Christmas is the time of year when most people get together with friends and family. Food is often at the centre of these social gatherings, so we’ve compiled a few of our favourite Christmas recipes that are easy to make and are a tasty treat for you and your loved ones.
Mince Pie Porridge
What Is Mince Pie Porridge?
Mince pie porridge is the perfect festive breakfast – with a base of oats this is a filling breakfast that contains both protein and carbohydrates. The addition of mince pie filling is what gives this porridge its signature flavour and tastes just like eating a mince pie!
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per serving I serves one
| Energy | 390Kcal |
| Total fat | 14g |
| of which saturates | 1g |
| Total carbohydrates | 55g |
| of which sugars | 19g |
| Protein | 11g |
| Fibre | 7g |
Mince Pie Porridge Recipe
Ingredients
- 45g Myvegan gluten-free rolled oats
- 10g Myvegan instant oats
- 20g mince pie filling
- 240ml almond milk or other plant-based milk
- 12 almonds (chopped finely)
Method
- Add the rolled oats and instant oats to a bowl, along with the almond milk. Mix lightly. Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 1 ½ - 2 minutes. If the porridge isn’t quite the right consistency for you, microwave for another 30 – 60 seconds.
- Add the mince pie filling and stir until well incorporated. Top with the chopped almonds and enjoy whilst hot!
Note: if you prefer to make porridge on the hob then add the gluten-free oats, instant oats and plant-based milk to a pan. Bring to a boil and the reduce the heat. Simmer for 5-7 mins (depending on how thick you like it), before adding the mince pie filling and almonds.
Vegan Crumble
What Is A Vegan Crumble?
Many store-bought crumbles are often vegan, as usually they contain plant-based spreads or margarine instead of butter. The fruit filling is often dependant on the season however, but using frozen fruit means this recipe is suitable for any time of year.Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per serving I serves four
| Energy | 364Kcal |
| Total fat | 21g |
| of which saturates | 3g |
| Total carbohydrates | 27g |
| of which sugars | 9g |
| Protein | 11g |
| Fibre | 14g |
Vegan Crumble Recipe
Ingredients
- 50g Myvegan gluten free rolled oats
- 100g plain flour
- 10g Myvegan organic chia seeds
- 75g dairy-free butter/spread
- 25g light brown sugar
- 455g frozen mixed berries
- 2 tbsp Myvegan sugar-free syrup
- 3 tbsp ground almonds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Spread the ground almonds out over the base of your favourite roasting tin.
- To make the crumble, add the oats, flour, chia seeds and sugar to a large bowl. Add the butter to this, and using your hands, rub the butter into the dry mixture. Initially this will form a sand-like texture however, large clusters will start to form the longer you keep going. If your mixture is too dry then add 1-2 tbsp of plant based milk. Set the crumble mix aside.
- Add the sugar free syrup and berries to a saucepan. Cook on low-medium heat until the berries start to release their juices and start to bubble. Once the juices have started to thicken slightly, pour the fruit over the ground almonds in your tin.
- Top with the crumble mixture and bake for 30-35 mins until the crumble is lightly golden at the edges. This can be eaten straight away or left to cool before storing in the fridge in airtight containers.
Gingerbread Cupcakes
What Are Gingerbread Cupcakes?
These cupcakes are lower in sugar and higher in protein than traditional cupcakes but contain all the traditional flavours found in your favourite festive gingerbread. Eating gingerbread at Christmas dates back to Victorian times, when the tradition was brought over from Germany by Prince Albert.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per serving I serves eight
| Energy | 197Kcal |
| Total fat | 12g |
| of which saturates | 5g |
| Total carbohydrates | 15g |
| of which sugars | 7g |
| Protein | 7g |
| Fibre | 2g |
Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 80g ground almonds
- 45g Myvegan gluten free rolled oats
- 1 scoop Myvegan vanilla protein blend
- 90g Myvegan organic nut butter
- 40g melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 300ml plant-based milk
- 100ml Myvegan Sugar free syrup
- 45g light brown sugar
- 1 heaped tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Add your oats to a food processor or a blender and whizz on high speed until a flour like consistency is formed.
- Add the ground almonds, oats, protein blend, spices , baking powder, bicarbonate of sosda and sugar to a bowl. Give this a gentle mix.
