Healthier Thanksgiving Sides and Sweets (Low Sugar, Low Carb)

Introduction

Looking for ways to celebrate Thanksgiving without the usual carb overload and sugar spike? These Healthier Thanksgiving Sides and Sweets prove you don’t have to give up flavor or festive favorites to stick to your goals. With nutritious swaps and natural sweeteners, these dishes delight the whole table while keeping things light and celebratory.

Deliciously Unique Healthier Thanksgiving Sides and Sweets

The secret to these recipes lies in clever ingredient choices—think cauliflower and root veggies for classic sides, and warming autumn spices with a subtle hint of sweetness for desserts. By focusing on whole foods and balancing textures and flavors, you create sides and sweets that taste indulgent, but are lighter on carbs and sugar.

Crafting Low Sugar, Low Carb Sides

Perfect mashed “potatoes” are possible with cauliflower. Roasting brussels sprouts with olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan delivers savory comfort without added sugar. For stuffing, swap bread for mushrooms and nuts. Each bite of these sides brings heartiness and satisfaction, using simple, wholesome ingredients.

Baking Wholesome, Low Sugar Sweets

Whip up guilt-free desserts like pumpkin pie bars made with almond flour and sweetened with monk fruit or erythritol. Baked apples filled with cinnamon, walnuts, and a touch of honey offer holiday sweetness with fewer carbs. Go for raw cacao in chocolate treats, paired with nuts and coconut for a satisfying dessert bite.

Serving Suggestions for a Guilt-Free Festive Table

Arrange your sides on vibrant platters—cauliflower mash, roasted vegetables, and nutty stuffing—front and center. Pair sweets with a dollop of freshly whipped cream (unsweetened or lightly sweetened) or serve fruit desserts with toasted nuts for an added crunch. These recipes are crowd-pleasers, perfect for guests looking for healthy, satisfying options.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

These recipes make 6-8 servings each. Most sides are under 10 grams of net carbs and desserts are less than 8 grams net carbs per serving, with less than 5 grams of sugar for sweets—making it easier to enjoy Thanksgiving classics while meeting low carb, low sugar goals.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save these recipes to instantly build a precise, organized shopping list sorted by store section—making healthy Thanksgiving prep easy and stress-free!

Instructions

1. Cauliflower Mash:
   • Steam cauliflower florets until tender (about 10 minutes).
   • While hot, add to a food processor with olive oil (or butter), garlic, almond milk, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Garnish with chives.
2. Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
   • Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet.
   • Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway. Sprinkle with parmesan before serving.
3. Pumpkin Pie Bars:
   • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
   • In a bowl, mix almond and coconut flour, sweetener, and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs, pumpkin purée, coconut oil, spice, and vanilla.
   • Combine wet and dry ingredients. Spread in prepared pan and bake 22-25 minutes. Cool before slicing.
4. Baked Apples:
   • Preheat oven to 350°F.
   • Mix walnuts, cinnamon, and honey or monk fruit syrup. Stuff each apple with the filling.
   • Place apples in a baking dish with a splash of water. Bake 25-30 minutes until tender.

Weekly Meal Planning

Plan your entire Thanksgiving spread and week’s worth of meals in just a few clicks! Save and schedule these recipes to plot out your feast and instantly create one comprehensive shopping list—no ingredient left behind.

Planning Benefits:

• Automatically totals ingredient amounts across all your chosen recipes
• Organizes lists by grocery store section for quick and easy shopping
• Prevents forgetting essential ingredients—no last-minute runs!
• Streamlines big holiday and weekly meal prep for a more enjoyable season

Pro tip: Schedule your recipes for the week to discover ingredient overlaps—a real time- and money-saver, especially during holiday meal planning!

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
Total Time: 45–50 minutes (for full menu)

These lighter, crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving sides and sweets bring comfort, flavor, and smart nutrition to your holiday—without compromise.