Keep Thanksgiving hosting stress-free this year with these holiday appetizers, side dishes, and desserts that you can make ahead of time. You’ll have more time to spend with family and friends on the big day!
Thanksgiving is the most hectic day of the year in the kitchen. There are so many dishes to bake, so little time, and only so much counter space to prep!
To help make things easier, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of Thanksgiving recipes you can make ahead of time. From appetizers to side dishes and desserts, you’ll find multiple options to help make your holiday as stress-free as possible.
Some recipes can be made days to weeks ahead, others you can even prep months in advance if you’re willing to utilize your freezer! That can help you stay on budget as well, allowing you to buy ingredients when they’re on sale.
Make Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizers
#1 – Onion Cranberry & Pecan Cheeseball
No holiday is complete without a cheeseball! This one combines seasonal flavors like cranberry & pecan with savory onion. It’s perfect for a Friendsgiving and can be made up to 2 weeks ahead of serving, making it easy to fit into your busy holiday schedule.
‘Tis the season for all things cranberry – and this salsa happens to be my favorite appetizer to make with it! Unlike other versions, this one is made with chipotle peppers the perfect blend of tangy, sweet, and spicy. I like to make a batch ahead of time to have to munch on while dinner is being prepared.
#3 – Bacon Wrapped Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Mayo Dip
If you’re looking for a fun way to feature seasonal produce, try these bacon wrapped Brussel sprouts. They can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the fridge. About 1 hour before you’d like to serve them, pre-heat the oven and bake.
#4 – Crudite Platter
Olivia’s Cuisine shows you how to take a classic appetizer and turn it into something rustic and beautiful with her easy-to-follow crudite platter tutorial. This is a great low-effort, high-reward dish that will help balance out all the rich and heavy dishes on the table.
#5 – Cranberry & Feta Pinwheels
Need an easy, budget-friendly appetizer? Try these creamy Cranberry & Feta Pinwheels! They can be made up to 24 hours in advance and are perfect for snacking on while watching Thanksgiving football.
#6 – Roasted Grape & Blue Cheese Crostinis
These fancy, tiny toasts are easy to make in big batches and a breeze to transport to your Thanksgiving dinner destination. A delicious fall flavor comes through when you bite into the roasted grapes.
#7 – Turkey Gouda Party Rolls with Honey Mustard Glaze
Warm, flaky croissants stuffed with Turkey & Gouda, then glazed with honey mustard? Yes, please! Shape & arrange on a baking tray, then cover with foil and pop them into the oven when ready to serve.
#8 – Prosciutto Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
Stuffed with pecans, thyme, and goat cheese and wrapped in salty prosciutto, these dates are an impressive Thanksgiving appetizer that can be put together in very little time.
#9 – Thanksgiving Deviled Eggs
Put a Thanksgiving twist on deviled eggs by adding sage and shallots. You can hard-boil and peel the eggs, as well as make the filling a day in advance. Just pipe into the eggs the day of serving.
Make Ahead Thanksgiving Side Dishes
#10 – Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
This colorful side dish is packed with fall flavors and can be made and stored in the refrigerator up to 4 days in advance. Not only is it easy to prepare, it also looks absolutely stunning on the dinner table!
#11 – Make Ahead Cornbread Stuffing
Sally, the queen of baking, brings us this amazing Cornbread Stuffing that can be made the day before Thanksgiving. Or, if you have the freezer space, you can prepare it up to 3 months in advance.
#12 – Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes
Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes – just like grandma used to make! Follow this recipe to make your potatoes up to two days in advance, then reheat with a splash of milk to restore their fresh mashed texture.
#13 – Make Ahead Turkey Thanksgiving Gravy
Since you’re going to need some gravy with those mashed potatoes, why not cook this make-ahead gravy that skips using day of turkey dressings and instead builds the base for it’s deep, savory flavor from roasting turkey wings days in advance.
#14 – Cranberry Compote
Looking for a major upgrade from canned sauce? Try this upscale cranberry compote made by simmering fresh cranberries and oranges with Riesling and spices. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week from when it’s made.
#15 – Chopped Broccoli Salad with Balsamic, Walnuts, & Cranberries
This chopped broccoli salad is a healthy Thanksgiving side dish choice that can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until time to eat. Just keep the dressing separate and toss before serving.
#16 – Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple and this recipe allows you to make it in the morning, up to 4 hours before the big meal. Or, you can prep the sweet potato base a day or two ahead of time, refrigerate, then add the marshmallows and streusel right before baking.
