50 festive vegan Christmas recipe ideas for the holiday season

Author: Rachel Smith


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From gingerbread men, mince pies and chocolate yule logs to shepherds pie and Brussels sprouts, you’re sure to find the perfect treat to indulge in this holiday with our pick of the best vegan Christmas recipes to help you make your best-ever vegan Christmas dinner

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Christmas is a time for indulgence, a time for scoffing mince pies, Christmas cake’s and puddings, and lots of chocolate too!

But eating a plant-based diet doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favourite seasonal sweet and savoury dishes so we’ve rounded up our pick of the most scrumptious vegan Christmas dinner recipes to help you enjoy a compassionate Christmas with all the trimmings.

From vegan roasts to scrumptious desserts and festive vegan starters, the only thing missing from your plate this Christmas will be cruelty!

In this round-up of vegan Christmas dinner recipes you will find:

Vegan Christmas Starters & Sides

Start your vegan Christmas dinner in style with these traditional trimmings with a vegan twist.

1. Vegan Dauphinoise Potatoes

Few sides dishes are quite as delicious as dauphinoise potatoes. Slices of potato are cooked in a creamy dairy-free cheese sauce with a little mustard until they’re tender and irresistibly crispy on top.

Vegan dauphinoise potatoes

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2. Vegan Pigs in Maple Parsnip Blankets

The UK’s most popular Christmas dinner trimming is now meat-free thanks to this ingenious recipe! Maple parsnips make the perfect replacement for bacon and you won’t be able to stop yourself from nibbling them.

Vegan Pigs in Maple Parsnip Blankets - vegan Christmas recipes

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3. Walnut Pâté

This silky smooth walnut pate would make for an elegant starter or a great addition to your festive vegan cheeseboard.

Walnut Pâté - vegan Christmas recipes

4. Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil

This creamy mushroom soup is so delicious and flavoursome that you’ll have to make sure you leave yourself room for your main course! A drizzle of vegan-friendly truffle oil elevates this classic soup flavour into something truly special.

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup With Truffle Oil

5. Festive Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls with Mince & Cranberry

Everyone’s favourite comfort food can now be enjoyed as a festive nibble with this creative spin on vegan macaroni and cheese.

Festive Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls with Mince & Cranberry

6. Vegan Parsnip & Cauliflower Cheese Bake

Take your cauliflower cheese to the next level with the addition of parsnip. The sweet flavour combined with the creamy sauce and crunchy baked cheese topping makes this side dish the star of the show.

Vegan Parsnip & Cauliflower Cheese Bake

7. Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potato Mash

If you normally push your Brussels sprouts to the edge of your plate then we urge you to given them another chance with this maple-glaze sprouts recipe. The maple glaze gives them a gorgeous caramelisation that makes them so delicious you’ll wonder why you didn’t like them before!

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potato Mash

8. Cheesy Toasts With Caramelised Balsamic Onions

Cheese on toast has never looked so good! This vegan cheese sauce browns beautifully and makes for a crowd-pleasing started served on crunchy toast topped with caramelised onions.

Cheesy Toasts With Caramelised Balsamic Onions

9. Chestnut & Mushroom Bonbons with Cherry Sauce

Surprise and delight your guests with your culinary skills by serving them up these chestnut and mushroom bonbons with a tart yet sweet cherry sauce.

Chestnut & Mushroom Bonbons with Cherry Sauce

10. Vegan Broccoli & ‘Blue Cheese’ Soup

This cheesy broccoli soup is a wonderful way to kick off a Christmas dinner as it’s full of flavour but won’t leave you to full to enjoy your vegan roast.

Vegan Broccoli & ‘Blue Cheese’ Soup

11. Vegan Beetroot, Walnut & Sunflower Pâté with Apple Chutney

This vibrantly-coloured  beetroot, walnut and sunflower pâté is a delicious way to start your holiday meal. We like to pair it with a sweet apple chutney so there’s a great balance of sweet and earthy flavours to dip into.

Vegan Beetroot, Walnut & Sunflower Pâté with Apple Chutney

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Vegan Christmas Roasts & Mains

These vegan Christmas dinner recipe ideas will make you wonder why anyone eats meat! From vegetarian roasts to plant-based wellingtons, there’s something for everyone.

12. Butternut Squash Wellington

This whole roasted butternut squash stuffed with spiced sausage meat, orange, nutmeg, almonds, cranberries and kale is the most popular recipe on our website for a good reason!

Butternut Squash Wellington - best vegan Christmas recipes

13. Festive Vegan Vegetable Pie

This rainbow-coloured vegan vegetable pie is a spectacular festive centrepiece that will take pride of place on your table this Christmas. It’s filled with rosemary-roasted potatoes, peppers, and garlic mushrooms for a tasty vegan dinner.

Festive Vegan Vegetable Pie

14. Sage & Onion Sausage with Kale Colcannon Savoury Wreath

This magnificent festive vegetarian main might sound like it’s tricky to make, but you’d be surprised! Using store-bought pastry, it’s filled with the most delicious blend of homemade mushroom sausage mix and butternut colcannon.

Sage & Onion Sausage with Kale Colcannon Savoury Wreath

15. Vegan Nut Roast with Onion Gravy

This hearty nut-roast is loaded with good stuff, and the onion gravy is brimming over with flavour. A must-try recipe this Christmas!

Vegan Nut Roast with Onion Gravy

16. Festive Shiitake Stuffed Seitan Wellington

This impressive vegan seitan Christmas recipe is sure to wow your guests this Christmas! Bursting with an irresistible umami flavour, this pastry plait is a great recipe for vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Festive Shiitake Stuffed Seitan Wellington

17. Leftover Vegetable Christmas Pie

Now you can enjoy your vegan Christmas dinner the next day too! This simple Leftover Vegetable Christmas Pie makes use of any leftover vegetables from your roast dinner, making sure no food goes to waste.

Leftover Vegetable Christmas Pie

18. Vegan Herb-Crumbed Whole Roasted Cauliflower

This flavour-packed whole roasted cauliflower with a herby crumb coating is a great alternative to a traditional roast and perfect for those who favour veggies over mock meats.

Vegan Herb-Crumbed Whole Roasted Cauliflower

19. Vegan Christmas Pie

Looking for the perfect dish to take pride of place on your Christmas table this year? Well, look no further than this sumptuous vegan Christmas pie that’s stuffed with beans, cranberries, nuts and veggies! This is one of the most popular vegan Christmas recipes on our site for a good reason.

Vegan Christmas Pie

20. Squash, Chestnut & Hazelnut Nut Roast Wreath

You only need to glance at the ingredients to know that this beautiful festive nut roast wreath tastes as good as it looks! The butternut squash adds a little sweetness to the dish whilst hazelnuts, chestnuts, veggies and seeds add a wonderful flavour and crunchy texture.

Squash, Chestnut & Hazelnut Nut Roast Wreath

21. Vegan Wensleydale & Cranberry Filo Parcels

This crisp parcel is packed with very good things indeed, like veggies, nuts, seeds, wine and even vegan cheese! Fabulously festive!

Vegan Wensleydale & Cranberry Filo Parcels

22. Baked Squash With Mushroom Nut Roast Stuffing

Wondering what to cook for that special festive dinner? When it comes to striking centrepieces, vegan baked butternut squash with stuffing is both simple to make and pleasing to the eyes and the belly!

Baked Squash With Mushroom Nut Roast Stuffing

23. Christmas Roast With Roast Potatoes & Wild Mushroom Gravy

Leaving turkey off your plate doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Christmas dinner as vegetables are the real star of the show.

Enjoy a spectacular festive feast with this vegan Christmas roast and pile your plate high with roast potatoes and parsnips, sherry braised red cabbage and a meat-free roast made from tofu all served with lashings of wild mushroom gravy.

