If you’re wondering what to make for your plant-based friends and family for this upcoming holiday, I’ve got a few ideas for you. Here are 10 easy plant-based dishes to serve at Easter.
I always make it my goal to kind of de-mystify plant-based cooking and baking, especially as it relates to holidays and things like that. People often think that if they have a plant-based friend or family member, that they need to make something really fussy, weird, and complicated if they want to make something that will be appropriate to serve to them, or they panic and just buy a veggie tray from the grocery store because they assume that raw veggies are the only thing that plant-based people can eat. Of course, a lot of people who follow a plant-based diet do try to eat a little healthier and include more whole fruits and veggies in their diet, but they like to have something fun and delicious for a holiday meal, just like anyone else and there are a lot of things you can make them that everyone can enjoy together, so there’s no need to worry.
Easy, Normal Foods That Are Already Plant-Based
A lot of the things that you’re already going to be making are actually plant-based, or can be made plant-based with a few very small adjustments. Some of the first things that come to mind:
- Bread and dinner rolls (sub in a plant-based butter on your table or try an olive oil and balsamic dip)
- Veggie side dishes (just use a plant-based butter, if necessary)
- Baked beans
- Green salad
- Mashed potatoes (made with plant-based butter and plain almond milk)
- Hummus and a veggie tray
- Chips and salsa or guacamole
- Olive, pickles, other relish tray items
- Fruit pies (if you’re using a store bought crust, it might already be plant-based, check the label)
- Cookies (quite a few store-bought cookies are “accidentally vegan” like Oreos and Dad’s Oatmeal Cookies)
You can see right away that there are a lot of things that you might already be planning to serve that will work just fine for your plant-based friends and family that will be joining you for Easter. While you might not think of a lot of these things as being healthy choices, it’s a holiday so a little indulgence is definitely in order, even if there’s no meat or dairy involved. 🙂
Plant-Based Recipes for Easter
Here are some of our family’s favorite recipes that would work well for an Easter dinner or brunch, depending on what your family’s traditions are. I’m also including lots of treats and desserts of course!
Veggie Pot Pie | This is a favorite of mine for any holiday because you can use seasonal cookie cutters to make the biscuits on top into little shapes. Always turns out beautifully.
Plant-Based Lasagna | Honestly, I make this about twice a month. It’s one of our family’s go-to comfort food recipes and it always hits the spot. You don’t have to tell your guests what the plant-based “ricotta” is made from, but if you do they’ll be absolutely amazed. So good.
Family Favorite Pasta Salad | This is just the best basic pasta salad. Everyone loves it. I just use a plant-based mayo in the dressing.
Mexican Fiesta Pasta Salad | A fun pasta salad twist. A very filling dish with the addition of the black beans.
Broccoli, Quinoa, and Cheese Casserole | This is another family favorite recipe that we make quite a bit. We often use the plant-based cheddar for this, for the classic broccoli and cheddar casserole, but our kids like it with the white mozzarella on top a little better for some reason.
Plant-Based Tiramisu | The ultimate fancy dessert, but surprisingly easy to make thanks to a couple of shortcuts.
Vanilla Lavender Shortbread | These are a fun springtime cookie with their delicate floral flavor and cute shape.
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Loaf | Lemon desserts are always my favorite for Easter and spring. I made this for our Mother’s Day brunch last year and it was perfect.
Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls | You just can’t go wrong with these if you’re looking for a great option for breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee.
Three Ingredient Apple Danishes | So easy, but so much better than buying pre-made.
MORE IDEAS LIKE THIS
- Basic Guide to Plant-Based Baking
- Three Ingredient Banana Bread Recipe
- Plant-Based Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Plant-Based Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Plant-Based Crustless Chocolate Pie
- The Creek Line House Food and Recipe Archives
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.