Home Vegan Post Kid-Friendly Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes Even Picky Eaters Will Love

Kid-Friendly Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes Even Picky Eaters Will Love


If you’ve ever tried to serve quinoa salad or roasted Brussels sprouts to a table of children, you know how hard it can be to please picky eaters — especially during the holidays. But this year, you don’t have to choose between healthy and kid-approved. With these kid-friendly vegan Thanksgiving recipes, you’ll be serving up dishes that both kids and adults will love.

This roundup focuses on simple, familiar, and flavorful foods that are fun to eat and easy to make — with no unusual ingredients, no complicated steps, and no complaints. Whether you’re feeding toddlers or teens, these recipes make your vegan Thanksgiving stress-free, delicious, and full of smiles.

And if you want to show off your plant-based pride while cooking, check out The Dharma Store, home to vegan-themed t-shirts made from organic cotton — perfect for holiday cooking and gifting.

Why Kids Love These Vegan Recipes

Kids eat with their eyes first, so texture, color, and familiarity are key. These dishes are:

  • Colorful and fun to plate — think roasted rainbow veggies or mashed potato “cupcakes.”

  • Naturally sweetened — no refined sugar highs, just maple syrup and fruit.

  • Comforting and simple — flavors that remind them of mac and cheese or mashed potatoes.

  • Nutritious without the lecture — plenty of protein, fiber, and hidden veggies.

The best part? They don’t “taste vegan.” Even your non-vegan guests will go back for seconds.

1. Creamy Vegan Mac and “Cheese” Bake

This dish is the ultimate bridge between kid comfort food and plant-based goodness. The sauce is made from blended sweet potatoes and cashews, giving that cheesy, creamy flavor kids crave.

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz elbow pasta (gluten-free optional)

  • 1 cup cubed sweet potato

  • ½ cup raw cashews (soaked for 20 minutes)

  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk

  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp lemon juice

  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. Boil pasta and set aside.

  2. Steam sweet potato until tender.

  3. Blend sweet potato, cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and lemon juice until smooth.

  4. Combine with pasta and transfer to a baking dish.

  5. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes until bubbly.

Pro Tip: Add breadcrumbs for a crunchy top layer — kids love the texture.

2. Sweet Potato Bites with Cinnamon Maple Glaze

Finger food is always a win. These roasted sweet potato rounds are crispy on the edges, tender inside, and coated with a hint of sweetness.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced into rounds

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

  • ½ tsp cinnamon

  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

  2. Toss sweet potato rounds with olive oil and salt.

  3. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.

  4. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon before serving.

Travel Tip: These reheat perfectly in the oven and stay delicious even at room temperature.

3. Mini Vegan Stuffing Muffins

Instead of serving stuffing in a big dish, bake it into muffins! Kids love anything they can eat with their hands.

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups cubed bread (day-old preferred)

  • 1 tbsp vegan butter

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 1 cup celery, chopped

  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth

  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

  • 1 tsp thyme

  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a muffin tin.

  2. Sauté onion and celery in butter until soft.

  3. Mix bread cubes, veggies, herbs, and broth until moist.

  4. Scoop mixture into muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes.

Fun Idea: Serve with mini cups of vegan gravy for dipping.

4. Hidden Veggie Mashed Potatoes

A Thanksgiving classic — but with a twist. Add cauliflower for creaminess and extra nutrients without kids noticing.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced

  • 1 cup cauliflower florets

  • 2 tbsp vegan butter

  • ¼ cup almond milk

  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. Boil potatoes and cauliflower together until soft.

  2. Drain and mash with butter and almond milk.

  3. Season with salt and serve warm.

Serving Tip: Use an ice cream scoop to create “potato scoops” — playful and portion-controlled.

5. Vegan Cornbread Muffins

These soft, lightly sweet muffins are easy to grab and go — perfect for kids who don’t want to sit still at the table.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cornmeal

  • 1 cup flour (or gluten-free blend)

  • 1 cup almond milk

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • ¼ cup oil

  • 1 tbsp baking powder

  • Pinch of salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

  2. Mix dry and wet ingredients separately, then combine.

  3. Pour into lined muffin tins and bake 15–18 minutes.

Bonus: Add blueberries for a breakfast-style twist the next morning.

6. Apple Pie Oat Crumble Cups

A dessert that tastes like apple pie but requires no slicing or mess. These mini crumble cups bake perfectly in a muffin tin.

