Our Best Ever Guide to Great Gluten-Free Thanksgiving and Holiday Foods, Desserts & Cocktails

Celiac.com 11/17/2022 - Welcome to Celiac.com's biggest and most comprehensive gluten-free Thanksgiving holiday guide yet!  This year, in addition to dozens of new recipes for great gluten-free desserts, and more than a dozen gluten-free holiday cocktails and eggnogs, our Gluten-Free Thanksgiving for 2022 also includes tips for planning and dining in a non-gluten-free home, along with:

• New Recipes for Gluten-free Appetizers 
• A Dozen New Recipes for Great Gluten-Free Desserts
• New Recipes for Gluten-free Side Dishes
• New Recipes for Gluten-free Main Dishes
• New Tips on Dining at a Non-Gluten-Free Home
• A List of Nearly Sixty GFCO Certified Thanksgiving Foods

Here are the seven steps to a perfect gluten-free Thanksgiving:

• Step One - Buy a Gluten-Free Holiday Turkey
• Step Two - Make Great Gluten-free Stuffing
• Step Three - Make Great Gluten-Free Appetizers
• Step Four - Make the Best Gluten-free Holiday Gravy
• Step Five - Make Great Gluten-Free Mashed Potatoes and Side Dishes
• Step Six - Serve Great Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie or Other Holiday Desserts
• Step Seven - Serve Great Gluten-Free Holiday Cocktails, Coffee Drinks, Eggnogs & More

Step One - Know Which Holiday Turkey is Gluten-Free

Always make sure you buy a 100% gluten-free turkey for your holiday dinner. Don't assume your turkey is gluten-free. 

Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
Numerous brands use gluten when processing their turkeys, so be sure to read the label, and to make sure there is no hidden gluten in any of the ingredients. Be especially cautious of any seasoning or gravy packets that come with otherwise gluten-free turkeys. If you’re not sure, check the ingredients and use our Gluten-Free Ingredient Lists to help you shop.

If you’re wondering which brands of turkey are gluten-free, here’s a helpful list of gluten-free turkey brands. There are probably many other gluten-free brands, but be sure to check with your local store and read labels to be sure.

Step Two - Here are Nine of Our Best Recipes for Great Gluten-free Stuffing

• Brown and Wild Rice Savory Mushroom Stuffing
• Best Gluten-free Holiday Stuffing Recipe
• Gluten-free Bread Stuffing with Herbs
• Whole Foods Market Classic Gluten-free Stuffing
• Food Network Classic Gluten-free Stuffing

Step Three - Serve Great Gluten-free Appetizers

• Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese
• Baked Brie with Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
• Baked Brie with Fig Jam
• Prosciutto Wrapped Pears with Manchego
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Step Four - Serve Our Best Gluten-free Holiday Gravy

This recipe makes a rich, savory gravy that will have all your holiday guests smiling! Makes enough gravy to serve about eight to ten people.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound turkey giblets and neck
• 1½ quarts gluten-free chicken stock (low sodium is fine)
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1½ cups pan drippings from roasted turkey
• 4 tablespoons of corn starch (approximate)
• Note: One tablespoon corn starch (¼-ounce) thickens one cup of liquid
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
While the turkey is roasting, place the turkey giblets and neck into a large saucepan with the carrots, celery, water, and chicken stock.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, skim off any foam that rises to the top, reduce heat to low, and simmer the stock for 3 hours.

Skim off the fat, strain the stock, and set aside. There should be about 4 cups of stock.

Take carrots and celery and press through a strainer. Spoon strained carrots and celery into the stock and stir.

Skim off and discard all but ¼ cup of the fat from the drippings in the roasting pan, and place the roasting pan over medium heat.

Whisk in the corn starch, then heat and stir the corn starch mixture until it becomes pale golden brown, about 5 minutes. To avoid lumps, mix the starch with an equal amount of cold liquid until it forms a paste, then whisk it into the liquid you're trying to thicken. Once the thickener is added, cook it briefly to remove any starchy flavor. Don't overcook.

Whisk in the stock and tomato paste; bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then whisk in the cranberry sauce. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Step Five - Make Great Gluten-Free Mashed Potatoes and Side Dishes

Make these roasted garlic and chive mashed potatoes, and/or make easy, tasty gluten-free side dishes using Celiac.com's extensive listing of gluten-free recipes.

Roasted Garlic Chive Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 5 large russet potatoes (about 4½ pounds), peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 head of garlic (8-10 cloves), roasted
• 1 cup fresh cream, warmed
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Use a knife to cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Place in oven at 400 degrees F, and roast for about 30 minutes, until cloves are soft.

While garlic is roasting, wash and peel potatoes and cut into 6 chunks each.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt to a large pot of water, add potatoes and boil until the potatoes are soft (about 25-30 minutes).

When garlic is soft, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Once cool, place garlic on a plate and use a wooden spoon to squeeze roasted garlic out of the clove.

When potatoes are done, strain them into a colander and let stand for 5 minutes to allow them to steam dry over the pot they were cooked in.

Mash the potatoes.

Stir in the cream, butter, roasted garlic, thyme and chives, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

More Gluten-Free Side Dishes

If you're looking for some tasteofhome.com has fifty recipes for great gluten-free side dishes for Thanksgiving.

Here are five of our favorite gluten-free side dishes:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears

Ingredients:

• 1-½ pounds Brussels sprouts, halved
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 large pear, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°. Place Brussels sprouts in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; toss with oil, salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add pear and walnuts to pan. Roast until Brussels sprouts are lightly charred and tender, 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until syrupy, 8-10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine Brussels sprouts mixture, balsamic syrup and rosemary; toss to combine.