- Add the nut butter, oil, milk and syrup to the dry mixture. Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Pour the mixture into 12 cupcake cases and bake for 25-28 mins until soft and bouncy. If a skewer comes out clean then these are fully cooked. Leave to cool in the cupcake cases.
- These work well without decoration; alternatively, top with some vegan buttercream, cream cheese, or protein powder mousse.
Gingerbread Cupcakes | Vegan Christmas Recipe
The sweetest way to indulge while keeping on track this Christmas.
Vegan Tiramisu
What Is A Vegan Tiramisu?
Tiramisu originates from Italy, and usually contains cream, mascarpone and egg yolks (along with a few other things). This recipe is a healthier take on traditional tiramisu, with added protein and plant-based dairy alternatives. The ‘lady finger’ base often found in tiramisu recipes are not vegan, so a quick vegan sponge is used in this recipe instead.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per serving I serves eight
| Energy | 270Kcal |
| Total fat | 15g |
| of which saturates | 6g |
| Total carbohydrates | 24g |
| of which sugars | 6g |
| Protein | 6g |
| Fibre | 2g |
Vegan Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 100g self-raising flour
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100ml soy milk
- 40ml vegetable oil
For the tiramisu
- 2 tbsp coffee liquor or dark rum
- 1 tbsp freshly brewed espresso
- 250ml plant-based whipping cream (or crème fraiche)
- 1 scoop Myvegan vanilla soy protein isolate
- 5-6 drops Myvegan Flavdrops
- 2 tbsp Myvegan organic cocoa powder
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Add all the sponge ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Pour into a lined baking tin and cook for 25-28 mins until bouncy and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.
- Add the coffee liquor or rum, espresso, and flavdrops to small bowl and mix well. Using a cookie cutter, cut 18 small sponge circles. Alternatively, you can cut these into your desired shape with a regular knife.
- To make the cream, add the protein powder and cream to a small bowl. Whip the cream until thick and small peaks form (use an electric hand mixer to speed up this process). Set aside.
- Add the half of the cut sponges to your chosen serving dish – this can be 9 little mini ramekins or alternatively one larger dish that you can serve from. Pour over half of the coffee mixture. Top with half of the cream mixture. Repeat this layering process with the remaining cut sponges, coffee mixture and cream. Top with a light dusting of cocoa powder.
- Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. This will last in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Peanut Butter Truffles
What Are Peanut Butter Truffles?
Truffles usually have a creamy filling surrounded by a chocolate shell. This recipe uses crunchy peanut butter for added texture but still has a gorgeous melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per serving I makes 30 truffles
| Energy | 76Kcal |
| Total fat | 4g |
| of which saturates | 1g |
| Total carbohydrates | 6g |
| of which sugars | 1g |
| Protein | 4g |
| Fibre | 0g |
Peanut Butter Truffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 200g Myvegan protein chocolate (sea salt)
- 10g coconut oil
- 150g Myvegan organic nut butter
- 150 Myvegan instant oats
- 4-5 tbsp Myvegan sugar-free syrup
- 2 tsps Myvegan vanilla Flav drops
- Splash of plant-based milk (if needed)
Method
- Add the nut butter, syrup and Flavdrops to a bowl and mix gently. Gradually add in the instant oats, stirring after each addition. It should start to form a thick dough – if it’s too dry to do this, add plant-based milk 1tbsp at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough starts to form a ball.
- Roll the dough into one big ball. Separate this into approximately 25 smaller balls, rolling each ball between the palm of your hands to get a nice shape. Pop in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
- To make the chocolate topping, add the protein chocolate and coconut oil to a bowl. Melt in the microwave on full power for 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds. Alternatively, add the chocolate and oil to a heatproof bowl and sit this over a saucepan containing a small layer of boiling water. Stir continuously until melted.
- The easiest way to coat the truffles in chocolate is to use a skewer or fork. Dip each truffle centre into the melted chocolate mixture, making sure each truffle is completely coated. Pop back in the fridge to set.
- These can be stored in a cool dry place or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Peanut Butter Truffles | Vegan Christmas Recipes
Enjoy a sweet treat this Christmas, without compromising your goals.
Vegan Hot Chocolate
Which Milk Is Best For Vegan Hot Chocolate?
