34 Delicious Vegan Christmas Dinner Recipes

November 07, 2019
Making a vegan Christmas dinner that everyone will enjoy can be quite the feat—especially if you have meat lovers coming to the party. But from cocktails to desserts, these vegan recipes are so tasty that all of your holiday guests will love them!
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Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

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These scalloped potatoes are surprisingly rich and creamy even though they're made with no dairy (milk, butter or cheese)—vegan comfort food at its best. We use almond milk, herbs and spices to make a flavorful sauce and finish the dish with a crunchy almond topping.

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Farro Salad with Cranberries & Persimmons

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When shopping for this healthy salad recipe, be sure to pick up the right type of persimmons. The flat-bottomed Fuyus called for here are bright orange and have texture of an almost-ripe peach when ready to eat—perfect for salsas and salads, with or without the peel. Oval-shaped, darker orange and larger Hachiyas are only edible when almost liquid on the inside. The flesh is best used in baking or can be scooped out of the skin and eaten like custard. Underripe, they are off-puttingly tart.

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Roasted Carrots with Calimyrna Fig Dressing

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Whole roasted carrots make quite a statement on the dinner table when they're topped with a port wine-and-fig dressing. In this recipe, we like dried Calimyrna figs because they're a tad less sweet than Mission figs and taste slightly nutty as well.

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Vegan Eggplant Lasagna

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Classic eggplant Parm is filled with cheese, but this vegan eggplant Parmesan combines nondairy mozzarella cheese with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free cheesy substitute that gives you the comfort food factor without animal products. For the breading, use egg replacer, which you can find in natural-foods stores and the special-diet section of large supermarkets.

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Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

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Coconut oil stands in for butter in this dairy-free, eggless cookie recipe for completely mouthwatering gingerbread cut-outs. Decorate cookies with a simple vegan icing or sanding sugar.

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Vegan Mac & Cheese

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Mac and cheese no longer has to be off the menu if you don't do dairy. A blend of hearty cauliflower, butternut squash, cashews and nutritional yeast gives this vegan macaroni and cheese the gooey, cheesy texture and flavor of traditional mac, without a bit of dairy!

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Elderflower Champagne Cocktail

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Elderflower adds sweet and fruity notes that mingle seamlessly with mint in this refreshing Champagne cocktail.

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Vegan Cornbread Stuffing

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Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, now this classic side dish is available to everyone. We love the deep flavor of cornbread in this entirely plant-based recipe. Our secret to getting that traditional flavor without chicken broth or turkey stock is adding in poultry seasoning—despite the name, there is no poultry in it!

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Vegan Sugar Cookies

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It's hard to imagine a classic buttery sugar cookie without the butter, but trust us, it's possible. Here, we use coconut oil instead of butter for dairy-free eggless cut-out cookies that taste delicious and are fun to make and eat. Decorate with a citrus glaze colored with a little food dye, sprinkles and/or sanding sugar as you wish.

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Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri

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In this stunning, healthy cauliflower recipe, a head of cauliflower is cut into thick slabs then roasted until caramelized and served with chimichurri, a garlic-herb sauce. Each head of cauliflower will provide 2 to 3 steaks from the center—the sides tend to crumble. For a truly show-stopping presentation, use the center portion of 2 heads and save the rest of the cauliflower for another recipe that calls for cauliflower florets.

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Sweet Potato Hash Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

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Diced sweet potato, bell peppers and apples make a vegan stuffing inspired by the flavors of sausage. To add that savory flavor, we use poultry seasoning (don't worry, there's no actual poultry in it!). Piled into portobello mushroom caps, it creates a beautiful and filling plant-based main dish—perfect for the holidays.

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Cranberry Grand Marnier Sparkler

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This colorful cocktail gives a new way to use Grand Marnier liqueur that makes a festive option for holiday toasts and special occasions. Frozen cranberries make a playful garnish and also do double duty by keeping drinks cold.

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Vegan Green Bean Casserole

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Now everyone can enjoy classic holiday favorites, like this dairy-free green bean casserole. We make a homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup using almond milk for the creamy base that's combined with fresh green beans. Top it off with classic french-fried onions (we have a vegan recipe for that, too!) for a side dish everyone will devour.

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Vegan Meatballs

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For these hearty and healthy vegan meatballs, we've swapped out the traditional ground beef and pork for protein-packed chickpeas and quinoa—without skimping on any of those Italian flavors that you look for in a classic meatball. Mushrooms up the umami factor, and a simple tomato sauce completes the picture. Serve over your favorite pasta.

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Vegan Cauliflower Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

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The highlight of this gorgeous vegan holiday main dish recipe is the surprisingly rich dairy-free mushroom gravy. The roasted cauliflower is also pleasantly delicious thanks to a little caramelization while roasting. Smother a side of vegan mashed potatoes with any extra gravy.

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Roasted Savoy Cabbage with Orange Vinaigrette

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Easy Savoy cabbage recipes can be far and few between, especially ones that are as delicious as this whole roasted cabbage. The outer cabbage leaves blacken during the long cooking time, but when removed they reveal a meltingly tender center. Orange blossom water adds delicate aroma to the vinaigrette that's drizzled on top. Serve alongside roast beef or pork, or over mashed potatoes as a main course.

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Steamed Green Beans with Rosemary-Garlic Vinaigrette & Fried Shallots

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Here's a new way to delight your green-bean-loving guests. The genius of this easy green bean recipe is in the dressing, which is made with savory oil that has also been used to fry shallots and garlic.

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Vegan Meringue Cookies

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Magical aquafaba—the liquid from canned chickpeas that often gets poured down the drain—mimics egg whites in these airy vegan meringue cookies. The other magical thing? These cookies require just three ingredients! Save the chickpeas themselves for hummus, stew or any one of our other recipes that call for canned chickpeas.

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Vegan Lasagna

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Silken tofu seasoned with cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast makes a flavorful vegan substitute for ricotta and Parmesan. Whole-wheat noodles and lots of veggies make this version healthier than a typical lasagna.

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Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

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This healthy recipe for oven-roasted cherry tomatoes couldn't be easier, but the results are impressive. Simply toss tomatoes with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and slow roast until they're soft and caramelized and practically taste like candy. If you want an even simpler flavor profile, feel free to omit the herbs while cooking. And if you want to gussy them up, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, after roasting.

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Spaghetti Squash with Pistachios & Sage

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This low-carb vegan side dish is a colorful and delicious addition to your holiday table. No microwave? Bake squash halves cut-side down at 400°F until tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

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Pomegranate Margaritas

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Who says margaritas are just for summer? This pomegranate twist on a cocktail favorite is good all year long—elegant enough for the holidays and fun enough for an outdoor barbecue.

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Vegan Scallops

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King oyster mushrooms stand in for shellfish in this look-alike vegan scallop recipe. The seaweed in the recipe helps add that characteristic flavor of the sea, while tamari and vegan Worcestershire amp up the umami.

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Vegan Apple Pie

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Make classic apple crumb pie vegan-friendly with this easy dairy-free flour crust. Take your dessert to the next level by whipping up a can of coconut cream into vegan whipped cream to dollop on top.

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Madeira-Roasted Mushrooms & Shallots

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Madeira, a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name, has a sweet, mellow flavor somewhat like sherry (which can be used as a substitute here).

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No-Sugar-Added Cranberry Sauce

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Most cranberry sauce recipes add tons of sugar to mask the tart taste of the cranberries. In this simple cranberry sauce, we lighten things up by skipping the sugar and opting for a healthier combination of dates and apple cider which adds just enough sweetness without overpowering the cranberry flavor.

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Spiked Vegan Eggnog

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This vegan take on classic holiday eggnog (nicknamed "vegnog") uses premade nog as a shortcut. Mix in a splash of liquor and add-ins of your choice for a festive holiday drink. Try cinnamon sticks, freshly grated nutmeg, orange zest or a dollop of vegan whipped cream.

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Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Carbonara

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Carbonara, traditionally bathed in eggs, gets a vegan makeover using roasted and pureed butternut squash instead to make it ultra-creamy. A topping of ground almonds, garlic and sage gives it texture and an herby, savory flavor in place of the cheese and bacon.

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Vegan Cheesecake

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This luscious vegan cheesecake nixes the dairy in favor of a filling made with coconut cream, tofu and cashews or macadamia nuts instead of the traditional eggs and cream. Coconut oil and nuts make for a rich-tasting and crunchy crust, so nobody will miss the butter.

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Vegan Mushroom Gravy

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Serve this rich vegan mushroom gravy with cauliflower steaks, over mashed potatoes or vegetables, with pan-fried tofu or—if you're not a vegetarian or vegan—with turkey or chicken.

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Cranberry-Prosecco Cocktail

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A splash of cranberry juice in sparkling wine and a garnish of cranberries and rosemary sprigs makes an exceptionally festive party-ready cocktail that's easy to make, too.

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Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Almond butter and coconut oil replace dairy butter and eggs in these vegan treats, giving them the crisp but chewy texture that we all love. On its own, chocolate is a vegan ingredient but dairy products are often introduced during processing. Some chocolate chips may not be labeled vegan, but if they do not contain dairy products, such as whey, casein, milk, milk fat and milk solids, they are vegan. Check labels carefully.

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Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Brussels sprouts have surged in popularity recently and it's easy to understand why. They're high in nutrients while low in calories and can be prepared quickly in a variety of ways—baked, steamed and even eaten raw! This simple side dish recipe serves up roasted sprouts seasoned with just a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper.

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Vegan French-Fried Onions

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Oven-frying lightly battered onion slices produces the kind of crispy onion rings we all love, but with less fat and fewer calories. Plus, we use almond milk to make this crispy onion topping dairy-free and vegan—perfect for topping a vegan green bean casserole!