Gluten-Free Biscuits

Basic gluten-free biscuits are fantastic with brunch, dinner or even a bowl of soup for an easy lunch. This recipe is perfect for tweaking—stir in your favorite ingredients like shredded cheddar and garlic powder, Swiss and chives, or Parmesan and Italian seasoning. 

Ingredients:

• 2-¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
• 2-½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, whisk the first 5 ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk; stir just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 8-10 times.
Pat or roll dough to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-½-in. biscuit cutter. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

How do you make buttermilk?

To make a cup of buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup and add enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir; let stand for 5 minutes. You can also use 1 cup of plain yogurt or 1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar plus 1 cup milk.

Cider Baked Squash

Ingredients:

• 2 medium acorn squash, cut into 1-inch slices, seeds removed
• ½ cup apple cider or juice
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground mace

Directions:
Heat oven to 325° Arrange squash in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Pour cider over squash. Combine the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and mace; sprinkle over squash. Cover with foil. Bake until squash is tender, 40-45 minutes.

Winter Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup pomegranate juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated tangerine zest
• 4 tangerines, peeled and sectioned
• 2 medium kiwifruit, peeled, halved and sliced
• 1 medium apple, cut into ½-inch slices
• 1 large ripe banana, sliced
• 1 large pear, cut into ½-inch slices
• 1-½ cups cubed fresh pineapple
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine pomegranate juice and sugar. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in tangerine zest; cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drizzle pomegranate mixture over fruit. Serve immediately with a slotted spoon.

Brown Sugar Apple Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ cup unsweetened apple juice
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter, cubed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted, optional

Directions:
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine carrots and apple juice. Cook, covered, on high until carrots are tender, 3-4 hours.
Remove carrots from slow cooker; discard juices.
Return carrots to slow cooker. Stir in brown sugar, butter and salt.
Cook, covered, on high until carrots are glazed, 15-20 minutes longer.
If desired, sprinkle with pecans.

Step Six - Serve One of Our Most Loved Gluten-free Holiday Dessert Recipes

Scroll down and follow the Pumpkin Pie recipe below, or follow the links to some of our best loved gluten-free desserts and baked goods (Note: King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour will work well in place of regular wheat flour most of these recipes, so feel free to substitute as you like):

Gluten-Free Dessert Breads

• Banana Nut Bread #3
• Gingerbread
• Gingerbread #2 
• Holiday Pumpkin Bread
• Orange Walnut Bread

Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies

• Decadent Gluten-Free Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Frosted Pumpkin Bars
• Lebkuchen
• Molasses Spice Cookies
• Quick Cranberry Coconut Cookies
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Snickerdoodles
• Soft Sugar Cookies
• Sugar & Spice Madeleines

Gluten-Free Pies, Pastries & Desserts

• Apple Crisp
• Apple Crisp #2
• Danish
• Pumpkin Pie
• Tasty Apple Crisp
• Three Ingredient Gluten-Free Pie Crust
• Traditional Apple Pie

Gluten-Free Cheesecakes

• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Almond Meal Crust
• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Butter Pecan Crust

Gluten-Free Candy

• Candied Orange Peels

Thanksgiving Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie

Prepare winning gluten-free desserts, such as Celiac.com’s Best Ever Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Adapted from Libby's Original Pumpkin Pie Recipe)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin (Yes, it's gluten-free!)
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into gluten-free pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

For more great gluten-free sides, desserts, and more, be sure to consult Celiac.com’s Gluten-free Recipes list.

Step Seven - Serve Great Gluten-Free Booze, Wine and Beer

Thanksgiving and Holiday Cocktails and Drinks
News that the FDA has declared that all distilled alcohols are gluten-free has many people with celiac disease lifting a glass of their favorite tipple. To celebrate, we've added a number of new recipes to our list of gluten-free holiday drinks.

Six Great Eggnog Recipes
Rum, Brandy, and Bourbon, oh my! Here are six great gluten-free eggnog recipes to properly kick off the festivities. 

• Holiday Cocktails with Bailey's Irish Cream
• Kahlúa Cocktails
• Six Great Rum Cocktails for the Holidays

Serve booze freely, as all distilled spirits are now considered gluten-free but the FDA and the TTB, unless any gluten-ingredients are added afterward.

To serve gluten-free beer, consult our Oktoberfest Beer Guide! Gluten-free vs. Gluten-removed Beers, and wine is gluten-free. 

Tips for Planning Ahead

Plan your menu at least a couple weeks in advance. Shop early for shelf-stable ingredients, and any gluten-free options. Get your vegetables and other fresh items several days in advance.

Simplify the cooking by doing prep work days in advance. Chop vegetables, cut up bread for stuffing, portion out ingredients into individual containers with labels. Make and prepare as much in advance as possible. Many things, such as cranberry sauces can be made days in advance. Pies and other desserts can be baked a a couple of days ahead.

Feeling anxious about eating Thanksgiving or holiday dinner as a gluten-free guest at someone else’s home?

Tips for Dining at a Non-Gluten-Free Home

Remember, it's all about your safety, so assert yourself, and communicate clearly.

Call your host well in advance to let them know about your dietary needs. Offer to help with the planning and the food prep work. Offer to bring gluten-free side dishes and desserts with plenty to share for other guests. Most dinner hosts are happy to accommodate guests with special food needs. 

Preparing early, and communicating with your hosts, will help ease any concerns about eating gluten-free. Bring Gluten-Free labels or table cards so safe food can be easily recognized. Bring or borrow separate serving utensils to prevent cross-contamination.