Healthy & Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Dinner And Dessert Ideas
#SugarBalancedLiving
Are worried about how you’re going to be able to make it through Thanksgiving without blowing your clean eating, low-sugar, sugar-free or keto diet? Are you still wondering how on earth you’re going to be able to cook a sugar free or healthy Thanksgiving this year? Well, here’s everything you need to know!
Thanksgiving cooking can be very stressful at the best of times, let alone when you have to think about how to make something healthier, sugar-free or keto friendly. Then making matters even worse, we often don’t want to miss out on the special thanksgiving foods we love...
Is your holiday season doomed to be full of stress or food deprivation just because you care for your health, wellness, diet or are trying to lose weight!?
Don’t worry folks, I’ve got you covered.
You can achieve a lighter, healthier, keto friendly, or sugar free Thanksgiving meal that’ll satisfy your cravings and food traditions, without sacrificing your favorites, and all the while eating less calories, no sugar and without using any artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols that can mess with your digestion or cravings.
Cooking and baking a sugar-free at Thanksgiving meal might seem more difficult than cooking your regular sugar-free cooking… but honestly classic Thanksgiving dishes are already naturally flavorful hearty, and rich.
We just need to ditch those canned ingredients and added sugars and swap them out for purely decadent ingredients to create those flavors and textures that we all know and love.
I’ve gone about and have searched all around the web to round up the best healthy, sugar free and some keto Thanksgiving recipes on the internet.
While other websites share all sugar free and healthy thanksgiving dinner and dessert recipes, and many share exact replica recipes that seem perfect and healthy… you have to be wary that many will just contain natural sugary sweeteners, artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, all of which we need to avoid.
That’s why my recipe selection is completely filtered through… everything listed has been checked and verified to contain NO artificial sweeteners, artificial ingredients or added sugars and if of course yumminess a guaranteed! The recipes are so good that no one will suspect that they’re healthy or sugar-free!
Better yet, these recipes will make for diabetes-friendly desserts and food - sweet tooth satisfying without the blood-sugar level spike and calories. Plus, most of the recipes don’t call for any odd ingredients you can’t find nearby.
Get all the best healthy, sugar free and even some keto Thanksgiving recipes here for a happy and guilt-free indulgent celebration! Everything from appetizers to dessert!
Healthy & Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Appetizer & Cocktail
What would a thanksgiving celebration be without kicking off festivities with cocktails and appetizers, as the turkey and potatoes roast? These cocktails and pre-dinner snacks will keep the party going in a healthy and completely sugar free manner.
Healthy & Sugar-Free Alcohol Alternatives
Now of course, alcohol is not a 'healthy choice,' it causes normal metabolic processes to malfunction and many popular drinks contain reckless amounts of calorific content. Even with all this said, I still believe you don't have to give up alcohol.
Vodka, gin, or tequila mixed with carbonated mineral water, is a great option, and you can flavor your drink with fresh berries, 100% juice, fresh lemon or lime juice, cucumber, bitters or fresh herb. Make sure to stay away from soda mixers, for example, coke.
Clear liquors and purer forms of alcohol are best, like high-quality vodka, tequila and gin. These are much better options than dark liquors like whiskey.
One last thing I would like to note, is that no matter good of an idea saving up all your calories during the day ready for drinking may sound, please don't do that y'all. If you eliminate a serving of some carb or starch to replace it with the calories from alcohol that is fine, as long as you don't remove too many calories. Plus, try to eat plenty of veggies, some healthy fat and protein before you go out to drink to stabilize blood sugar levels.
Cranberry Mojitos (Sugar Free Keto Cocktail)
Enjoy a festive cranberry mojito without all the calories and sugar from the original recipe. This recipe is a refreshingly light cocktail that is completely sugar-free and is even perfectly keto friendly. I’ve made this drink before… and I have to say it tastes like the perfect balance between sweet and tart.
Get the recipe for Cranberry Mojitos>>
Cheese Platter
While a food platter can be a calorie laden minefield… you can easily transform your platter into a healthy appetizer all by using the right balance. Try this recipe for a grazing board made with cheese, fruit, crackers, meat and all your favorite fall flavors like cranberry, brussels sprouts, and green beans. Just be sure you use 100% whole grain crackers.
Onion Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
This recipe for scrummy and flavorful combo of cranberry pecan and cheesy goodness wrapped into one cheese ball. The bright colors and amazing flavors make for the perfect dip or topping for your whole grain crackers! The sweet yet tangy soft peppery garlic like flavor from the onion comes together perfectly with the sharpness of the cheddar. It’s just perfectly balanced with that sweetness from Craisins and the crunch of the pecans on the outside. Just be sure to use unsweetened Craisins!
Get the recipe for Onion Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball>>
Savory Pumpkin and Bacon Dip
Crowd pleasing and seasonal! Bacon’s salty, sweet contrast dancing in your mouth taste combines masterfully with the bright flavor from pumpkin. This dip is creamy, cheesy, slightly sweet yet salty and wowwy delicious.
Get the recipe for Savory Pumpkin And Bacon Dip>>
Vegan Appetizer Platter
If you’re looking for an all vegan thanksgiving, then there is no need to miss out on the cheese platter. Graze on this simple Mediterranean-style vegan appetizer platter... a perfect appetizer for parties or special occasions.