Any plant-based milk will make a delicious hot chocolate. However, oat milk does have a particular creaminess that works really well in a hot chocolate recipe.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per serving I serves one
| Energy | 313Kcal |
| Total fat | 12g |
| of which saturates | 3g |
| Total carbohydrates | 32g |
| of which sugars | 10g |
| Protein | 18g |
| Fibre | 12g |
Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 330ml of your favourite plant-based milk
- ½ scoop Myvegan protein blend
- 10g Myvegan organic cacao powder
- 2-3 Myvegan organic cacao liquor buttons
- 2-3 drops MyVegan vanilla Flavdrops
- Splash of boiling water
Method
- To a large mug, add the cocoa powder, protein blend and boiling water. Stir well until most of the lumps are removed then set aside.
- Add the milk and cacao liquor buttons to a heatproof bowl or small saucepan. Heat in the microwave for 2 – 2 ½ minutes or over a hob for 3-4 minutes. The milk should be bubbling gently but not boiling. Remove from the heat. For added creaminess, gently whisk the hot milk with a hand-held milk frother until thick and bubbly.
- Add the milk mixture to the mug containing water, protein blend and cocoa powder. Give this a gently mix to remove any further lumps, and finish with a few drops of Flavdrops. Enjoy while still warm.
Coconut Hot Chocolate | Vegan Christmas Recipe
This is just the thing to warm up your winter days.
Vegan Yule Log
What Is A Vegan Yule Log?
Yule logs are often eaten at Christmas as an alternative or an addition to the traditional Christmas pudding. The main ingredient is a chocolate sponge, and usually contains a chocolate buttercream filing and topped with more chocolate – perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth!
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information per serving I serves nine
| Energy | 463Kcal |
| Total fat | 20g |
| of which saturates | 6g |
| Total carbohydrates | 67g |
| of which sugars | 8g |
| Protein | 7g |
| Fibre | 1g |
Vegan Yule Log Recipe
Ingredients
- 180g plain flour: this recipe uses layers to create volume rather than rolling, so plain flour is used to stop the cakes from rising too high to stack.
- 2 tspns baking powder: a small amount of baking powder helps give the cakes a little bit of a rise.
- ½ tspn bicarbonate of soda: this is used to help balance the rise provided by the baking powder
- 20g Myvegan organic cocao powder: this provides a rich chocolate flavour which is essential for this recipe!
- 120g caster sugar
- 200ml soy milk
- 80ml vegetable oil
For the decoration
- 50g vegan butter (hard block)
- 25g Myvegan organic cocao powder
- 250g icing sugar
- 50ml soy milk
- 150g dark chocolate
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line your tin with greaseproof paper. Take the butter out of the fridge at this point, as it’s easier to use when softened.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocao powder and sugar. Mix gently.
- Add the soy milk and oil to the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is well incorporated and thick glossy batter is formed.
- Pour the cake batter into your tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the cake is soft and bouncy. Leave to cool in the tin.
- To make the icing, add the softened vegan butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar to a large bowl. It’s quite normal to be a bit lumpy at this point but try to keep mixing until most of the lumps are gone. Add the soy milk gradually, stirring after each addition. The final buttercream mixture should be quite thick but soft enough to spread.
- Cut your cakes into 18 squares; sandwich together two squares with a layer of buttercream. Top the cake sandwiches with any remaining buttercream.
- The chocolate can be melted in the microwave in 30 second bursts at full power. Make sure to stir after each heating period to prevent burning. Alternatively, add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a saucepan containing boiling water and stir continuously until melted. Once the melted chocolate is smooth, pour over each cake sandwich and leave to cool (you can pop it in the fridge to speed up this process).
Vegan Christmas Cake
What Is A Vegan Christmas Cake?
A traditional Christmas cake is usually a fruit cake that has been soaked in alcohol prior to cooking. The egg typically found in fruit cake recipes can be replaced with a ‘flax’ egg or other egg replacement, whilst the dairy products can be replaced with plant-based versions.
Nutritional Information
Fruit cakes are often quite calorically dense however, they contain much more fibre than a regular sponge cake. Christmas cakes are also quite rich, so you may find that a smaller than usual portion will suffice!
