Christmas is only a few days away, but there’s still time to raid the supermarket for edible treats. For recently-vegan vegans or the omnivorous families of vegans, finding easy Christmas food can seem like a difficult task. To try and make it a bit easier, I’ve hastily cobbled together a list of some of my favourite festive eats this year, as found in a variety of mainstream shops. Party food so that you can literally eat your heart out.

Let’s start with dessert

Because it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want

Tesco – 12 Chocolate & Hazelnut Churros

You might not think churros have anything to do with Christmas, but you’re wrong. So very wrong. These are £2 a box or 3 boxes for £5, so buy three boxes and fight anyone who tries to eat any of your 36 personal churros.

Be warned: all the non-vegans will want to eat these too, so if you’re taking them to a family gathering, take enough for everyone. (Buy online)

Morrisons: The bEst Christmas Pudding

I didn’t name it that, they named it that, but if you like Christmas pudding you might as well get one that weighs over a kilo and serves 12 people, right? Morrisons do also have more sensibly sized vegan-friendly Christmas puds, but where’s the fun in sensible. This one’s £10, but they have animal product-free puds starting at £2 a pop. (Buy online)

Lidl – Mince PIes

Do mince pies even count as dessert? Are they just a between-courses snack? At £1.49 for a dozen mince pies, I don’t care about the specifics.
Unless you’re gluten-free, do not be lured in by overpriced Free From mince pies! A four-pack of dairy and egg-free mince pies usually costs about the same as buying four massive boxes of regular ones, and it ain’t right. Go to Lidl and get 12 accidentally vegan mince pies for under £2 instead. (No online orders but ogle them here)

ASDA – Vegan Chocolate Torte

If you hate Christmas pudding, maybe you love chocolate torte. If that’s the case, go to ASDA and buy this one for £4. If there isn’t an ASDA near you, Tesco have an equivalent in the form of their Wicked Kitchen red velvet brownie. In either case, they’re so darn rich that you might actually stick to the suggested portion and only eat 1/6th of the whole thing. Or, because it’s Christmas, you might laugh at the suggestion portion size and eat the lot. Either way you win. (Buy online)

How about some buffet food?

Oh, go on then. There’s a lot of accidentally vegan buffet food going around, so here are a few ideas from each store listed.

At Tesco

• 36 piece Indian sharing platter (£3)
  (You can also buy onion bhajis and samosas for £1 a box)
• 30 meat-free sausage rolls (£1.50 or 3 for £4)
• 20 Vegetable wontons (£2)
• Bubble and squeak bites (£1)

There’s also tonnes of antipasti, faux chicken nuggets and other such classics. Yum. Tesco also have half price Pringles for the festive season, and massive sharing bags of vegan-friendly ‘pigs in blankets’ crisps – prime for filling up buffet bowls.

At Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s only have incredibly tiny photos of their food, so you’ll just have to imagine / go buy it. Personal faves are:

• Taste the Difference BBQ Jackfruit bites (£3.60)
• Spring rolls (£1.50)
• Vegetable pakoras (£1.50)

At ASDA

• Battered onion rings (£1)
• Vegetable gyozas (£2)
• Vegetable fingers (£1.75)

ASDA are excelling themselves lately with vegan options, so if you’re browsing their aisles in a pre-Christmas dash do keep an eye out for dairy-free cheeseboard items and sweet snacks too.

Should probably pick a main dish

Might be a good idea. If you’re not sure what to put with your roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts this year, and you aren’t in the mood for hand-crafting something that requires time, effort and multiple cooking steps, try one of these shop-bought options on for size.

Sainsbury’s – Three Nut and Mushroom Roast

Cashews, almonds and pistachios are all great nuts, so it’s nice that Saino’s have put them all in this lovely stuffing-like thingymajig. The redcurrant and port gravy ain’t a bad shout either. At £5 for a four-person meal, this is decent value for a supermarket that isn’t always the cheapest. (Buy online)

Waitrose/Holland & Barret – Fry’s Country Roast

Fry’s Soy & Quinoa country roast is a thing of delicious beauty, which makes it a crying shame that you can only get it from nichey places like Waitrose and Holland and Barrett. The good news is you can also order it from Ocado, a.k.a Waitrose-In-Disguise-On-The-Internet, and it’s currently less than £5 AND you can still get one in time for Christmas. Hooray! (Buy online)

Tesco/Morrisons – Linda McCartney ‘Beef’ Roast

Ah Linda, the true saviour of the vegan race. While many of us would happily just eat Linda sausages for every meal, Christmas calls for something slightly more Christmassy, so why not switch the nut roast for this shallot-glazed loaf? Personally I think to call it a beef roast is to do it a disservice, this dish is not the same as roast beef and to be honest, I don’t think it’s tremendously beef-like, but it is really tasty. Cover it in gravy and put it in your gob. £3.50 at Tesco or Morrisons.

Lidl/Morrisons – Artisan Grains Nut Roasts (various)

Bonus points for having a gluten-free opton, the Artisan Grains nut roasts come in three different varieties and you can get them at Lidl, Morrisons, online at Ocado or at most health food shops. (Sure Holland and Barrett have them, and if you’re in Norwich reading this then you can head to Rainbow Wholefoods for yours!)

I’ve stocked up on the veg & cashew nut one, but the Mediterranean tomato vibe and the gluten free cranberry and cashew are also top notch.

If you’re heading to anywhere not listed or looking for something specific that isn’t here, don’t be afraid to give me a shout and if I know where to find it / what to look for, I will reply ASAP!