Christmas

Creamy vegan mashed parsnips

December 11, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious Leave a Comment

Mashed parsnips are a delicious accompaniment to a roast dinner, whether at Christmas time or any other time of year. My recipe for creamy mashed parsnips is suitable for vegans and is so moreish.

Are you a fan of parsnips? They’re one of my favourite vegetables – and they have been since I was a kid. None of my kids will even try parsnips but I don’t really mind that much – all the more for me! I love the flavour of them and enjoy them roasted with carrots or turnips as much as mashed.

Parsnips are also a great ingredient in a nut roast, a korma or in savoury cakes.

How to prepare parsnips

Parsnips are on the whole quite easy to prepare. What you need to do will depend on the size of your parsnips. If you’re using tiny baby parsnips you really don’t need to do much to them at all – they can even be roasted and eaten whole without being peeled. If you’re using them to make this mashed parsnips recipe though it’s best to peel them first.

Larger parsnips have quite a thick, woody core, which won’t go soft enough to mash. If your parsnips are on the large size you’ll need to peel them, then chop down the length of the parsnip, cutting out the core. You’re then ready to boil or steam your parsnips and follow the recipe below.

How to use mashed parsnips

I like to eat mashed parsnips as a side dish with a vegan roast dinner. They’d be great as part of a vegan Christmas dinner. You can also enjoy them with sausages and green vegetables – and lots of vegan gravy.

It would also be lovely on top of a lentil shepherd’s pie for a change.

How to make creamy mashed parsnips

It really is as easy as peeling and chopping, boiling or steaming and then mashing your parsnips. There’s not much more to it so there’s absolutely no reason not to make these as soon as possible.

Creamy vegan mashed parsnips

Mashed parsnips are a delicious accompaniment to a roast dinner, whether at Christmas time or any other time of year. My recipe for creamy mashed parsnips is suitable for vegans and is so moreish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Keyword mashed parsnips

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Cook Veggielicious

Ingredients

750 g parsnip peeled and cored if big. Chop and place in a pot of water. Bring to the boil and boil until soft
50 ml milk I used almond
2 tbsp dairy free butter
1 tsp dried thyme
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Peel your parsnips. If they are large you will need to cut out the thick woody core - this isn’t necessary for young or baby parsnips. Chop into bite sized pieces and place in a pan of water.
Bring to the boil and cook until soft.
Drain well and return to the pan. Add the milk, the butter, the thyme and nutmeg. Mash well until smooth.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.

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How to make the ultimate vegan Christmas dinner

December 7, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious Leave a Comment

Whether you’re a long term vegan, a new vegan getting read for your first vegan Christmas or a non-vegan looking for inspiration for a vegan friend or family member who’s visiting you this festive season I’ve got you covered with my selection of recipes for the ultimate vegan Christmas dinner.

How are your Christmas preparations going? If you still have shopping to do you might find my 15 best vegan cookbooks useful.

It’s totally possible to have a delicious and traditional vegan Christmas dinner – whatever your meat eating friends and family tell you. I’ve spent the last few years refining my vegan Christmas recipes and I now have the perfect selection to make the ultimate vegan Christmas dinner.

Most of the sides that really make a Christmas dinner are vegan anyway – or easily can be. I’ve included recipes below for roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips, Brussels sprouts and more that will keep you happy this Christmas. I’ve also nailed a perfect vegan gravy recipe which is also included below.

In terms of vegan Christmas main courses I’m a big fan of nut roast – as long as it has a lot of flavour of course. I’ve included a few different ones and have also thrown in a stuffed butternut squash recipe I wrote last year for metro in case you fancy a change. Next year I’m thinking I’ll make a wellington – let me know in the comments if you’ve tried a good vegan wellington recipe or if you have any other favourites.

And when it comes to dessert, I’m a big fan of Christmas pudding. I’ve included a link to my recipe and have also included a vegan pavolva – this would be lovely if you used seasonal fruits instead of the berries.

I hope you enjoy your vegan Christmas dinner and don’t forget to tag me on instagram @cookveggielicious if you make any of my recipes!

NB: some of these recipes will take you to Sneaky Veg, my kid food blog, or the metro site, but they’re all recipes that I’ve created.

