Vegetarian Christmas Recipes

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.

These sweet peanut butter-flavored meringue cookies are perfect for special occasions. Dipped in melted chocolate and full of crunchy peanuts, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for up to three months.

This healthier cup of hot chocolate uses low-fat milk, natural cocoa powder and just enough sugar to sweeten things up without going overboard on calories. As an added bonus, the milk provides a healthy serving of protein and calcium, which you won't get from sugar-loaded powdered hot-chocolate mixes prepared using water. Spice it up with an add-ins like orange peel, cinnamon or vanilla for a delicious twist on this classic treat.

Coleslaw is the perfect side dish for picnics and summer cookouts, but it's also a great choice for the holidays. This recipe takes your basic cabbage slaw to festive heights with the addition of dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.

This is not your grandma's cheese ball. It has all the flavor of an everything bagel without all the carbs and with just 3 ingredients! Want to emphasize the bagel taste? Serve it with bagel chips and some raw veggies for dipping to keep things healthy.

This gorgeous fruity punch is perfect for any party--serve it on it's own for a fun mocktail that will please kids and adults alike. Or, set out optional alcoholic mix-ins, like tequila and/or vodka, for a mix-your-own cocktail station.

This rich chocolate tart dessert recipe is low in sugar, making it a perfect healthy finish to a heavy holiday meal.

These cranberry-orange bars freeze well. Make a batch on a free afternoon and pop them in the freezer so you'll always have a healthy dessert on hand when company calls.

Local honey not only supports your neighborhood bee farmers, but it's unprocessed and pure, unlike the filtered honey that's available in your grocery store. Just a couple tablespoons of honey is all that's needed to sweeten this yummy roasted squash recipe. The sweet taste contrasts nicely with the sea salt to make each bite melt in your mouth.

Apple pie has never been so quick to put together. After tossing unpeeled apples and spices in a baking dish, you'll assemble a quick lattice from pastry strips. This lattice topping is not woven like a traditional one--it takes less time to assemble this way but is just as eye catching!

Don't overpower the flavor of fresh vegetables--sometimes all you need is a touch of the right seasoning and a bit of crunch. These 20-minute green beans are flavored with a coriander-annatto spice blend and are topped with toasted almonds. Serve this side dish alongside any meat or fish.

Don't settle for boring green beans! In this quick-and-easy side-dish recipe, onions, roasted red peppers, olives and a sweet and tangy sauce add flavor and interest.

This maple syrup-sweetened sauce is the perfect side dish to your holiday bird. It cooks in less than 15 minutes and can be made several days ahead, freeing up time for you to prepare other dishes on the big day.

This unique cornbread stuffing is seasoned with sweet fennel and kohlrabi. Starting with a packaged corn muffin mix saves prep time and allows you to focus on other holiday dishes while this bakes in the oven.

This no-crust sweet potato pie is a great addition to your holiday dessert table. Sweetened with honey and flavored with warm spices, it's topped with crunchy cereal and pistachios. Any leftover topping can be stored for up to a week and is delicious added on top of your breakfast yogurt.

This take on a green bean casserole from José Andrés features perfectly cooked green beans in a mushroom sauce made with real cream. Andrés even gives the traditional canned french-fried onions a run for their money with some freshly frizzled shallot rings. Serve for Thanksgiving or as a side for roast beef or roast chicken.

Russets are our potato of choice for this garlicky mashed potato recipe because they cook up super-fluffy.

Serve this low-carb side dish with roast pork, roast chicken or a firm white fish, like halibut or cod. No microwave? Bake squash halves cut-side down at 400 degrees F until tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

You've never made a snowman like this! These cute lightened-up cookies are awesome on their own, or float one in a cup of hot chocolate and watch it melt away. When making meringues, make sure that your bowl and beaters are clean and that there is not a trace of yolk in the egg white; the smallest amount of fat will prevent the egg whites from forming meringue. Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, the baking time might vary considerably. Check to make sure your cookies are crisp throughout before removing them from the oven.

You won't believe how easy it is to make these seriously impressive cookies. Hard candy melts when crushed into the center of these festive sugar cookies, making a gorgeous stained glass effect. Use any shape cookie cutter you like, just make sure you have two--a big one for each cookie, and a slightly smaller one for the hole in the middle.