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

Question

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 · Answer

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 · Answer

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)

Brinda A. · Answer

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!

AntoniaJames · Answer

HP, that sounds divine!  Thanks for the additional info.  I'll let you know how they turn out.  ;o)

HalfPint · Answer

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.

Nancy · Answer

error in placing comment. nothing here.

Nancy · Answer

Yes, it holds well (without garnish) in fridge 2-3 days, so making 1 day in advance is fine.

Nancy · Answer

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 · Answer

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)

AntoniaJames · Answer

Stephanie, - applesauce cake - now that sounds great.  Never thought to do an olive oil-baed glaze.  Interesting! (Must try.) Thank you. ;o)

AntoniaJames · Answer

Nancy, following up on my question to Brinda . . .  can this be made the day before?  Thanks! ;o)

AntoniaJames · Answer

Ohhh, yes, that's a great idea, Emma.  Nice to have something not rich / heavy after the big meal.  Thank you. ;o)

AntoniaJames · Answer

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...) 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)

AntoniaJames · Answer

So many terrific ideas.  Thank you, all of you.  This is wonderful.  ;o)

Stephanie G. · Answer

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.

HalfPint · Answer

Hi AJ!  So good to see your name :)I recommend poached pears, in either white or red wine.

Nancy · Answer

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

Emma L. · Answer

Hello! Baked apples sound really nice to me for the end of Thanksgiving: https://food52.com/recipes.... I'd just replace the butter with coconut oil or olive oil, and serve a dairy-free ice cream alongside.

Brinda A. · Answer

Hi, AntoniaJames! One of my favorite (accidentally!) vegan desserts is Hervé This' Chocolate Mousse: https://food52.com/recipes... And it's gluten-free, too!

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

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