Your New Go-To Holiday Recipe Could Be One of These PETA Staffer Favorites
Are you curious what type of recipes vegans make for the holidays? We asked PETA staffers to share some of their favorite holiday recipes, from tofu “turkey” to rich, chocolaty pie. These are dishes that have been tested and shared with family and friends at celebrations over the years, so you know they’re going to be delicious and satisfying—and they’re animal-friendly, too.
Here are some of the vegan holiday recipes loved by PETA staffers:
Breakfast
Vegan French Toast Casserole
J. Sheffield, operations support manager
“As a single mother and the eldest daughter, a lot of the holiday planning falls on me. It seems like non-stop chaos from the night before Thanksgiving until Christmas morning. That is when all the mental/emotional/physical labor of the last month pays off. I love this recipe because I can prep it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven after my son wakes me up to open presents. There is a true calm and joy to being able to just relax Christmas morning and have something warm, sweet, and delicious to offer my son and family members that come over first thing. I get to sit back, drink coffee, and truly just enjoy the moments with my son, companion animals, and family members.”
Appetizers
Curried Butternut Squash Red Lentil Soup
Alex Misurella, development coordinator
“When meeting my boyfriend’s parents for the first time a few years ago, I chose to be daring by including this soup on my menu despite never having made it before. Luckily for me, this recipe is as tasty as it is simple to make and was a triumph at our gathering. It has been a beloved staple on my holiday menu ever since.”
Easy Vegan Gravy (with a whole foods plant-based twist)
Steph Goettge, senior special projects fundraising manager
“This easy vegan gravy comes together so quickly, it’s a great addition to your holiday menus! To make it whole food, I use white whole wheat flour instead and I also bump the ¾ teaspoons of onion powder to a full teaspoon and also do one teaspoon of garlic powder. I also add 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and dried rosemary (crushed in your palm and added).”
Fresh Cranberry Salsa
Sarah McCluskey, senior manager of e-mail marketing
“This is great to eat with chips but also super-tasty on top of Tofurky, toast, or mashed potatoes—it’s just packed with flavor! I’ll usually pull from this recipe and then add more jalapeños and green onions and a little less sugar than what’s called for.”
Main Dishes
1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Kristin Dunn, senior director of individual giving
“This 1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie from Minimalist Baker has been my Thanksgiving MVP for the past eight years. It’s the perfect vegan holiday entrée that everyone can enjoy. It’s easy to make, hearty, delicious, and a real crowd-pleaser. Plus, it travels well and the leftovers are delish!”
Stuffed Tofu-Turkey
Chelsea Swinford-Johantges, membership communications special project manager
“I’ll always remember that the first Thanksgiving I made this roast, a girl I had a crush on came over for Black Friday shopping the next day and ate all my leftovers. I was just a baby vegan at the time, and it was the first time I experienced the bittersweet joy of seeing someone else choose the vegan option at the expense of getting a meal myself. Also pictured below is a squash dish from Oh She Glows, which has been a staple at family Thanksgivings and Christmases since 2012.”
The Ultimate Vegan Wellington
Sasha Moldavsky, editor and videographer
“This has been my go-to holiday recipe for a few years now. It’s a big hit with not only my boyfriend and me (we’re both vegan) but also the rest of my family (who are omnivores). This Wellington uses wonderful ingredients and packs a hearty, flavor-filled punch.”
Vegan Hallacas
Maria B. Sanchez, English-Spanish translator, PETA Latino
“I’m from Venezuela, where hallacas are the main vegan holiday dish. They’re challenging to prepare since they involve many steps. My grandmother used to make them for everyone and distribute them per family. (She made more than 100.) Since the day I was born, I never liked meat, so she always made vegan ones for me. My grandmother died in 2018, and I decided to try making them here in Houston with a vegan recipe I had found and liked. I don’t make as many hallacas as my grandmother did, but my husband, my daughters, and I have made about 25 of them every year since then.”
Side Dishes
Cheezy Tater Tot Casserole
Wendy Fernandez, campaigner
Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
Kiara Lynes, assistant Action Team coordinator
“My partner and I make this baked mac and cheese every ‘ThanksVegan.’ We searched for a while to find a mac and cheese that reminded him of his mom’s recipe. It’s the highlight of our holiday.”
