These best vegan Christmas desserts and treats will make this season festive, cozy and finger-licking sweet! Easy, dairy-free holiday baking.
Table of Contents
What do vegans eat for Christmas dessert?
While most Christmas desserts like cookies, cakes, and pies are not vegan because they contain milk, butter, and eggs, there are many ways to make vegan versions of popular Christmas desserts like gingerbread cookies, fruitcake, and truffles by substituting non-vegan ingredients or finding vegan recipes.
For more vegan Christmas content, check out our vegan Christmas dinner, vegan Christmas cookies, vegan Christmas breakfast, vegan Christmas drinks, DIY Vegan Christmas gift ideas, vegan stocking stuffers, and vegan gift baskets roundups.
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We’re talking refined sugar-free, no-bake, gluten-free and vegan. Despite the name, they’re also alcohol-free. So what’s left? Coconut-nutty scrumptiousness with a hint of rum extract that makes these little guys pop for the holidays.
This gluten-free and egg-free vegan eggnog bread is a perfectly spiced Christmas quick bread. It’s made with oat flour and infused with creamy coconut milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and rum. Drizzled with a rum glaze.
Most people don’t know that the reason Scrooge was so terribly grumpy at Christmastime because he couldn’t find a vegan Christmas pudding. Here it is, Mr. Scrooge. Don’t forget to share.
Vegan Pavlovas with Cranberries
For many traditionalists, no Christmas would be complete without mincemeat pies. This recipe is easy and vegan, and since you’re being so good, don’t hold back on adding a few wee splashes of whiskey to the mix.
How do you take a classic dessert and make it even more outrageous? You get a traditional tiramisu, with its coffee, cream and cake, and then add kirsch and cherries. Serve immediately in a fun, boozy glass.
Let’s make a wager. You bring a normal pecan pie to the holiday table. I’ll bring a platter full of charming mini pecan pies. Bet you mine are snatched up before anyone touches your pie — people just love tiny things!
Vegan Baileys Chocolate Cream Parfaits
Extra, extra, read all about it! Vegans around the world celebrate when Baileys comes out with a vegan-friendly version of their delicious liqueur. The result? Vegan spiked desserts to die for like this chocolate cream parfait.
Peppermint Cream Pie sounds like an impossible dream but with a few easy steps, it can be your reality. Just par-bake that gluten-free crust, whip up some vegan peppermint custard and top with whipped coconut cream. It’s a Christmas miracle!
An eggnog cheesecake that has neither eggs nor cheese nor cake? What does it have? How about a gingersnap crust and a creamy spiced vanilla filling? Add a splash of bourbon and this dessert is more than ready for Christmas.
In case you didn’t know, coffee brings out the richness in chocolate. That means this chocolate cake is the prefect vessel for some sweet peppermint icing that is dotted with candy canes. How good did your holiday just get?
You don’t usually expect a rum cake to be chocolaty and have a citrus zing — but that’s what makes this recipe so special. These are flavors that are made for each other.
This cranberry orange loaf is the kind of thing you have to have on hand during the holidays. A slice makes a perfect offering for an unexpected guest or as a lovely little breakfast with a cup of coffee.
No one is ever unhappy with a double dose of eggnog during the holiday season. These cupcakes deliver just that — the cake and the frosting are loaded with that spiced up holiday treat.
Oh no! It’s the holidays and I’m out of rum! How could this have happened? Never fear — Amaretto Balls are here. 4 ingredients and they’ll put those old rum balls to shame.
Gingerbread Cake with Chai Buttercream
Imagine the warm spices of gingerbread cake made even warmer and cozier with a lovely chai frosting. You couldn’t ask for more on a cold winter’s evening that’s right around the holidays.
During the holidays, there’s always an apple pie and there’s always a pumpkin pie but rarely is there and apple-pumpkin pie. Even better, OMG, these guys are shaped like Christmas trees!
These cupcakes take coconut to the next level stratosphere of delicious. How do they do it? With coconut on coconut on even more coconut. It’s in the cake, the filling and the frosting.
Plums are a classic holiday ingredient but when you add chai into the mix, this cake becomes epic. Everyone within 100 yards of your kitchen will succumb to the sweet aroma of Christmas.
No-Bake
Gingerbread Chocolate Mousse Pots
While the oven is occupied with other goodies, whip up a batch of these easy, no-bake marzipan rum balls. With four ingredients and 10 minutes, you can scratch one more thing off of your holiday check list.
Invite the friends over, pour some wine and set out the cutting board with fruit and French bread. Then blow their minds and present your very own vegan chocolate salami.
