5 Thoughtful Christmas Gift Ideas for Vegans

Are you stuck looking for a Christmas present for that one hard-to-buy-for vegan friend or family member? Are you wondering what vegans actually want besides less cruelty to animals and a decent dairy-free cheese? Fret not, you’ve come to the right place. 

Let’s face it... vegans can be hard to buy for. 

Even with the best intentions, you might end up getting your vegan pal a nice bottle of wine or lovely tin of shortbread, only to be politely informed that it contains fish guts, or some other weird and unnecessary animal product (yes, most wines aren’t vegan). 

So, to save you some stress as Christmas day marches closer and closer, we’ve put together a vegan gift guide list of the nicest, most thoughtful Christmas gift ideas for vegans that are sure to be a hit for even the pickiest of plant-based people. 

So, here they are, categorised by budget for your shopping convenience. 

1. Vegan cooking classes

BUDGET: ££ (£27-£150)

PERFECT FOR: Those who are new to a plant-based diet

Like deodorant, giving someone cooking classes as a present might have a slightly questionable implication, but in reality is a genius gift for a foodie.

Those looking for a great, experiential gift for someone who is new to a plant-based diet, vegan cooking classes are an ideal gift option that will no doubt be well received by your lucky recipient. 

When you first embark upon the vegan lifestyle, it’s easy to feel a little stuck in the kitchen. Are there enough calories on the plate? What about protein? What are some good meat replacements, and how in the world does one go about making tofu delicious?

Well, a plant-based cooking course can answer all these questions and level up someone’s vegetable cooking game. The best part is, many of them are available online, so they can sling the laptop into the kitchen and get cooking straight away. 

Brownble, for example, is a husband and wife vegan chef/digital wizard team who have produced countless video courses for high-quality vegan meals, recipe ideas, and technique instructionals in glorious HD, on topics ranging from vegan cheesemaking to tofu mastery.

Have a browse and select a course you think your recipient might love to give them access. They also offer a range of gift subscription options to suit your budget. 

Delicious, home-made vegan meals await you!

2. Vegan wines

Budget: £ (£7-£20)

Perfect for: 18+ year old wine fanatics of all kinds

It’s a Christmas classic for a reason. 

Wine is the go-to gift for your mother-in-law, boss, or sister — but did you know that most wines aren’t vegan, and why?

As it turns out, many wine producers use something called ‘finings’ in the fermentation process. Finings are substances that are used as a kind of filtration system to remove unwanted particles and improve the wine’s flavour. 

Horrifyingly, these finings are composed of things like fish bladder, shrimp shell, milk casein, gelatin, and even animal blood. 

They are eventually filtered out and don’t make their way into the final solutions, but most vegans would still consider it a non-vegan product, and probably find it fairly disgusting to think about. 

Especially considering that they aren't necessary… Animal products-free alternatives like bentonite are readily available and used by plenty of wineries to create delicious vegan wines. 

You can filter for vegan products on most reputable wine retailer’s websites. Check out Majestic’s healthy selection of vegan wines, for example. 

Just remember to be creative with your wrapping so you don’t ruin the surprise!

3. Vegan fine dining experience

BUDGET: £££ (£90-£115)

PERFECT FOR: A great gift for the vegan foodie in your life

Talk to any vegan you know, they’ll say the same thing. Restaurants are still a nightmare. 

Even in this day and age where plant-based options are more readily available than ever before, diving into a restaurant for a satisfying and well-rounded dining experience as a vegan can be massively hit-or-miss. 

Sure, Pizza Express can sort you out with a nice £10 vegan pizza, but this is Christmas! (no offence Pizza Express). You need something a little… finer. 

That’s where vegan fine dining options come in. 

There are many places around the UK that offer set-courses of carefully crafted and beautifully presented, 100% vegan fine dining dishes. Many of which have been awarded Michelin stars for their efforts. 

Take a look at Pollen Street Social in London, for example. You can experience a four-course tasting menu including dishes such as ‘Delica pumpkin, aged Acquerello rice, Scottish girolles & Autumn truffle’. 