Vegan Mac and Cheese Without Cashews
Cecilia Mabilais-Estevez, special projects generalist
“This cashew-free mac and cheese is so delicious and easy to make and has very few ingredients. I made it for my family recently, and everyone loved it. Later on, my sister made it for a block party and it was also a hit.”
Vegan Pumpkin Mac ‘n Cheeze Sauce
Kaitlyn Bodner, senior manager of membership services
“I love the Vegan Pumpkin Mac ‘n Cheeze Sauce from Oh She Glows. It’s a quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing recipe. There are no nuts or blending involved, and you get to skip the roux because the flour and milk are whisked together before they’re added to the pot. If you have a can of pumpkin and nutritional yeast (aka “nooch”), you’re already halfway there. I like to add minced garlic and onion and Field Roast Smoked Apple & Sage sausage and top with vegan parmesan and fried sage.”
Vegan Tortellini with Spicy Cauliflower Sauce
Debbie Metzler, PETA Foundation director of captive animal welfare
“Since I went vegan, my mom has done a wonderful job of mimicking all our family’s favorite meals using plant ingredients instead. They rival the original recipes in taste with none of the cruelty. Her masterful adaptations of traditional recipes are so well done that I encouraged her to publish them for everyone to enjoy. You can find this recipe and others on her website.”
Desserts
Amaretto Almond Tarts
Ingrid Newkirk, President
“This is one of my mother’s desserts that she learned to veganize after her daughter stopped eating anything stolen from an animal. She was a wonderful cook who made delicious puddings, trifles, blancmanges, rum cakes, jams, and tarts and who always dreamed of opening a tea shop. At the PETA office, whenever a parcel arrived containing almond tarts, there was a mad dash to score one. I miss her and her culinary creations.”
Chocolate Smlove Pie
Elizabeth Brion, senior content coordinator
“This chocolate pie topped with peanut butter caramel and candied pecans looks gorgeous and impressive but is surprisingly easy to put together. What does ‘Smlove’ mean? I have no idea, but you should definitely make this anyway.”
Vegan ‘Green Stuff’ (Vegan Watergate Salad)
Emily Jones, written communications manager
“This dessert was one of my fave things to eat during the holidays growing up. Of course, that was until I realized what marshmallows were made of—yuck—and who the dairy used for whipped cream was stolen from. I now make this vegan version every year for my family, and it tastes the same but without the cruelty. It has such a unique texture and flavor. Everyone always asks for seconds. It’s called Watergate salad, but my fam has always just called it “green fluff.”
Vegan Maple Pumpkin Pie
Lincoln Athas, AV Lead Editor-Videographer
“When I was in high school, my bus driver asked me to make a pumpkin pie with a pumpkin he had still sitting around after Halloween—I did, and every year since then, I’ve made maple pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, after I went vegan about 5 years ago, one failed attempt after another to veganize my recipe almost led me to believe that I’d have to give up my beloved tradition forever. But after discovering a few key ingredients (arrowroot, pureed tofu, and cornstarch) to replace the eggs, my tradition was saved. Finally, I have a scrumptious vegan version of my treasured recipe!”
Vegan Pecan Pie
Clara Bird, associate philanthropic specialist
“I love pecan pie and especially love this recipe because it’s relatively healthy for a pie and uses minimal ingredients. Even my partner loves this recipe. (He doesn’t typically like desserts, if you can imagine that!) If he loves it, I’m sure just about everyone else will.”
Vegan Watercolor Sugar Cookies
Sam Garner, digital experience design senior manager
“This is my famous vegan sugar cookie recipe with royal icing made with aquafaba (the juice from a can of chickpeas). I’ve shared it with so many people over the years and have used it to make cookies for every occasion. Every Thanksgiving, I make Krampus cookies, and in 2020, I used this recipe to make 10-year PETAversary cookies for myself.”
Whatever meals you decide to make during the holiday season, be sure to plan your menu with animals in mind. Turkeys, cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals suffer in order for the meat, egg, and dairy industries to produce broth, butter, and other items that are used during the holidays and beyond. These animals aren’t so different from the cats and dogs we lovingly share our homes and lives with. It’s speciesist to act as though only certain animals experience pain and fear.
Celebrate peace and compassion this “ThanksVegan,” Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa by going vegan. Start by ordering your free vegan starter kit today:
