Vegan Desserts for Kids

Brownies

Brownies are one of the most popular desserts for parties for kids, and with good reason. They're easy to transport, easy to serve, and--best of all--super easy make in a hurry. Oh, and they're REALLY good, too. And you can add pretty much anything you like to your brownies: walnuts, raspberry preserves, bananas, peanut butter, dates, cola, avocados--in my book, they're all fair game.

Most brownie recipes contain a scary amount of butter, but they don't have to be made with dairy ingredients at all! Here are just a few dairy-free and vegan favorites that brownie-lovers (dairy-free, vegan, or not!) will love:

• Vegan Banana Brownies
• Vegan Brownie Cake
• Vegan Chocolate Avocado Brownies

Cakes

For birthday parties or just because, cakes are a sweet way to make the kids in your life feel special. (And cakes are great for sharing with adults, too!) Here are some of my favorite kid-friendly vegan cake recipes that everyone will love:

• Vegan Apple Cake
• Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Vegan King Cake
• Vegan Yellow Cake

Cheesecakes

It's true: nothing about a traditional cheesecake is dairy-free or vegan, from the cream cheese to the sour cream to the eggs to the butter in the crust. But, for those of us who love cheesecake but can't do the dairy due to allergies or dietary preference, there are ways to make a cheeseless and eggless cheesecake delicious.

Here are a few fun vegan cheesecake recipes that kids and adults will love:

• Basic Vegan Cheesecake
• Tofu Cheesecake
• Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake
• Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Recipe
• Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
• Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Chocolates and Candies

Chocolates, caramels, and candies are lovely, elegant finishing touches to holiday dessert spreads and kids' birthday parties, and although most store-bought candies and chocolates are prepared with tons of dairy, they don't have to be! Here are some of my favorite kid-friendly confections that are 100% dairy-free and vegan:

• Vegan Caramel Popcorn
• Vegan Chocolate-Covered Pretzels
• Vegan Five-Minute Fudge

Cookies

Cookies are the ultimate lunchtime dessert and after-school sweet; they're easy to make and easy to share! Most traditional cookie recipes are prepared with butter and eggs, so these are the main ingredients that need to be replaced in vegan cookie baking. Here are some of my favorite vegan cookie recipes that are kid-tested and approved:

• Vegan All-Peanut Butter Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bakes
• Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
• Vegan Russian Tea Cakes

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the perfect treats for both kid and adult parties; they're easy to transport and easy to eat. Most cupcake recipes call for butter and eggs, but these are a few vegan cupcake recipes that have become my favorites over the years:

• Vegan Banana Cupcakes
• Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
• Vegan French Vanilla Cupcakes
• Vegan Rich Chocolate Cupcakes
• Vegan Super Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

Frozen Treats

Fortunately for vegan kids and their parents, there are quite a few delicious Dairy-Free Ice Creams on the market, and plenty of tasty things to do with them! Here are a few of my favorite vegan frozen dessert recipes for kids, some for quick vegan milkshakes with store-bought vegan ice creams, and some for homemade vegan ice creams for the overachiever:

• Vegan Chocolate Almond Milkshake
• Vegan Chocolate Sorbet
• Vegan Oreo Ice Cream Flurries
• Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

And for special treats, read this piece on How to Make a Dairy-Free Sundae!

Healthier Sweets

While vegan cheesecakes and cookies are great treats, many parents want to find healthier sweets to share with their little ones for every day. Here are some of my favorite healthier dessert recipes to share with your loved ones:

• Healthy Vegan Apple Bread Pudding
• Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Pies, Cobblers, and Tarts

Nothing says comfort quite like a homemade pie or cobbler. For holidays and special occasions, pies and tarts are a great option for groups of varying ages; everyone, from the very young to the elders in the group, will love a slice of a tasty pie! Here are some of my favorite kid-friendly pie recipes that adults will love, too:

• Vegan Apple Cobbler
• Vegan Apple Crisp
• Vegan Blueberry Tart
• Vegan Cherry Cobbler
• Vegan Oreo Cream Pie
• Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Puddings

Puddings are the ultimate go-to lunchtime and weeknight dessert for many parents; they're easy to prepare in advance, easy to pack into Tupperware, and even very young children love them. Although classic pudding recipes call for milk, cream, and egg yolks, puddings are actually really easy to prepare with dairy and egg substitutes! Here are some of my favorite pudding recipes that the wee ones in your home are sure to love:

• Vegan Butterscotch Pudding
• Vegan Chocolate Coconut Milk Pudding
• Vegan Chocolate Pudding
• Vegan Tapioca Pudding