30 Best Vegan Christmas Recipes Christmas Dinner Ideas and More for 2023

Published: November 4, 2022

Modified: December 3, 2023

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It's fall once again and the holiday season is coming up soon. Maybe you're looking for some new vegan recipes to make 2022's vegan Christmas dinner menu better than ever. Maybe you're a new vegan wondering where to start with Christmas meals. Or maybe you have vegan guests coming for the holidays and you have no idea what to prepare. No matter why you're here, I'm glad you are!

I've put together the best of my time-tested, tried and true, delicious vegan Christmas recipes right here for you. From Christmas breakfast to sugar cookies to vegan Christmas dinner ideas, you'll find a recipe that you and your family will love! It's my Christmas wish that some of this delicious food can contribute to your family's merry Christmas and healthy and prosperous New Year. 🧡

Vegan Christmas Breakfast Recipes
- Vegan French Toast
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 25 minutes
  Cook Time: 20 minutes
  Total Time: 45 minutes
  Is there anything more "Christmas-y" than French toast? It's the perfect holiday morning meal: sweet, delicious, easy, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. This vegan version tastes just like the classic, using a few secret ingredients to get the right texture and flavor.
  
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- Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 20 minutes
  Cook Time: 25 minutes
  Total Time: 45 minutes
  If you don't have any bread laying around for French toast, you can always make pancakes instead! The ingredients for these pancakes are common household staples, so you probably have them in your fridge or cupboard. They're also quick and easy to make, so you can have a sweet breakfast treat while also enjoying Christmas morning with your family.
  
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- Glazed or Chocolate-Frosted Donuts
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 60 minutes
  Cook Time: 10 minutes
  Total Time: 12 hours
  These donuts are light, airy, and chewy just like donut-shop donuts, but they're completely vegan! Make them with your choice of classic glaze or chocolate frosting with sprinkles. You can prepare the dough a day ahead of time so you don't have to wake up quite so early on Christmas Day to get these made.
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Vegan Christmas Appetizer Recipes
Never overlook appetizers and snacks on holidays! They keep everyone happy (including the chef!) while waiting on the main meal to be prepared. They're also great if you happen to be hosting (or attending) a Christmas party.
- Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 30 minutes
  Cook Time: 18 minutes
  Total Time: 48 minutes
  Did you know that more people make spinach dip at Christmas than at any other time of year? It's a warm, delicious treat that also goes well with the football games that are usually played on Christmas day (at least here in the US). This vegan version uses cashew cream and fresh spinach for a creamy, cheesy snack that will have everyone asking you for the recipe.
  
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- Cranberry and Cashew Cheese Crostini
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 20 minutes
  Cook Time: 40 minutes
  Total Time: 60 minutes
  If you didn't get enough cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, try this appetizer. It's fancy-looking and delicious, but also easy to make! You can make the cranberry sauce ahead of time, so when it's time to serve, you can just toast the baguette slices, and then top it with some cashew cheese, walnuts, and cranberry sauce. It's an easy way to keep everyone happy while waiting for dinner, but it also works for holiday parties too.
  
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- Cashew & Butternut Squash Queso Dip
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 25 minutes
  Cook Time: 10 minutes
  Total Time: 30 minutes
  This vegan queso is so cheesy that no one ever suspects it's vegan! It's made with raw cashews for a creamy texture, and butternut squash, carrots, and nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Add in diced tomatoes, jalapenos, and corn for a chunky dip, perfect for tortilla chips!
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- Vegan Garlic Bread
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 25 minutes
  Cook Time: 15 minutes
  Total Time: 40 minutes
  This garlic bread is the perfect pairing for Italian main courses like lasagna or baked ziti. With a yummy homemade vegan parmesan, it tastes just like traditional garlic bread.
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- Garlic & Vegan Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 25 minutes
  Cook Time: 40 minutes
  Total Time: 65 minutes
  Fluffy inside, crispy outside, AND easy to make? Yes, please! These smashed potatoes are the perfect finger food for your holiday appetizer menu.
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Vegan Christmas Dinner Recipes: Main Dishes
- Stuffed Shells with Tofu and Spinach Ricotta
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 37 minutes
  Cook Time: 38 minutes
  Total Time: 75 minutes
  If you're looking for a Christmas dinner main course that's impressive and delicious, but also not too stressful to make, try these stuffed shells. They're a comforting classic that everyone will love.
  
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- Lentil Loaf with Oats and Vegetables
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 40 minutes
  Cook Time: 50 minutes
  Total Time: 90 minutes
  I started making vegan lentil loaf a few years ago for Thanksgiving, then gradually changed it into my current recipe. This is the recipe that everyone always asks for (both vegans and meat-eaters). This loaf is tender and flavorful, and you can make it gluten-free by using gluten-free oats and oat flour, and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
  
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- Vegan Lasagna with Carrots and Zucchini
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 60 minutes
  Cook Time: 70 minutes
  Total Time: 105 minutes
  Lasagna has always been one of my favorite meals. So when I got my first apartment, it was one of the first things I learned to cook. However, when I went vegan, finding a good vegan recipe wasn't as easy as I had hoped. I eventually made my own, which is so good that you won't miss the original. While this version uses carrots and zucchini, you can also use lentils instead for a "meatier" flavor. Or, make the lasagna with half vegetables and half lentils so your guests can choose which version they prefer!
  
