5 Mouth-Watering Vegan Christmas Cookbooks for 2021

Is cooking for Christmas your worst nightmare as a vegan?

Everyone’s running around flaunting their turkey, ham, and goose. But nobody’s considering Christmas dinner for vegans! 

In fact, as you will see with any of the books from our selection, you have plenty of vegan options for Christmas that the whole family will love! (You can also get some inspiration from our selection of vegan restaurants in Belfast and Bournemouth, their menus are to die for!)

What Do Vegans Eat at Christmas?

No, your Christmas meal doesn't have to be a plate of vegetables as a starter, a can of baked beans as a main, and some Bournville chocolate as a dessert (yes it's vegan)!

At Christmas, vegans may eat a regular Christmas dinner but with tofu instead of meat, for example.

But there are many other alternatives, along with some already-vegan dishes that everyone can enjoy. Fruit bowls and cinnamon rolls, for example, are wholly vegan.

Plus, when it comes to vegan baking ingredients, you've got choice!

Hopefully, the five cookbooks provided can help you make Christmas dinner vegan. They have everything from starters to desserts, plus some extras you may enjoy, too.

(And don't forget to buy some vegan sweets for the kids and vegan biscuits for the coffee!)

Told you, we've got your Christmas night cover!

Best Vegan Christmas Cookbook — Vegan Christmas by Gaz Oakley

Gaz Oakley is a passionate cook who worked as a chef for many years, starting at just age 15. After leaving the industry, he turned to a vegan lifestyle.

Pair his newfound veganism with his culinary background, and you have someone who knows what he’s doing.

In 2018, Gaz released “Vegan Christmas," which contains over 70 vegan holiday recipes. One of these includes a sauce that “tastes properly cheesy” according to Delicious Magazine, yet remains wholly dairy-free.

Other people describe the cookbook as innovative, beautiful, and bright. Further readers go on to give the book high praise, rating it a 99/100 on their scale.

However, a few customers have complained that the recipes are quite advanced. Well, what do you expect from a former chef? The recipes can get quite lengthy, with lots of ingredients.

Gaz’s recipes go heavy on mushrooms, wheat gluten, and mock meats. Some of what he’s cooked up include:

• Smoked “salmon” with “cream cheese” capers and dill canapés.
• Festive nut roast wreath.
• Smoked chilli and rosemary dough-ball fondue.
• “No-turkey” wrapped in Gaz’s streaky “bacon.”

Looking at the words in quotations, you can tell it’s a book for meat-lovers turned vegan. This is a huge plus for some people. Many vegans turn to such for ethical or health reasons, not out of hating meat.

Unfortunately, others found the substitute meats and dairy an unpleasant inclusion.

Pros

• Fantastic photography.
• Great for those who miss meat and dairy.
• Lots of substitution suggestions for people with allergies.

Cons

• Advanced recipes.
• A lot of recipes include tempeh, which is difficult to find in some locations.

Best Desserts — Rawsome Vegan Baking by Emily von Euw

Christmas is a time to gorge on Roses, Celebrations, and Heroes. 

Sadly, veganism restricts these classic treats, so you need to create your own.

A dedicated vegan Christmas cookbook is hard to find, so here’s a baking cookbook you can use during the holidays. Hopefully, something here will satisfy your sweet craving.

The book’s author, Emily von Euw, has won awards for blogging about veganism. She has a focus on raw ingredients, which feature in the book.

Some readers found her recipes so delicious that they convinced raw-vegan-food-hating teenagers to try them. However, they’re not foods to try if you have a nut allergy, or are extremely health-conscious.

But can you expect craving-quelling recipes to be healthy? Vegans deserve dessert too!

Some of the sweet treats include:

• Chocolate and vanilla ice cream sandwiches.
• Piña Colada bites with fruit and nuts.
• Chia vanilla pudding, with cinnamon and raisins.
• Triple chocolate cake, with fruit.

Pros

• No baking involved.
• Easy to make recipes.
• Great way to incorporate fruit and nuts into your diet.

