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On the lookout for kid-friendly vegan recipes? These dishes all feature nutritious ingredients, simple preparation, and flavors for the whole family. From 15-minute pasta lunches to dippy eggs, these are some of the very best kid-friendly vegan recipes.
Millions of people in the UK currently identify as vegan or plant-based, while 10 percent of the population is either cutting out or cutting back on animal products. For many, health and the environment are key motivators for a dietary shift towards plant-based eating. A growing body of evidence indicates that plant foods can have health benefits and aid overall longevity.
Around 7.5 million people in the UK are under 10 years old, and many kids will participate in parents’ evolving lifestyles. Medical and nutrition experts agree that well-planned, nutritious vegan and plant-based diets are safe for people of all ages, including children.
A significant number of UK children are also interested in plant-based food and sustainability themselves. In 2021, BBC Good Food surveyed 1,004 children aged five to 16 and found that eight percent were plant-based and 13 percent were vegetarian. An additional eight percent expressed interest in becoming vegan, and 21 percent expressed interest in becoming vegetarian.
Despite this interest, encouraging some kids to eat fruit and vegetables can still be a challenge. As reported by the British Dietetic Association, many adults eat four portions per day out of the recommended five, while most children eat just three.
For those looking to boost their intake, studies indicate that cooking fruit and vegetables regularly in different ways – by trying out different recipes, for example – encourages regular consumption, as does adding extra legumes and veggies to go-to meals and sauces.
Read more: How To Get Kids To Eat More Fruit And Vegetables, According To Research
20 kid-friendly vegan recipes
These recipes emphasize nutrient-density and flavor, but many are also simple to prepare and quick to cook. All are easy to customize and adapt, and include popular staples like peanut butter, pasta, cheese, and pancakes, which are favorites even among selective eaters. Many of them also include fresh fruit, vegetables, and other five-a-day ingredients like legumes.
15-minute angel hair pasta
This dish features angel hair pasta, white beans, whole tomatoes, and kale, while dill, lemon, and vegetable stock add flavor and depth. It comes from 15-Minute Vegan Meals by Janet Gronnow – aka Munchmeals By Janet – and this dish is filling, tangy, and packed with nutrients. Top it off with fresh dill and a little olive oil, and serve with a summery side salad.
Find the recipe here.
Indo-Chinese pulao
This recipe from Priyanka Naik’s The Modern Tiffin combines flavors from Indian and Chinese cuisine for an aromatic and nutritious meal. It conveniently features leftover rice and adds sautéed veggies, garlic, and ginger, with optional green chillis for spice-fans.
Find the recipe here.
Apple and coconut dhal
JAZZ Apple created this wholesome dhal recipe with ingredients that take just 10 minutes to prepare before cooking. Furthermore, simmering the lentils and apple together gives the dish a slightly sweet, fruity flavor and striking green-tinted color. This version serves eight people.
Find the recipe here.
Vegan butter chickpea curry
Romina Callwitz of Romy London swaps chicken for beans in this vegan butter chickpea curry. It’s creamy, savory, and hearty, just like the traditional version. Using chickpeas as its meat-free star ingredient packs in additional protein and fiber. Chickpeas also contain iron, magnesium, potassium, and folate, which are essential nutrients for people of all ages.
Find the recipe here.
Vegan apple pie nuggets
This recipe comes from Mark Filippelli’s punny and informative This Cookbook is a Huge Missed Steak. The “nuggets” are fun and sweet with a nutritious Pink Lady apple center, but you can swap in your favorite apples and spices, or gluten-free flour, as preferred.
Find the recipe here.
Oatmeal cookie granola
This oatmeal cookie granola comes from Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook by Elaine Skiadas, and is perfect for older children and young people to make themselves. (Though the recipe is also perfect for younger children with some adult supervision.) The granola is crunchy and sweet, with simple methods and additional nutrients from nuts and seeds.
Find the recipe here.
Easy peanut butter noodles
Cheynese Khachame’s Oodles and Oodles of Vegan Noodles: Soba, Ramen, Udon & More includes this super-simple recipe for peanut butter noodles. The sauce is creamy and umami, with a flavor that is greater than the sum of its (deceptively simple) parts. Most of the ingredients are likely pantry staples, and it can be adapted to suit what you have available.
Find the recipe here.
30-minute plantain and brown lentils
This recipe does exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a plantain and brown lentil-based dish that takes just 30 minutes to prepare, cook, and serve. It comes from Plentiful by Denai Moore, and is rich in both flavor and nutritional density. Serve it with thick dairy-free yoghurt and a hot pistachio and corn nut dressing.
Find the recipe here.
Italian veggie sheet bake
This dish comes from One-Pan Vegan by Lucy Hosier and serves four. It’s quick and simple, both in terms of prep and cleaning up, and is a rich, vinegary, sweet, and flavorful meal that places vegetables front and center. Serve it with hard-baked bread and a sprinkle of basil.
