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Home » Recipes » Recipe Round-Ups

Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus (Gluten-Free)

Published: Dec 10, 2024 by Rhian Williams

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A collage of four Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus photos

This Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus post showcases all my BEST TIPS for a delicious vegan Christmas dinner! You'll find:

  • The best vegan appetizers, mains, side dishes, sauces and desserts to make for Christmas.
  • Top tips for preparing, cooking and hosting a Christmas dinner.
  • Three different vegan Christmas menus, including a super easy menu, an impressive menu and a budget-friendly menu.
  • A step-by-step process of how to effortlessly make an easy vegan Christmas dinner from start to finish, including preparation tips.
  • All the recipes are gluten-free and refined sugar free.

If you're looking for vegan gift ideas, including homemade edible gifts, vegan cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and vegan food products, be sure to check out my Vegan Gift Guide! You might also want to check out my 30 Best Books Gift Guide!

Tips for cooking and hosting a vegan Christmas dinner

  • Make sure to ask in advance what dietary requirements your guests have - if you're unsure, you could send them the recipe you'll be using to make sure they're ok with all the ingredients. If there's a particular part of the meal you're struggling with (eg. dessert), you could always ask them to bring something of their own. For more tips on cooking for people with different dietary requirements, check out this article I wrote for Gluten-Free Heaven magazine.
  • Don't feel bad about asking your guests to bring something - if everyone brings a side dish or a dessert, then there's much less pressure on you! Just make sure to co-ordinate who's bringing what, so that everyone doesn't end up bringing the same thing!
  • Don't make anything that you'll be making for the first time - it's always best to plan what you want to make and do a trial run first. Not only to make sure you're comfortable with making it, but also to make sure it suits your personal taste preferences.
  • When planning your menu, think about your oven space, stove space and how many people you will be serving.
  • Try to prepare as much in advance as possible, so check whether some dishes can be prepared ahead of time and make sure you know how best to store and reheat them before serving. I've included this information for each recipe in my round-up of 75 Vegan Christmas Recipes.
  • Designate serving plates ahead of time so that you're not rushing around at the last minute looking for serving dishes.
  • Set the table as far in advance as you can - this will relieve a lot of last-minute stress on the day!
  • Do your grocery shopping as far in advance as possible. Any dry ingredients, tinned ingredients or drinks can be bought weeks before the day. Make sure to buy any fresh ingredients a few days in advance so that you can have the day before free to focus on preparing the food.
  • Make a checklist of tasks you need to do on the day so that you don't forget to make/serve something!

You can find a full round-up of all my Christmas recipes here.

Appetizers

You'll want some appetizers for your guests to nibble on, and it's key to choose ones that can be served cold/at room temperature and prepared in advance, as you'll want to save all your time and energy for the main course. For many more appetizer ideas, check out my 16 Vegan Appetizers post.

A collage of four appetizer photos for Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus

Candied Nuts: I seriously cannot recommend these enough: they're incredibly moreish, can be prepared days in advance and take less than 10 minutes to make!

View recipe

Cashew Cheese Ball: It's creamy, tangy and honestly tastes like cheese! It can be made in advance, is perfect for sharing and looks beautiful!

View recipe

Mushroom Pâté: It's rich and meaty, smooth and silky and super easy to make. The flavour and texture is even better the day after it's made so it's great for making in advance!

View recipe

Vegan Brie: It's surprisingly similar to the real thing!

View recipe

Crackers: They're crispy and crunchy, super easy to make and so much better than anything you'll buy at the store. Perfect for eating with dips, pâté or cheese!

View recipe

Vegan Sausage Rolls: They're crispy and flaky, full of flavour and seriously moreish!

View recipe

Mains

A vegan main course can be just as hearty and filling as a meat one. Just make sure you make something that contains lots of protein, which will make sure guests are satisfied.

A vegan Wellington topped with mixed seeds with a slice of it on the side on a sheet of brown baking paper

Meatloaf: Made with hearty black beans, earthy walnuts and savoury mushrooms – it’s rich and flavourful and super easy to make! 

View recipe

Wellington: A seriously hearty and flavourful filling wrapped in a crispy and flaky pastry crust. A seriously satisfying plant-based showstopper!

View recipe

Fish Pie: Slightly unusual for Christmas, but it's the best comfort food! A fragrant, creamy sauce packed with white beans and veggies, under a blanket of mashed potato.

View recipe

Christmas Burger: It's rich and satisfying and packed with festive flavours like chestnuts, sage, apples and cranberry sauce! It's also great served with mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes or roast potatoes and gravy!

View recipe

Carby Sides

For even more side ideas, check out my 32 Vegan Side Dishes post!

