6 vegan holiday desserts that will probably be the best thing you’ve ever tasted
This time of year is packed with more evocative smells than a Bath & Body Works. Cloves, gingerbread, hot chocolate… those festive flavours will put you in the Christmas spirit quicker than your fave holiday movie. But when you follow a vegan lifestyle, holiday baking isn’t always friendly to your diet. Mincemeat pies? Eggnog? Even the names are enough to send you running!
(Psst – don’t forget to top ALL THE THINGS with this amazing vegan whipped cream.)
Luckily, there are plenty of epic vegan holiday recipes out there these days – so you can get in on all the festive goodness and stay true to your vegan self. From dairy-free hot cocoa to pumpkin spice cupcakes (oh yes), there’s a plant-based recipe to tempt everyone’s sweet tooth.
Chai-spiced donuts with vanilla frosting
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These chai-spiced donuts from plant-based blogger Goodness is Gorgeous are waaaay too easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients, you can whip up a fresh batch of these totally addictive little pastries for dessert. There’s vegan chai latte in the actual batter, so yes, they taste totally legit.
Cashew milk hot chocolate with marshmallows
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Vegan cocoa with handmade chocolate, cashew milk, and marshmallows? Yes please! If you can’t make it to posh plant-based resto Planta, you can totally DIY the recipe. Since marshmallows are usually made with gelatin, a fancy cup of cocoa makes an extra special holiday treat for your vegan friends. These days there are plenty of reliable vegan-friendly brands, or you can make your own plant-based marshmallows.
Raw chocolate wreath
British blog Livia’s Kitchen is packed with plant-based holiday recipes, but we’re especially in love with this centrepiece-worthy chocolate wreath. Livia rates this a medium difficulty recipe, but you get maximum chocolatey goodness in return.
A not-so-traditional English trifle
When Rachel attempted a holiday trifle on Friends, it ended up stuffed with meat. You can be sure that this version, from London’s legendary vegetarian restaurant, Mildreds, is definitely meatless. Trifle is a labour of love to make, but this recipe from the Vegan Pantry is so jam-packed (literally!) with fruit flavor, it’s totally worth it. Yum.
Flourless chocolate cake
Nothing – and we mean NOTHING – says Christmas like flourless chocolate cake. (Although, if you really wanted to kick things up a notch, you could opt for this fig-infused chocolate cake. Come bring us some figgy… erm, dessert.) The Unconventional Baker’s vegan version is super simple – you don’t even need to bake it.
Pumpkin spice cupcakes
Pumpkin spice season ain’t over till it’s over – and we say it’s still on. These epic plant-based cupcakes are from LA’s Real Food Daily, but you can dupe your own. Try the Healthy Helper’s adaptation of the famously yummy recipe from the Oh She Glows cookbook.