Seven Fabulous Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats

This year Good Friday is on 30 March and although it is a religious holiday (that personally, I don’t observe – except to eat chocolate) it is very much a secular, cultural holiday. So, if you want to find Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats to enjoy over the long Easter weekend look no further.

I’m talking shop bought and home-made treats. And, if you don’t like chocolate, don’t worry. There is something for everyone…

What Is Easter All About And Why Do We Eat Chocolate?

Like most Christian festivals Easter has its roots in pre-Christian (often pagan) festivals and celebrations. Pre-Christian celebrations (including bunnies) and the joys of spring have evolved into the Easter celebrations. Spring is an amazing and wondrous time of year when warmer, brigher weather (usually!) and new growth makes everything seem possible..

Easter starts on Good Friday (when Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to heal humanity of its sins). The belief that Jesus was reborn coincides with the start of spring new growth, animals emerge from hibernation and chicks hatch.

Traditionally eggs could not be eaten during lent and so they were stockpiled. The eggs were hard-boiled and decorated. Hence, the link between eggs and Easter.

In the early 1800s artificial eggs started to be made as gifts for Easter. These eggs then started to be made from solid chocolate. The first hollow Easter eggs, similar to what we see in the shops today, were made in 1873 in Bristol, by J.S Fry & Son (the makers of Fry’s Chocolate Cream). Cadbury’s launched their first Easter egg in 1875.

Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats

So, there are two bank holidays over the Easter weekend which makes it almost impossible to ignore Easter.
As well as eating chocolate and nice things decorated with spring colours and shapes, you have time to spend with your family and friends.

So you need lots of things to eat (not just chocolate!). I am totally avoiding sharing special chocolate eggs for a number of reasons; they are really expensive (for what they are), availability is often terrible and there are too many other wonderful things to eat, that are available all year round, than be sucked into short-term Easter marketing.

This list in not intended to be exhaustive. It’s a few ideas, essentially a list of things I LOVE to eat!!! However, if you look for and find a few other interesting treats in the shops and aren’t sure if they are gluten-free and vegan or not (and they have no indication to say they are) you can check out my FREE E Numbers Cheat Sheet. It will help you navigate E Numbers with confidence!

#1. Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats – Just Hot Cross Buns

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I adore Just Hot Cross Buns*. They might be a little tricky to get but I can often get them in Waitrose or from Ocado. They are without doubt the BEST gluten-free, vegan bread-type product I have found. I LOVE them. I especially love them with lashings of margarine and smothered in (gluten-free) yeast extract. It sounds wrong but it is so right. Try it, you will love it too. I promise.

#2. Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats – Booja Booja, The Gourmet Collection

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If you really want to spoil yourself Booja Booja, The Gourmet Collection* is for you. I am crazy about Booja Booja chocolates and you get to try all their wonderful chocs in one big box. Amazing. My favourites are the chocolate and hazelnut truffles. YUM!

#3. Seven Fabulous Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats – Chocolate, Hazelnut and Raspberry Torte

Now, to home-made. I’m a massive fan of Chocolate, Hazelnut and Raspberry Torte. It is easy to make and tastes AMAZING. It also looks incredible. Pretty stunning for an Easter lunch or dinner. Wow your friends with this wonderful torte.

#4. Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats – Gluten-Free, Vegan Churros with Hazelnut Chocolate Sauce

Sticking with the home-made and with just a bit of chocolate… Gluten-Free, Vegan Churros with Hazelnut Chocolate Sauce are perfect lazy weekend breakfast fodder. If you cannot face anymore chocolate after a previous days indulgence you can sprinkle with cinnamon sugar instead of dip in chocolate.

5. Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats – Gluten-Free, Vegan Triple Chocolate Cake

And more home-made treats! This is as chocolatey as it gets… Gluten-Free, Vegan Triple Chocolate Cake is chocolate-tastic. The cake itself if perfect, light, moist and (of course!) chocolatey with rich chocolate filling and the best chocolate shell. I am crazy about this cake.

#6. Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats – Biona Organic Cool Cola Bottles

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More mouth-watering shop-bought treats. For many years I hankered after the chewy sweets of my childhood, particularly cola bottles. These Biona Organic Cool Cola Bottles* are not quite as chew as the gelatine laden sweets of my youth but they are pretty good. Not chocolate but still a treat!

#7. Seven Fabulous, Gluten-Free, Vegan Easter Treats – Vego Hazelnut Chocolate Bar

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Now, the Vego Whole Hazelnut Chocolate Bar* is super popular so I have included it here for you to try and make up your own mind about. I’ve tried these bars and was very ‘meh’ about it. It was okay. It was expensive (hence here as a treat). It didn’t blow me away. But, I look at social media and they are crazy popular. I don’t get it but, there are lots of things I don’t get. (All-inclusive holidays, tofu presses!!!). Try it for yourself and tell me what you think.