Vegan Christmas main courses

Parsnip and cashew nut roast

Chestnut and cranberry roast

Roasted butternut squash with wild rice, cranberry and pecans

(Picture: Mandy Mazliah/metro.co.uk)

Parsnip, chestnut and sage wreath

Vegan Christmas side dishes

Rosemary roast potatoes

Roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts

Maple roasted carrots and parsnips

Christmas red cabbage

Roast Brussels and Jerusalem artichokes

Vegan gravy

Vegan Christmas desserts

Christmas pudding

Picture: (Mandy Mazliah/metro.co.uk)

Pavlova

Apple and mincemeat puff pastry swirls

And it’s not too late to make my iced vegan Christmas cake.

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Vegan parsnip and cashew nut roast

December 5, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious 10 Comments

This parsnip and cashew nut roast is packed full of flavour and is a delicious vegan centrepiece for your roast dinner or Christmas feast. Delicious served with gravy.

Nut roasts can be wonderful – or they can be horribly bland. My first version of this cashew nut roast fell into the latter category. It was fine and perfectly edible but just didn’t have that wow element.

Several versions later and I’d nailed it. (Yes we’ve eaten a lot of nut roasts lately). I had Christmas in mind when I was developing this recipe and let’s face it – we don’t want something disappointing for Christmas dinner do we?

The answer turned out to be flavour. And lots of it. On their own parsnips, cashews and rice are all perfectly nice enough but this nut roast needed more. Garlic, nutmeg, allspice, sage, miso and nutritional yeast all add the flavour kick that makes this parsnip and cashew nut roast a delicious vegan centrepiece for your roast dinner or Christmas feast.

What to serve with this cashew nut roast

Roast potatoes are absolutely essential. I like to serve this nut roast with Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, cranberry sauce, mashed parsnips and a rich, flavoursome vegan gravy. Delicious.

For more ideas check out my ultimate vegan Christmas dinner post.

How to make cashew nut roast

There are a few different elements to this cashew nut roast but it’s not difficult to make. You’ll need to cook some brown rice and some parsnips, soak some cashews and make some flax eggs to help bind it all together.

Then you’ll make an onion mix with the herbs and spices before mixing it all together and baking in the oven. If you want to make this in advance you can make up to the end of stage 9 and store in the fridge overnight before baking.

5 from 4 votes

Cashew nut roast with parsnips

This cashew nut roast has so much flavour. It’s a great choice for a vegan Christmas dinner but can be eaten with a roast dinner at any time of year. Best served with gravy.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword cashew nut roast

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 8

Author Cook Veggielicious

Ingredients

450 g parsnips
2 tbsp flax seeds
6 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 leeks sliced
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp dried sage
1 tbsp miso paste
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
180 g cashew nuts soaked
100 g brown rice
Small handful of flat leaf parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Soak the cashews in cold water for 30 minutes.
Cook the brown rice according the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6. Grease a 1kg loaf tin and line with baking paper
Peel and chop your parsnips and steam (or boil) them until soft. Drain and set aside.
While the parsnips are cooking grind your flax seeds to a powder in a spice grinder or food processor. Add the 6 tbsp water and stir until you have a gloopy paste that's a bit like glue. Set aside.
Heat your olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions and leeks until soft, stirring often. Add the garlic, nutmeg, allspice, dried sage, miso paste and nutritional yeast and continue cooking for a moment or two. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Drain the cashew nuts and roughly chop. You can do this in a food processor but don’t over do it. You want chopped nuts rather than ground.
Put the cashews in a large mixing bowl and add the onion mixture along with your flax eggs, the cooked parsnips, the cooked rice and the chopped parsley. Roughly mash until well combined but still with plenty of texture.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to your prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes.
Allow to cool in the tin for five minutes then turn out and serve immediately. If it gets stuck in the tin run a sharp knife around the outside of the nut roast to loosen it.
Serve with roast potatoes, veggies and a vegan onion gravy.

Other vegan Christmas dinner recipes

Chestnut and cranberry nut roast

Balsamic Brussels sprouts

The best vegan gravy

Rosemary roast potatoes

Maple balsamic roasted carrots and parsnips (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Easy Christmas red cabbage (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

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Rosemary roast potatoes | vegan

December 3, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious 12 Comments

Perfect roast potatoes are an essential part of a roast dinner. My vegan rosemary roast potatoes are deliciously crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The herbs add a lovely flavour. A great addition to your Christmas dinner.

Now I don’t know about you but I LOVE roast potatoes. A good dish of crispy roast potatoes is an absolute essential part of a roast dinner for me and one of my favourite things about winter is having an excuse to put the oven on and make a good batch of roast potatoes.