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- Butternut Squash Casserole
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 50 minutes
  Cook Time: 70 minutes
  Total Time: 105 minutes
  This casserole is filled with flavorful butternut squash, leeks, kale, pecans, and cashew cheese. Even with all that flavor, it's still healthy and not too filling! It provides a nice balance to heavier holiday dishes.
  
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- Baked Ziti
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 40 minutes
  Cook Time: 70 minutes
  Total Time: 110 minutes
  The secret to this vegan baked ziti is in the homemade vegan mozzarella cheese, which stretches, melts, and tastes delicious! It's also made with homemade tofu ricotta and lentils. It's an easy recipe, but you'll want to prepare the mozzarella in advance to give it time to firm up so it can be grated.
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- Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter and Mushrooms
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 2 hours
  Cook Time: 65 minutes
  Total Time: 4 hours
  For an extra-special Christmas dinner, make your pasta from scratch. It's a fair amount of work, but 100% worth it for this delicious dish. The butternut squash filling is full of flavor that blends beautifully with sage and mushrooms.
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- Tofu Ricotta & Spinach Cannelloni
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 75 minutes
  Cook Time: 30 minutes
  Total Time: 105 minutes
  Wow your family members and guests with this stunning pasta dish, stuffed with tofu ricotta and spinach, and topped with marinara and a creamy vegan mascarpone sauce. It's just as delicious as it looks!
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Vegan Christmas Dinner Recipes: Side Dishes
Below are recipes for some amazing holiday sides. But don't overlook the simpler veggie side dishes: you can roast potatoes, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, or delicata squash. Or prepare some green peas, corn, or wild rice!
- Vegan Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 15 minutes
  Cook Time: 15 minutes
  Total Time: 30 minutes
  Make this side with Yukon gold potatoes for a creamy take on a classic holiday dish. Kite Hill vegan sour cream provides a delicious tangy flavor that melts into the buttery potatoes just like the real thing. These mashed potatoes are so good, you won't believe they come together in less than 30 minutes!
  
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- Loaded Baked Potato
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 35 minutes
  Cook Time: 75 minutes
  Total Time: 2 hours
  Made with Miyoko's shredded cheddar, Kite Hill sour cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and chives, these baked potatoes are as easy as they are delicious!
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- Maple-Butter Roasted Carrots with Spiced Cashew-Tahini Sauce
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 30 minutes
  Cook Time: 25 minutes
  Total Time: 45 minutes
  This Christmas side dish is a show-stopper (it's especially beautiful with rainbow carrots), but it's surprisingly simple to make! Carrots are roasted in a slightly sweet maple-butter glaze with lemon juice, then dipped in a flavorful creamy sauce with a base of cashew cream and tahini.
  
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- Cheesy Twice-Baked Potatoes
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 60 minutes
  Cook Time: 80 minutes
  Total Time: 2 hours
  If your family is like mine, twice-baked potatoes are a requirement for the holiday table. This version uses a stretchy homemade vegan cheese that gets mashed together with potatoes and almond milk for a flavor-packed filling. Your Christmas dinner can now be considered complete!
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Vegan Christmas Treats, Desserts, and Beverages
Some of my fondest childhood Christmas memories are of the multitude of sweets and treats we got to indulge in once a year. At my grandmother's house, we would help her bake chocolate chip cookies, then each of my aunts would bring their own batches of cookies over. After dinner, we were allowed to go down into the basement where the cookies were all stored in tins on top of long folding tables, and we could pick any cookies we wanted. Here are some of my favorite vegan versions of these classic holiday sweet treats.
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 30 minutes
  Cook Time: 8 minutes
  Total Time: 90 minutes
  Probably the most iconic Christmas cookie is the roll-out sugar cookie, cut into Santa, angel, and snowman shapes. These vegan Christmas cookies have a buttery decorator icing that can be colored or topped with vegan sprinkles.
  
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- Apple Crisp
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 70 minutes
  Cook Time: 40 minutes
  Total Time: 110 minutes
  Apple crisp is the easier but equally delicious sibling to apple pie, with a crumbly oat topping that everyone loves. This recipe can also be made gluten-free by replacing the flour with oat flour. Enjoy it with a vanilla vegan ice cream like NadaMoo or Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss.
  
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- Chewy Brownies
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 30 minutes
  Cook Time: 30 minutes
  Total Time: 60 minutes
  If you've been trying to find a recipe for chewy vegan brownies that can go toe-to-toe with any non-vegan brownie out there, try this one. It's super moist, chewy, and fudgy, and tastes just like the brownies we made from a box as children.
  
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- Vegan Cannoli
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 40 minutes
  Cook Time: 10 minutes
  Total Time: 50 minutes
  This delicious dessert is filled with slightly sweet tofu ricotta and chocolate chips. Dip the ends of the shells in melted chocolate for an even more decadent treat.
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- Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
  Easy? No
  Prep Time: 30 minutes
  Cook Time: 30 minutes
  Total Time: 60 minutes
  These carrot cake cupcakes are loaded with walnuts, coconut, and raisins and then topped with a vegan cream cheese frosting that tastes pretty close to the real thing. (Feel free to leave out the walnuts, coconut, or raisins if any of them aren't your thing.)
  This recipe is derived from a recipe I developed in my former life as a cupcake baker; the carrot cake cupcakes in particular had what I would describe as a cult-like following. So maybe skip these if you're worried about developing a habit.
  
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- Apple Galette
  Easy? Yes
  Prep Time: 50 minutes
  Cook Time: 40 minutes
  Total Time: 2 hours