Cons

• Not nut-allergy friendly.
• Ingredients can be expensive.

Best for Everyday Use — Vegan Holiday Cooking by Kirsten Kaminski

Nobody would cook Christmas dinner on an average day. But a Christmas vegan dinner? Since it’s less traditional, there are some recipes you can reuse.

Some readers state that German vegan blogger Kisten Kaminski’s book contains reusable recipes. For example, the vegan carrot cake can work as an everyday dessert.

There are also meals such as:

• Shepherd’s pie.
• Baked brussel sprouts and pears.
• Tiramisu.

You can easily use these modified meals over the days surrounding Christmas, or during an average week.

The book pairs delicious recipes with stunning photography. The use of cutlery in the images is particularly striking. The spoon in the tiramisu makes you want to dismantle and devour it. The spoon in the mac and cheese makes you want to start serving it up.

But of course, there’s more than just these average daily dishes in the book. You’ll find chocolate reindeer cookies and poached pear gingerbread in there, too.

Pros

• Easy everyday recipes.
• Recipes for various holidays.
• Immaculate photography resembling a call-to-action.

Cons

• Recipes aren’t overly unique.
• Recipe-users found some of the measurements were inaccurate.

Most Original Recipes — Happy Vegan Christmas by Karoline Joensson

Karoline Joensson is a Swedish vegan food blogger and TV cook show host. Her focus is on nuts, vegetables, citrus and cloves in this book.

Although some of her recipes are Scandinavian, her gingerbread men (and horses, and hearts) and her tasty snacks are enjoyed worldwide.

Readers find many of her recipes highly original, and they’re not just for food. You’ll find some for:

• Crafts.
• Alcoholic beverages.
• Non-alcoholic beverages.
• Buffet ideas.
• Using leftovers.

And more.

It’s a book that covers all bases of Christmas, and some recipes might sneak into your everyday repertoire. The ginger cake may be holiday based, but the creamed kale in a pastry tart can suit any occasion.

Overall, it’s an excellent, traditional, yet highly original book that holiday-lovers all over the world have enjoyed.

The only downside is that it doesn’t focus strictly on cooking. There’s a lot of Scandanavian history in there too. If you’re only there for the recipes, you may find it arduous.

Pros

• Contains crafts as well as recipes.
• Provides history on the recipes.
• Lots of original meals.

Cons

• Not for people strictly food-focused.
• Some people may not enjoy the Scandinavian inclusions.

Heartiest Recipes for Winter Nights — Vegan Christmas Feasts by Jackie Kearney

Just because it lacks meat, doesn’t mean it’s not hearty. Readers have commented that some of these recipes are perfectly hearty for cold, winter nights.

However, they also complained that half of them appear in Jackie Kearney’s other award-winning books.

There are some new recipes in this book, including for trifle and tartlets. The latest and older recipes are easy to follow, and readers found them fantastic.

One excellent thing about the recipes is that yes, they work for holidays. But some also work for other special occasions.

Although, they’re not exactly everyday recipes. Some of the ingredients are difficult to find—and not every recipe is simple!

There’s something in this book for beginner and more advanced cooks alike, and recipes for every part of the holiday.

Here are the types of recipes included:

• Nibbles, for sharing on small plates.
• Soups.
• Hearty suppers.
• Ideas for main Christmas dinner.
• Desserts.
• Dishes to make with leftovers.
• Some easy other recipes.

Pros

• All-day recipes.
• Versatile recipes for many occasions.
• Recipes for beginners and pros.

Cons

• Difficult to source ingredients.
• Repetition with Kearney’s previous books.

Conclusion

For anyone craving a vegan Christmas dinner, these books are it. From meat substitutes to vegetable-based dishes, there’s something for every taste.

If you’ve ever been stuck when cooking Christmas dinner for vegan guests, don’t worry about it. Any recipe from one of these books is sure to wow vegans and non-vegans alike.

And, despite some of the cookbooks being penned by German or Canadian cooks, all products ship to the UK.