I don’t always make a full roast dinner to have with them – sometimes just roast potatoes, vegan sausages and veggies is enough – especially during the week. But on other occasions – for example Christmas – it’s good to pull out all the stops and create an epic vegan roast dinner. Of which roast potatoes are an absolute must.

Plain roast potatoes are always delicious but why not make them a little extra special by adding rosemary to them. We have a rosemary plant growing in our small city garden but you can buy it in most supermarkets and greengrocers. It gives the potatoes a lovely flavour.

Are roast potatoes vegan?

Well no – not all roast potatoes are vegan. Many, particular at Christmas, are roasted with the fat from the meat that is being roasted or from fat eg goose fat that is bought especially. My rosemary roast potatoes however are roasted with sunflower oil – making them happily suitable for vegans and pretty much everyone else.

How to make rosemary roast potatoes

Roast potatoes have a reputation as something that’s hard to get right. But they’re actually pretty easy to make if you follow a few simple steps: parboil the potatoes (more about this in the recipe below), get the oil nice and hot before adding the potatoes to the dish AND turn the potatoes carefully a few times.

5 from 6 votes

Rosemary roast potatoes (vegan)

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Keyword rosemary roast potatoes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Cook Veggielicious

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes 8 small-medium potatoes, maris piper are a good choice of potato
3 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp sea salt
Sunflower oil - 5mm layer in the roasting pan

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6.
Peel and chop your potatoes (I quartered mine but if they’re small you can halve them)
Place in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook until just softening. This is called parboiling.
Meanwhile place a layer of oil in your roasting tin that goes about 5mm up the side of the dish. Place in the oven to allow the oil to get hot.
Drain the parboiled potatoes and return to the saucepan. Shake gently against the sides of the pan.
Remove the roasting tin from the oven and very carefully place the potatoes in the oil (careful it doesn’t spit as the oil will be very hot). Add the rosemary and sea salt and gently mix.
Return the tray to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove, turn each potato over and return for 20 minutes. Repeat this turning process once more and roast for a final 20 minutes.
Serve with a roast dinner.

If you like this you might like these other vegan roast dinner recipes:

Chestnut and cranberry nut roast

Balsamic Brussels sprouts

The best vegan gravy

Easy Christmas red cabbage (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Parsnip, chestnut and sage nut roast (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Pin rosemary roast potatoes (vegan) for later

The best vegan gravy

November 29, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious 4 Comments

A delicious, hearty vegan gravy recipe that’s packed full of flavour. Perfect for your veggie roast dinner, with mashed potatoes or for your vegan Christmas dinner.

It took me a while to get a vegan onion gravy recipe that I was happy with but this really hits the spot. It’s got a lovely flavour thanks to the secret ingredient – which is marmite. Marmite is suitable for vegans – although according to their website the 70g jar is only suitable for vegetarians. I have no idea why! Marmite is a spread made from yeast extract. It’s naturally high in vitamin B12 and folic acid. If you’re not in the UK you may be able to find it in the international section, or look for a non-branded yeast extract. If you’re in Australia Vegemite would do a similar job.

I love this gravy poured over a roast dinner. In fact I find roast dinners really disappointing when there isn’t any gravy with them. An onion gravy is always my favourite and it’s surprisingly easy to make a satisfying vegan version.

It’s also delicious with mashed potato, with or without sausages (vegan of course) or with a good pie. What do you like to eat with gravy? When I visited the Isle of Man last year I was told that chips and gravy are a local speciality! Maybe I should give it a go…

How to make the best vegan gravy

It’s not difficult to make a delicious vegan gravy but it’s worth taking the time to fry the onions properly. Spend 10-15 minutes cooking them slowly and you’ll have a much richer flavour. And when it comes to your vegetable stock by all means use stock from a packet if you’re pushed for time but a good homemade veggie stock will make this even better. Sometimes when I make this I add a splash of red wine – others I don’t. It’s delicious both ways.

5 from 1 vote

Vegan gravy

A delicious, hearty vegan gravy recipe that's packed full of flavour. Perfect for your veggie roast dinner, with mashed potatoes or for your Christmas dinner.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Keyword vegan gravy

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Author Cook Veggielicious

Ingredients

1 tbsp dairy free spread
1 onion chopped
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tbsp plain flour
750 ml hot vegetable stock
1 tbsp marmite
Splash of red wine optional
Salt and pepper
Parsley

Instructions

Melt the spread in a medium saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft.
Stir in the garlic granules and the plain flour and cook for one minute.
Add the stock and the red wine (if using) and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until starting to thicken.
Stir in the marmite and chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Either serve as it is or for a smooth gravy push it through a sieve into a serving jug or gravy boat.
Keeps in the fridge for several days. It may separate, in which case stir it well as you reheat.

