Creating an impressive dessert spread for a potluck doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, some of the most memorable vegan Thanksgiving treats are made from simple, accessible ingredients that highlight natural flavors rather than costly specialty items. If you’re preparing a potluck dish, you want something delicious, portable, crowd-pleasing, and ideally made on a budget — without sacrificing festive flair.
This guide focuses on budget vegan Thanksgiving desserts for potluck gatherings that travel well, taste incredible, and fit into even the tightest holiday budget. Whether you’re hosting the event, contributing one dish, or building a full dessert table, these ideas make it easy to celebrate without overspending. The key is using seasonal produce, affordable pantry staples, and simple preparation methods to create desserts that look impressive but are surprisingly economical.
With a little planning, you can create desserts that feel special and holiday-ready while still being cost-effective. And if you want to show a little plant-based pride while baking or hosting this season, you can find vegan-themed organic cotton shirts at The Dharma Store — perfect for festive gatherings and kitchen prep.
Let’s build your ideal budget-friendly vegan dessert lineup for Thanksgiving.
Why Budget-Friendly Vegan Desserts Work So Well for Potlucks
A good potluck dessert needs to meet three criteria: affordability, portability, and broad appeal. Budget desserts shine here because they’re usually made from classic, universally loved ingredients like apples, pumpkin, oats, coconut, or simple chocolate mixtures. They’re also easy to scale up for large groups, making them ideal for crowded Thanksgiving tables.
Here’s why budget-focused vegan desserts are especially potluck-friendly:
1. Seasonal ingredients are cheaper and fresher
Thanksgiving aligns perfectly with inexpensive produce like apples, carrots, pumpkins, cranberries, pears, and sweet potatoes.
2. Simple recipes travel best
Bakes like bars, pies, bites, and crisps remain intact during transport and require minimal assembly.
3. Pantry staples keep costs low
Oats, cocoa, nuts, seeds, coconut milk, and flour-based recipes stretch your budget while adding flavor and texture.
4. Crowd-friendly flavors reduce waste
When everyone loves the dessert, there are no leftovers and no money wasted.
With just a few core ingredients, you can make multiple desserts that feed a crowd without spending much.
Budget Vegan Thanksgiving Desserts That Impress at Potlucks
The list below blends affordability and creativity. Each dessert is made from low-cost ingredients but still feels seasonal, comforting, and festive.
1. Classic Vegan Apple Crisp
Apple crisp is the definition of low-cost holiday dessert. Apples are often inexpensive in November, and the topping uses simple ingredients you may already have.
You’ll need:
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Apples
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Oats
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A little flour
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Cinnamon
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Sugar or maple syrup
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Vegan butter or coconut oil
Why it’s potluck-perfect:
It’s easy to make in large batches and stays delicious even at room temperature. Add a label saying “vegan and budget-friendly” and watch it disappear quickly.
2. Pumpkin Pie Bars With Oat Crust
Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving classic, but full pies can be pricier due to crust ingredients and bake times. Pumpkin pie bars, however, use an oat crust that’s far more affordable and easier to cut and transport.
Benefits:
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Uses canned pumpkin, one of the most budget-friendly holiday staples
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Oat crust eliminates the need for pricey gluten-free flours or large amounts of vegan butter
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Bars travel more easily than whole pies
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They feed more people with the same amount of ingredients
They’re festive, economical, and consistently well-loved at potlucks.
3. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares
These squares mimic the flavor of chocolate peanut butter cups but at a fraction of the price and with minimal effort.
Ingredients often include:
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Peanut butter
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Oats or crushed gluten-free crackers
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Cocoa powder
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Coconut oil or vegan butter
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A little sweetener
Why they’re great for potlucks:
They’re no-bake, quick to prepare, kid-friendly, and very inexpensive. You can also double the batch without much added cost.
4. Spiced Carrot Cake Loaf
Carrot cake feels elegant, but it uses inexpensive produce and pantry staples. Making it as a loaf instead of a full layer cake keeps it budget-friendly and easy to transport.
Why it works:
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Carrots are inexpensive year-round
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Loaf cakes require fewer ingredients than frosted cakes
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Vegan cream cheese frosting can be optional or replaced with a light glaze
It slices neatly at potlucks and has a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing flavor profile.
5. Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Using fresh or frozen cranberries, you get a tart-sweet dessert with warm spices. These bars are inexpensive, seasonal, and ideal for large gatherings.
Perfect for:
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Cutting into small squares
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Sharing easily with large groups
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Baking ahead without last-minute work
They also add a pop of color to the dessert table.
