The Ultimate British Guide to American Thanksgiving

thanksgiving pumpkin pie

12 Exclusive American Thanksgiving Recipes

We’ve collected our 12 most requested American Thanksgiving dinner recipes into one Ultimate British Guide to American Thanksgiving. The download & keep guide includes a shopping list, cook timing and activities for kids. All British recipes using British ingredients and measurements. Everything you need for your own stay-at-home Thanksgiving 2020.

What is Thanksgiving?

On this page:

  1. What is Thanksgiving?

    Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November. But what is Thanksgiving all about? We will summarise the history of this holiday and share our Thankful Turkey from last year.

  2. Most Requested American Thanksgiving Recipes

    Our most requested American Thanksgiving recipes including:
    Cinnamon, Cranberry Orange Punch
    Bacon-Wrapped, Maple Glazed Turkey
    Pumpkin Pie Bars

  3. Download The British American Thanksgiving recipes guide

    Everything you need for an American Thanksgiving dinner including:
    – 12 Exclusive Recipes
    – Shopping List
    – Cooking Plan
    – Kid Activity Ideas
    – Much more


American Thanksgiving Traditions

american thanksgiving 2020 Thankful turkey

American Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November. This year, it will be on 26 November 2020.

Thanksgiving has its roots in the autumn harvest. According to the Guardian, nearly 1 in 6 Brits now celebrate Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude; a timeout from frantic schedules. A whole day set aside to stop and give thanks for what you have.

Our family tradition is to make a Thankful Turkey. You write what you are grateful for on a feather and then glue it to the turkey. There is only one rule: NO REPEATS. You have to get your ideas in early and be creative.

(This pattern is available from Valerie Wiener.)

If you don’t fancy making the whole Thanksgiving dinner, add one or two of our recipes to your regular celebration meals for an exciting twist. Alternatively, add one or all of the Thanksgiving desserts as a special treat.

You can also try your favourites for Christmas, Boxing Day, or Sunday Lunch. We especially recommend cornbread stuffing muffins – our most shared Thanksgiving recipe.


Quick Links


Cinnamon, Cranberry Orange Punch

american thanksgiving cranberry orange punch

This punch is great for kids and teetotallers but you can put in a big slug of dark spiced rum, too. The combination of orange, cinnamon, and cranberry make this a delicious American Thanksgiving punch. We often serve this at weekend brunch as an alternative to mimosas. [Full Recipe]

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thanksgiving gratitude

Bacon-Wrapped, Maple Glazed Turkey

american thanksgiving dinner turkey recipe

Thanksgiving dinner, for me, is all about the side dishes which means my oven isn’t big enough for all of that AND a turkey.  Therefore, I make a bacon-wrapped turkey on the hob.  A mix of orange, butter, maple syrup, and streaky bacon make this a WOW main dish that is sweet, salty and juicy. [Full Recipe]


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Pumpkin Pie Bars

american thanksgiving pumpkin pie

Traditionally, Pumpkin Pie is made with a slightly sweetened shortcrust pastry. We find that these bars with the walnuts and cinnamon surrounding the pumpkin custard taste better than traditional pumpkin pie. Plus there is no blind baking, soggy bottoms or shrinkage which are all risks when working with pastry.

To make this a more traditional Pumpkin Pie, use a round pie plate and press the crumble in the base and up the sides of the pie plate. [Full Recipe]


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Ultimate Guide of American Thanksgiving Recipes

American Thanksgiving dinner recipes uk

We’ve collected our most requested American Thanksgiving recipes into one guide available for download. Our Ultimate Guide to American Thanksgiving contains everything you need to put together your own Thanksgiving dinner including:

  • 12 Exclusive Recipes
  • Shopping List
  • Cooking Plan
  • Kid Activity Ideas
  • Plus how to use up leftovers (if there are any!)

Enter your email address and we will send you the link to download the American Thanksgiving for British Home Cooks guide.

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