My Fave Vegan Holiday Recipes

These 8 vegan holiday recipes are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, or if you just want to do some meal prep for the week to taste all the holiday flavours. I’ll show you 5 classic vegan and gluten-free recipes that I make every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and 3 vegan appetizers that are perfect to snack on before the big feast!

Maple Spiced Yams

Ingredients:

• 1 large yam, unpeeled and diced
• ½ tbsp neutral oil (I used grapeseed)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F, middle rack set.
2. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula to combine, ensuring each piece of yam has been coated in the oil, syrup and spices.
3. Transfer to a large parchment lined baking tray, spreading into an even layer, and bake for 40 minutes until golden and fork tender. Serve and enjoy!

Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 batch of pumpkin cornbread, cut into cubes and left overnight to dry (up to 24 hrs)
• ¼ cup vegan butter or margarine
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 2 to 3 cups veggie broth, hot
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion, celery, salt, pepper, fresh herbs and poultry seasoning. Stir to combine and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onions and celery are softened and becoming translucent.
2. Add the dried cranberries and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes until they’ve become just plump. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, grate the carrots into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped pecans, breadcrumbs, cooked veggies and stir well to combine. Then add 1 cup of hot broth and pour over the stuffing mix. Stir to combine very well ensuring that each breadcrumb has been moistened. Cover the bowl with a lid or plate and let it sit for 5 minutes to soak up the broth. Repeat with the second cup of broth until the breadcrumbs are moist but not completely soaked and mushy.
4. Transfer to a buttered casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F, then remove the foil and baked uncovered for another 15 minutes.

Harvard Beets

Ingredients:

• 2 cans whole baby beets
• ⅔ cup reserved canned beet liquid
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown, white)
• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 2 tbsp cornstarch or 1.5 tbsp tapioca starch
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. To a medium sized saucepan, add the reserved beet liquid, vinegar, sugar, starch and butter and bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the starch has dissolved and it begins to thicken.
2. Once bubbling and thickened, add the beets. Stir and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the beets are heated through.
3. Remove from stove, serve and enjoy! (and pour that sauce on EVERYTHING!)

Dill & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 12 medium yellow potatoes*
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh dill, minced
• ½ cup vegan cream cheese
• 2 to 4 tbsp vegan butter
• splash of non-dairy milk for mashing
• salt & pepper
• ⅓ cup chopped green onion, optional garnish

Instructions:

1. Chop and boil potatoes (no need to peel) for 30 minutes until fork tender. Drain and partially mash.
2. Add the vegan butter and cream cheese splash of non-dairy milk and continue mashing until almost smooth. Fold in the dill, garlic, salt and pepper and continue mashing until at your desired texture.
3. Garnish with green onion and enjoy!

*Note: I don’t bother peeling yellow potatoes as the skins are so thin and soft and I don’t mind the texture they add, but you can definitely peel them if you like. You can also use any other kind of potato in this recipe.

Soy Curl ‘Turkey’ & Onion Gravy

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Toss the rehydrated soy curls in large bowl with the soy sauce until coated. Then add the tapioca starch, nutritional yeast and dried sage and toss again to combine.
2. Transfer to a lightly oiled air fryer basket and air fry for 18 to 20 mins at 400F, until crispy and golden.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of vegan butter in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Once melted add the sliced onions and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, medium-high heat, until caramelized and browned. Deglaze the pan as needed with a few tbsp of water or veggie broth.
4. Remove the onions from the pan, then add the remaining 2 tbsp vegan butter. Once melted sprinkle the flour and whisk into the butter, making a rue.
5. Slowly pour the hot veggie broth into the rue, whisking continuously. Turn heat to medium and stir frequently as it thickens, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the onions back to the gravy and continue cooking for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and it’s ready to serve over the soy curl turkey strips (and anything else you like). Enjoy!

‘Crabby’ Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cremini or white mushrooms (approx 12-14), cleaned
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup vegan mayo
• 1 tap Old Bay seasoning

Instructions:

1. Remove stems from mushrooms and set aside. Place mushrooms hole-side down on airfryer basket, air fry for 3 minutes at 400F. Remove from airfryer basket and set aside.
2. To a large mixing bowl add the chickpeas and mash well with a fork or potato masher. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
3. Spoon out approx 2 tbsp of filling into each mushroom cap, overfilling into a nice mound on top. Place back into airfryer basket and air fry once more for 8 to 10 minutes or until the top begins to brown and the cheese is melty.
4. Transfer shrooms to a serving plate, garnish with chopped herbs or choice and enjoy!

Vegan Cheeseball

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Break the tofu into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor, followed by the soaked and drained cashews. Pulse a few times until broken up into small chunks.
2. Add all the remaining cheese ball ingredients and blend on high speed for a few minutes until a thick and creamy texture is achieved, with no chunks of cashew or tofu remaining.
3. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and plop the cheese mixture into the centre. Carefully bring up each side of the plastic wrap and twist it closed together at the top as best as you can. You might want to layer two sheets together to give you more space, but as long as you can sort of form a round-ish ball that’s great. Place into a small bowl and refrigerate it overnight to so that it can firm up and become more pliable.
4. Add all of the crust ingredients into a flat bottomed bowl and mix to combine. Roll the cheeseball carefully in the mix until completely crusted.
5. Chill for a further 30 mins to 1 hour in fridge (optional), then serve with veg, crackers and enjoy!

Zesty Pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 large fresh tortillas of choice, whole wheat or gluten-free
• 1 8 oz. container vegan cream cheese, plain or herby
• 2 to 3 tbsp Jalapeno pepper jelly
• Half a red bell pepper, finely chopped
• Half a green bell pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapeños 
• 1 tbsp dried chives
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

Instructions:

1. Into a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, bell peppers, jalapeños and spices until it’s a chunky mixture.
2. Spread about 1 tbsp of pepper jelly onto a tortilla in a nice even layer almost to the edges. Then spread about a ¼ cup or more of the cream cheese spread over the jelly. Roll the tortilla up into a tight roll, sealing the edges. Place roll onto a plate and repeat with all remaining tortillas and filling. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
3. Transfer rolls to a cutting board and slice them into roughly ½” inch rounds. Arrange them cut sides down on a serving platter, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Whether you’re having a quiet holiday at home with loved ones or partying it up with friends, I know these vegan holiday recipes are sure to be crowd pleasers! Do let me know in a comment which ones you make, I’d love your feedback 😉

If you digged this recipe you might love some of my other cozy fall and winter recipes like Roasted Carrot, Beets & Brussels Salad, Rustic Red Potato & Leek Soup, or my Pomegranate Pecan Fudge if you’re looking for a sweet holiday treat!

Lastly, if you tried any of these recipes and decide to share them on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @SteamyVegan + use the hashtag #SteamyVegan! It makes me so happy to see what you’re cooking up!