Other than a GF crust vegan pumpkin pie, what dairy-free + gluten-free dessert would you serve to follow a fairly traditional Thanksgiving dinner?

Thinking ahead, as the weather cools and the days shorten, I am gearing up to test a few recipes before deciding . . . . .

Thank you, everyone. ;o)
P.S. To clarify, the dessert must be both dairy-free and gluten free.

AntoniaJames
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19 Comments

AntoniaJames December 2, 2019
Circling back to report on this . . . . I ended up making a flourless chocolate cake with olive oil, recipe by Nigella Lawson, which turned out beautifully, and was actually better after a few days. (We'd tested in a few weeks before hand.) The recipe is here: https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-olive-oil-cake

I made some coconut-milk based no-churn ice creams to go with it, along with a raspberry syrup made from fresh raspberries thickened with homemade raspberry jam. Overall, it was a great success! (Actually, the entire dinner was - though it ended up being a bit less traditional than I thought it would be, when I originally posted this question.)

Thanks so much for your inspiration and encouragement, everyone. ;o)
 
AntoniaJames September 17, 2019
So many terrific ideas. Thank you, all of you. This is wonderful. ;o)
 
Stephanie G. September 17, 2019
Apple crisps and cobblers are easily made vegan and gluten free. I would personally make an oil based applesauce bundt cake and drizzle it with an olive oil/powdered sugar glaze.
 
AntoniaJames September 17, 2019
Stephanie, - applesauce cake - now that sounds great. Never thought to do an olive oil-baed glaze. Interesting! (Must try.) Thank you. ;o)
 
Nancy September 17, 2019
Following Stephanie G suggestion, there's an olive oil glaze as part of the recipe for AtoZ loaf or layer cake (including an apple version) I posted a couple years ago. It is already dairy free, and could be GF by using a GF flour.
 
AntoniaJames September 19, 2019
Nancy, that A-Z loaf is so clever! Can't wait to try it. And yes, it seems like GF flour would work just fine. Many thanks. ;o)
 
HalfPint September 16, 2019
Hi AJ! So good to see your name :)

I recommend poached pears, in either white or red wine.
 
AntoniaJames September 17, 2019
HalfPint, thank you - for your kind words and for your great idea! I've never poached pears before, believe it or not. So of course I simply must test this both ways - with red and with white wine - and perhaps make both, to let people choose which they prefer, or to try 1/2 of each. What kind of white wine is best for this? Thanks so much. ;o)
 
HalfPint September 17, 2019
Something dry and not oaky. My friend, Mary, showed me how to poach pears and I remember that she used a sauvignon blanc that was rather fruity. All she did was pour the wine into a pot (she didn't even measure), added sugar to taste, a vanilla bean and simmered gently until the pears were soft but not mushy. She even used Asian pears. As simple as it looked, these poached pears were the most elegant dessert that I've ever had.
 
AntoniaJames September 19, 2019
HP, that sounds divine! Thanks for the additional info. I'll let you know how they turn out. ;o)
 
Nancy September 16, 2019
AJ, nice to hear from you. My idea is not that different from Brinda's.
It's a superb chocolate mousse made with avocado instead of heavy cream. Garnished with mint and (in summer) raspberries. In November, whatever indulgent fruit you can find. You could also serve a choice tuiles, biscotti, gf cookies with it. Lots if recipes out there, or if you want I could post the one I use.
PS Though not traditional, chocolate is, I think, a new world product do appropriate for thanksgiving.
Last, you could add chiles for another New World note.
Nancy
 
AntoniaJames September 17, 2019
Nancy, following up on my question to Brinda . . . can this be made the day before? Thanks! ;o)
 
Nancy September 17, 2019
Yes, it holds well (without garnish) in fridge 2-3 days, so making 1 day in advance is fine.
 
Emma L. September 16, 2019
Hello! Baked apples sound really nice to me for the end of Thanksgiving: https://food52.com/recipes/7944-apples-baked-in-cider. I'd just replace the butter with coconut oil or olive oil, and serve a dairy-free ice cream alongside.
 
AntoniaJames September 17, 2019
Ohhh, yes, that's a great idea, Emma. Nice to have something not rich / heavy after the big meal. Thank you. ;o)
 
Nancy September 17, 2019
error in placing comment. nothing here.
 
Brinda A. September 16, 2019
Hi, AntoniaJames! One of my favorite (accidentally!) vegan desserts is Hervé This' Chocolate Mousse: https://food52.com/recipes/16044-herve-this-chocolate-mousse

And it's gluten-free, too!
 
AntoniaJames September 17, 2019
Brinda, this recipe has intrigued me since it was first posted but your suggestion has me wondering . . . . we always take a challenging hike on Thanksgiving Day (more here: https://food52.com/blog/8826-how-to-hike-a-mountain-and-serve-thanksgiving-dinner-on-the-same-day) so I strive to keep day-of commitments to an absolute minimum. Do you know how far in advance this can be made? Thank you. ;o)
 
Brinda A. September 19, 2019
Ah! I'm sorry for the delay, AJ—unfortunately, this one's a bit hard to make in advance...it changes textures drastically as it sits. If you make it ahead, it will still taste great, but will probably not be as creamy or fluffy as when freshly made. Maybe another day!
 
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