Vegan Children’s Party
I’ve had a few people asking about what I do for children’s birthday parties so I thought I’d list a few ideas that work for us. Hopefully this will also show you a few easy vegan options if you are looking to add some bits to a party you are throwing. Vegan children are always over the moon when there are a few bits they can eat that are the same as everyone else.
I love to make as much as I can from scratch but I also want everyone to enjoy themselves and feel comfortable, and with children that often means buying and making things that they will recognise. Thus a lot of this is shop-bought, accidentally vegan food (this also makes it easier for anyone looking to add a few vegan options to their mix easily).
As it is a party it is also a lot heavier on sugars than I would typically go for. I wouldn’t pack the sweets if I was converting this into a picnic, but the rest is 100% portable and picnic-friendly too!
Below are photos of the things you can buy for a party or picnic that are accidentally vegan that most children like and enjoy (in our experience anyway!).
As well as the crisps and biscuits, I also made hummus and cut up some veggies to go with it, alongside the crackers – breadsticks are also a winner here. I also added some nuts and olives to the table as they are Brother Bears’ favourite.
For sandwiches, I made jam, marmite, and vegan cheese as these are the flavours my children really enjoy. And you can never go wrong with a fruit platter in my opinion. Children will always eat more if it is cut up and prepared for them and what could be more enticing than a whole plate of delicious fruits – just look at the colours!
And finally, I made some jam tarts using the Jus-Rol shortcrust pastry and homemade raspberry jam (though this could obviously be made using shop-bought) and some pizza rolls in an attempt to better balance the sweet and savoury elements of our party.
Easy vegan pizza rolls
- Jus-Rol puff pastry ready rolled sheet, 320g
- 5-6 tbsp tomato puree
- 2-3 handfuls of grated vegan mozzarella (I use sheese)
- Preheat oven to 180’C, fan 170’C.
- Place your pastry on a floured surface and spread the tomato puree evenly onto it.
- Next, add your cheese (and any other fillings you fancy).
- Roll up the pastry from the short end and slice it into 6 or 8 longs (depending on how deep you want your pizza wheels) and place flat side down on a baking tray. I recommend saving the greaseproof paper that the pastry comes wrapped in and putting it on your baking tray before adding the wheels, as it saves having to scrub melted cheese off once you’re done.
- Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden and the centre of the wheel is cooked. This cooking time can vary based on the size of the wheels and the amount of filling.
- Leave to cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes, the middle can get super hot and stay warm for a long time and you obviously don’t want to burn any children – husbands do their own thing!
I really hope this gives you some inspiration, whether it’s for a fully vegan party, a few vegan party ideas, or even picnic options. I’m sure there are many other easy options out there so please do leave your favourites (or any questions you have!) in the comments below.
Happy partying,
Livvy
