Celebrate a vegan Easter holiday with chocolate Easter bunnies, an Easter basket and a special vegan Easter dinner!

Let’s start with the baskets! There are many sources for vegan sweets and chocolate.

Vegan Easter Baskets

• Dandies makes vegan marshmallows, you can get a 2-pack for $14.96.
• Rescue Chocolate offers vegan chocolate crème filled eggs, $5.00 for a single egg, or $19.85 for four.
•  Vegan Candies of all varieties can be found and purchased on Pangea’s website.
• Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates offers a vegan Easter basket made completely out of chocolate with a vegan chocolate bunny and eggs for only $10.75.
• Allison’s gourmet offers many vegan Easter confections such as gift baskets, peanut butter cups, chocolate bunnies, peppermint crème patties, and chocolate almond toffee.
• For candy that is “accidentally vegan,” check out PETAkids.com’s list of vegan candies.

Eco-friendly Easter Grass
That messy transparent plastic “grass” used to fill Easter baskets can become quite a hassle when it gets stuck to everything! Instead of purchasing this plastic grass, try a more eco-friendly option like recycled newspapers or craft and wrapping papers you have around the house.  Use a shredder to cut the paper.  (If you don’t have a shredder, you could try making thin slices with the paper cutter at a FedEx Kinko’s or at your workplace).

We’ve also read that you can sprout wheat berry grass.   It only takes a week to grow a lush grass filling for your Easter basket.

Easter “Egg” Decorating, Vegan Style 
Use wooden or plastic eggs and non-toxic paint.  Or… use vegan white chocolate!  Carve, (or if using chips, slightly melt and mold), the white chocolate into the shape of an egg and use a chemical-free dye.  We found a chemical free dye made by India Tree. There may be others near you.

Alternative Gift Ideas

• Give a living gift by planting a garden of edible plants and spring-blooming flowers.
•  Create a tasty gift of your own vegan baked goods and fill a basket with seasonal favorites such as muffins, scones, and home-made carob chocolates.

Recipes for Easter Brunch and Dinner

Brunch ideas from VegNews Magazine:

• Tofu Scramble
• Strawberry Ricotta French Toast
• Chive Biscuits
• Seasonal Fruit Salad
• Ginger White Peach Bellinis

Dinner ideas:

• Seitan “Ham”
• Vegan Easter Veggie Salad
• Vegan Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
• Vegan Carrot Cake
• Apricot Wheatgrass Sorbet

Now you’ve got the basket, the candy, the recipes… you’re ready for a fabulous Easter holiday.  Happy Easter!

Contributed by Emily Cassel