Food and Recipes Side Dishes 23 Dairy-Free Side Dishes For The Holidays By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 16, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Iain Bagwell When it comes to the holiday season, dairy can be hard to avoid. Grandma is famous for swirling way too much butter into her mashed potatoes, and those luscious pies usually involve a heavy dose of cream. But if you're dairy-free, all hope for a festive holiday is far from lost. That's right, we've done the impossible: we've designed an entire holiday meal that doesn't include milk, cream, or butter. We've collected 30 of our favorite dairy-free holiday sides that will help you prepare a delightful Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Not only do these dishes taste divine, but they’ll also leave you feeling lighter and help avoid the post-holiday-meal slump. These recipes focus on using fresh ingredients and lots of seasonal produce. From Southern Collard Greens to Ombré Citrus Salad, your guests will never even suspect that these stunning holiday sides are completely dairy-free. Now you'll just have to convince Nana that her green bean casserole doesn't really need to be topped with 3 pats of butter. 01 of 23 Southern-Style Collard Greens Jim Franco; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Simon Andrews No holiday table would be complete without a big pot of collard greens. 02 of 23 Classic Cranberry Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Slightly sweet, slightly tangy cranberry salad is a Southern staple from Thanksgiving to Christmas. 03 of 23 Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad Southern Living While we love a classic ambrosia salad, sometimes we just can't resist throwing a few marshmallows into this holiday staple. 04 of 23 Jellied Chicken Salad Jennifer Causey Molded salads are a tradition worth keeping around—they're wiggly, wobbly, and oh-so-good. 05 of 23 Slow-Cooker Green Beans Iain Bagwell Over the holidays, slow-cookers help us save precious oven space. These Slow-Cooker Green Beans are an easy way to get more veggies on the table. 06 of 23 Sautéed Squash and Zucchini Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro If you're running out of oven space, this simple stovetop dish will be your Hail Mary. 07 of 23 Smashed Brussels Sprouts Trey Ellis After a quick boil, smashing the brussels sprouts and then roasting them helps them become extra-crispy. 08 of 23 Fresh Fruit Salad Jen Causey A scoop of fresh fruit is a great way to lighten up your holiday plate. 09 of 23 Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Start with a base of dairy-free cornbread and you'll have a scrumptious Thanksgiving dressing in no time. 10 of 23 Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Fried okra doesn't need much dressing up—a little cornmeal goes a long way. 11 of 23 Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Collard greens and ham hocks just go together like peanut butter and jelly. 12 of 23 Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox No need for mayo—these baby red potatoes, tossed in mustard and mixed up with green beans, stand on their own. 13 of 23 Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Sourdough bread—made with flour, salt, and water—torn up and toasted is the dairy-free crouton of our dreams, bringing a nice crunch to this veggie side. 14 of 23 Crispy Sweet Potato-Green Onion Cakes Hector Sanchez Paying homage to the latke, these crispy potato pancakes use sweet potatoes instead of russets and add in green onions for extra sharp flavor. 15 of 23 Skillet Squash Blossom Iain Bagwell This stunning squash blossom only calls for a few ingredients, letting the bright orange squash flower really shine. 16 of 23 Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Vidalia Onions Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall No dinner menu is complete without an indulgent side of mashed potatoes. Put a twist on a classic Thanksgiving dish with this dairy-free side. 17 of 23 Tabitha Brown's Vegan Mac and Cheese Greg DuPree, Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis There is one dish that any born-and-bred Southerner can't live without. Serve this gooey, decadent macaroni and cheese for a memorable holiday side for guests to enjoy. 18 of 23 Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon Laurey W. Glenn Whipping up this Christmas vegetable side dish will make you feel a little bit better about all that delicious white cake you're about to eat. This quick lemon mustard collard green recipe is packed full of fresh flavor to perfectly compliment a rich holiday menu. 19 of 23 Classic Deviled Eggs Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Be prepared with the perfect party snack for guests with this spicy, Southern-style deviled egg recipe. There is no occasion that cannot be improved upon by a deviled egg. 20 of 23 Lemon-Sauteed Green Beans Greg Dupree Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Follow this quick and easy recipe for a memorable holiday dish. Just add the tangy taste of a fresh lemon and transform an ordinary side of green beans into a dish your guests can’t get enough of. 21 of 23 Crispy Potatoes Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Katelyn Hardwick No dairy. No problem. These crispy roasted potatoes are packed full of flavor to make for a delicious holiday side dish. 22 of 23 Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Photography, and Food Styling: Karen Rankin Give your air fryer a whirl for the perfect golden, crisp fries made with less mess and less calories. 23 of 23 Potato Salad with Dijon and Scallions Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Turn a traditional side dish into a bowl of rainbows with multicolored fingerling potatoes. This salad is striking enough to be served at your next holiday dinner, paired with fresh spring vegetables. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit