35 Vegan Christmas Food Ideas – from breakfast to dinner with a different selection to the usual sides, decadent desserts and a few little extras!
If you’re the one in charge of all the planning, shopping, cooking for The Big Day (or even just one of those things) it can feel daunting. Are you a new vegetarian/vegan this Christmas? Or catering for someone that is? Or maybe stuck in a rut with the same old tried and tested (but getting a little old) couple of favourites? If so, here’s 30 Vegan Christmas Food Ideas I hope help make this already stressful enough season that little bit easier.
Side note – you probably shouldn’t read this while hungry or you’ll end up putting everything on your shopping list!
Let’s start with breakfast …
CHOCOLATE ORANGE GRANOLA
I think I associate oranges with Christmas from getting satsumas wrapped in foil in my stocking as a kid (is that still a thing or is it all iPhones and giant TV’s?) Or maybe it’s only ever having a Terry’s Chocolate Orange at Christmas. Either way, this granola brings back many happy flavour memories (and tastes blooming delicious!)
VEGAN EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
From Blissful Basil
I LOVE the idea of a big dish of something hot and creamy for breakfast – especially one that can be prepared in advance and baked fresh in the morning. Pass me a bowl and a spoon please!
VEGAN GINGERBREAD PANCAKES
Made in a blender, these gingerbread pancakes are easy to whip up, making them the perfect breakfast during this festive season!
GINGERBREAD BREAKFAST COOKIES
From Simply Quinoa
So many good things in these cookies .. and that schmear (technical term) of frosting *drool*. It’s also not even remotely festive if you’re not eating a gingerbread something!
SPICED CHOCOLATE ORANGE TWISTS
We have all the flavours of Christmas in this soft yeast dough – warming spices, chocolate nut butter and sweet sticky orange. These spiced chocolate orange twists are deliciously indulgent!
So, that’s got the day started off very nicely, let’s move on to the main event …
HUMMUS AND ROASTED VEGETABLE PIE
A super easy make ahead, a real favourite with our readers and the thing I’ll most likely be making for our own Christmas dinner (because it is SO easy!)
VEGAN CHRISTMAS PIES
These individual pies are so versatile and a great way to use up any leftover veg! They can also be made ahead and warmed up when needed with a big pile of roast potatoes and good slosh of gravy.
TOMATO GNOCCHI BAKE WITH CHEESY OAT CRUMBLE
From Tinned Tomatoes
My oh my – this is something I’d eat all year round. Tangy tomato sauce, soft pillows of gnocchi and a crumble topping. YUM!
LENTIL, HARICOT AND MUSHROOM ROAST
What looks like a nut roast but isn’t actually a nut anything? Instead we’ve crammed in lentils, haricot beans and a tonne of veggies, herbs and even quinoa flakes for a delicious, easy to make non-nut nut roast loaf thingy!!
LENTIL AND POTATO STEW
From Occasionally Eggs
Oh look at that bowl of yumminess! Talk about comfort food at its finest! I can see roast potato dunking going with this!
ROAST SPROUTS WITH WALNUTS AND GRAPES
It really isn’t Christmas dinner without sprouts, even if it did take 20 years for me to accept a sprout anywhere near my mouth. Now I love ’em. Even when it’s not Christmas.
HERBED SCALLOPED POTATOES
From Vegan in the Freezer
Rich, creamy, herby – THE perfect side dish. Supposed to serve 6. Pretty sure I could finish this by myself.
MAPLE AND THYME WINTER VEG SALAD
Rich, meltingly soft roasted vegetables mixed with crisp leaves and some scattered baked bread and toasty seed crunch. All married perfectly together with a light mustardy dressing. Practically saintly on a day the average Brit consumes around 6000 calories!!
WINTER SLAW
Creamy vegan winter slaw made with red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, red onion, crunchy walnuts, jewel like sultanas and a homemade vegan mustard mayonnaise!
VEGAN MUSHROOM STUFFING
From Vegan in the Freezer
Stuffing sandwiches was one of the Boxing Day highlights as a kid. Not sure this would go in a sandwich but looking at it there’s not likely to be much left!
MUSHROOM GRAVY
From Plant Based Cooking
I forgot the gravy one year. Phil was not impressed.
This one sounds super easy and I love the addition of a little Tamari for depth of flavour.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING CUPCAKES WITH IRISH CREAM FROSTING
These Christmas Pudding Muffins are the perfect festive treat topped with fluffy Irish cream frosting – easy, sticky and delicious!
For some, dessert is actually the main event. And I’ve definitely been guilty of looking at a restaurant’s dessert menu first when deciding what size of main course to order …
VEGAN BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
Soft, seeded bread, chewy apricots, spiced vegan custard and tangy orange marmalade all cooked to gooey perfection.
ULTIMATE VEGAN CHRISTMAS PUDDING
From A Virtual Vegan
Packed with dried fruits, spices and a bit of alcohol, I love the addition of aquafaba to this recipe to give it a lightness rather than the overly dense versions I remember from my childhood
VEGAN STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING
I could eat sticky toffee pudding all year round. Shouldn’t though, which is why, in the season of sheer indulgence, this is usually our dessert choice. I mean just look at that toffee sauce!!
SO MUCH other vegan festive inspiration on this site too.
CHOCOLATE ORANGE NUTTY TRUFFLE TART
The decoration is actually more involved than making the entire tart! But everything can be made ahead and easily assembled on the day. And it’s Christmas so it’s worth that little extra dazzle 😉
VEGAN CHRISTMAS CAKE
Oh Christmas Cake
Oh Christmas Cake
How Much do I Love Thee
So, breakfast is a fond distant memory, dinner has been cooked and consumed, the mountain of washing up done and put away, Christmas hats sit at jaunty angles, it’s time to settle down to a film, some treats and maybe a gentle snooze …
CHRISTMAS SPICE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own Christmas cake but love all the flavours then these are so for you! Just 10 minutes to make, zero cooking time and very very easy to just keep pop pop popping in your mouth
VEGAN DANISH BUTTER COOKIES
From Wallflower Kitchen
Another very very fond childhood memory was a tin of Danish butter cookies. They usually came in a beautiful tin, sparkled with sugar and nestled in their own paper cups. Aimee has recreated this to absolute perfection.
VEGAN MINCE PIES
Nothing screams Christmas to me more than mince pies. It’s my yardstick for when Christmas actually starts. I know that when I eat my first mince pie I can officially start getting excited about the season of all things sparkle and mince pies.
GINGER CAKE
Light, moist, vegan and gluten free Ginger Cake sponge spiced with all the flavours of Christmas! Topped off with sticky sweet icing and crystalised ginger. Don’t be put off by using fava bean flour for this, the finished thing doesn’t taste even remotely of beans! You can of course just sub with plain flour.
VIENNESE WHIRL MINCE PIES
Filled with sticky homemade mincemeat, these rich, buttery vegan Viennese Whirl Mince Pies are always requested by friends and family for our Christmas gatherings!
GINGERBREAD COOKIES
These deliciously soft cookies are packed full of sparkling pieces of crystalised ginger. They’re gluten free too!
VEGAN EGGNOG
From My Darling Vegan
Homemade cashew milk, natural date sweetness, festive spices and a glug of bourbon all whizzed up to rich, creamy perfection. THE perfect end to a magical (and hopefully as stress free as possible) day!
GINGERBREAD HOT CHOCOLATE
A thoroughly rich, festive and warming drink. The perfect way to celebrate Christmas (and autumn!)
I hope you’ve enjoyed this (looooong) list and found some inspiration to help you out this already busy enough time of year 🙂
