Vegan Christmas Yule Log: 8 Recipes Without Eggs or Butter
Hey veggies!
The Yule log is the dessert that closes the meal in style. And for anyone who is vegan or allergic to eggs and dairy, it is also often the moment when you watch everyone else enjoy dessert while you nibble on a clementine. This year, no more frustration: here are 8 vegan Yule log recipes, with no eggs and no butter, that have nothing to envy from the classic versions. Chocolate, chestnut, lemon, speculoos, exotic fruit: there is something for every taste and every skill level.
Some are completely no-bake, others need a little time in the oven, but all of them can be made ahead, which is a real advantage on Christmas Day. And best of all, they please the whole table: my guests who eat everything can no longer tell the difference.
A quick word on vocabulary: here, “no eggs and no butter” also means no milk and no cream of animal origin. All the recipes are therefore 100% plant-based, and also suit people who are allergic to eggs or lactose intolerant. The exact quantities depend on the size of your mold: I mostly give you the principles, which you can adapt to the recipe in your favorite cookbook.
A little anecdote: "The first Christmas I served a vegan Yule log, my grandmother took a bite, put her fork down, then picked it up again. “It’s good, but what’s in it?” I told her the truth. She had another slice, telling me never to repeat it to her neighbor."
Before you start, here are the benchmarks I use to replace the classic ingredients. These are common equivalents in vegan baking, to be adjusted to your recipes and your products.
Replacing eggs: aquafaba (the cooking water from chickpeas) whips into stiff peaks, and about 3 tablespoons replace one egg white. For cakes, applesauce or plant milk with a little baking powder work very well.
Replacing butter: a plant-based margarine, coconut oil or a neutral oil, depending on the recipe.
Replacing cream: coconut cream, left overnight in the refrigerator so you keep only the thick part, whips like whipped cream.
Gelling without gelatin: agar-agar, made from seaweed, replaces animal gelatin. It needs to boil for one to two minutes in the liquid to activate.
Choosing chocolate: dark chocolate with more than 60% cocoa is often dairy-free, but always check the ingredient list.
Did you know? in some countries, refined cane sugar is sometimes filtered through charcoal of animal origin. Beet sugar is not, and organic or vegan-labeled sugar removes any doubt.
If you are wondering how to balance a festive vegan meal, my article on plant-based protein without deficiencies gives you useful guidelines. The preparation and resting times given below are approximate. The quantities are given for a Yule log serving 6 to 8 people.
THE EQUIPMENT THAT MAKES LIFE EASIER
You don't need a pastry chef's laboratory. A few tools are enough to make every log in this article, and most can easily be found in a well-equipped kitchen.
A silicone loaf pan or log mold: it unmolds effortlessly.
Parchment paper: essential for rolling, shaping and transporting.
A flexible spatula: for gently folding in airy mixtures.
An electric whisk: a real time-saver for whipping aquafaba.
A kitchen torch: optional, used to brown meringues.
#1 NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT YULE LOG
This is the easiest log, ideal for a first attempt. You build a base with crushed plant-based dry biscuits, mixed with a little hazelnut spread, then cover it with a chocolate-coconut ganache that you let set in the refrigerator. The result is melting, intense and very indulgent.
Base: 200 g crushed plant-based dry biscuits, 3 tablespoons dairy-free hazelnut spread.
Ganache: 200 g melted dark chocolate, 200 ml coconut cream (the thick part), a pinch of salt.
Decoration: 30 g chopped hazelnuts, a little powdered sugar, a few sprigs of rosemary.
Cooking: none. Only the chocolate needs to be melted gently, in a double boiler or in the microwave, for about 2 minutes.
Shape the base into a log on a sheet of parchment paper, coat it with ganache, then let it rest at least six hours in the refrigerator. Draw the bark lines with a fork.
For an even simpler version, replace the base with a layer of crumbled plant-based shortbread that you press into a loaf pan before pouring in the ganache.
