Vegan Holiday & Occasion Recipes

These vegetarian and vegan baked beans are everything you want them to be--thick, sweet and smoky. Plus, they're so easy to make for a barbecue side that everyone will enjoy.

This fruity red sangria is just like what you would get in a restaurant. It's easy to make with just five ingredients. A big batch is perfect for parties--or any night on the patio.

Avocado in a margarita? You bet! It lends creaminess and beautiful color to this refreshing blended cocktail that's perfect for serving on taco night.

Drink your vegetables at happy hour with these beet margaritas, also known as "margabeetas." These cocktails get their gorgeous pink hue naturally from inherently sweet beet juice. You can buy the juice in the produce section of most grocery stores, or juice your own at home.

Watermelon, cucumber, fresh basil, and lime juice flavor a summer drink that's fancy enough for guests. The soda takes only minutes to put together. Keep the fruit concentrate, simple syrup, and seltzer water separately in the fridge, then mix just before serving.

Raspberries, lime, and ginger sparkle in a homemade soft drink that's the taste of summer in a glass. This homemade soda has three parts: fruit concentrate, simple syrup, and seltzer water. Store all three components in the fridge separately, then mix just before serving.

We've divided the tofu and veggies onto separate skewers because the tofu is delicate and sticks to the grill more easily than the eggplant and zucchini. If you like, swap halloumi cheese for the tofu for another twist on this combination.

Carrots replace cocktail wieners in this healthy update of pigs in a blanket. Soaking the carrot "dogs" in a smoky marinade is the key to giving them that hot dog flavor, for a vegan app meat-eaters will love too. Serve with dipping sauces like honey mustard or ranch dressing to take these to the next level.

This super-quick vegetable side dish comes together in no time. Fresh snap peas need only a few minutes in a hot skillet-just enough time to whip up a simple soy-ginger glaze.

A homemade simple syrup fragrant with delicate rose petals is an easy way to elevate cocktail hour. Find dried rose petals online, or in the bulk herb section of well-stocked supermarkets and natural-foods stores.

Dried lavender flowers make a fast simple syrup perfect for dressing up a favorite cocktail standby, the good ol' gin and tonic.

Amp up margarita night with a quick homemade simple syrup that packs a brilliant pink hue from dried hibiscus flowers. Serve with guacamole topped with pomegranate seeds and lime tortilla chips.

Classic carrot cake goes vegan in this easy recipe, and gets covered with coconut whipped cream to replace the traditional cream cheese frosting. A mixture of flax and water makes a sturdy substitute for eggs in this vegan cake. Plus, sweet crushed pineapple helps to make this cake delicious with less added sugar.

Everyone should know how to make this classic cocktail. Old Fashioneds are easy to make and timeless.

A 3:1 ratio of whiskey to vermouth is the best for this classic Manhattan recipe. This cocktail never goes out of style.

Nothing beats the taste of freshly griddled corn tortillas! They are easy to make, but you do need masa harina, which is available in Latin American markets and large supermarkets. Masa harina is made from corn kernels that are dried, treated with lime and then ground into a fresh dough. The dough is dried and ground into a powder to make masa harina (which means "dough flour").

These traditional mint juleps are a staple in the South--especially for the Kentucky Derby. Whip them up at home with this easy recipe.

This refreshing cocktail features a combination of vodka, tangy lime and ginger beer, a nonalcoholic carbonated ginger beverage similar to ginger ale. This cocktail is traditionally served in a copper mug.

This super-refreshing fruit slushie is so easy to make and uses just three ingredients. Try it with strawberries and raspberries, too--these are great for a kids' party, but the adults will love them just as much (especially spiked with a little vodka or gin).

Kids and adults alike will be wowed watching this delicious slush turn from blue to pink and purple in an instant. The magical concoction is made with natural blue tea (see Note) and refreshing lemonade for a fun science experiment that's tasty too. Perfect for your child's birthday party! (Adults may enjoy spiking their drink with a little vodka or gin.)