Festive cooking for different dietary requirements needn’t be stressful; delight the tastebuds with these delicious vegan Christmas recipes to try this year.

Dish up a plant-based banquet this festive season with these tasty vegan Christmas recipes for meat and dairy-free Christmas recipes to ensure all your guests are happy!

1. Spinach Christmas tree

A showstopper of a table centrepiece, this vegan Christmas recipe not only looks amazing but tastes great, too!

Serves 6

• 200g Violife Greek White cheese, crumbled
• 1 block vegan puff pastry like Jus-Rol
• 200g frozen spinach thawed, with water squeezed out
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• Fresh parsley, chopped, 1 tbsp
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• Lemon zest, 1 tsp
• Salt & fresh ground pepper
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the red onion, leek and shallots, frying until soft. Add the spinach and cook until it is no longer watery, then add the dill, parsley and lemon zest to the mix.
2. Remove from the heat and add the crumbled vegan cheese, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
3. Using a rolling pin, flatten out the puff pastry until 1cm thick. Cut out two big triangles of the same size with a small rectangle at the bottom, to create the shape of a Christmas tree. Use a ruler if needed to make it easier to create straight lines. From the leftover pastry, cut out some stars for decoration and set aside.
4. Place the spinach mixture inside one of the tree-shaped pieces of pastry, leaving a 1cm border, then press down with a spoon so it is smooth and not bumpy. Lift the second Christmas tree pastry and place on top of the filling.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut ‘branches’ 2cm apart, carefully lifting each branch at a time and twisting. Repeat with all branches and add the stars to decorate.
6. Lightly brush the pastry with almond milk, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30-40 mins or until golden.

Photo and recipe extracted from Violife

2. Spiced vegan wellington with cranberry and orange sauce

Filled with the seasonal flavours we all love, this roast ‘beef ’ wellington is so succulent and flavoursome you’ll want to forgo the turkey! Follow this delicious meat and dairy-free recipe to serve up a delightful vegan main on Christmas Day.

Image: Simon Smith and Peter O’Sullivan. Recipe taken from Vegan Christmas by Gaz Oakley (Quadrille, £15).

3. Star-shaped cranberry pull-apart bread

Perfect as part of Christmas Day tea or a Boxing Day buffet, this oh so indulgent offering of vegan Christmas recipes is bound to be loved by all.

Serves 10

For the dough:

• 500g flour
• 300ml warm water
• 42g fresh yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• Olive oil

For the stuffing:

• 300g Violife After Dinner cranberry cheese, cubed
• 3-4 tbsp Violife
• Prosociano cheese, grated into powder format
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt & pepper
• Onion chutney & fresh thyme to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Meanwhile, start making the dough by stirring the yeast and sugar in warm water until both are dissolved.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour and pinch of salt to the yeast mixture and begin to knead until the dough forms and is at the right consistency. Oiling a separate bowl a little, place the dough inside, cover with a moist cloth, then leave in a warm place for one hour or until it has doubled in size.
3. In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp of olive oil, the cubed vegan cranberry cheese, chopped garlic, paprika and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Roll out the dough and chop into fist-size pieces. Open up each piece and place a handful of the mixture inside. Roll into a ball and continue until the dough and filling are used up. Place each on a baking paper-lined tray to form the shape of a star, making sure the balls are touching.
5. Sprinkle with the grated Prosociano and 1 tbsp of olive oil and bake for 35-40 mins or until golden brown. Scatter over the thyme thyme and serve with onion chutney.

Photo and recipe from Violife

4. Vegan hasselback potatoes with ‘cheese’ sauce

Tweaking traditional festive recipes to suit your guests dietary requirements doesn’t have to be stressful. Jazz up your roasties this year by following this ‘cheesy’ vegan hasselback potatoes recipe.

Image: Simon Smith and Peter O’Sullivan. Recipe taken from Vegan Christmas by Gaz Oakley (Quadrille, £15).

5. Figs in a blanket

A twist on the meat-lover festive favourite, these delicious morsels are the perfect comfort snack for this Christmas.

Makes 15

• 1 Violife Epic mature cheddar flavour block, cut into sticks
• 15 dried figs
• 1 block vegan puff pastry like Jus-Rol
• 50g wine vinegar
• 200ml water
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• ¾ tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp coconut milk, for brushing
• Poppy seeds, for sprinkling
• Apricot marmalade, for serving
• Sage, for garnishing

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Put the vinegar, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and water into a small pan, then add the figs, bringing to a simmer. Reduce the heat, and allow the figs to soften for 7-10 mins until all the syrup is absorbed. Transfer the figs to a plate to cool.
2. Sprinkle a surface with flour then roll out the puff pastry, cutting it into 15 equal strips. Open the figs in the middle and place the vegan cheese sticks inside, pressing firmly with your fingers so that the figs ‘hug’ the cheese.
3. Place the fig in the centre of a pastry strip, then roll it over, before transferring seam-side down to a lined baking tray. Repeat with all the figs.
4. Brush the pastry with the coconut milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake the figs in blankets until golden brown for 20-25 mins. Sprinkle with sage leaves and serve with apricot marmalade.

Photo and recipe from Violife

6. Zesty Brussels sprouts recipe with ‘bacon’ bits

Vegan chef Gaz Oakley is helping you overcome your fear of the round green veg on your plate this Christmas, with this citus-infused Brussels sprouts recipe including tasty coconut ‘bacon’ bits – yum!

Image: Simon Smith and Peter O’Sullivan. Recipe taken from Vegan Christmas by Gaz Oakley (Quadrille, £15).

7. Brussels sprout fritters

Serves 8

• 1 pack Violife Grated Original
• 1kg Brussels sprouts
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 50g gluten free all-purpose flour
• 2–4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 flax egg (2 tbsp flax seed & 2 tbsp water)
• Mint, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp pink pepper

1. Wash the sprouts, slice very finely, and place in a bowl with the spring onions and mint.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, pink pepper, paprika and garlic powder, then add these dry ingredients and the flax egg to the sprouts mixture. Add the grated vegan cheese, mix well and leave to rest in the fridge for 10 mins.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then make a patty in your hands with two tablespoons of the mixture.
4. Shallow fry for 4 minutes on each side. Remove and place on a plate with kitchen paper to drain excess any oil, repeating the process for all of the mixture.

Photo and recipe taken from Violife

8. Vegan doughnut profiteroles recipe

Preparing a festive dessert for guests with different dietary requirements can seem challenging. That’s why you should look no further than rich and velvety dairy-free doughnut profiteroles.

Image: Simon Smith and Peter O’Sullivan. Recipe taken from Vegan Christmas by Gaz Oakley (Quadrille, £15).

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