6. Sweet Potato Pie Muffins
Sweet potatoes are budget superstars during Thanksgiving. Turning them into muffins makes them portable and portion-friendly.
Why they’re potluck gold:
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No slicing needed
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Magically moist and naturally sweet
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Easy to batch-bake
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Inexpensive ingredients
These muffins also keep well and taste great warm or cooled.
7. Banana Bread With Toasted Pecans
Banana bread is always budget-friendly, but adding toasted pecans or walnuts gives it a holiday twist. Overripe bananas cost almost nothing and add natural sweetness.
Potluck advantages:
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Familiar and comforting
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Stays soft without refrigeration
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Easy to slice
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Pairs well with Thanksgiving flavors
This is one of the best low-cost desserts you can bring to any gathering.
8. Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods With Festive Toppings
Pretzel rods dipped in melted vegan chocolate and rolled in toppings like crushed nuts or shredded coconut are fun, simple, and surprisingly cheap.
Why guests love them:
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They’re easy to grab
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They look impressive
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They’re kid-friendly
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They use minimal ingredients
Plus, you can make dozens of them for just a few dollars.
9. Pear and Ginger Crumble
Pears are often overlooked but can be very inexpensive in fall. Combining them with fresh or ground ginger adds warmth and depth.
Why it’s a budget win:
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Similar to apple crisp but with a unique flavor
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Requires only oats, sugar, and spice for the topping
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Feels elegant while costing very little
For potlucks, crumble is a go-to because it feeds a crowd and reheats easily.
10. Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bites
These bite-sized treats stretch a small amount of ingredients into a big yield. Use pumpkin puree, a little sweetener, spices, and chocolate chips to create adorable cookie-like bites.
Potluck advantages:
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Guests can grab one or three
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Great for kids
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Budget-friendly ingredient list
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Easy to bake multiple trays
They add variety to the dessert table without requiring much work or money.
How to Build a Budget-Friendly Vegan Thanksgiving Dessert Table
If you’re hosting or wanting to contribute multiple desserts, these tips help keep costs in check:
1. Choose 2–3 dessert categories
Mix and match:
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One warm dessert (crisp, crumble, loaf)
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One chilled or no-bake dessert (bars, truffles, squares)
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One finger food dessert (cookies, dipped pretzels, bites)
This gives the table variety without increasing expenses.
2. Focus on seasonal produce
Stick to budget-friendly items like:
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Apples
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Pumpkins
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Sweet potatoes
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Cranberries
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Pears
Seasonal pricing means you can make more dessert for less money.
3. Buy ingredients in bulk when possible
Oats, sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and cocoa powder all last long and are cheaper in larger quantities.
4. Reuse ingredients across multiple recipes
For example:
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Oats can make crusts, crisps, bars, and cookies
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Pumpkin puree works for muffins, pies, and bars
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Cinnamon and nutmeg flavor almost every dessert
This reduces your shopping list dramatically.
5. Choose desserts that store and travel well
Potluck-friendly options include:
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Bars
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Crisps
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Loaves
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Muffins
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Cookie bars
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No-bake squares
Avoid anything overly delicate or requiring refrigeration.
6. Elevate presentation without extra cost
Budget desserts still deserve a festive look. Here’s how:
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Use parchment-lined trays for a clean cut
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Sprinkle cinnamon or powdered sugar on top
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Serve on thrifted platters or simple reusable trays
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Add a handwritten label for charm
If you want a stylish plant-based outfit for hosting, consider vegan-themed organic cotton shirts from The Dharma Store.
Sample Budget Vegan Thanksgiving Dessert Table (Under $20–$25)
Here’s an example of a dessert spread that looks impressive yet stays affordable:
1. Vegan Apple Crisp (serves 10–12)
2. Pumpkin Pie Bars With Oat Crust (makes a large pan)
3. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares (24 small squares)
This trio offers:
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Warm baked flavors
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Classic Thanksgiving spices
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One rich chocolate option
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A beautiful mix of colors and textures
And all can be made using overlapping ingredients like oats, pumpkin, sugar, and spices.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need expensive vegan substitutes or elaborate recipes to shine at a Thanksgiving potluck. With the right ingredients and smart planning, budget vegan Thanksgiving desserts for potluck gatherings can be just as festive, flavorful, and crowd-pleasing as anything else on the table.
Choose simple, seasonal, and scalable recipes, and you’ll arrive with a dessert that fits your budget while earning rave reviews from guests. And if you want to add some plant-powered flair to your hosting outfit or bring a thoughtful gift, check out vegan-themed organic cotton shirts from The Dharma Store — perfect for holiday celebrations.