Find the recipe here.
Vegan cheesy hamburger pasta
Lauren Boehme Hartmann’s Delicious AF Vegan includes this recipe, which is a plant-based reinvention of Hamburger Helper-style American cheeseburger pasta. The vegan mince is well-seasoned, and the dairy-free cheese sauce is rich and savory. Serve it with garlic bread or a quick salad for some added color, and finish the pasta off with classic burger toppings.
Find the recipe here.
High protein ‘bubble bagel bites’
This recipe is from CALL ME VEGAN: Easy Plant-Based Recipes for Every Craving by Halle Burns, and makes six high-protein bagel bites that are ideal for breakfast. The bites are made with vital wheat gluten, which is the same ingredient used in seitan. They pair well with vegan cream cheese (DIY recipe included), and can be topped off with everything bagel seasoning.
Find the recipe here.
Easy strawberry sandwich biscuits
Natali Eleftheriou of Natlicious Food created this recipe for strawberry shortbread sandwich biscuits. They can be made with pantry staples and are ideal for a family baking session. The filling is fruity, and the shortbread is crumbly, making them perfect for dunking in plant milk.
Find the recipe here.
4-ingredient vegan crepes
You can easily make these crepes sweet or savory to suit your family’s tastes. The recipe comes from Viva!’s Vegan Recipe Club, and the light, thin pancakes are super simple to make. They pair well with sautéed vegetables and scrambled tofu, as well as diced fresh fruit. You can even make a base batter and prepare both: savory for dinner and sweet for dessert.
Find the recipe here.
Chai-spiced cinnamon rolls
This recipe also comes from Elaine Skiadas, and the chai spice gives a fresh new flavor to classic cinnamon rolls. The rolls need to rise twice, but the dough can be prepped the previous night before baking first thing. These rolls are also topped with sticky maple glaze.
Find the recipe here.
Chickpea, coconut, and cauliflower curry
This warming curry is included in Melissa King’s 2016 cookbook Easy. Whole. Vegan.: 100 Flavor-Packed, No-Stress Recipes for Busy Families. It can be made in a slow cooker and is packed with vegetables, making it a perfect weeknight dinner option. It keeps for at least a week in the refrigerator, and works well alongside rice, quinoa, or any other grain.
Find the recipe here.
Creamy tuna and leek pasta
A tricky part of swapping meat for plants can be convenience, but this quick recipe is high in flavor, high in protein, and takes just 30 minutes to prepare. It comes from High Protein Vegan by Rose Wyles, and works well for nutritious lunches as well as dinners. The combination of herbs, spices, leeks, and chickpeas makes for a rich and hearty pasta sauce.
Find the recipe here.
Vegan dippy egg yolk
Sam Turnbull’s Craving Vegan: 101 Recipes to Satisfy Your Appetite the Plant-Based Way includes this 5-minute recipe for vegan dippy egg yolks. In addition to being quick to prepare, these “yolks” also last up to six months in the freezer, so you can make them in advance. (Combine with scrambled tofu or your favorite store-bought brand to make the whole egg.)
Find the recipe here.
Read more: Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics Updates Position On Vegan Diets: What It Really Says
Chocolate and banana overnight oats
Clean Food Dirty Girl founder Molly Patrick created this recipe, which is nutritious, delicious, and super quick to put together. You can prep the recipe in bulk or make single servings, and the overnight oats work well in lidded glass jars or other reusable, food-safe containers. Try swapping out your go-to porridge recipe for this alternative that can be made ahead of time.
Find the recipe here.
Sweet berry breakfast bake
Yecenia Currie’s cookbook, Sweet and Savoury Life, includes this recipe for a sweet berry breakfast bake. Like overnight oats, this dish is a unique and tasty alternative to traditional breakfast fare like porridge and toast. It uses quinoa, making it extremely nutritious, and combines this with coconut milk, chia seeds, berries, and a flax seed “egg” to bind it.
Find the recipe here.
Corn fritters with smashed avocado and arugula
This dish comes from The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking by Chloé Crane-Leroux and Trudy Crane, and combines crispy, cheesy corn fritters with creamy avocado, fresh tomatoes, and arugula (also known as rocket in the UK), topped off with a squeeze of lemon and salt.
Find the recipe here.
Sweet potato, apple, and berry smoothie bowl
This recipe comes from JAZZ Apple and features fresh fruit alongside nutritious sweet potato. It makes a good breakfast, snack, or even a filling dessert. Add your favorite fruit, nuts, and seeds for some added texture. The smoothie bowl also includes oats, which are rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, and can aid satiety, or fullness, throughout the day.
Find the recipe here.
Read more: 10 Vegan Broccoli Recipes