If you like this you might like these other vegan roast dinner recipes:

Chestnut and cranberry nut roast

Rosemary roast potatoes

Balsamic Brussels sprouts

Easy Christmas red cabbage (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Parsnip, chestnut and sage nut roast (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Looking for a good vegan cookbook? Here are 15 of the best vegan cookbooks.

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Roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts

November 26, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious 12 Comments

An absolute must for any Christmas dinner table, these roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts taste divine. These are so far removed from the over boiled, soggy sprouts that you’re used to that you might not even realise they’re the same vegetable. Suitable for vegans.

How to prepare Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts aren’t hard to prepare but if you’re making a large batch it can take a while so choose a comfy chair, pop the radio on and get yourself a chopping board, a sharp knife and a roasting tin.

The first step is to wash your Brussels sprouts. This is particularly important if they’re from an organic vegetable box or bag scheme, or even from your own garden or allotment. If you can’t get all the muddy bits off don’t worry, you can give them another wash later after you’ve prepared them.

Using a sharp knife cut the stem end of the sprout off and discard. Remove any outer leaves that are yellowish or look damaged. If your sprouts are on the large size you might want to cut them in half – the ones I used for these photos were quite young so they didn’t need to be cut in half. The main thing is to make sure they’re a similar size to each other so they cook evenly.

Once prepared give them a final wash if needed and follow the recipe. If you’re planning on boiling them they’ll be cooked through in 15-20 minutes. I recommend however that you don’t do this and you follow my roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts recipe below instead.

How to make roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts

My favourite thing about this recipe – apart from the delicious taste – is just how easy it is to make. Simply prepare the sprouts, make a quick dressing, drizzle it over the sprouts and roast. Easy.

5 from 4 votes

Roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts

An absolute must for any Christmas dinner table, these roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts are absolutely divine. These are so far removed from the over boiled, soggy sprouts that you might be used to that you might not even realise they're the same vegetable. Suitable for vegans.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Keyword balsamic brussels sprouts

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6

Author Cook Veggielicious

Ingredients

500 g Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch salt
Black pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6.
Beat oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small jug and set aside.
Cut the end off the sprouts, remove any old looking leaves, and wash well. If large then cut in half.
Place in a roasting dish and drizzle over the oil and vinegar mix.
Roast for 20 minutes, stir and roast for another 10 minutes until soft.

If you like this you might like this…

Chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast

Maple balsamic roasted carrots and parsnips (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Iced vegan Christmas cake

Bubble and squeak cakes (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

The best vegan gravy

Rosemary roast potatoes

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Check out my list of 15 of the best vegan cookbooks for inspiration.

Pin roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts for later

Chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast

November 8, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious 8 Comments

Delicious chestnuts and cranberries are combined with tasty roasted butternut squash in this vegan nut roast recipe. Perfect for your Christmas dinner.

What are your thoughts on nut roast? There’s just something about the name that conjures up images of a 1970s style vegetarian Christmas. Whether you think this is a good or a bad thing there’s no denying that not all nut roasts are equal.

I’m sure that every vegan and vegetarian out there can remember a soggy, crumbly or tasteless nut roast, probably served with not enough roast potatoes and cold gravy. Chances are you were served this nut roast as the only vegetarian on a work Christmas do. It doesn’t have to be that way though!

My chestnut and cranberry nut roast recipe will transform your feelings about nut roast. It holds together beautifully and is packed full of festive flavours. I’ve designed this recipe with Christmas in mind – hence the chestnuts and cranberries. But it can be eaten at any time – nut roasts are not just for Christmas after all.

What to serve with nut roast?

I think that roast potatoes are essential with nut roast as is a good vegan gravy (watch out for my gravy recipe coming soon). I also like lots of vegetables on the side. Roasted Brussels if it’s Christmas, otherwise some sautéed cabbage or kale, some broccoli and some carrots always go down well. A large dollop of cranberry sauce would complete your vegan Christmas dinner.

