Top Vegan Desserts for the Holidays- Zach’s Favorites

The holidays are a time for family, fun, and of course, food. And, the best kind of food, other than the main course, is dessert. Whether it's sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies or pie and cake, desserts are a staple at a dinner table during the holidays. So, what about those vegan out there? (A vegan is a person who does not eat meat, fish, dairy, eggs or honey.) What do vegans eat for dessert around the holidays? I have been vegan for about six years. I have been through many, many holidays where I could not eat the desserts on the table. So, I found some recipes for vegan treats and started bringing those to the festivities. Today, I would like to share a few of my favorite vegan desserts for the holidays.

Sugar Cookies

Many times when I go to a holiday party, sugar cookies are everywhere. They are usually made with a lot of butter, milk and eggs. I have found an easy, vegan recipe for soft sugar cookies. I recently made these cookies from the video below, and they are great. When I made my cookies, I added a little maple syrup. Also, if you like a strong lemon taste, add more lemon zest to the recipe (I don't think I added enough). The picture above is what my sugar cookies looked like alongside a warm cup of vegan hot chocolate.

Pumpkin Bread

One thing I have recently learned how to do is make bread. It is so easy to make. I think the reason it took me so long to learn how to make it was because I thought it would be hard to do. It's definitely not hard to do. So, once I started getting comfortable making my own bread, I branched out and started to make pumpkin bread. The recipe I use is from Yummilicious Cakes & Desserts. I add vegan chocolate chips and sunflower seeds to this recipe. It is delicious! (The ingredients are below. For the full recipe with instructions, click here.)

• 3 cups flour (maybe a little bit more)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 pack of active yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• walnuts,raisins, even chocolate chips

Granola

I know what you may be thinking, "How is granola a holiday dessert?" Well, technically it isn't. But, if you put it in a nice holiday bowl and call it "Holiday Granola," it will be a wonderful addition to any holiday party. I started making this recipe a few weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. When I make mine, I add some pumpkin pie spice to it.

Dairy-Free Banana Ice Cream

Yes, even though it is really, really, really cold outside, everyone can still enjoy a little ice cream, right? This recipe is the easiest one on the list. All you need is a frozen banana, peanut butter and a little cocoa powder. Add all that to a food processor, and that's it. It's great for any occasion. Check out more about this recipe here.

Hot Chocolate

Here is a classic, with a vegan twist. Hot chocolate usually consists of milk, milk chocolate and marshmallows. The problem with this recipe for a vegan is that the milk is a dairy product and the chocolate also has milk. And, something lesser known is that marshmallows contain gelatin, which is another ingredient that vegans cannot eat. So, here is a vegan, and pretty healthy version, of a classic holiday treat.