Christmas Roast With Roast Potatoes & Wild Mushroom Gravy

24. Vegan Seitan Kleftiko

This marvellous meat-free roast will certainly get your family talking with it’s realistic appearance! The seitan-based vegan roast is marinated marinated in lemon, garlic, and oregano to ensure each bite is full of flavour.

Vegan Seitan Kleftiko

25. Chestnut, Mushroom & Caramelised Onion Tart

The name of this festive vegan pie alone is enough to make our mouths water! Packed full of chestnuts, mushrooms and caramelised onions for flavour, you won’t be able to resist that second slice!

Chestnut, Mushroom & Caramelised Onion Tart

26. Vegan Nut Roast with Chunky Lentils and Brazil Nuts

Packed with healthy ingredients to help you stave off any Christmas colds, this is a nut roast recipe for people who are tired of nut roasts and need to be shown just how tasty they really can be!

Vegan Nut Roast with Chunky Lentils and Brazil Nuts

27. Lentil Roast

This lentil roast is a great alternative to meaty roasts for your vegan Christmas dinner. Made with lentils, red pepper and chestnuts, it’s packed with flavour as well as wholesome ingredients.

Vegan lentil roast dinner

28. Vegan Mustard & Maple Ham

Your guests will not believe their eyes when you tell them this realistic maple ‘ham’ is vegan! Made with seitan, it’s packed with smokey flavours and has a truly meaty bite.

Vegan Mustard & Maple Ham

Vegan Christmas Desserts

Have you left yourself room for dessert? You’ll want to ensure you do when you feast your eyes on these delicious vegan Christmas desserts that are the perfect way to round off your spectacular vegan Christmas dinner in style.

29. Vegan Gingerbread Christmas Trifle

With layer upon layer of delicious festive flavours, this vegan trifle recipe is pure indulgence for the holiday season. This is one of our favourite vegan Christmas recipes to make because it just tastes so good!

Vegan Christmas Trifle

30. Spiced Orange Vegan Christmas Pudding

Christmas dinner is not complete without a large helping of Christmas pudding with rum-soaked fruit. You can make this a month before the big day to save you rushing around making everything at the last minute.

Spiced Orange Vegan Christmas Pudding

31. Vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake

The vegan cheesecake is flavoured with tempting spices such as ginger and cinnamon and is a great nut-free dessert for the whole family.

Vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake

32. Chestnut, Chocolate Almond Cake With Spiced Pears

If you’re not a fan of Christmas pudding but want something sweet to finish off your festive feast then this superbly tasty festive vegan chestnut cake with chocolate, almond and spiced pears is guaranteed to delight your guests.

Chestnut, Chocolate Almond Cake With Spiced Pears

33. Spiced Apple, Ginger Cake with a Pecan Crumb Topping

The combination of apples, sweet spices and a crunchy pecan crumble topping make this vegan spiced apple, ginger cake a delicious alternative to Christmas cake.

Spiced Apple, Ginger Cake with a Pecan Crumb Topping

34. Vegan Christmas Cake

Keep it classic with this perfectly moist, rich and dense vegan Christmas cake, topped with a light and fluffy vegan meringue, and crystallised cranberries.

Vegan Christmas Cake with Crystalised Cranberries

35. Festive Vegan Tiffin

A Christmas tiffin requires no baking and is probably one of the easiest sweet treats to make. It’s a timeless favourite that would make a lovely homemade gift too.

Festive Vegan Tiffin

36. Chocolate Orange Ganache Pots

Forget Terry’s Chocolate Orange, these lovely ganache pots are creamy, deeply chocolatey with a lovely zesty orange flavour. They’re quick to make and perfect for making ahead for dinner parties.

Chocolate Orange Ganache Pots

37. Mini Christmas Chocolate Almond Fruit Cakes

Small but perfectly formed, these super chocolatey vegan chocolate fruit cakes are a delicious festive indulgence.

Mini Christmas Chocolate Almond Fruit Cakes

38. Mince Pies

Perfectly flakey vodka pastry, filled with spiced fruit mince – you’ll not find a more delicious vegan mince pie recipe anywhere!