A collage of four side dish photos for Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus

Scalloped Potatoes: Super rich and creamy, soft and tender and super comforting - the most indulgent side dish. For a nut-free version of this, check out my Potato Dauphinoise Gratin, which is a very similar recipe that can easily be made nut-free. The Scalloped Potatoes do taste more indulgent, though.

View recipe

Stuffing: Packed with seasonal flavours like cranberries, chestnuts, apples and sage, you definitely won't miss the meat! You can use any type of bread to make this and it tastes especially good made with cornbread!

View recipe

Mashed Potatoes: They’re melt-in-your-mouth creamy, soft and fluffy. Blended cashews create the silkiest texture.

View recipe

Vegetable Sides

A spoon lifting up a mouthful of cauliflower cheese gratin

Persimmon Salad: It's always nice to have a fresh salad to balance out the richness of the rest of the meal. This one is beautifully colourful, sweet and fruity with a tangy dressing that keeps it light. This Apple Fig Walnut Salad is a good alternative.

View recipe

Cauliflower Cheese Gratin: The creamy, "cheesy" sauce transforms humble cauliflower and broccoli into something you won't be able to stop eating!

View recipe

Steamed Mixed Veg: You can use any vegetables you like (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans, green peas all work well). Instructions included in the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Sauces

Sauces are essential for making everything else taste better! Both the Meatloaf and Wellington taste particularly good with gravy and cranberry sauce.

Cranberry sauce in a bowl against a marble background

Cranberry Sauce: Every bit as flavourful as the shop-bought version, but this version is refined sugar free. An easy make-ahead sauce.

View recipe

Gravy: Rich, flavourful, full of umami flavour. Can be made ahead and reheated on the day. The gravy recipe can be found within my Vegan Poutine recipe.

View recipe

Desserts

You can never have enough dessert, and this is just the tip of the iceberg - you'll find many more Christmas dessert ideas in my 75 Vegan Christmas Recipes post and my 28 Vegan Christmas Cookies post.

A collage of four dessert photos for Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus

Strawberry Trifle: Fresh and fruity, and every bit as rich and indulgent as the traditional version.

View recipe

Yule Log: Moist and fluffy, super indulgent, and coated in a velvety chocolate buttercream made from chestnuts!

View recipe

Rice Pudding: Rich and creamy, perfectly sweet and subtly spiced. An easy, comforting dessert that can be enjoyed hot or cold! You could stir in some mincemeat for festive flavour.

View recipe

Mince Pies: They're crispy, flaky, and filled with fruity, fragrant mincemeat! 

View recipe

Christmas Pudding: Super moist, perfectly spiced and really easy to make. 

View recipe

Sugar Cookies: Soft and chewy, slightly fluffy and covered in a rich, creamy cashew frosting. A pretty and colourful sweet treat for the festive season! 

View recipe

Gingerbread Cake: Sweet and fragrant, covered in a delicious “cream cheese” frosting and perfectly spiced. You might also like my Gingerbread Loaf Cake.

View recipe

Gingerbread Cookies: Crispy yet chewy, fragrantly spiced and super easy to make! My Gingerbread Cookie Bars are an easier alternative.

View recipe

Chocolate Fudge: Seriously indulgent, perfectly rich and creamy and secretly healthy. An easy no-bake dessert! You might also like my Chocolate Truffles.

View recipe

Christmas Fruit Cake: Perfectly spiced, seriously moist and covered in the most indulgent buttercream frosting!

View recipe

Peppermint Brownies: Rich and fudgy, and topped with a melt-in-your-mouth peppermint cream and silky chocolate ganache. 

View recipe

Lemon Cookies: Soft and chewy, slightly fluffy and perfectly tangy and citrusy. They’re covered in a rich, creamy lemon frosting too! You may alternatively like my Orange Cookies.

View recipe

Linzer Cookies: Light and tender, melt-in-your-mouth buttery and filled with sweet, sticky jam! 

View recipe

Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus

Here are some menu suggestions for what dishes you might want to pair together. You can use these as a template and customise them as you wish.

A collage of four Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus photos

Super Easy Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu

Here's the easiest, most foolproof combination of recipes. They're not all necessarily the quickest ones to make, but the simplest ones that you won't get wrong even if you're a complete beginner!

Easy vegan Christmas dinner menus photo

Appetizer: Candied Nuts or Mushroom Pâté.

Main: Meatloaf.

Carby side: Mashed Potatoes.

Sauces: Cranberry Sauce and Gravy.

Vegetable sides: Persimmon Salad and Steamed Mixed Veg.

Dessert: Rice Pudding.

Impressive Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu

These are the most impressive dishes that are guaranteed to have guests saying "I can't believe it's vegan!"

