How to Have a Delicious Vegan Christmas

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Christmas 2020 may be set to look different to the festive seasons we’re used to, but this doesn’t have to mean that Christmas is cancelled altogether.

The unusual circumstances mean that this year could be a chance to create new traditions or to try something on your Christmas dinner table that you’ve never got around to making before.

You may have more time on your hands for food prep this year, and with this in mind, we’ve gathered all of our favourite vegan Christmas cooking hacks in one place.

From homemade foodie gifts for vegans to tips for making a perfect nut roast and even vegan pigs in blankets, here are our tips for a delicious vegan Christmas:

Homemade Vegan Foodie Gift Ideas

Making jams, marmalades or chutneys from fruit or veg you’ve already got in your fridge drawer make a great vegan foodie gift for any occasion.

These kinds of gifts are not only budget-friendly, but they’re also a good way to help prevent food waste in your kitchen.

homemade preserves

If you’re after some inspiration for flavour combinations, you can’t go wrong with an apple and cranberry chutney in the winter or a traditional festive orange marmalade.

Stock Up on Vegan Baking Ingredients

Our vegan baking staples to help you get started with making everything from vegan Christmas pudding to a yule log to vegan mince pies are:

Vegan butter
Plant-based milks (almond, soy and coconut all bring different flavours to a recipe)Flax seeds, for combining with water to make a binding flax egg
Vegan cheese or nutritional yeast, which has a cheesy flavour
Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powders in Vanilla, Chocolate and Vanilla Chai flavours. These are great for adding filling vegan protein and extra flavour to a recipe

Perfect Your Nut Roast

A nut roast is a classic choice for a meat-free Christmas dinner. Making your own vegan-friendly nut roast doesn’t have to be complicated – you can probably find many of the ingredients you need in your kitchen cupboard already.

A nut roast is typically made by finely chopping nuts (you could use almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or Brazil nuts), and mixing them with chestnuts, cranberries and your chosen seasoning – this is the chance to really make the nut roast your own.

Meanwhile, you’ll need to fry up some veg – onion, carrots, leeks and celery are all good choices.

Mix the chopped nuts with a nut butter and plant-based milk, then stir in the cooked veg.

Press the whole mixture into a loaf tin and roast for 30-40 minutes.

Vegan ‘Pigs’ in Blankets

If it’s your first Christmas as a vegetarian or vegan, pigs in blankets could be one of the Christmas dinner staples you’re most worried about missing out on.

But with so many vegan sausage options and even vegan bacon substitutes out there, it’s really easy to make a plant-based version of this festive favourite.

Get Creative with Your Veg

Veg is the star of a vegan Christmas dinner – you just need to make sure you’re cooking your veggies without any animal products.

roasted carrots and parsnips

Roast Potatoes

Roast potatoes might traditionally be cooked in goose or duck fat, but an equally tasty (and healthier) vegan alternative is to drizzle your potatoes with olive oil, rosemary and thyme before they go into the oven.

Carrots and Parsnips

Honey and butter are popular festive glazes for carrots and parsnips, but maple syrup works just as well to add a little bit of sweetness to your Christmas dinner.

Brussels Sprouts

Add extra flavour and crunch to your Brussels sprouts by cooking them with chestnuts – a traditional Christmas classic.

The reason many people don’t enjoy Brussels sprouts is because they can easily end up over-boiled. However, sautéeing them with chestnuts in a little olive oil will create a totally different flavour, changing how you see sprouts for good.

It’s All (Vegan) Gravy

Our top vegan gravy hack is to wash and slice a punnet of mushrooms, then boil them up with vegetable stock until softened.

Remove your pan from the heat, then blend the mixture using a blender or food processor until you have a smooth, gravy-like consistency. Season with black pepper or rosemary and thyme to suit your tastes.

Place a jugful of this mushroom-based gravy on your Christmas dinner table, and it’ll go beautifully with everything from your roast potatoes to your nut roast.

A Showstopping Vegan Christmas Dessert

Did you know that aquafaba (the water that tinned chickpeas typically come in) actually makes a great egg white substitute for making meringues with?

A festive pavlova can make for a truly showstopping Christmas Day dessert, and you can easily make this vegan by using aquafaba in your meringues.

Pile up your meringues with cranberries, orange segments and chunks of crystallised ginger to add plenty of festive flavour, and finish the dessert off with a liberal dusting of icing sugar ‘snow’.

For more baking inspiration (including a few non-vegan recipes), check out our healthier twists on homemade favourites: