Once again it’s time to gather ‘round the table and enjoy Thanksgiving food that is as plentiful as it is delicious. Even though this holiday is known for its traditional dishes and customs, there’s still always a search for some inspirational recipes.
To get into the spirit of Thanksgiving we decided to look at the kinds of foods that have sparked public interest on the web, Facebook, and Instagram. From people sharing their favorite recipes, innovative and old, to brands debuting limited edition treats, there are numerous options for all types of foodies.
Reese’s dominated the top articles about Thanksgiving food
While there’s usually some anticipation around all the sweet treats the holiday season brings, this year it seems that dessert is out-ranking every other classic Thanksgiving dish — specifically a pie-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Six out of the top 10 articles were about the limited edition pie, which sold out in a few hours according to a Facebook post on the Reese’s page.
Local publishers wrote the most about Reese’s, with Fox 5 Atlanta garnering the most attention to its article, totaling 24k engagements. Other publishers like Market Watch and KTLA highlighted that the pie weighs over three pounds, and together accumulated over 26k engagements.
Although Reese’s took the spotlight with its new pie, forcing the traditional pumpkin and cherry to make room, the top article overall was about a different kind of dessert. Right This Minute’s article features a video on how to make chocolate covered strawberries in the shape of turkey’s and was easily the biggest piece of content, with over 272k engagements. Totally the Bomb and Tip Hero also made the list with their articles about the unique treat.
The top Facebook posts about Thanksgiving food highlighted individual recipes
While publishers wrote more about a dessert you can purchase, Facebook posts saw more engagement to actual homemade recipes, although dessert content still reigns supreme.
The Reese’s pie still made it onto the list with just one Facebook post from a local news station, but pie content in general received lots of engagement. The Pioneer Woman shared her recipe for a German chocolate pie, and Taste of Home’s post bragged about a Texas pecan pie recipe that outshines all others. The two posts received over 22k engagements.
Moving away from dessert, the top Facebook post about Thanksgiving food features something very different — a CBD-infused turkey. Chefclub Network posted a video to its page that shows viewers how to cook a stuffing that is infused with CBD. This recipe clearly stood out, taking the top spot with over 37k engagements.
It wouldn’t feel like Thanksgiving if there wasn’t a mention of at least one classic dish. The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for creamy mashed potatoes still made the top 10 Facebook posts, respectfully receiving 12k engagements.
Ina Garten influences on Instagram
Finally, we took a look at Instagram to see what recipes were gaining interest, and who was posting about them. Ina Garten, a renowned chef also known as the Barefoot Contessa from her show on the Food Network, has dominated Instagram feeds with her Thanksgiving recipes.
In the past week Garten has been taking to Instagram to share her “make-ahead Thanksgiving classics” which range from turkey, to side dishes, and desserts. Four of her recipes have made the top 10 Instagram posts, but her green beans and turkey have stolen the show with well over 100k engagements each. The only other personal Instagram account to make the top 10 posts was Chrissy Teigen’s photo of her Thanksgiving menu.
It’s clear that this year the interest in Thanksgiving dessert content is high, and there’s a recipe to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. Whether it’s a brand, an entertainment page on Facebook, or an infamous chef, there’s plenty of Thanksgiving food to impress everyone at the dinner table.
If you’d like a deeper look into more trends for the holiday season, you can read our food & beverage report here.
