Want vegan content including drool-worthy recipes delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up Now!
Forkly Vegan Email
The holidays are my favorite time of year. Mostly because of the twinkly lights, the sparkly ornaments on a dazzling tree and of course more time spent with friends and family. Along with the nostalgia of Christmas morning the big dinner is another event to look forward to.
Being vegan or trying to follow a plant-based diet does have its downsides especially if you’re family or those you spend the holidays with don’t follow the same diet. We’re here to help make the big holiday feast a little easier for you! We have found some fantastic recipes that range from sauces to side dishes, the main course, and even some enticing desserts. These recipes will blow any meat-eater away and they may be shocked to discover they enjoy plant-based foods too!
Every big feast needs a tasty dinner roll. Step up your dinner roll game with this recipe! The smell of them baking in the oven will have you drooling.
This recipe will walk you through thorough instructions on how to create the dough all the way to how to tie the knots. These garlic and herb dinner rolls are savory, soft and so delicious!
https://foodal.com/recipes/breads/vegan-roasted-garlic-herb-dinner-rolls/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=447653408_15018838_332545 PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FOODAL
While we won’t be harming any turkeys this holiday season cranberry sauce is still a lovely condiment to have on the table. It can complement your vegan main course, pair well with potatoes or however you’d like to enjoy it.
Not only is this vegan-friendly but it’s homemade too. This sauce is made of wholesome ingredients such as fresh cranberries and pure orange juice. The zest of the orange and the flavor of cinnamon will compliment each other nicely and you’ll be asking yourself why you haven’t tried this recipe sooner.
https://joyfoodsunshine.com/homemade-cranberry-sauce/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: JOY FOOD SUNSHINE
Along with cranberry sauce, gravy is a must-have holiday dinner item. Growing up my favorite thing to do was build a well in my mashed potatoes and fill it up with gravy! Whether you enjoy gravy on your potatoes, on the main entree, or smothered all over your plate (no judging here) you need to try this recipe.
Creating vegan gravy is actually quite simple. Instead of beef broth, you’ll use vegetable broth. Then, with a few seasonings and a couple cups of non-dairy milk, you’ll have this lovely savory gravy made in no time.
https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2015/11/911-vegan-gravy.html PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: FAT FREE VEGAN
Jamie Oliver proves how you can transform a classic recipe such as sausage rolls into a vegan one that even meat eaters will enjoy. These vegan mushroom rolls are flaky, savory and would be a lovely addition to the holiday menu.
First, you’ll create a herby mushroom filling that is made from mushrooms, breadcrumbs, savory garlic and onion, and a few seasonings. Once you have the mixture ready you’ll mold it into sausage shapes and wrap with ready-rolled puff pastry.
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/vegan-mushroom-rolls/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: JAMIE OLIVER
I was amazed when I stumbled upon this recipe. Green bean casserole is a classic holiday dish that is on my dinner table year after year. When I changed my diet to plant-based I was worried I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the classics that I grew up with.
If you’ve had that thought too grab hold of it and throw it out! This is another great recipe that proves so many classics can be made vegan and they can be made well!
https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-vegan-green-bean-casserole/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: THE BUSY BAKER
If you haven’t tried this recipe already be prepared to be blown away! I have tried countless brussels sprouts recipes and as much as I want to love them I just couldn’t. That is until I tried this recipe.
Its creamy and spicy and perfectly masks the bitter flavor that brussels sprouts naturally have. This is a two-step recipe. Meaning, you’ll need to roast the sprouts first then bake again with the sauce but I assure you the time you put into this dish is well worth it!
http://www.forkly.com/recipes/bang-bang-roasted-brussels-sprouts/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FORKLY
This Hasselback butternut squash is a great way to allow all the flavors to seep into the squash. Each bite will be evenly cooked and thoroughly seasoned.