Serves 20 – nutritional information based on 1 serving (uniced)
| Energy | 377Kcal |
| Total fat | 10g |
| of which saturates | 2g |
| Total carbohydrates | 65g |
| of which sugars | 6g |
| Protein | 3g |
| Fibre | 1g |
Vegan Christmas Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1kg mixed dried fruit; this is the mainstay of the Christmas cake, and provides most of the flavour and structure to the cake
- 200g glace cherries (rinsed); these can be left out however rinsing the cherries gets rid of a lot of the sweetness, so it’s worth giving them a try.
- 100ml of vegan dark liquor OR 100ml orange juice; Whilst the feeding of the cake isn’t necessary, it is worthwhile soaking your fruit at the start of the bake as this helps to add in extra flavour.
- 2 medium orange (grated)s; the orange zest will be added to the mixture for extra festive spirit.
- 250g vegan butter or spread; either soft spread or butter blocks will work equally well for this cake.
- 250g dark brown sugar; part of the colour in a fruit cake comes from the darkness of the sugar. If you can’t find dark brown, then light brown works just as well.
- 2 tbsps golden syrup; like the flaxseed, golden syrup acts as a binder and adds some subtle extra sweetness.
- 225g plain flour; unlike most cakes, fruit cakes don’t need to rise. No raising agents are needed, as much of the shape comes from the quantity of dried fruit.
- 50g Myvegan instant oats; this helps to add some texture to the cake and helps to absorb any of the excess liquid to prevent a soggy cake.
- 50ml dairy free milk – this can be used if the mixture is a bit too thick to stir!
- 4 tbspns water
- To decorate; one jar of orange marmalade, 500g marzipan, 500g ready to roll or vegan royal icing.
Method
- The first step in making a Christmas cake is soaking the fruit – if you have plenty of time then add the mixed fruit and cherries to a large bowl, along with the dark spirit or orange juice. Cover and leave for 3 days, stirring each day. If you are short on time, then add the spirits or juice to the fruit and microwave on full power for 3 mins until everything is piping hot. Leave to cool.
- When you are ready to start the bake, preheat the oven to 150 C/140 C fan/300F. Double line the sides of your cake tin with greaseproof paper – the lining needs to extend 4-5 cm above the top of the tin, to help prevent burning. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper to line the bottom of your tin and add this after lining the sides of the tin.
- Make the flax egg – add your flaxseed powder to 4 tbspns of water, mix well then set aside.
- Melt the vegan butter/spread – this can be done in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Heat at full power in 30 seconds interval until melted. Alternatively add the butter/spread to a small saucepan on medium – low heat until melted.
- Add the butter/spread to a large bowl, along with the golden syrup and sugar. Stir until everything is well incorporated. Slowly add in the flour, Myvegan instant oats, orange zest, and dairy free milk. Mix thoroughly before adding the dried fruit. Make sure the dried fruit is completely covered in the cake batter – if it feels very stiff then add a splash more milk.
- Once all the ingredients are well mixed, add the cake batter to your lined tin and smooth out the top. Bake for 4-4 ½ hours until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.
- This can be stored in a cool dry place, wrapped in greaseproof and foil. This is ready to decorate with a layer of jam, marzipan and then icing. Alternatively, poke 5-6 small holes into the top of the cake. Once a week a teaspoon of your chosen alcohol can be poured into each hole – this is known as feeding the cake and adds an extra boozy flavour! It can be ‘fed’ for 4-5 weeks prior to decorating.
Take Home Message
Making a Christmas cake from scratch may seem quite intimidating at first! However, it’s really worth giving this recipe a go, as Christmas cake is definitely one of those foods that tastes better homemade.
FAQs
What are vegan cakes made of?
Flour, sugar and raising agents are a staple of all cakes. Swapping butter for plant-based butters or spreads is an easy way to make a cake dairy free. Most typical cake recipes don’t use milk, but if they do then this can be substituted for your favourite plant milk. Eggs can be replaced with aquafaba, chia or flax egg, or other shop bought egg alternatives.
Can vegans eat chocolate?
What do vegans use as a binding agent?
Depending on the recipe, some cakes don’t require a binding agent. A mixture of oil and milk can be used as the liquid component if you are making a light and fluffy sponge. If you need a binding agent then flax or chia eggs, bananas, apple sauce or aquafaba can all be used.
