9 best vegan Christmas hampers that make a delicious, plant-based gift

Emily Goddard
·9-min read
These delectable bundles are packed with goodies rarely found on traditional supermarket shelves (iStock/The Independent )
These delectable bundles are packed with goodies rarely found on traditional supermarket shelves (iStock/The Independent )

What Christmas present can you get for the vegan in your life who has everything? A heart-gladdening hamper full of plant-based treats, of course.

Hampers are those classic gifts that people love to receive but rarely buy for themselves. They make you feel special, and the excitement of opening them to rummage through and reveal the contents is almost unmatched at Christmas.

What’s particularly brilliant about hampers, especially for vegans and those on special diets, is that they are a discovery of foods and ingredients one might not normally come across. They open up a whole new world of products rarely found on traditional supermarket shelves and are a fantastic source of inspiration.

Plus, when the contents is finally reduced to mere crumbs, the lucky recipient is often left with a beautiful basket, box or crate that can be used for years to come. And you’ll see from our roundup that these have moved beyond the customary wicker type to more creative containers in recent years.

We’ve noticed a boom in the vegan-friendly hampers market, particularly in the range of products available. So, we’ve found various hampers with different themes, including the more traditional styles, those with specialist foods and even those for people on special diets or with allergies.

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How we tested

We rated them on the quality and variety of the contents, how many items were included, value for money and aesthetics – because you’ll want the recipient to be happy to reuse the container if there’s one included.

The best vegan Christmas hampers for 2021 are:

Darts Farm vegan hamper

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

A charming traditional wicker hamper, tied with faux leather straps and crammed with delicious goodies – this present is sure to fill anyone with glee at Christmas. As we delved in, we found scrummy salty crisps, chocolate cake, divine salted caramel chocolate, ground coffee, and incredibly moreish smoked mixed nuts alongside other treats, such as jam, chutney, grissini and a bottle of wine.

All the titbits are nestled among recyclable shredded paper, which we were happy to see and also meant they arrived in perfect condition. Above all, this high-quality hamper is astonishingly good value, with nine products – including wine that costs almost £20 alone – for £65.

Buy now £65.00, Dartsfarm.co.uk

DigiiGifts gluten-free and vegan delights

Best: Gluten-free vegan hamper

Rating: 9/10

For the vegan who avoids gluten, there is this gift box of delectable treats that will suit their lifestyle. Ours came with a large tub of Worcestershire sauce crisps, popcorn, a bag of dry roasted peanuts, a box of tasty cranberry and almond toast (which went really well with vegan cheese), an oat milk chocolate bar, ginger fondants, a fabulous block of handmade vegan fudge and a bottle of Chilean merlot.

Everything tastes sublime, and although it all comes packed in a decorative cardboard box that doesn’t quite have the charm of a wicker hamper, it could undoubtedly be reused or recycled. And at £45 for eight items, including a bottle of wine, we can’t really complain.

Buy now £45.00, Digiigifts.com

Melt dark chocolate and vegan gift hamper

Best: Chocolate hamper

Rating: 9.5/10

Chocolate at Christmas is a must, and luxury chocolate even more so. That is why we had to include this hamper from high-end London chocolate company, Melt, in our roundup. Carefully packed inside a gorgeous gift box, which comes tied in a bow, you’ll find more than 800g of the finest handcrafted vegan chocolate money can buy.

Among the treasures we unearthed were an 85 per cent single origin bar from the Philippines, a slab with roasted hazelnuts, a box of truffles, chocolate buttons, hot chocolate and – our favourite – dipped candied orange peel. There’s also a super cute and useful tote bag included. We especially love how this product has been made with the planet and people in mind; it is completely plastic-free and fair trade.

Buy now £69.99, Meltchocolates.com

Creative Nature Christmas bundle

Best: For bakers

Rating: 9/10

Combining delicious chocolatey nibbles and fabulous baking mixes, this box of treats is a brilliant gift for those that are vegans, have allergies or simply love to bake. The set includes three mixes – for a spiced carrot cake, banana bread and cornbread – and two 75g bags of gnawbles, creative nature’s allergen-free, lower-sugar take on Maltesers.

The baking mixes are simple to use and result in seriously good bakes, and we especially love that they are perfect for all the family, as they are free from the top 14 allergens, including nuts, gluten, soya and dairy. Best of all, you actually save money by buying this bundle together, making it a terrific value, budget buy.

Buy now £18.94, Creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk

Cartwright & Butler the vegan gift hamper

Best: For traditional produce

Rating: 8/10

When we think of hampers, our minds automatically go to bundles of preserves, crackers and teas. And while the market has diversified to include all manner of products, sometimes something a little more traditional is needed.