Before you roast the squash in the oven you’ll need to scoop out the seeds and peel off the skin. First, you’ll want to roast the squash for about 20 minutes to soften it. Then you’ll be ready to thinly slice the squash and season all the layers. To finish you’ll place in the oven again and roast until it’s soft and tender.
http://www.forkly.com/recipes/hasselback-butternut-squash-roasted-side-dish/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FORKLY
Whole roasted cauliflower is the centerpiece you didn’t know you were searching for. While many restaurants are catching onto the cauliflower trend we need to start making it a part of our holiday dinners too.
This cauliflower is roasted in a lovely dijon sauce. Mix the ingredients to create the sauce then douse the cauliflower in it. Roasting the cauliflower will create a tender texture and a wonderful flavor.
http://www.forkly.com/recipes/dijon-roasted-whole-cauliflower/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FORKLY
Not everyone loves dijon flavors so that is why we’re including this roasted cauliflower recipe too. The idea is the same as the previous one but with different flavors.
This recipe is like a vegan version of a classic pot roast (sans animals). First, you’ll whip up a delicious vegan gravy. Them, assemble the roasting dish with carrots and potatoes at the base and the whole cauliflower positioned in the center. Lastly, smother the cauliflower in gravy and roast until perfection.
https://www.karissasvegankitchen.com/whole-roasted-cauliflower/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: KARISSA’S VEGAN KITCHEN
Are you searching for a plant-based main course this year? Forget the turkey with this recipe!
First off, lentils are highly nutritious. They’re a great source of fiber, iron, and protein and that is why they would be a great meat replacer. This lentil roast is tender and thriving in exciting textures. This recipe will walk you through how to make the lentil roast as well as a delicious balsamic onion gravy!
http://wallflowerkitchen.com/lentil-roast-with-gravy/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: WALL FLOWER KITCHEN
Another excellent main course option could be this vegan mushroom wellington. This recipe will blow away your meat-eating friends and family! It takes the idea of a beef wellington but reinvents it using all vegan-friendly ingredients.
The filling is made from Dijon mustard, spinach, onions, and portabello mushrooms. Portabello mushrooms is an excellent substitute for meat because when cooked, they have a “meaty” texture. This recipe will also provide you instructions on how to create a vegan pastry and a vegan egg wash.
https://www.deliciouseveryday.com/mushroom-wellington/ PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: DELICIOUS EVERYDAY
In my opinion, mashed potatoes are a necessity, especially during the holidays. They’re creamy fluffy and oh so irresistible!
Many mashed potato recipes require cream and butter which clearly are not vegan-friendly. This recipe proves how easily you can transform a classic dish like mashed potatoes into one that is perfectly fitting for a plant-based diet. All you need to do is make a few simple substitutions.
https://minimalistbaker.com/the-best-damn-vegan-mashed-potatoes/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: MINIMALIST BAKER
Sweet potato casserole is another holiday classic that is often a crowd-favorite. With this recipe, you can feed the whole table with a lovely side dish that they won’t even know is vegan.
This side dish begins with soft fluffy sweet potatoes and is topped with a delicious pecan crumble. It is so tasty everyone will be begging you for the recipe.
http://www.nutritionalfoodie.com/best-ever-vegan-sweet-potato-casserole-with-pecan-crumble/ PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: NUTRITIONAL FOODIE
What is a holiday dinner without dessert? Whip up a batch of these lovely vegan mini pecan pies to finish off your holiday dinner.
If you don’t have access to store-bought vegan pie crust this recipe will provide you a link to make your own. The sweet filling is made up of pecans, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and just a few other lovely ingredients!
https://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2016/12/mini-pecan-pies-vegan.html PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: YUMMY YUMMY KITCHEN
Perhaps you’d like to make another holiday dessert classic, apple pie. Not only is this recipe vegan but it gets an upgrade with flavors of delicious salted caramel.
This pie is entirely made from scratch. This means you’ll make the pie crust, the salted caramel sauce, and the apple filling. It may take a few extra steps to create but the pay off is well worth it.
http://wallflowerkitchen.com/salted-caramel-apple-pie-vegan/ PHOTO AND RECIPE HERE: WALLFLOWER KITCHEN
Want vegan content including drool-worthy recipes delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up Now!
Forkly Vegan Email