Your guide to a vegan Easter

Still eggselent, still chocolaty.

Easter means different things to different people. For many, the celebration is associated with a long weekend of Easter-egg hunts, family get-togethers, and the warm, cinnamony aroma of hot-cross buns. Thankfully, even if you are making changes towards plant-based eating and vegan living, these traditions don’t have to change – just some of the ingredients do! With so many animal-friendly options available, this upcoming Easter can be just as special and just as chocolaty.

Of course we want to treasure traditions that bring families together and put a smile on kids’ faces, but it is important to pause and think about whether the things we do impact anyone else in a negative way. By changing the brand of chocolate we buy, using egg and dairy substitutes in our recipes, and being conscious with our decorating and gifting, we can help make the world a little kinder to baby animals during this time of celebration and giving. 

Chocolate eggs

Companies are starting to seriously address the consumer demands for alternatives to cow’s milk. As a result, dairy-free chocolate eggs are easy to find!

Our top picks include:

You can find more items at The Vegan Grocery Store and Flora and Fauna.

Why should we drop dairy?

It’s quite common for people to question one’s choice to avoid dairy – there is a common misconception that dairy is simply a byproduct that cows create in excess, and that cows are not injured or killed for dairy products. This is because, from a very young age, we are taught that milk simply comes from cows. In reality, all milk comes from mothers – mothers who produce milk to nourish their babies.

“Dairy is Scary: Australia“, is Animal Liberation’s latest exposé on Australia’s dairy industry. It is never pleasant to see or read about, but the life of a female dairy cow is one of constant use and abuse until she breaks. She is restrained and artificially inseminated by a farmer, carries her baby for nine months, and after she gives birth, her baby is taken away within 24 hours. A female baby will likely be raised to replace spent dairy cows, and a male baby will either be destroyed as “waste” or killed for veal. Her milk, meant for her baby, is taken for humans to add to their cake mix or pour on their cereal. Once her milk supply starts to diminish, she is impregnated and the cycle starts again until her body breaks down, and she is sent to slaughter. Most dairy cows are killed at just six years old.

This cycle can be broken – and it all starts with seeking out dairy-free alternatives, which also happen to be better for the environment, and our bodies. Take the pledge to drop dairy today and receive a free e-book full of alternatives.

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Other sweet treats

Hot Cross Buns are basically Easter in bread form. You can grab traditional fruit or plain ones from Coles or Woolworths in the fresh bakery section or make your own with help from Delightful Adventures.

For another crowd-pleasing treat on Easter morning, Tasty have the best pancake recipe, or you can buy vegan Pancake & Waffle Mix by Melinda’s. If you want to go all out, play around with fresh fruit and dairy-free cream toppings to create Easter-themed animals – or better yet, occupy the kids by delegating the decorating duties.

Don’t forget, you can also follow your favourite original recipes, and simply swap out any dairy and eggs. Store bought egg-replacers include Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer and Orgran No Egg. Other easily accessible substitutes include applesauce, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, or aquafaba (chickpea juice). Instructions on using these replacers can be found in this Healthline article.

Credit: Melinda’s Gluten Free Goodies

Credit: Melinda’s Gluten Free Goodies

Why should we break-up with eggs?

Layer hens, whether caged, barn laid, or “free-range”, lay an unnaturally high number of eggs. Over time, humans have selectively bred chickens to lay over 300 eggs a year – the presumed ancestor of the farmed layer hen, laid just up to 15. This puts an immense amount of pressure on their bodies, leading to severe health problems.

On top of the troubles occurring internally, the external conditions that farmed hens are raised in are often abysmal. This is the case regardless of whether eggs are labelled as caged, barn laid, and the most misleadingly, “free-range”. Despite their nature to form complex social structures, forage, and dust bath, they are kept in restrictive cages or open-plan sheds by the thousands. Due to confinement, they often peck one another, a behaviour the industry combats by debeaking (cutting off the tip of their beaks). Beyond this, they are also deprived of the chance to experience brooding. A hen would not only sit on her eggs, but also “talk” to her chicks before they have hatched, just as human mothers speak and sing to their baby in the womb.

At just 18 months old, all layer hens are considered “spent”. This is because their egg production slows down and they are no longer of use to the egg industry. Last year, Animal Liberation exposed the gassing of spent layer hens on a Victorian egg farm. To continue production, egg farming requires a portion of the eggs to be fertilised and hatched, to ensure more egg-laying hens are born. All male chickens are destroyed. The RSCPA considers gassing and macerating humane methods for these day old babies. As egg-laying chickens are a different breed to broiler chickens, these male chicks are not raised for meat, which is a common misconception.

Just like with dairy, this is something we can phase out by making more ethical choices next time we go shopping. Take the pledge to break-up with eggs and receive a free e-book with alternatives.

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Fun activities for the kids

Kids love being creative, and avoiding animal-products in crafts means we need to get creative too! Ideally, up-cycle things from around the house to avoid unnecessary waste, and look for simple ways to veganize existing ideas rather than trying to come up with entirely new concepts.

Here are three fun decorating activities to keep your kids busy these holidays –

  1. Painted “eggs” – Instead of eggshells for painting, use rocks or avocado pits. They are smooth, sturdy, and long-lasting. You can store cleaned avocado pits in the lead up to Easter, or make a delicious batch of guacamole for Easter lunch, and then get out the paintbrushes! If using rocks, make it a fun game to collect rocks to paint together.

  2. Pancake decorating – Whip up Tasty’s Fluffiest Vegan Pancakes, and the kids can create their own baby animal pancakes using fresh fruit and dairy-free cream.

  3. Cardboard animals – Up-cycle cardboard boxes or toilet rolls to make simple rabbit and chick shapes for painting and decorating. For inspo, check out “Toilet paper roll Easter crafts” on Pinterest, or these sweet little bunnies from ThriftyFun.

Credit: ThriftyFun

Please don’t give animals as gifts

There is no denying it, bunnies and chicks are the cutest little balls of fluff. Because of their fluffy, tiny faces, kids often view them as living toys and many ask for one to be their very own companion to smother with affection - but these gentle animals aren’t the right choice. Unfortunately, with each festive season that passes on the calendar, baby animals are gifted without consideration of the long-term commitment they require. Animal shelters receive an influx of these beautiful, neglected creatures once the novelty wears off and they are considered too much work.

Bunnies and chicks require a lot of daily attention and care. They are also incredibly fragile and any rough handling can seriously harm - or even kill - them. Being prey animals, any fast movements can frighten them. On top of this, they are considered exotic and veterinary care is costly.

If you are wanting to share your home with a companion animal, please read our article on things to consider before adopting, here. There are so many animals in shelters around the country waiting to give love, and be loved, in a new forever home. For more information on how to provide a rabbit with appropriate care and love, click here.

Otherwise, any bunnies or chicks gifted this Easter, should either be plush toys or made out of dairy-free chocolate.

Spread the love

Your usual hunt for Easter eggs in the garden may first require a supermarket hunt for dairy-free chocolate eggs this year, but there will still be smiles all around! Keep on spreading the love through April and beyond. With all the plant-based options on offer, let’s make this Easter even more special, by extending our thoughts and kindness to include animals as well.