#2 CHOCOLATE-CHESTNUT YULE LOG
The combination of chocolate and chestnut cream is a great Christmas classic. For the vegan version, you make a rolled sponge from flour, cocoa, sugar, plant milk and oil, which you fill with chestnut cream and whipped coconut cream, before covering with ganache.
Sponge: 120 g flour, 20 g cocoa, 60 g sugar, 1 packet of baking powder, 200 ml plant milk, 50 ml neutral oil.
Filling: 250 g vegan chestnut cream, 200 ml whipped coconut cream.
Glaze: ganache made with 150 g dark chocolate and 150 ml thick coconut milk.
Cooking: the sponge bakes for 12 to 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F).
If rolling worries you, replace the rolled sponge with a stack of two rectangles of sponge cake. The result is less traditional, but just as delicious.
Tip: roll the sponge while still warm in a clean kitchen towel, and let it cool that way. It won't crack when you fill it.
#3 VANILLA-RASPBERRY ICE CREAM YULE LOG
For a fresh and light dessert, the frozen log is a wonder. You line a loaf pan with a layer of vegan vanilla ice cream, add a core of raspberry sorbet, then cover with another layer of ice cream. It stays in the freezer until it's time to serve.
Ice cream: 500 ml vanilla ice cream made with coconut or soy milk, store-bought or homemade.
Core: 300 ml raspberry sorbet or 150 g red berry coulis.
Decoration: 100 g fresh raspberries, 20 g dark chocolate shavings, a few mint leaves.
Cooking: none. Only the freezing time matters, at least 6 hours.
Allow at least six hours of freezing. Take the log out of the freezer ten minutes before serving so it is easy to slice. If you don't have a mold, a cleaned-out milk carton cut lengthwise makes an excellent makeshift mold.
A little anecdote: "My sister was afraid it would be too light after the hearty meal. Result: not a single slice was left. Then again, raspberry is an excellent digestif."
#4 LEMON MERINGUE YULE LOG WITH AQUAFABA
For lovers of tangy desserts, this is the log that wakes up a festive meal. A lemon cream made with cornstarch and coconut milk, covered with an aquafaba meringue that you lightly brown with a kitchen torch or under the oven broiler. It is spectacular and very fresh.
Lemon cream: the juice and zest of 3 lemons, 100 g sugar, 30 g cornstarch, 200 ml coconut milk.
Meringue: 100 ml aquafaba (about one can of chickpeas) whipped with 100 g sugar and a few drops of lemon.
Base: 150 g plant-based dry biscuits or a vegan sponge cake.
Cooking: the lemon cream cooks for 3 to 5 minutes over low heat, stirring, until thickened. The meringue browns in 2 to 3 minutes under the oven broiler or with a kitchen torch.
The lemon cream can be made two days ahead. Keep the meringue for last: it is whipped and browned on the day itself, so it stays glossy and light.
Tip: whip the aquafaba for a long time, until it forms stiff peaks. Add the sugar little by little to get a glossy, stable meringue.
#5 SPECULOOS-COFFEE YULE LOG
The flavors of speculoos and coffee go wonderfully together. You replace the mascarpone of a tiramisu with coconut cream mixed with speculoos spread, layered with biscuits dipped in light coffee. Classic speculoos from some brands are plant-based, just check the label.
Biscuits: 250 g plant-based speculoos cookies dipped in 200 ml cooled coffee.
Cream: 400 ml whipped coconut cream, 100 g speculoos spread.
Decoration: 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 30 g speculoos crumbs.
Cooking: none. Simply let the log rest overnight in the refrigerator.
This log is made the day before and keeps in the refrigerator. It is even better the next day, when the biscuits have absorbed the coffee. For a stronger taste, add a spoonful of instant coffee to the coconut cream, but avoid very hot coffee, which would soften the biscuits.