How to make chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast

The key to making a successful vegan nut roast is to make sure that it binds together properly. Here I’ve used flax eggs (you can also use chia eggs). Both chia and flax seeds are miracle vegan ingredients. As well as containing all sorts of nutrients that are good for you, when ground together and mixed with water they go all gloopy and make the perfect substitute for eggs.

When combined with a mashed vegetable – here I’ve used butternut squash – and breadcrumbs you’re guaranteed to get good results.

This Christmas nut roast takes a while to bake – but it’s worth the wait. On my first test I took it out after half an hour as it looked ready on the top but it really wasn’t done inside. I suggest that after half an hour you cover the top with foil to stop it getting too brown.

5 from 4 votes

Chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast

Delicious chestnuts and cranberries are combined with tasty roasted butternut squash in this vegan nut roast recipe. Perfect for your Christmas dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword vegan nut roast

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 6

Author Cook Veggielicious

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
300 g butternut squash (about half a medium squash) peeled and chopped
2 chia or flax seeds
6 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 spring of rosemary leaves picked and finely chopped
180 g chestnuts crumbled or chopped
60 g ground almonds
50 g wholemeal breadcrumbs
100 g dried cranberries
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C(fan)/200°C/ gas mark 6.
Place the chopped squash into a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30-40 minutes until soft. Stir once or twice.
Make your chia or flax eggs by mixing 2 tbsp ground seeds with 6 tbsp water. Set aside to thicken.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion and celery until soft. Add the garlic and chopped rosemary and cook for 1 minute more.
Remove from the heat and stir through the chestnuts, breadcrumbs, oregano, almonds, mustard powder, cranberries and nutritional yeast.
When the squash is cooked roughly mash and add to the onion and chestnut mixture along with the flax eggs.
Stir well.
Line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
Transfer the mixture to the tin and press down well.
Bake for 30 mins. Cover the top with foil and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes.
Leave to rest for 2-3 minutes then carefully remove from the tin and serve.

Recipe Notes

This can be frozen. Once you've put the filling in the tin allow to cool completely then cover and freeze. Defrost thoroughly before cooking.

Other vegan Christmas recipes that you might like

Roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts

Parsnip, chestnut and sage Christmas nut roast (on my other blog sneakyveg.com)

Iced vegan Christmas cake

Roast Brussels sprouts and Jerusalem artichokes with cranberries and chestnuts (on my other blog sneakyveg.com)

Easy Christmas red cabbage (on my other blog sneakyveg.com)

Vegan gravy

Rosemary roast potatoes

And if you’re looking for a gift for your favourite vegan check out my best vegan cookbooks review.

Covers of Vegan in 15, Deliciously Ella Plant Based Cookbook, Vegan Street Food, BOSH!, homemade vegan pantry, Vegan 100, The Wicked Healthy Cookbook and Thug Kitchen

Pin chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast for later

Iced vegan Christmas cake

October 25, 2018 by Cook Veggielicious Leave a Comment

An easy vegan Christmas cake that’s rich, delicious and tastes just like a traditional festive bake. This dairy free and eggless Christmas cake is perfect for any festive celebration.

Is it easy to make a vegan Christmas cake?

It was easier than I thought to make a vegan Christmas cake. Simply substituting the butter for dairy free spread and the eggs for flax eggs makes a perfect vegan Christmas cake that holds together and has all the flavours of a rich traditional Christmas cake.

Other than this there are some ingredients that you need to check are suitable for vegans. This will include the alcohol you use if you choose to use any to make this a boozy vegan Christmas cake. It also includes the marzipan and fondant icing. Homemade almond paste (marzipan) usually contains eggs, as does fondant and royal icing. This means that they’re not suitable for vegans. However, most shop bought marzipan and fondant icing is suitable for vegans. I’ve chosen to use both shop bought marzipan and fondant icing for this easy vegan Christmas cake recipe.

Is brandy vegan?

To make a boozy vegan Christmas cake you need to add some alcohol such as rum, sherry or brandy. I prefer to add brandy. Many types of brandy are vegan but you can check on the Barnivore website.

How to make a fruit cake without egg

Since I became vegan and began experimenting with vegan baking I’ve tried many different egg replacements. Different types of egg replacements work better for different recipes. Aquafaba, the water from a tin of beans (usually chickpeas), works really well for meringue as in this vegan aquafaba pavolva recipe. Many cakes actually work without any kind of egg replacement – such as this vegan pumpkin loaf. However, for my festive eggless Christmas cake I have used flax eggs – chia eggs would also work well. Both flax seeds and chia seeds can be ground down and mixed with water to make a thick paste which acts as a binding agent.