Impressive vegan Christmas dinner menus photo

Appetizers: Cashew Cheese Ball and Crackers.

Main: Wellington.

Carby sides: Scalloped Potatoes and Stuffing.

Sauces: Cranberry Sauce and Gravy.

Vegetable sides: Persimmon Salad and Cauliflower Cheese Gratin.

Dessert: Yule Log, Christmas Fruit Cake or Gingerbread Cake.

Budget-Friendly Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu

These are the most budget-friendly options, but still tasty!

Budget-friendly vegan Christmas dinner menus photo

Appetizer: Mushroom Pâté.

Main: Meatloaf.

Carby sides: Potato Dauphinoise Gratin and Stuffing.

Sauces: Cranberry Sauce and Gravy.

Vegetable sides: Steamed Mixed Veg and Cauliflower Cheese Gratin.

Dessert: Rice Pudding or Strawberry Trifle.

If you're looking for vegan gift ideas, including homemade edible gifts, vegan cookbooks, kitchen gadgets and vegan food products, be sure to check out my Vegan Gift Guide! You might also want to check out my 30 Best Books Gift Guide!

A collage of four Vegan Christmas Dinner Menus photos

Easy Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu (Gluten-Free)

This Easy Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu is the easiest, most foolproof combination of recipes. They're the simplest ones that you won't get wrong even if you're a complete beginner! You can use this as a template and customise it as you wish.
4.50 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, British
Keyword: vegan christmas dinner, vegan christmas menu, vegan christmas recipes
Prep Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 4 hours hours 55 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people (slide scale to adjust number of servings)
Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

Appetizer:

  • 1 Mushroom Pâté

Main:

  • 1 Vegan Meatloaf

Sides:

  • 1 Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
  • 1 Persimmon Salad
  • 525 g (3 cups) chopped vegetables (broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, chopped carrots, green peas, green beans etc)

Sauces:

  • 1 Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce (with leftovers)
  • 2 Vegan Gravy (the gravy recipe can be found within my Vegan Poutine recipe)

Dessert:

  • 1 Vegan Rice Pudding (with leftovers)

Instructions

The day before:

  • Mushroom Pâté – make and store in the fridge (serve at room temperature)
  • Meatloaf – prepare all the ingredients and put in the loaf tin. Store in the fridge ready to bake the next day
  • Mashed Potatoes – make the cashew cream and store in the fridge
  • Persimmon Salad – make the dressing and store in the fridge
  • Steamed Vegetables – wash, peel and chop up all vegetables and store in the fridge
  • Cranberry Sauce – make and store in the fridge (serve at room temperature)
  • Gravy – make and store in the fridge (reheat before serving)

On the day:

  • Meatloaf – bake in oven and leave to rest at least 1 hour before serving (otherwise you won’t be able to slice it properly – it doesn’t matter that it’s not steaming hot when serving as long as you have plenty of hot gravy)
  • Mashed Potatoes – peel and chop potatoes earlier in the day but make before serving
  • Persimmon Salad – prepare all salad ingredients earlier in the day and store separately from the dressing. Toss together before serving
  • Steamed Vegetables – place all vegetables in a pan and add water until just covered. Add salt and bring to the boil. Keeping a lid on, turn down the heat and cook on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until all vegetables are cooked to your liking (cooking time will vary depending on the vegetables you use). Drain as soon as they’re cooked
  • Gravy – reheat in a pot on the stove before serving
  • Rice Pudding - prepare in the morning and keep covered in the fridge. Place in oven while eating dinner (or after if you want a break between the main course and dessert), so that you can serve it hot
Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

And if you're looking for Vegan Christmas Leftovers Ideas, be sure to check out this post!

If you make any of these recipes, I’d really love to see what you come up with! You can show me by tagging a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

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Comments

    4.50 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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  1. Elizabeth Avila

    December 10, 2019 at 6:28 am

    5 stars
    Hi Rhian. I love your recipes. I was really looking forward to receiving the free Christmas Recipes E-book, but I haven't received my confirmation yet. Maybe it takes a day, but I usually receive them pretty quickly. I hope you send me one soon. Thank you for the gift!

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      December 11, 2019 at 12:00 pm

      Hi Elizabeth, thank you for subscribing! I'm sorry to hear that, it should arrive immediately. Have you checked your Junk email or Promotions tab?

  2. Lynn

    December 10, 2022 at 8:19 pm

    5 stars
    Love her recipes and menu ideas. Brings me joy just browsing because I know they are recipes that are easy to follow and taste wonderful.

    Reply
    • Rhian Williams

      December 13, 2022 at 2:16 pm

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

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Hi, I’m Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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