#6 PEAR-CHOCOLATE YULE LOG
The pear and dark chocolate are a tender, elegant seasonal duo. You make a compote of pears cooked with vanilla and cinnamon, set it on a cocoa sponge base, then cover with an aquafaba chocolate mousse. A refined dessert unlike any other.
Sponge: 100 g flour, 20 g cocoa, 60 g sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 150 ml plant milk, 40 ml neutral oil.
Fruit: 4 pears cooked with vanilla, as compote or in small cubes.
Mousse: 200 g melted dark chocolate, 120 ml aquafaba whipped into peaks.
Decoration: 1 pear in thin slices, 20 g chocolate shavings.
Cooking: the sponge bakes for 12 to 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F), and the pears cook for 15 to 20 minutes over low heat with the vanilla and cinnamon.
Choose pears that are ripe but firm, such as Conference or Comice: they hold up well to cooking and don't release too much water.
Tip: fold the whipped aquafaba into the melted chocolate in three parts, gently, with a spatula. This way the mousse stays light.
#7 EXOTIC COCONUT-MANGO YULE LOG
To break away from classic flavors, this coconut-mango log brings a touch of sunshine to the heart of winter. You combine whipped coconut cream with mango puree, on a coconut sponge. The whole thing is covered with shredded coconut, which looks like snow.
Sponge: 120 g flour, 1 packet of baking powder, 40 g shredded coconut, 200 ml coconut milk, 80 g sugar.
Filling: 300 g mango puree, 250 ml whipped coconut cream.
Decoration: 40 g shredded coconut, 1 mango in pieces, the zest of one lime.
Cooking: the sponge bakes for 12 to 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F).
In winter, use frozen mango. It is cheaper than fresh, already ready to blend and perfectly ripe. Remember to put the can of coconut cream in the refrigerator the day before, so it whips easily.
#8 APPLE-CARAMEL YULE LOG
A fairground flavor in a vegan version: cinnamon applesauce, a caramel sauce made with coconut cream and sugar, and crumbled shortbread for crunch. This log is comforting, perfect for fans of simple, indulgent desserts.
Caramel: 100 g sugar heated until golden, 150 ml coconut cream, a pinch of salt.
Apples: 500 g homemade cinnamon applesauce, lightly sweetened.
Crunch: 150 g crumbled plant-based shortbread, 30 g walnut pieces.
Cooking: the applesauce cooks for 15 to 20 minutes over low heat, and the caramel for 5 to 8 minutes in a saucepan.
For the caramel, don't take your eyes off the pan: the color goes from amber to brown in a few seconds. Add the coconut cream off the heat, stepping back slightly to avoid splashes.
Did you know? salted caramel is made by adding a pinch of fleur de sel to the still-warm sauce. It brings out the taste of the sugar and gives it more depth.
HOW TO DECORATE YOUR YULE LOGS
Snow: powdered sugar sifted through a fine sieve, just before serving.
Bark: lines drawn with a fork in the still-soft glaze.
Holly: fresh mint leaves and a few red currants or cranberries.
Mushrooms: small aquafaba meringues baked in the oven, which imitate the ones on bakery yule logs.
TO WRAP UP...
So there you have it: you now have eight vegan Yule logs at your disposal. Do a test run on a Sunday before Christmas, taste, adjust the sugar and the decoration: you will arrive on the 24th with a dessert you have mastered and the certainty of impressing the whole table. Also remember to take the log out of the refrigerator ten to fifteen minutes before serving: the flavors are stronger and the texture more pleasant.
If you are the only vegan at the meal, offer to share your Yule log with the others. My article on being a vegetarian in an omnivore family gives you other ideas so everyone finds their place. And to prepare everything ahead, vegetarian batch cooking will give you the method.
Key takeaway: a successful vegan Yule log rests on three pillars: a solid base, a cream that sets well thanks to coconut cream or agar-agar, and enough resting time in the refrigerator.
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