Spring-Inspired Recipes for a Delicious Dairy-Free Easter
Apr 17, 2019
Whether it’s your first dairy-free Easter or your fifteenth, we could all use a bit of recipe inspiration when planning our holiday meals. These recipes represent both traditional and unique dishes, so you can stick to the classics or try something new. We’ve also included many nutrient-dense and training-approved options so you don’t feel like you’ve overindulged during your training session the next day. Of course, all of these are dairy-free and delicious, from the carrot cake oatmeal to the actual carrot cake. Pick your favorites and get your family involved! Happy Easter!
1. Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Sure, it’s a holiday, but we still like to fuel our bodies right, especially if we have a training session planned. Alternatively, if you enjoyed quite a few nondairy chocolate eggs in the morning, you might not feel like a big brunch. After discovering these “carrot cake” oats a few years ago, we’ve included them in our daily rotation! A dollop of your favorite nut butter or a few toasted pecans is an excellent addition to this healthy yet dessert-like meal.
No need to fuss over an elegant puff pastry wellington—this monstrous yet veggie-focused spring stuffing dish will easily feed a crowd and delight them all the same. Mix it up with whatever spring veggies you can find at the farmer’s market. There’s nothing like a casserole to use up produce and sneak in nutrients, making this a kid-approved main meal.
Other than solid chocolate eggs and bunnies, carrot cake ranks among the essential sweets of Easter. Enjoy a decadent dairy-free version by whipping up this easy recipe. The cake is perfectly moist and the nondairy cream cheese frosting is good enough to eat by the spoonful (we’ve all done it). Bonus: this cake comes together in just one bowl, so you don’t have to be a pastry chef to pull it off!
Whether you’re four years old or forty, everyone will delight in these scrumptious little appetizers. Simply purchase store bought nondairy puff pastry (try Pepperidge Farm), sautée and season some baby carrots, roll, and bake. Serve with mustard for dipping and watch the tray of food disappear!
Traditional potato gratin can be heavy and oozing with gut-busting dairy products, but this incredibly flavorful zucchini and asparagus version is light and free from dairy and digestive issues! It’s comprised of a base of sweet caramelized onions and layered with seasoned spring squash and asparagus, all topped with a generous sprinkling of a simple yet addictive cashew “parmesan” cheese. This recipe is a must for any Easter gathering.
If spring hasn’t quite sprung in your neck of the woods, this creamy dairy-free gnocchi dish will warm your spirits. The sauce truly makes the dish, and unlike cheese, it is minimally processed and good for your gut (it’s made out of cashews, mustard, nutritional yeast, and other spices). You could also swap the spinach for some collards or kale for a bit of extra calcium. Either way, this makes for a comforting main to feed the whole extended family.
Whether you have a morning workout planned or just don’t want to wake up incredibly early, these one-hour cinnamon rolls are the solution. Traditional cinnamon rolls take at least three to four hours to prepare, but these beauties bake up by the time the kids finish the chocolate egg hunt. While the rolls are sweet and moist enough as is, they only get better with a slather of dairy-free icing!
For a sophisticated dessert that will wow a crowd, try your hand at a plant-based pavlova. This meringue-like treat is light and airy with a delicate crispness that melts in your mouth. Pile on the nondairy whipped cream and plenty of berries for a lighter option to the traditional carrot cake.
Swap the honey baked ham for this stunning, flavorful, and nutrient-dense cauliflower centerpiece. You’ll feel like you’re feasting, but this dish is actually quite good for you, thanks to the anti-inflammatory spices and high fiber content. It’s also wonderful if you’re hosting an Easter potluck—make this as a main, and others can bring the sides.
We could eat a trough-full of this salad. The chickpeas give it both protein and substance, practically making this a meal in itself. Pair with a plant-based quiche or a spring soup and you’ve got a delicious, crowd-pleasing Easter lunch!
Celebrate spring produce when it is at its peak with this amazing green soup. It’s wonderfully creamy without adding any dairy. Serve as a side dish or pair with a salad for a healthy and performance-boosting meal.
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