Excuse me sir, are those red rubies in your non-dairy fluff? Why no, my good man. They’re pomegranate seeds, don’t you know. Mingled in with delightful cranberries, pineapple and marshmallow. Ah. Well done. Carry on.
A jar stuffed with these candy cane pretzel rods would make a festive finishing touch to your holiday table-scape. Kids and adults alike will snag them one by one, so make sure you make enough.
Vegan Buttercrunch Toffee (nut-free)
Do you have a vegan friend who also has a nut allergy? This Buttercrunch Toffee will not only be a perfect gift for them but it will be a taste revelation for anyone who tries it.
Gluten-Free
Vegan Baked Gingerbread Cheesecake
What makes this gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and vegan cheesecake a gingerbread cheesecake? The gingerbread magic is all in the crust! Those warm spices and molasses make that gingerbread fantasy come true.
Chocolate Pecan Tart (GF, paleo)
For your dessert award consideration — a chocolate shortbread crust, pecan filling, chocolate ganache, pecans and sea salt. Sound like a dream? It’s a gluten-free, refined sugar-free, paleo and vegan reality, folks.
How’d you like to wake up on Christmas morning and be greeted with homemade gingerbread donuts topped with a light, whipped frosting? Those presents can wait. It’s Christmas donut time!
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Tart
There’s something so cool and refreshing about finishing a big holiday feast with a hint of mint. Mint and chocolate? Even better. Vegan and gluten-free? So good I’m at a loss for words.
Chocolate Cranberry Mini Cakes
Cupcakes everywhere are feeling threatened. These chocolate and cranberry mini cakes have stolen the show, not only because they are vegan and gluten-free but because they are gorgeous and decadent Christmastime treats.
Healthier
Sometimes holiday food can be so heavy! Lighten things up with a colorful Christmas fruit salad. Perfect as a breakfast, a side dish or for a light and healthy dessert.
Oh no. Some hater implied that the fruit crumble you planned to make for the holidays isn’t festive enough. Turn the tables on that shade and make a gingerbread crumble instead. Those warm holiday spices will simply scream Merry Christmas.
Homemade holiday gifts are the best, especially when they’re edible! Make several batches of these gingerbread-spiced pecans, put them in adorable little packages tied with a bow and then brace yourself for the gratitude.
Raw
It’s so hard to find raw vegan desserts, especially one that is festive enough for the holidays. I present Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cake. So light and cool, it will appeal to everyone at the party.
Gingerbread Cranberry Christmas Tarts
FAQ
While most Christmas desserts like cookies, cakes, and pies are not vegan because they contain milk, butter, and eggs, there are many ways to make vegan versions of popular Christmas desserts like gingerbread cookies, fruitcake, and truffles by substituting non-vegan ingredients or finding vegan recipes.
Vegan cake can be dense or flat for many different reasons. If the cake does not contain the proper leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda, it won’t rise. If the batter is overmixed, the proteins in the flour will make the cake thick and gummy. Also, choosing the right egg substitute for the recipe is important.
Most commonly, apple cider vinegar is added to cakes along with baking soda as a leavening agent to help the cake rise. Apple cider vinegar also helps give the baked good a tender crumb because it prevents the gluten in the flour from overdevelopment. It can also be mixed with plant milk to use as a buttermilk alternative.
Vegan eggnog is made out of non-dairy milk such as soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk flavored with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. You can buy vegan eggnog at most well-stocked grocery stores or make your own and serve it as is or with rum.
70+ Easy Vegan Christmas Desserts That Will Impress
Ingredients
- eggnog
- gingerbread spices
- coconut
- maple syrup
Instructions
- Choose your favorite vegan Christmas dessert from the list.
- Click on the name to get to the recipe.
- Happy cooking and a Merry Christmas!
Thanks for sharing all these. I can’t believe it’s that time of year already!
I really want to make some of these for Xms. They look so yummyy
Thank you! Can’t wait to try them
Thank you for sharing my Rum cake! It’s a family recipe and I’m baking it every year. The flavors really are surprisingly perfect together! Hugs from the forest, Tiina
Your cake looks soo yummy, Tiina! 🙂
These all look AMAZING! I want to make them all!!
Gorgeous roundup. Can’t wait to try every one!
Lots of these recipes look delicious, thank you for compiling this list! That being said, you may want to check the link for the no-bake millionaire’s shortbread pie, as it no longer leads to the recipe but to a somewhat dodgy website instead
Thank you for letting me know!
I can’t wait to try some of these! Thanks