy, tangy twist on classic Pumpkin Pie.
Spiced Cranberry Pear Hand Pies Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free crust), nut-free, vegetarian
Yes, we like using cranberries and pears this time of year. And we want them even better together!
Gouda Thyme Apple Hand Pies Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free crust, nut-free, vegetarian)
Need a switch from classic apple pie? We’ve got you covered with this sophisticated but oh-so-simple take with cheese, thyme, spices, and apples.
Flaky Phyllo Apple Prune Tart (aka Pastis Gascon)
vegetarian
Layers of delicate phyllo pastry wrap around a filling of apples and prunes in this traditional French dessert that is a perfect blend of sweetness and crispness. It’s also easier to make than traditional apple pie so is perfect for the holidays!
Pecan Pie Maple Shortbread Bars Recipe
vegetarian
Okay, yes, we also have a thing for bite-sized desserts. Our rationale is bite-sized means you get to taste more, almost like the tapas of desserts!
Ginger Sugared Fresh Pear Fritters Recipe
nut-free, vegetarian
There are certain fried foods we’re always game to make because they’re so delicious they are well worth the effort. Case in point? These Fresh Pear Fritters With Ginger Sugar Recipe. It’s the kind of recipe we make for a special occasion and the effort is well worth it!
Spiced Persimmon Pudding Recipe
gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian
Persimmon pudding isn’t really a pudding — well, in the British sense, yes. But to us Yankees it can be misleading. It’s like a boozed and spiced persimmon cake bar, which, semantics aside, is one of our favorite ways to bake with persimmons. and, if you’re not sold on pumpkin pie, this might just be a perfect swap!
Almond Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart Recipe
gluten-free (if using gluten-free cookies for crust), vegetarian
If like us, it isn’t a party until some chocolate dessert is involved, we hear you. Steal the show with this make-ahead tart that combines so many of our favorite dessert flavors: almond butter, caramel, and chocolate!
{Haupia Pie} Hawaiian Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie Recipe
dairy-free, gluten-free (if using gluten-free cookies), vegetarian
Our favorite way to finish the meal? With this Coconut Cream Pie inspired by the classic pie shop on Oahu’s North Shore, Ted’s Bakery!
More Entertaining Ideas
Need some more help planning your holiday menu? Check out our Thanksgiving wine pairing guide and our top tips for holiday entertaining. Or, have some extras? Go ahead and make these leftovers.
Opening Photo: Natasa Mandic