Or, further afield in Birmingham, try Michelin starred Simpson’s plant-based tasting menu of seven dishes, including ‘roasted cauliflower with prune, capers, pumpkin seeds, kale, black garlic, and pickled mustard seeds’. Simpsons even offer a gift voucher service to make the gifting process a little easier. 

After all, material possessions are great — but nothing beats a quality, real-life experience with friends and family. 

4. Ethical fragrances

BUDGET: ££ (£22-£60)

PERFECT FOR: The vegan in your life who wants to smell beautiful

Perfumes and aftershaves are pretty much a sure thing when it comes to Christmas gift satisfaction — who doesn't want to smell nice? 

On top of that, fragrance bottles are a high-value product that lasts for months, making it a perfect luxury gift for that close friend or family member. 

Unfortunately, though, fragrance producers don’t always have a perfect record when it comes to cruelty, with some utilising the practice of animal testing in the development of their scents. 

The Fragrance Shop is the UK’s largest fragrance retailer, and they are leading the charge in the ethical fragrance space by offering a wide selection of vegan, cruelty-free, and responsible beauty products for him, for her... and everyone else for that matter. 

You can hook your mum or sister up with a specially curated vegan bundle of self-care goods, including soap, hand cream, a bath bomb, and of course an Eu De Toilette. If you hurry, you might be able to save up to £16 with the discount currently on offer!

Or, take a look at the IKON range of unisex fragrances. Developed with a premium, sustainable, and natural mindset, IKON offers cruelty-free formulas with truly intoxicating aromas. Your dad or nephew will love the masculine, woody Patchouli and Black Oud notes of IKON 910, or check out the bright Bergamot, Lime, and Tagete scents of IKON 914 for her. 

Alternatively, The Fragrance Shop have kindly put together a Vegan Fragrances page, which gathers all the best 100% vegan perfumes and aftershaves available from the store, for your browsing convenience. 

5. Vegan hampers

BUDGET: £ (£15-£50)

PERFECT FOR: EVERYONE. But mostly vegans :)

You didn’t think we’d do a ‘best vegan gift ideas’ list without mentioning vegan hampers, did you?

You gotta believe in yourselves!

And when we say we have the best Christmas presents for vegans, we really believe it. 

It’s a little known fact, but My Vegan Hamper was founded as a result of the owner’s frustration with the lack of quality ‘vegan food basket’ options when searching for a Christmas gift for his newly plant-based mother. We’ve come a long way since then, and you’ll be glad to know that she’s not shy of quality vegan snacks and treats nowadays...

The best vegan food from the most ethical and environmentally conscious brands, in 100% recyclable packaging, with a boat-load of gifting options and next-day delivery for the last minute shopper. It’s devilishly simple, but never quite perfected... until now. 

We’ve knocked it out of the park this year, with a selection of x3 Christmas-themed hampers for every kind of recipient. For the little ones, try The Stocking Stuffer for a bumper-selection of sweets and choc, including a hot chocolate spoon complete with marshmallows! Or, try The Happy Holidays for a more refined palate, including award-winning popcorn from Joe & Seph’s. 

Finally, the Christmas hampers to end all Christmas hampers, take a look at The Festive Spirit. Vegan versions of all your favourite Christmas snacks and treats, sorted. Including, amongst others, the brand-new ‘caramel bombshell’ creamy plant-based liqueur from Dirty Cow — think vegan baileys but a million times nicer.

You can add a greeting card, gift-wrapping, or both to your order to send your hamper discreetly to your lucky recipient to stash under the tree ready for the 25th. Not long now!

The perfect gift

So there we have it. Five of the best vegan gifts you could give a vegan friend ready for the 25th — animal products not included.

Remember that the best gift you can give is one that you've thought long and hard about, so don't stress about budget. As you can see from the list, there are plenty of inexpensive vegan friendly gifts available, and of course it's the thought that counts.

Have a wonderful holiday season and good luck with your gifts. 

Stay tuned to our blog and socials for more vegan Christmas gift ideas, the latest vegan food news and products, and, of course, a steady selection of the best vegan food hampers in town.