Mince Pies

39. Chocolate Cherry Fudge Truffles

No one should miss out on Christmas treats this year with these delicious, vegan Chocolate Cherry Truffles. Beautiful and impressive to serve at home or wonderful as heartfelt, homemade gifts.

Chocolate Cherry Fudge Truffles

40. Chocolate Truffles

These melt-in-the-mouth vegan chocolate truffles could not be simpler to make and you can adjust the recipe to your taste by playing with different spices, dried fruits and nuts to create delicious flavours.

Chocolate Truffles

41. Vegan Filo Mince Pie Parcels

Put a new twist on the classic recipe with these crisp pastry parcels filled with mince pie filling. They make fantastic vegan canapés too!

Vegan Filo Mince Pie Parcels

42. Traditional Vegan Fruit Cake

A slice of this moist and boozy vegan fruit cake would go down a treat with a glass of brandy in the cold winter months. It tastes just the classic recipe so even Santa will approve!

43. Vegan Poached Pears with Spiced Red Wine

Poached pears are an autumn and winter classic. They’re easy to make as they can be prepped in 10 minutes and fill your house with a wonderful spicy aroma. Plus, they’re light enough that you won’t feel too full after finishing your vegan Christmas dinner!

Vegan poached pears

44. Flourless Vegan Mince Pie Brownies

We can’t get enough of the combination of rich, dark chocolate and festive spices in these heavenly fudgy brownies.

Flourless Vegan Mince Pie Brownies - vegan Christmas recipes

45. Spiced Gingerbread Vegan Christmas Cookies

Want to make sure you’re on Santa’s ‘Nice’ list? Rustle up a batch of these temptingly spiced Christmas cookies! They’re easy to make and great fun to decorate with kids.

Spiced Gingerbread Vegan Christmas Cookies Recipe

46. Clementine and Gingerbread Loaf

The combination of zesty orange and warming ginger make this festive vegan dessert a must-bake this Christmas!

Clementine and Gingerbread Loaf - vegan Christmas recipes

47. Reindeer Cake Pops

Make your own fleet of reindeer this Christmas with this cute vegan cake pop recipe! Fun to decorate and even more fun to eat, this vegan reindeer cake pop recipe is a great one to make with kids over the holiday season.

Reindeer Cake Pops - vegan Christmas recipes

48. Rocky Road Christmas Pudding

Put a fresh spin on the classic Christmas pudding with this crowd-pleasing recipe! Studded with gingersnaps, mini vegan marshmallows, cranberries and dates, this festive take on two classic British desserts tastes as good as it looks!

Rocky Road Christmas Pudding - vegan Christmas recipes

Vegan Christmas Drinks

It’s Christmas and that gives you a great excuse to enjoy something boozy like a warm glass of vegan mulled wine or a cosy mug of hot chocolate. These are our favourite vegan Christmas drinks we’ll be enjoying this festive season.

49. Vegan Egg Nog

Eggnog is the essence of Christmas captured in a single glass. The only problem is that the traditional recipe is a cupful of calories and animal products, so this vegan version makes a brilliant guilt-free alternative. Serve hot or chilled and leave the rum out for the kids!

Vegan Egg Nog

50. Mandarin Mulled Wine

You cannot beat a hot mug of mulled wine at this time of year, and this wonderfully spiced mandarin mulled wine is so good you’ll want to drink it all year round!

Mandarin Mulled Wine

Enjoyed these vegan Christmas dinner recipes? You’ll love our guide to the best vegan advent calendars.

Written by

Rachel Smith

Having launched the brand's digital presence in 2015, Rachel shares her love for animals and the planet through her work as Vegan Food & Living’s Digital Editor. As a passionate vegan for over eight years, Rachel loves creating delicious vegan dessert recipes for her award-winning blog, Rawberry Fields. Rachel's recipes and photography have been featured in numerous international print and digital publications including the Daily Mail, Huffington Post, Thrive, and Buzzfeed. You can follow Rachel at @rawberryfields

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