I hope you enjoy this dairy free and eggless Christmas cake – let me know how it goes in the comments!

How to make a vegan Christmas cake

Vegan Christmas cake

An easy vegan Christmas cake that’s rich, delicious and tastes just like a traditional festive bake. This dairy free and eggless Christmas cake is perfect for any festive celebration.

Course Cake

Cuisine British

Keyword vegan christmas cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Soaking time 12 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Servings 12

Author Cook Veggielicious

Ingredients

150 g light brown sugar
100 g glacé cherries washed and quartered
100 g candied peel
400 g mixed dried fruit
2 tbsp brandy use orange juice instead if you prefer a non alcoholic cake
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
6 tbsp water
225 g softened dairy free spread or melted coconut oil
225 g self raising flour
60 g ground almonds
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp apricot jam
500 g vegan golden marzipan
450 g vegan ready rolled fondant icing

Instructions

Start making your cake the day before you want to bake it.
Place the sugar, dried fruit and brandy (or orange juice if preferred) together in a large mixing bowl overnight. Still well then cover and leave to soak.
When you’re ready to bake your vegan Christmas cake pre-heat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C/gas mark 3.
Grease a 20cm/8 inch round cake tin. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
First put your ground flax seeds in a small bowl and add the 6 tbsp water. Stir well and leave to rest until it thickens and forms a paste.
Beat the dairy free spread or coconut oil into the soaked fried fruit. Next add the flax eggs and stir well.
Finally add the self raising flour, ground almonds and spices to your dried fruit. Stir well to combine and pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth over the top.
Place the tin in the middle of the oven.
Bake for 2-2.5 hours or until the cake is firm and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cover the top with foil if it’s starting to look too brown.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin then cover with a layer of greaseproof paper and wrap up with tin foil. If you wish you can feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp brandy every week until you’re ready to ice it.
When you’re ready to add your marzipan heat the apricot jam carefully in the microwave or a small saucepan. Push through a sieve and set aside for a moment.
Remove the cake from the tin and brush the apricot jam over the top of the cake. Roll out your marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar and carefully lift on top of the cake. Trim any extra marzipan from the cake and if you want you can save this to make shapes from to decorate the cake.
You can rewrap the cake for up to a week before adding the icing or do it immediately.
When you’re ready to ice your cake if you wish you can brush a little sherry over the top of your marzipan to help the icing stick but this isn’t essential. Unroll your icing and place carefully over the cake, using your hands to smooth it down. Trim off any excess.
Decorate with holly leaves, a ribbon and any marzipan shapes you might have made.

If you like this you might like this…

Chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Check out my list of 15 of the best vegan cookbooks for inspiration.

Christmas

How to prepare parsnips

How to use mashed parsnips

How to make creamy mashed parsnips

Creamy vegan mashed parsnips

Ingredients

Instructions

Pin creamy vegan mashed potatoes for later

Vegan Christmas main courses

Vegan Christmas side dishes

Vegan Christmas desserts

Pin how to make the ultimate vegan Christmas dinner for later

What to serve with this cashew nut roast

How to make cashew nut roast

Cashew nut roast with parsnips

Ingredients

Instructions

Other vegan Christmas dinner recipes

Pin vegan cashew nut roast with parsnips for later

Are roast potatoes vegan?

How to make rosemary roast potatoes

Rosemary roast potatoes (vegan)

Ingredients

Instructions

Pin rosemary roast potatoes (vegan) for later

How to make the best vegan gravy

Vegan gravy

Ingredients

Instructions

Pin the best vegan gravy recipe for later

How to prepare Brussels sprouts

How to make roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts

Roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts

Ingredients

Instructions

Maple balsamic roasted carrots and parsnips (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Bubble and squeak cakes (on my other blog Sneaky Veg)

Pin roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts for later

What to serve with nut roast?

How to make chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast

Chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Other vegan Christmas recipes that you might like

Parsnip, chestnut and sage Christmas nut roast (on my other blog sneakyveg.com)

Roast Brussels sprouts and Jerusalem artichokes with cranberries and chestnuts (on my other blog sneakyveg.com)

Easy Christmas red cabbage (on my other blog sneakyveg.com)

Pin chestnut and cranberry vegan nut roast for later

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How to make a vegan Christmas cake

Vegan Christmas cake

Ingredients

Instructions

Pin vegan Christmas cake for later