Plant-based Christmas sweets yule love

16th December 2021 | Eativity editors
Plant-based Christmas sweets

Following a plant-based lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the good stuff. Especially at this time of year, when everything pretty much revolves around sumptuous mountains of food. And so, to get your ho-ho-ho on, plant-based style, try these crazy delicious plant-based Christmas sweets from Califia Farms and The Nourished Chef.

“Christmas is a time to celebrate and enjoy food,” says Clarissa Kocovski, vegan recipe creator and face behind The Nourished Chef. “And going plant-based doesn’t mean you’re skipping out on the good stuff. Enjoy Christmas lunch with an abundance of plant-based dishes that celebrate and showcase Christmas flavours and spices.

“Ginger is a fabulous ingredient to use in plant-based gingerbread cookies. Cloves and allspice go wonderfully with festive roasted vegies. And let’s not forget cinnamon! This is such a versatile ingredient that you can use in sweet and savoury dishes. I love using a good pinch of cinnamon in my almond milk baked potatoes on Christmas Day.”

Plant-based Christmas meal ideas
Need some inspiration for your plant-based festive feast? Check out these ideas.

If you have Christmas family recipes that have been passed down through generations, Kocovski suggests experimenting to see if you can transform them into plant-based creations. “It’s often easier than you think when you swap out ingredients for plant-based ones,” she says. “For example, regular eggs to flax eggs or cow’s milk to almond milk.”

For Christmas goodies that will be sure to please everyone, from vegans to omnivores and everything in between, try these plant-based Christmas sweets created by Kocovski. And for more inspiration, try these plant-based Christmas treats especially for Santa.

Plant-based Christmas sweets: Christmas gingerbread & candy cane doughnuts

Christmas gingerbread & candy cane doughnuts

Makes 6-7 large doughnuts

You’ll need:

1¼ cups self-raising flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground all spice
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ cup Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
⅓ cup coconut or brown sugar
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp warmed almond milk)
1½ tbsp neutral oil (eg, grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil)
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:

¾ cup powdered sugar
1½ tbsp Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 tsp pure maple syrup
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Christmas candy canes, crushed

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease doughnut pan with oil of choice. Set aside.

2. To make the flax egg, combine the flaxseed meal and warmed almond milk in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside to let it thicken.

3. In a medium bowl, add all dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Add wet ingredients. Stir to combine until you reach a smooth batter.

4. Add doughnut batter to a piping bag or ziploc bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe around each cavity of the doughnut pan. Fill three-quarters high.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan before placing onto a wire rack.

6. Meanwhile, for the glaze, combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until completely combined. Add a splash more almond milk if needed. When ready to serve, dip or drizzle the doughnuts into the glaze. Sprinkle crushed Christmas candy canes on top.

Plant-based Christmas sweets: Christmas star cookies

Christmas star cookies

Makes 15 cookies

You’ll need:

1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup coconut sugar (or sugar of choice)
⅓ cup Califia Farms Vanilla Almond Milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar. Using a spoon, mix until creamy. Stir in the vanilla almond milk and vanilla bean paste until combine. Add the flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon. Using your hands, knead the mixture and roll into a large ball.

3. On a floured work surface and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough ball into a 1cm thick rectangle. Using a star cookie cutter, create star shapes into the rolled dough. Carefully remove the stars and place onto the baking tray. Repeat this process with remaining dough.

4. Place in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until crispy on the outside. Allow to cool completely before dusting over with some icing sugar.