This time of year calls for recipes you can trust: treats that pack well, keep well, and taste like Christmas. These sweet favourites just happen to be plant-based, but they’re the kind of recipes everyone enjoys. From chewy panforte to crisp Florentines and spiced cakes, they’re simple to make, even easier to share and perfect for gifting or enjoying with a glass of eggless nog.
In this post
• Vegan Christmas Cake with Olive Oil & Orange — one bowl, fuss free and packed with fruit
• Plant Based Panforte — chewy, dense and ideal for gifting
• Allergy Friendly Florentines — crisp, colourful and endlessly adaptable
• Christmas Pudding Pancakes — a cosy, gluten free Christmas breakfast
My favourite sweet treats and edible gifts are perfect for everyone, not just those on a plant based or gluten free diet.
Vegan Christmas Cake with Olive Oil & Orange
If you’re after a fuss free, one bowl Christmas cake for the plant based person in your life, this one is it. Spiced, zesty and packed with fruit, it’s the kind of recipe you can stir together in minutes. The flavour is easy to adjust. Add more citrus, swap the spices, or use your preferred dried fruit. There’s a bonus to this recipe as well. If you have leftovers (and I’d plan for them), the cake makes a divine Dairy-free Christmas-cake ice cream. It’s a seasonal treat we always look forward to after Christmas Day.
Plant-based Panforte
You can make one large cake, but the little cakes are perfect for gifting. The dense, chewy texture of a traditional Italian panforte means they travel well, so they’re ideal for posting. This version is gluten-free and easy to adapt. You can swap in your favourite dried fruit or change the mix of seeds or nuts. It’s a flexible recipe that always feels festive.
Allergy Friendly Florentines
Cranberries, mixed peel, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, all coated in dark chocolate… to me, these Florentines are Christmas. These allergy friendly cookies are crisp, colourful and endlessly adaptable. Use whatever dried fruit you love, add nuts if you’re able to, or bring in a little cinnamon or mixed spice to make them your own. They’re easy to pack up and take to friends
Christmas Pudding Pancakes
A cosy way to start Christmas morning. These gluten free pancakes can be made ahead and gently warmed, then topped with fresh fruit, nuts or seeds for an edible centrepiece. Even better with a glass of egg(less) nog on the side – festive, simple, and very delicious.
More ideas
For hampers or last minute gifts, homemade condiments are quietly brilliant. A homemade mustard, dandelion honey, a jar of watermelon molasses or your own blend of tea all work well for plant-based or allergy friendly gifting. They’re simple to batch make, look lovely in jars and add a personal touch. A bottle of elderflower or rhubarb cordial also rounds out a gluten free present beautifully.
If you enjoy these recipes and want to keep up with what I’m cooking, you can subscribe and follow along at call.me.ishbel and The Green Gourmet NZ. I share new plant-based recipes, catering news and dates for upcoming cooking classes there.