Ingredients:

  • 3 apples, peeled and diced

  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • ¼ cup almond flour

  • ¼ cup coconut oil

Instructions:

  1. Mix apples with maple syrup and cinnamon.

  2. Combine oats, almond flour, and coconut oil for topping.

  3. Layer apple mixture and topping in cups.

  4. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

Kid Trick: Serve with vegan whipped cream or a small scoop of dairy-free ice cream.

7. Rainbow Roasted Veggies

Color is the best way to get kids interested in veggies. This rainbow mix is vibrant, flavorful, and looks exciting on a plate.

Ingredients:

  • Red bell pepper, chopped

  • Yellow carrots or squash

  • Broccoli florets

  • Purple potatoes

  • Olive oil, salt, and Italian herbs

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

  2. Toss veggies with olive oil and herbs.

  3. Roast 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Presentation Idea: Arrange by color on a platter — kids love choosing their “favorite color” veggies.

8. Vegan Gravy Dippers

Turn gravy time into dipping fun. Serve small cups of vegan gravy alongside crispy roasted potatoes or breadsticks.

Gravy Base:

  • 2 tbsp vegan butter

  • 2 tbsp flour

  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth

  • 1 tsp soy sauce

  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Melt butter, whisk in flour until golden.

  2. Slowly pour in broth, stirring constantly.

  3. Add soy sauce and season to taste.

Serving Tip: Pour into mini sauce cups for dipping fun.

9. Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Cups

A hit for both kids and adults, these pudding cups are rich, creamy, and secretly healthy.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pumpkin purée

  • ½ cup coconut cream

  • ¼ cup cocoa powder

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

  1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.

  2. Spoon into small cups and chill.

  3. Top with crushed graham crackers.

No Mess Bonus: They pack easily in jars for traveling to family gatherings.

10. Vegan Mini Pancake Stacks

Perfect for brunch or for serving alongside dessert. These small pancake stacks look adorable and taste even better.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • 1 tbsp baking powder

  • 1 cup almond milk

  • 1 tbsp oil

Instructions:

  1. Mix ingredients into a smooth batter.

  2. Pour small rounds onto a skillet and cook until golden.

  3. Stack with sliced bananas or berries and drizzle with maple syrup.

Fun Tip: Insert a toothpick through each stack to create “mini pancake pops.”

How to Keep Picky Eaters Engaged at the Table

Beyond flavor, presentation is everything. Here’s how to make your vegan Thanksgiving more fun for kids:

  1. Create a colorful plate — Aim for five colors. It makes eating more interactive.

  2. Offer dipping options — Kids love control. Provide small bowls of vegan ranch, ketchup, or gravy.

  3. Use fun names — Call cauliflower mash “cloud potatoes” or sweet potato bites “golden coins.”

  4. Get kids involved — Let them stir batter, mash potatoes, or garnish dishes with herbs.

  5. Offer choices — Instead of “eat your veggies,” try “would you like the orange or green one?”

When kids participate in the preparation, they’re much more likely to eat the food.

Bonus: Quick Snack Ideas for Kids During Prep Time

Thanksgiving cooking can take hours, and hungry kids need distraction. These quick snacks keep them happy while you finish the main meal:

  • Apple slices with almond butter and cinnamon

  • Roasted chickpeas with maple glaze

  • Mini hummus cups with carrot sticks

  • Popcorn with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor

Vegan Thanksgiving for the Whole Family

Hosting a vegan Thanksgiving doesn’t mean sacrificing tradition or taste — it just means getting creative with plant-based ingredients. When you keep things simple, familiar, and fun, even the pickiest eaters will clean their plates.

And to celebrate your vegan values beyond the table, check out The Dharma Store. Their organic cotton vegan t-shirts are soft, sustainable, and perfect for showing your compassion this holiday season.

Final Thoughts

With these kid-friendly vegan Thanksgiving recipes, your table will be full of happy faces — and clean plates. By focusing on familiar textures, cozy flavors, and colorful presentation, you’ll make plant-based dishes everyone enjoys, not just the vegans in the room.

From creamy mac and cheese to sweet potato bites and apple crumble cups, every dish here proves that eating vegan can be exciting, comforting, and crowd-approved — even for the pickiest eaters.

Because at the end of the day, the best Thanksgiving recipes are the ones everyone can share, love, and remember — one plant-based bite at a time.