Vegan Food Swaps for Christmas: 12 Ideas

Whether it’s your first vegan Christmas or you’re simply having a vegan come for dinner, serving up an enjoyable feast shouldn’t be a struggle. You’ll have to be prepared to get a little creative, but it’s all part of the festive fun. This is our guide and we are going to describe our 12 vegan food swaps for Christmas.

1. Mince Pies

What’s screams Christmas more than this traditional sweet treat? You can bake them yourself, or there are plenty in supermarkets. Just make sure to look out for pesky buttermilk and suet. Suet is the hard white fat on the kidneys and loins of cattle, sheep, and other animals.

2. Pigs in Blankets

The only pigs we want to see in blankets is this cute little piggy below. You can veganise this traditional side by wrapping meat-free sausages in vegan bacon – yum!

3. Chocolates

Make your own vegan ‘Quality Street’ tin using your favourite dairy-free goodies. It’s a shame these companies have yet to make a vegan version. For now us vegans gotta get creative.

4. Vegan booze

If you’re all about the boozing this Christmas look out for vegan-friendly alcohol. This dairy-free Baileys goes down an absolute treat, and you can use apps like Barnivore to see whether wines and beers have been filtered using a non-vegan method. You know the score, always drink responsibly!

5. Advent calendar

In the countdown to Christmas we don’t have to miss out on all the fun either. Opt for a dairy-free calendar or make your own using all sorts of vegan goodies.

6. Vegan desserts

If you’re not much of a baker, then you can go on the hunt for supermarket sweet treats instead. There are plenty of options out there. Plant Pioneers have some super tasty alternatives.

7. Vegetable stuffing

Most include some sort of sausage meat and are served inside dead animal carcass – eek! Luckily for us, stuffing balls can be served as a side. You can find vegan-friendly stuffing mixes like Paxo sage & onion, or simply mix together your own.

8. Veganise your Christmas pudding

Most Christmas puddings are neither vegetarian nor vegan. Traditionally, suet is one of the main ingredients in this pudding. In spite of this, you can find vegetable based suets made by brands like Atora. Fancy baking your own? Then why not try this recipe!

9. Dairy-free chocolate log

Calling all chocolate lovers! This is sure to tickle your sweet tooth. It’s probably best to try whipping this up yourself. Here’s a handy recipe that you can thank us for later.

10. Nut roast or meat-free wellington

What about the main event? Typically the vegan or vegetarian at the table will be served a nut roast. If this isn’t your cup of tea, then a good meat-free pie or wellington is a very nice substitute. Failing that, slices of seitan or another meat-free alternative work great too.

11. Meat-free gravy

Often a meaty gravy is served with Christmas dinner. You can easily replace the meat stock for vegetable, such as an onion based gravy. Alternatively, simply grab yourself some gravy granules (most are vegan-friendly, but just make sure to double check those ingredients – some aren’t vegetarian and this won’t show up as an allergen)

12. Vegan cheese board

One of our last vegan food swaps is the vegan cheese board. All the cheese lovers in your house will love it! A dairy-free platter could be just the ticket. Violife has a readymade board, but you could always build your own!