#17 – Funeral Potatoes
This creamy, cheesy casserole has a genius shortcut – using frozen hash browns instead of fresh potatoes. You can assemble the casserole, except for the cornflake topping, then freeze or store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Add the topping right before cooking.
#18 – Apple Cranberry Bacon Candied Walnut Salad with Apple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
There are so many heavy foods during the holidays, why not lighten it up with this beautiful salad from Carlsbad Cravings? The dressing can be made up to a week in advance, and the bacon and candy walnuts can be prepared a few days ahead of serving.
#19 – Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
Fried apples from Cracker Barrel is one of my favorite restaurant side dishes, so it often ends up on our Thanksgiving table. I cook the apples in the cinnamon, sugar, and butter mixture a few days ahead of time, then reheat in the oven before serving – it couldn’t be easier!
#20 – Corn Casserole
Corn Casserole is one of our all-time favorite holiday side dishes. Follow this recipe and make the casserole 1-2 days in advance. Simply reheat right before serving time.
#21 – Make Ahead Creamy Vegetable Casserole
This hearty make-ahead veggie casserole has plenty of room for substitutions so you can adjust it to suit your families tastes. Make the day before and put in the refrigerator, or prepare weeks in advance and freeze instead.
#22 – Make Ahead Green Beans with Garlic Bread Crumbs & Almonds
Looking for a lighter veggie side dish? Toast the almonds and breadcrumbs two days in advance for this recipe, then assemble, add herbs, and bake on Thanksgiving day.
#23 – Make Ahead Biscuits Recipe
As far as I’m concerned, the bread can make or break a Thanksgiving feast. These make-ahead biscuits from Add A Pinch don’t disappoint, and can be prepped the day before.
#24 – Brown Butter Brioche Dinner Rolls
Brown butter and brioche??? Invite us over already! You can prep these rolls halfway the day before by proofing, or bake the whole way and serve at room temperature on Thanksgiving.
Make Ahead Thanksgiving Desserts
#25 – Frozen Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
This Thanksgiving dessert went viral for a reason! Not only is it delicious, but you can put it together in just 2 easy steps! You can make it the night before, or up to two weeks ahead of time, freezing it until you’re ready to serve.
#26 – Pumpkin Spice Truffles
Sally, the recipe creator, swears these Pumpkin Spice Truffles get even better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two. They’re made with real pumpkin, cream cheese, pumpkin spices, white chocolate, and graham cracker.
#27 – Chocolate Mousse Pie
This silky, creamy made-from-scratch chocolate mousse pie will be the talk of your dessert table! It’s naturally a make ahead recipe, as it needs at least 8 hours (ideally overnight), in the fridge to set. You can even make it up to 48 hours ahead of time.
#28 – Fresh Cranberry Shortbread
Shortbread and cranberries sound like a winning Thanksgiving dish to me! Make these cranberry shortbread bars a few days ahead of time for a stress-free dessert that features fall produce.
#29 – Hershey Kiss Acorns
One of the most adorable Thanksgiving desserts ever -“acorns” made from Hershey’s Kisses and Nilla wafers! These come together in minutes and are so easy kids love to help make them. They keep at room temperature up to 1 week.
#30 – Cranberry Fluff
This nostalgic no-bake holiday dessert has been a favorite of mine since childhood! Fresh cranberries and crushed pineapple are folded into Cool Whip with mini marshmallows and shredded coconut. For best results, prep it the day before Thanksgiving.
#31 – Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Not only can this delicious fall dessert be made in advance, but you only need one bowl to prep it! It can keep at room temperature a few days or in the freezer for two months. I’ve used the leftovers for French toast the day after Thanksgiving and it was wonderful!
#32 – German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
This pecan pie/German chocolate hybrid dessert, with a rich date-and-maple-sweetened filling, seems like it’s going to be my new favorite Thanksgiving dessert! It needs a few hours to cool and set after baking, and it keeps well when refrigerated up to 5 days.
#33 – Southern Divinity Candy
Growing up in the South, divinity seemed abundant during the holidays. It’s a delicious sugary pecan-filled treat with a texture somewhere between marshmallow, fudge, and taffy. It can be made days before serving and stored in an air tight container at room temperature.
#34 – Copycat Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake
If you’ve ever had the Pumpkin Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory, you know it’s literally a piece of Fall heaven. It needs to set in the fridge for at least 8 hours, so making it ahead of time is the only option.
#35 – New Orleans Pecan Pie Bread Pudding
You can bake this glorious Pecan Pie Bread Pudding day in advance then allow it to come to room temperature before serving on Thanksgiving Day. It’s made with French bread, toasted pecans, and a rich custard that will soothe your soul.
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