Vegan Desserts for Kids
From cakes to cookies to puddings and candies, most traditional desserts are prepared with some sort of dairy-derived ingredients and/or animal-derived ingredients like butter and eggs. For parents who are trying to raise their children on dairy-free egg-free and vegan diets, this can cause a little bit of a hassle when it comes to kids' birthday parties, school parties, and other celebrations.
Of course, there are so many ways to make delicious vegan desserts that kids will love, so if you're looking for an organized rendition of a classic, browse through this list to find your childhood favorite!
And if you would prefer to browse through the recipes in an image gallery, view this collection of 60 Vegan Desserts for Kids.
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01 of 10
Brownies
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The Spruce
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:
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02 of 10
Cakes
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Easy to make and vegan, this chocolate frosting takes the dairy-free cake!. © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc. 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:
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03 of 10
Cheesecakes
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Dairy-Free Cherry Cheesecake. © 2012 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc. 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:
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04 of 10
Chocolates and Candies
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Vegan Buckeye Bars. © 2010 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc. 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:
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05 of 10
Cookies
![Sugar-Free Vegan Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Banana Cookies]()
Claire Cohen 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:
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06 of 10
Cupcakes
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Vegan Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting. © 2010 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc. 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:
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07 of 10
Frozen Treats
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Vegan Root Beer Float. © 2011 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc. 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!
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08 of 10
Healthier Sweets
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The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
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:
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09 of 10
Pies, Cobblers, and Tarts
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Dairy-Free Chocolate Oreo Cream Pie. © 2010 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc. 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:
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10 of 10
Puddings
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Vegan Chocolate Coconut Milk Pudding. © 2012 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc. 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:
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