Although the world is becoming a more welcoming place for vegans with every passing year, the holidays can still be a tough time for those who abstain from all animal products.
Many restaurants now offer vegan options, but Grandma’s kitchen? Not so much. Even if your family members are respectful of your dietary restrictions, they may not go above and beyond to cook vegan options for holiday meals. That often means that it’s up to you to make sure you don’t go hungry on Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah. But wouldn’t it be nice if you could share your vegan dishes with the ones you love most?
Well, with these desserts, you can. Your non-vegan friends and family may turn their nose up at your Tofurkey, but they certainly won’t be able to resist these delectable vegan holiday desserts…
Tropical Figgy Tarts
This recipe isn’t just vegan, it’s also totally raw! So when you serve it up, you can introduce people to two different food movements they may not be familiar with. The flavors in this lovely tart conjure up the tropics with mango and coconut, but it still has a traditional holiday feel due to the figs, cinnamon and walnuts.
- Use a food processor to pulse 1 cup coconut flakes with ½ cup walnuts until it’s in fine crumbs.
- Add in 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and a cup of dried figs – process until the mixture sticks together to form a dough.
- Line tart tins in coconut oil, press the mixture into each one for your crust and let set in the fridge for one hour.
- Peel 1-2 mangos and cut into slices.
- Remove tart crusts from pan and fill with mango slices arranged around the center.
- Dust the tops with cinnamon and ginger powder and coconut flakes before serving.
*Original recipe here
Amaretto Chocolate Mousse
This one is for the grownups, who will adore the rich and indulgent treat when you set it on the table after the big meal. Plus, the fun booze factor is sure to gain points for non-vegan eaters. Who said vegan holiday desserts would be boring!
- Bring ½ cup of organic chocolate soy milk to a simmer in a small pot, then remove from heat to let cool a bit.
- Use a double boiler to melt 9 to 10 ounces of vegan chocolate chips (not carob chips) and remove from heat once completely melted.
- Add the chocolate soy milk and 12 ounces of silken tofu to the melted chocolate and use a hand mixer or blender to process the ingredients together until completely smooth.
- Stir in ¼ cup Amaretto and ¼ teaspoon natural pure almond extract.
- Chill for at least an hour and a half (longer is better) in a large bowl or small bowls before serving.
*Original recipe here
As You Like It Chocolate Pie
Pie is a quintessential holiday dessert, so you might feel a little sad and deprived if you don’t take charge of putting at least one vegan-friendly pie on the dessert table. This is a great choice because not only does it include chocolate, but the simple recipe can easily be customized to include other delicious flavors that compliment chocolate, like mint, raspberry or orange.
- Make a basic graham cracker crust (or purchase a pre-made vegan one):
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- In a food processer, pulse together ab out 6 ounces of graham crackers (roughly a little less than half of a standard box) and 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar.
- Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup melted coconut oil and continue pulsing a few more times until the mixture sticks together.
- Press the mixture into a pie crust pan and bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown and then allow to cool.
- Use a food process to blend together a 12.3-ounce package of extra firm, silken tofu, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons almond, rice, or soy milk, a pinch of sea salt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and any other flavoring you choose.
- Melt 1 ½ cups of vegan dark chocolate chips in a double boiler and then add the melted chocolate to the tofu mix and blend again.
- Pour your filling into the pie crust let set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.
*Original recipe here
Berry Almond Tart
A beautifully simple, totally raw and absolutely delicious vegan holiday dessert option. This refreshing tart is both sweet and healthy, so you can tell your relatives that they can indulge in a slice without feeling guilty after the decadent meal.
- For the crust, pulse 2 cups walnuts in the food processer until it resembles a rough flour, then add 2 cups raisins and pulse again until the mixture starts to stick together to form a dough.
- Press the mixture into a tart tin and let set in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Blend together until smooth: ¼ cup almond butter, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, ¼ cup maple syrup or ½ cup date paste, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon – add a bit of water if it appears to be too dry.
- Spread the filing mixture onto the crust and then let set in the fridge for a half hour to an hour.
- Before serving, spread 3 cups mixed frozen or fresh berries on top.
*Original recipe here
These vegan holiday dessert recipes are so good that they’ll be able to convince even your most stubborn and traditional loved ones that vegan fare can be quite delicious. Bon appetite and happy holidays!
About the Author: Edward Lee is an avid desserts blogger who is lucky enough to also have a career in this very sweet industry. He is the National Accounts Manager for BoDeans Baking, one of the leading suppliers of ice cream cones and ice cream sandwich wafers. To learn more, visit BoDeans baking group.
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