This Cartwright & Butler hamper is perfect for those occasions. It brings together everything needed for snacking, breakfasting and chilling over the festive period. There’s an English breakfast tea caddy, strawberry preserve and apple juice for lazy mornings; seeded beetroot flatbread and caramelised onion chutney for cheese boards; luxurious drinking chocolate for cosy evenings around the Christmas tree; and bonus rhubarb and custards sweets for whenever a sugar hit is needed. This hamper comes in a stylish grey box tied in a bow.

Buy now £42.00, Cartwrightandbutler.co.uk

Wriggle the vegan alcohol-free hamper

Best: Alcohol-free hamper

Rating: 9/10

From a hamper with a boozy bottle of wine to one with no alcohol at all. This box full of goodies from Wriggle is the perfect gift for a night in with drinks and nibbles and excellent company. Nestled among shredded paper is a selection of vegan snacks, including the plumpest spicy olives we’ve ever seen, salt and pepper cashew nuts, fancy olive oil crisps, vegan meringues and an exquisite bar of 73 per cent Nicaragua single bean chocolate.

Meanwhile, get the glasses and ice at the ready for the crisp and floral Aecorn Dry aperitif, and get ready to serve bitter and citrusy Nogroni. It’s utterly delightful for those avoiding alcohol.

Buy now £75.00, Getawriggleon.com

Vorrei Italian luxury vegan hamper

Best: Luxury hamper

Rating: 9.5/10

This is a showpiece gift that is sure to wow whoever is lucky enough to receive it. A stunning wicker basket with a handle, tied with faux leather straps, comes wrapped in an enormous Italian-flag inspired, festive bow. Open the lid to reveal more than a dozen products perfect for inspiring and creating Italian dishes.

There are two bottles of organic wine (a chianti and a chardonnay), organic extra virgin olive oil, several types of pasta, rice and sauce, soup, antipasti favourites, a vegan burger mix and chocolates. Everything within the charming hamper is of the finest quality, ideal for that special vegan in your life. It’s bellissimo.

Buy now £215.00, Ethikel.com

The Tastesmiths 6 kits and beers bundle

Best: For foodies

Rating: 7.5/10

Give the gift of flavour with this box of ingredient pouches and beers. You can select six ingredient sets from the website or choose the “surprise me” option for a lucky dip. Whatever you go for, you’ll also be sent six cans of vegan craft beer.

We were feeling lucky, so we went for the surprise, and were delighted to be sent kits for dahl, pilau rice, Goan curry, Sri Lankan curry and korma. The kits are a tremendous way to try out new dishes and come with all the spices needed. We were particularly pleased to know that they can also be stored in the freezer and used from frozen, so no need for defrosting and nothing goes to waste.

The only downside to this gift is the presentation, as it just comes in a standard cardboard box, but you could put the kits and beers into your own gift box to make it extra special.

Buy now £39.00, Tastesmiths.com

Virginia Hayward proudly vegan hamper

Best: Snacking hamper

Rating: 9/10

Sitting pretty among recyclable tissue paper in a traditional wicker tray is a vegan snacker’s dream. Included are 12 different sweet and savoury titbits, which is not bad at all for under £40. Among the sweet treats are indulgent chocolate orange truffles, oaty biscuits, season-inspired toffee apple and cinnamon popcorn, a couple of fruity flapjacks and a ludicrously moreish block of handmade chocolate orange fudge – one bite will never be enough. The savoury goodies range from flavourful hand-cooked crisps and basil and garlic olives to herby, salty mixed nuts and mini breadsticks that are earthy with cumin, and perfect for dipping in the jar of red pepper and garlic salsa that’s included. These tasty morsels are made for nibbling with drinks during festive catch-ups with friends – but you may also find them rather too good to share.

Buy now £39.99, Virginiahayward.com

The verdict: Vegan Christmas hampers

We tested some exceptional hampers and each one had its own unique pluses. But our top pick is the Darts Farm vegan hamper because it contains an impressive range of high-quality products and comes in a beautiful hamper for that special gift feeling. We also think it is excellent value for money.

If you want to splash out, we’d highly recommend the Vorrei Italian luxury vegan hamper, which is jam-packed with superior products and goodies. If your gift buying is on the other end of the spectrum, we’d say go for the Virginia Hayward proudly vegan hamper, which is reasonable in price without compromising on taste.

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Need more gift inspo for the vegan in your life? Try our best vegan cookbooks for easy plant-based recipes

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