Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Vegan Christmas Pudding Brownies
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Vegan Christmas Pudding Brownies is a free printable Christmas baking recipe sheet for children to use with a grown up. It gives families a festive bake with no animal products, so it suits vegan households and anyone who wants to try plant based baking at home.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Page 2 has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, and a stretch idea. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
This is a recipe sheet, so children use it to bake rather than to write answers. They read the recipe with a grown up, get the ingredients and equipment ready, and take on the jobs that suit them, such as measuring, stirring and checking the list. Adults do anything hot or sharp. The finished brownies can be shared, gifted or enjoyed at a Christmas get together.
Ways to make the bake your own
Read it through first
Before anything comes out of the cupboard, read the whole recipe aloud together. Children who know what is coming feel calmer and make fewer mistakes.
Share out the jobs
Give your child clear jobs, such as ticking off ingredients, weighing, stirring or lining a tin. Adults keep the oven, hob, knives and hot tins.
Decorate with care
Once the brownies are cool, let your child decorate them with simple Christmas touches. Check any toppings are vegan and free from allergens that matter to your guests.
Package a gift
Cool brownies can be wrapped in baking paper and tied up with string. Your child can write a label that says what they are and lists the main ingredients.
Why bake vegan Christmas treats?
Christmas pudding is a rich, dark dessert that many families in the UK serve on Christmas Day. It is often made weeks ahead. Traditional recipes can include suet, which is animal fat, so a classic pudding is not always vegan. A brownie with a Christmas pudding theme gives children the festive feeling in a bake that suits plant based diets.
Vegan baking uses plant based ingredients in place of things like butter, milk and eggs. That makes it a handy way to talk about where food comes from and why people choose what they eat. It also teaches careful label reading, because vegan does not automatically mean free from nuts, gluten or soya. Always check packets for your own family's needs.
Adults do all oven, hob, knife and hot tin work. Children should not take hot items out of the oven or cut with sharp knives. Wash hands with soap before starting, tie back long hair, and do not eat raw mixture, as raw flour can carry germs. Check every label for allergens before sharing.
Fun Christmas baking facts
- Vegan food contains no animal products. That means no meat, fish, milk, eggs or honey.
- Christmas pudding is a traditional dessert that many people in the UK eat on Christmas Day.
- Stir up Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent. It is a traditional day for making Christmas pudding.
- In some families, everyone takes a turn to stir the pudding and make a wish.
- Washing your hands with soap before you cook helps remove germs from your skin.
Skills and curriculum link
- Reading a recipe
- Measuring ingredients
- Following a sequence
- Kitchen safety
- Teamwork
- Reading food labels
Helpful ideas for the kitchen
- Get readyClear a work surface, wash hands and put on aprons. Put out all the ingredients and equipment before you begin, so nothing is missing halfway through.
- Share the jobsChildren can measure, tip, stir and tick things off. Adults handle the oven, the hob, sharp knives and anything hot.
- Check the labelsLook at each packet together. Read for allergens and for the word vegan, and ask your child what they notice.
- Cool and clear upLet the brownies cool fully before touching or decorating. Wash up together and wipe down the work surface.
Key words
- VeganFood or a way of eating that uses no animal products.
- IngredientOne of the foods that goes into a recipe.
- MethodThe instructions that tell you what to do and in what order.
- AllergenSomething in food that can make some people ill, such as nuts or gluten.
- MeasureFind out how much of something you need, using scales or a spoon or jug.
- CoolLet something hot become safe to touch before you handle it.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has notes, help ideas and a stretch task.
- Read the recipe aloud together. Ask your child what they think each part will involve.
- Wash hands, gather everything and check the ingredient labels for allergens and for your own family's needs.
- Bake together. Your child does the safe jobs and an adult does everything hot or sharp.
- Let the brownies cool, then taste and share. Talk about what went well and what you would change next time.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Stay beside your child and point to each line of the recipe as you go. Tick off each ingredient when it is on the table. Give one job at a time, such as weigh this or stir that, and say it out loud before starting.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to plan a Christmas bake for a group of friends. They write a shopping list, check the labels for allergens and decide how to share the brownies fairly. They could also design a label for a gift box.
Make it a game
Play kitchen detective. Read out the ingredients one at a time. Your child finds each item, looks at the packet and says one thing they can learn from the label. Swap roles so your child reads and you find.
Talk about it
- Why do you think some people choose vegan food?
- Which ingredients do you think make a brownie taste rich?
- What does Christmas food mean in our family?
- Why is it important to read the label on a packet?
- Who could we share these brownies with, and why?
- What would you change if we baked them again?
Take it off the page
Brownie box design
Draw and decorate a gift box or label for your brownies. Add a name, a festive picture and a short note for the person receiving them.
Label detectives
Look at labels on three packets from the cupboard. Find the ingredients list and the allergen words, and talk about what you notice.
Christmas taste chart
Make a simple chart for family members to rate the brownies. Count the votes together and talk about what the chart shows.
Who it is for
Parents
Choose a calm moment and read the recipe together first. Let your child do as much as is safe and keep hot and sharp jobs for yourself. Expect some mess, and enjoy the baking as much as the result.
Teachers
Use it in a Christmas cooking club, as part of a food topic, or as a prompt for reading instructions. It links to cooking and nutrition and to reading for purpose. Check allergy records and school food rules before any baking.
Home educators
This works well as a festive project across a few days. Your child can plan, shop, bake and write a gift label. It brings in reading, measuring and practical life skills in one real task.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this, children usually enjoy simple kitchen jobs such as washing fruit, stirring and spooning mixture into a tin. They learn that hands must be washed and that adults handle hot things.
After this, children can try longer recipes with more steps, begin to weigh with more care, and talk about how recipes can be changed for different diets. Over time, they build up confidence to plan a simple bake with less help.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- Is this sheet free to print?
Yes, it is free to print and use at home or in school. It is part of the Mini Minds Hub from Jaques of London. Print both pages and keep page 2 for the grown up.
- Is this suitable for vegans?
The recipe is a vegan brownie, but always check the labels on the packets you use. Brands differ, and some products may include animal ingredients you did not expect. Check for allergens too, as vegan food can still contain nuts, gluten or soya.
- Can my child bake this on their own?
No, a grown up should be involved throughout. Children can do safe jobs such as measuring and stirring. An adult must handle the oven, the hob, hot tins and any sharp knives, and should supervise the whole bake.
- How long does it take?
Baking times depend on your oven and tin, so follow the recipe and let an adult check the brownies. Allow time to read the recipe first, and plenty of time for the brownies to cool before you eat or decorate them.
- Do we need special equipment?
Read the recipe first and check what you need before you start. Most families will already have basic baking items in the kitchen. If something is missing, ask an adult before swapping it for something else.
- Can I use it in school?
Yes, teachers can use it for a cooking club, a Christmas activity or a food topic. Check pupils' allergies and your school's food rules first. Adults must do all oven and hot work.
- Is it safe to taste the mixture?
No, it is best not to eat raw mixture. Raw flour can carry germs, so wait until the brownies are fully baked and cooled. Tasting the finished brownies is the safe and fun part.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.