Get the recipe for Vegan Appetizer Platter>>
Healthy & Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Sides
Healthy & Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce Alternative: Stevia Sweetened Cranberry Sauce
Most store-bought and homemade cranberry sauces are basically like eating straight sugar… with just one serving containing up to 22 grams of sugar, while the jellied version boasts 24 grams of sugar. But this wonderfully bright and tart sauce doesn’t need to be like this. This sugar free cranberry sauce, is a healthy perfect side dish for all of your holiday celebrations and is keto friendly and yummy guaranteed!
Get the recipe for Stevia Sweetened Cranberry Sauce>>
Healthy & Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Casserole Alternative
Give the traditional candied pecans and marshmallows loaded sweet potato casserole a makeover and ditch all those calories that make this casserole practically a dessert.
Simply whip up a dish of mashed sweet potato with a browned butter and fresh orange juice for an easy yet sweet potato side dish.
Healthy & Sugar-Free Biscuits Alternative: Whole Wheat Biscuits
Your average fluffy biscuits you find on the thanksgiving table is not only loaded with blood spiking processed white flour, high in fat, but may also contain added sugars and if it’s store-bought, even corn syrup… yuck!
Luckily, these whole wheat drop biscuits are easy to make, whole grain and refined sugar free and couldn’t be easier to make and taste delicious! There is only a splash of honey, which you can always omit and instead toss in a herb like sage or thyme for flavor.
Get the recipe for Whole Wheat Biscuits>>
Healthy & Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Main Course
Healthy & Sugar-Free Turkey Alternative:
Turkey innately when combined with herbs is flavorful and succulent… so why use those brines which are loaded with sugar, soda and syrups? Even most turkey and ham recipes include a sugary brine. And don’t be fooled by those recipes that call for maple syrups, brown sugar, canned fruit, juices, sodas and cola. Instead for a recipe that uses fresh herbs and lemon juice for an authentic and flavor thanksgiving classic dinner favorite.
Healthy & Sugar-Free Gravy Alternative: Homemade Gravy
Gravy is an essential part of many holiday meals but before you go ladling this stuff onto your food, consider this: most gravy recipes are high in calories, and many gravy mixes contain added sugars… yes, sugar in gravy!
Instead try this onion gravy that is also gluten-free, sugar-free and contains no corn starches or white flours for thickening… low-carb, grain-free anyone! Pureed caramelized onions are the only thickener and it tastes fantastic.
Get the recipe for Homemade Gravy>>
Healthy & Sugar-Free Thanksgiving Desserts
While turkey and cranberry sauce maybe the star icons of a thanksgiving feast, no-one ever forgets that dessert table full of tempting pies, cakes, pumpkin spice goodies and many other unhealthy desserts and treats that are loaded with sugar and calories.
Luckily we can still indulge guilt free in thanksgiving holiday favorites! Dessert lovers who still want to be healthy, you’ll love these super delicious sugar free thanksgiving desserts, that taste so good you wouldn’t know they’re guilt free!
Healthy & Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie Alternative: Homemade Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie that is not only delicious but vegan, gluten-free, grain-Free, low-carb and completely sugar free! This homemade guilt free, sugar free pumpkin pie is only 250 calories and really taste like pumpkin-y goodness. This stuff is amazing – seriously – it tastes just like pumpkin pie filling WITHOUT containing any sugar!
Get the recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Pie>>
Sugar Free Cranberry Apple Crisp
Nothing says autumn like a crumbley crisp. This sugar-free cranberry apple crisp recipe is sweet without any added sugars. A healthy, rich yet refreshing, sweet and tart delicious treat that everyone at the thanksgiving table will want a slice of!
Get the recipe for Cranberry Apple Crisp >>
Sugar Free Pumpkin Spice Fudge
These decadent squares are perfectly fudgey, chewy, rich, creamy and completely sugar free!
As you take a bite you get warm notes of nutmeg and cinnamon, with very lightly spicy sweetness, and then that rich and creamy pumpkin texture making for the perfect fall treat. If you’re a pumpkin-lover and crave something sweet and autumnal for your thanksgiving table but don’t want any of the sugar and calories that normally come with a treat, enjoy these!
Get the recipe for Pumpkin Spice Fudge>>
Healthy Banana Pumpkin Cookies
Cookies are a must this season, but the calories and sugar are not. So, whip up a batch of these healthy banana pumpkin cookies as the best fall recipe! This AIP, paleo, vegan and no sugar added recipe makes soft and chewy cookies with a sweet spiced flavor.
Pumpkin Pie Nice Cream
Pumpkin Banana Ice Cream is just like your favorite fall dessert but blended not baked, sweetened with dates not sugar, cold, sweet, and scoopable. Not to mention healthy enough to be called breakfast!
Get the recipe for Pumpkin Pie Nice Cream>>
Sugar-Free Apple Cupcakes
Healthy and sugar free apple pie yumminess in a cupcake form! Don't feel too bad about savoring these cupcakes—this recipe is not only healthy, but also is delicious with supremely tender apple-liness with lots of cozy spice flavor, both in the batter and in the sugar-free frosting.