almond butter tahini chocolate cookies

15 Healthy Vegan Desserts for the Holidays

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Here are some festive, healthy vegan desserts to enjoy for the holidays. When it’s time for a get-together you want something delicious no matter what. But finding vegan desserts good enough for a special celebration can be tricky. If you try to veganize family favorite recipes sometimes the lack of butter, eggs, or milk could make them dry or otherwise not the best. So, I have collected some favorites here for you to make and enjoy, worry-free.

Whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Christmas, here are some great dessert ideas to enjoy. These recipes taste rich and enjoyable and are also lower in added sugar and saturated fat compared to traditional recipes.

Brownies and Cakes

These pumpkin brownies by Brandi at The Vegan 8 are tasty and moist: I used light olive oil in place of coconut butter to decrease the saturated fat and reduced the sugar to a half cup total.

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Brownies
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Brownies. Vegan, dairy-free & oil-free & made with pumpkin and chocolate chips. Soft cake and brownie texture.
Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Brownies
Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Brownies

I adapted these Rich and Fudgy Tahini Brownies from Deanna Seagrave-Daly and Serena Ball RD to a vegan recipe: also moist and delicious!

Rich and Fudgy Tahini Brownies
Fudgy, chocolately brownies that are easy to make and with less saturated fat than most.
Rich and Fudgy Tahini Brownies
Tahini brownies on aqua background
Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies for the Instant Pot
Fudgy, moist brownie made easily in the Instant Pot – plus lower in added sugar and saturated fat compared to mant recipes. Perfect tasty dessert or snack especially when it is too hot to bake.
Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies for the Instant Pot
vegan peanut butter brownies on white plate with peanuts and chocolate chips

This “Crazy Cake”, also known as Depression Cake, is another delicious option if you don’t have pumpkin in the house (or if you have a chocolate fix but are snowed in and don’t have a lot of ingredients on hand!). This recipe is from allrecipes.com.

Applesauce or mashed banana can be substituted for at least half of the oil. I have used whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour and cut the sugar to about half as well.

Crazy Cake
This cake was popular during the Depression, and does not have eggs in it.
Crazy Cake
Crazy Cake

You could make these tasty recipes by Megan Byrd RD look more festive by cutting them into portions and then drizzling them with melted white chocolate and topping them with berries, sprinkles, or crushed candy canes!

Easy & Healthy Avocado Brownies
These healthy avocado brownies are so easy to make! With heart healthy ingredients, this simple vegan brownie recipe is so fudgy & delicious!
Easy & Healthy Avocado Brownies
Easy & Healthy Avocado Brownies

Beans add important nutrients like protein, fiber, potassium, and phosphorus to brownies. Try this recipe from Elizabeth Weiss MS, RD.

Easy Flourless Black Bean Brownies
These easy flourless black bean brownies are fudgy and topped with fresh raspberries for even more great taste, and they are also gluten-free!
Easy Flourless Black Bean Brownies
Easy Flourless Black Bean Brownies
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes ~ the combination of rich chocolate, sweet buttercream, and cooling peppermint will bring on holiday cheer!
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Easy Vegan Holiday Treats

Chocolate lovers, this one’s for you. Bark is a super-easy treat. Try this one from Toby Amidor MS, RD.

Pomegranate-Pistachio Bark
Easy to make and festive, with a delightful crunch.
Pomegranate-Pistachio Bark
Pomegranate-Pistachio Bark

Cookie dough bites from Kaitlin Williams Eckstein MPH, RD, LD are a tasty dessert:

Coconut Dough Cookie Bites
This fun Coconut Cookie Dough Bites recipe is a great way to get the entire family in the kitchen with its simple and delicious ingredients enjoy!
Coconut Dough Cookie Bites
Coconut Dough Cookie Bites
Ginger, Date, Walnut Chocolate Truffles – Katie Sullivan Morford RD
These are decadent-tasting treats with not-so-decadent ingredients. The truffles are made with nutrient-packed walnuts, naturally sweet Medjool dates, and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. They will satisfy even the fiercest sweet tooth and are so chocolatey, one little truffle is all it takes. To en…
Check out this recipe
Ginger, Date, Walnut Chocolate Truffles - Katie Sullivan Morford RD
Carrot and White Bean Vegan Blondies by Lizzie Streit MS, RDN
Healthy white bean vegan blondies with some added veggies! Made with creamy peanut butter, Great Northern beans, shredded carrots, and gluten free oats.
Check out this recipe
Carrot and White Bean Vegan Blondies by Lizzie Streit MS, RDN
Raw Vegan Gingerbread Truffles – Kara Lydon RD
Sweet and spice and everything nice. These raw vegan gingerbread truffles are deliciously decadent tasting and good for you, perfect as a holiday gift for your favorite healthy foodie.
Check out this recipe
Raw Vegan Gingerbread Truffles - Kara Lydon RD

Vegan Christmas Cookie Ideas

Peanut Butter No-Egg Cookies – Amy Gorin MS, RDN
Looking for delicious no egg cookies that also happen to be dairy free, gluten free, and allergy friendly? Look no further than this yummy eggless cookie recipe.
Check out this recipe
Peanut Butter No-Egg Cookies - Amy Gorin MS, RDN
Tahini Almond Butter Chocolate-Dipped Cookies – Katie Sullivan Morford RD
Stir together almond butter and flour, chia seeds, tahini, and maple syrup and you’ve got the makings for a cookie wholesome enough to qualify as a healthy snack. Dunk in the darkest chocolate you can get your hands on and it makes a decadent-tasting treat. If you want to skip the chocolate dip, add…
Check out this recipe
Tahini Almond Butter Chocolate-Dipped Cookies - Katie Sullivan Morford  RD
tahini brownies, chocolate bark, raspberry cheesecake, chocolate truffles with words 15 vegan holiday desserts

Light Dessert Options

Stuffed dates are another fun and nutritious option. You can stuff them with pecan, walnuts, dark chocolate, peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, etc., and even dip them in some melted dark chocolate.

Of course, fruit is a healthy way to end the meal. Try it with chocolate hummus for a delicious twist. You can make chocolate hummus at home, or buy it.

I hope you now have some new ideas for enticing and healthy vegan desserts to add enjoy over the holidays!

More Holiday Meal Ideas

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Have you tried any of these healthy vegan desserts? Please share your favorite in the comments below:

Originally published: 11/19/19. Updated 12/17/2023

5 thoughts on “15 Healthy Vegan Desserts for the Holidays”

  1. Wow! these are awesome recipes. Great 15 Healthy Vegan Desserts for the Holidays indeed! I can’t wait to try each recipe this Holiday season. Thanks and Happy Holidays!:)

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