Photo: Benno Klandt on Unsplash.
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26 this year, and we're so happy to report that putting a fully vegan feast on the table has never been easier. A brand-new turkey-style roast, a permanent dairy-free menu at a national ice cream chain and a fresh batch of vegan cookies are all landing just in time.
The headline launch comes from Slovenian brand Juicy Marbles, best known for its marbled plant-based steaks. This month it released Granny's Roast, a turkey-style roulade rolled around a layer of herbs, on its US webstore. The 600g (21.2oz) roast serves four, costs $29.99 and is the brand's first poultry-style product. It comes pre-rolled, needs only a brush of oil and roasts at 390°F (about 200°C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Each 150g serving has 28g of protein and 10g of fiber.
Co-founder Luka Sinček says the idea came straight from what customers already do at the holidays:
Our customers go crazy for our beef-style 'Whole-Cut Loin' during the holidays for this reason. It gives them a realistic cut to satisfy their skeptical relatives, while bringing that 'big meat energy' we all want at the center of the table. So, once we cracked the 'Gobble-ish' flavor, we couldn't wait to release it for the 2026 holiday season.
The roast is sold in limited quantities, so check the Juicy Marbles site early.
The old favorites are back too. VegNews' 2026 roast taste test lists Tofurky's Holiday Roast with wild rice and breadcrumb stuffing, Gardein's stuffed Turk'y Roast, which serves eight, and three Field Roast options including the Celebration Roast with porcini mushroom gravy. Need soy-free? Big Mountain Foods' stuffed roast, made from fava bean tofu and pea protein, is in Whole Foods Market stores across the country.
Would rather not cook at all? Meal-kit brand Purple Carrot has a fully plant-based Thanksgiving menu for delivery between November 16 and November 23, starring its Stuffing Roasts with Gravy alongside Cranberry Chipotle Relish and Lemon-Pecan Brussels Sprouts.
Dessert is sorted as well. Carvel, the classic soft-serve chain, has teamed up with plant-based brand KLIMON on a permanent non-dairy menu across its more than 300 US locations. After more than a year of testing, it offers nine non-dairy flavors and more than 25 non-dairy toppings as soft serve, scooped desserts, shakes and Carvel's Flying Saucers ice cream sandwiches. On November 3, PETA honored the chain with its national Vegan Nice Cream Award.
And for the cookie jar, Oreo has added four new vegan varieties, including Salted Caramel Shortbread Creme, Dark Chocolate Zero Sugar and Lemon Gluten-Free.
Worried what Grandma will say about nutrition? The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states in its position paper on vegetarian diets that "appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." It adds that plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable because they use fewer natural resources, and that vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B12. This is general information, not medical advice.
It's the latest sign of how mainstream plant-based eating has become. Just last week the COP31 climate summit set a 60% meat-free menu target, and this week a study in a CDC journal linked plant-forward eating to 28% lower odds of diabetes. In January Caribou Coffee ditched its dairy-free milk surcharge, and we've been cheering for dairy-free scoops ever since an ice cream shop completely ditched dairy back in 2017.
Here's to the kindest Thanksgiving yet.