Fermented Flavors for Thanksgiving: Recipes for a Healthier Holiday

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering, gratitude, and of course—delicious food! This year, I want to show you how I make my Thanksgiving feast with a few fermented recipes that bring a tangy, flavorful twist to your table while also boosting your gut health. These dishes combine the cozy, savory flavors of the season with the probiotic benefits of fermentation, making them perfect for a festive and healthful holiday meal. A few recipes need extra fermentation time, like the kefir soda, the honey and garlic, and fermented apples, but these only take a couple of days, and you'll add extra probiotics to your meal!

Recipes in the Feast! 🍁🦃🥂🍂🥧

1. Bubbly Kefir Soda 🥂
   This fizzy, flavorful white grape kefir soda is not only refreshing but also packed with probiotics. The added ginger helps with digestion and makes one of the bubbliest kefir sodas. Start early to get it fermenting, and enjoy this light and refreshing drink with your dinner.
2.  Fermented Spiced Apples 🍎
   This is a quick and easy way to culture apples. I love how fast and easy it is to make, and the fermentation makes it bubbly.  With just a few simple ingredients, this can be made ahead of time, freeing up your kitchen on the big day while adding a zesty note to your feast. These apples are also good in kefir or yogurt smoothies. Check out my Christmas eBook!
3. Fermented Garlic Honey Roasted Vegetables 🧄🍯
   Take your roasted vegetables up a notch by tossing them in a fermented garlic honey glaze. The natural sweetness of honey, paired with the rich, savory notes of fermented garlic, creates a caramelized coating on root vegetables like carrots,  potatoes, and Brussel sprouts. It’s a simple but delicious way to add probiotics to your Thanksgiving spread.
4. Einkorn Sourdough Stuffing 🌿🥖
   Classic stuffing gets a gut-friendly upgrade with einkon homemade sourdough bread. You can substitute regular sourdough bread if you don't have einkorn. The slow fermentation of the bread makes it easier to digest. This stuffing is a cozy, herby dish that pairs perfectly with turkey and gravy.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar Brined Turkey 🍗🍎
   Brining your turkey with apple cider vinegar is a wonderful way to add flavor and tenderness to your Thanksgiving centerpiece. The acidity of the vinegar and the probiotics helps break down the proteins, resulting in a juicy and flavorful bird. I use my own homemade apple cider vinegar, but you can use store-bought too. Just make sure it has "With the Mother" on the label. This means it is naturally fermented and has probiotics.
6. High Protein Pumpkin Cheesecake 🍂🥧
   This is a super easy Pumpkin Protein Cheesecake! It has a crunchy graham cracker crust made from einkorn or sprouted graham crackers, with a smooth, protein-rich filling crafted from cottage cheese, yogurt, pumpkin puree, and lightly sweetened with date or coconut sugar, and it is all made in a blender! The real magic happens with the Whipped Kefir Topping, which adds a tangy, probiotic-rich layer to balance out the sweetness.

This Thanksgiving, bring the benefits of fermented foods to your holiday table. With these probiotic-rich recipes, you can create a flavorful, nourishing feast that supports gut health and satisfies your cravings for classic seasonal dishes. Let’s make this Thanksgiving both memorable and healthful—happy fermenting!