Bring something you're obsessed with to Thanksgiving!

6 last-minute ideas you'll be glad you brought, from sweet potato pie cookies to a loaded harvest salad with fig balsamic.

Sweet Potato Pie Cookies

These are adorable and will definitely be popular on the dessert table. The cookie portion is made with oat flour, and the filling is a sweet potato custard. Top off right before serving with a tiny dollop of whipped cream or white icing.

Ingredients

For Cookies

• 1.5 cups oat flour (can make by food processing oats a few seconds)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup butter (I used Miyoko’s vegan)

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

For Sweet Potato Topping

• 1/2 cup sweet potato puree

• 1 egg

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 tbsp oatmilk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp apple pie spice or cinnamon

• plant-based reddi-wip to top

Instructions

1. Whisk oat flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl.

2. Add one egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter to mixer (or medium bowl with hand mixer) and beat until relatively smooth.

3. Add in flour mixture a little at a time, mixing well.

4. Chill dough until ready to use, or go ahead and roll into 16 or so golf ball sized balls. If chilling let sit out 10 minutes before rolling.

5. For sweet potato topping, whisk ingredients until smooth and chill until ready to use.

6. Preheat oven to 350F.

7. Add cookie dough balls to parchment-lined baking sheet, press down center with your thumb or a small spoon, and top with sweet potato topping.

8. Bake 15 minutes or until edges are golden and filling is set.

9. Right before serving, top each with a dollop of whipped cream - shake the can well and turn it completely upside down for the best little blobs.

Savory Honey Roasted Carrots

One of the easiest (and yummiest) veggie sides you can bring. Especially if you’re not a casserole fan (I’m not), you’ll appreciate having a nourishing veggie option you enjoy. Only caveat is they need to be kept warm or reheated - cover with foil to keep heat in right up to serving time.

Ingredients

• Trader Joe’s Rainbow carrots

• 1/4 cup honey + 1 tbsp for topping

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, optional

• salt to taste

• pepper to taste

• 1 tsp coriander

• toasted pecans (recipe below with the salad)

• feta for topping (I like Follow Your Heart for a dairy-free option)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Mix honey, olive oil, vinegar (optional), salt, pepper, and coriander with a whisk.

3. Add carrots to a tupperware or ziplock bag and pour glaze over; shake to combine well.

4. Add to parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes, flip, and continue cooking to desired doneness (10-20 more minutes).

5. Top with feta, pecans, and a drizzle of honey.

Apple Cider Mule (Cocktail or Mocktail)

Drinks are always a good choice - prep is minimal and they’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Recipe is on my website here with both spiked and non-alcoholic options.

Fall Harvest Salad with Fig Balsamic

I’m on salad duty at our non-traditional Thanksgiving this year, and this is what I’m bringing. I’ve made this fig balsamic several times (recipe here from a friend’s blog - she never misses) it’s just perfect. Pairing it with dried figs, diced apples, toasted pecans, and feta (or Follow Your Heart brand dairy-free feta - it’s fantastic).

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups greens of choice (I used arugula)

• fig balsamic (recipe here)

• 1 gala apple, diced

• 1/2 cup pecan pieces

• dried figs, diced and stems removed

• feta or vegan feta

• trader joe’s croissant croutons (optional)

• salt

Instructions

1. Toast pecans - add to a skillet on medium heat and stir often, cooking until fragrant. Add salt and mix well to coat. You can do this days ahead of time if you want.

2. Build salad just before serving, or serve toppings on the side.

3. Mix up dressing and serve on side with a spoon or in a shaker bottle.

CAVA-Style White Sweet Potatoes with Tzatziki

These white (aka Japanese) sweet potatoes are incredible and probably a root vegetable that hasn’t seen the Thanksgiving table as often as the others. Serve with Trader Joe’s vegan tzatziki for dairy-free (no one will know it’s df, it’s that good) or any tzatziki you like. Like the carrots, keep these warm or reheat and keep covered with foil or in an insulated container or warmer.

Ingredients

• 2 large Japanese sweet potatoes

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1 tsp salt

• 1.5 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp coriander, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Scrub outside of sweet potatoes clean and pat dry.

3. Dice sweet potatoes into small cubes, about 1” thick.

4. Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil and spices using hands to coat well.

5. Spread out in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Bake 15 minutes, flip, and bake 15 more or until outside looks crispy and inside is soft when pierced with a fork.

7. Serve with your favorite tzatziki (I like the Trader Joe’s vegan one) as a side or part of your meal.

Sweet Potato Pie Cold Foam + Cold Brew

If you’re going over earlier in the day to help prep or if people like after-dinner coffee, you might consider taking a seasonal coffee creamer or my sweet potato pie syrup! Add it to a cold foam and bring a jug of cold brew, or use it in whatever coffee or latte you like. Although it might seem out of the box, most people like coffee so it would likely be a welcome festive addition.

Sweet Potato Pie Coffee Syrup (makes ~1 cup)

Ingredients

• pat of butter (I used miyoko’s vegan butter)

• 1/2 cup canned sweet potato puree

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 tsp apple pie spice

• splash of vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Heat skillet to medium with pat of butter and let melt.

2. Stir in other ingredients and bring to a simmer.

3. Let simmer 2-3 minutes, then cool and store in the fridge.

Dairy-Free Cold Foam (for each serving)

• 4 tbsp dairy-free whipped topping, any variety

• 1/2 tbsp sweet potato syrup, above

• splash of unsweetened almond milk

Cold Foam Instructions

1. For each serving, mix 4 tbsp whipped topping with 1/2 tbsp sweet potato syrup and a splash of milk using a milk frother.

2. Taste and adjust as needed. Serve over Stok Cold Brew (the green bottle is my favorite).

Let me know if you make any of these - can’t wait to hear how it turns out!

Rae