Best Vegan Advent Calendars: Store Bought and Homemade
Counting down to the holidays is always more fun with a little surprise each day! Vegan advent calendars make it easy to join in the excitement without worrying about hidden animal ingredients. From creamy vegan chocolates to snack-sized treats and even self-care goodies, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re shopping for kids, adults, or yourself, these calendars bring a joyful (and totally dairy-free) way to celebrate the season.
For anyone who wants less clutter during the holidays (but also loves a bit of sparkle and fun), try this virtual option! Jacquie Lawson offers a lovely and inexpensive online advent calendar with daily activities, games, and interactive elements. (If you buy two or more, you can send them to friends as gifts, too!)
If you have any suggestions for vegan-friendly advent calendars, please comment below!
Psst…They’re Not Just For Christmas!
These festive calendars aren’t limited to Christmas—you can make your own version for Hanukkah or other fun events or seasons too. Here are a few countdown calendar ideas!
- Hanukkah countdown calendar
- Birthday countdown calendar
- New season countdown (summer, fall, winter, spring)
- Vegan wedding countdown
- Travel excursion countdown calendar
- Pregnancy countdown calendar
- Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving countdown calendars
Vegan Advent Calendars (Store-Bought)
If you’re short on time and don’t want to add more hustle to your (already overwhelming) Christmas prep schedule, you can choose a store-bought vegan advent calendar. There are so many options out there these days, and below you can explore a curated collection of our favorite vegan options.
Chocolate Advent Calendars
Moo-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Advent Calendar – This delightful vegan advent calendar offers a daily dose of mouthwatering milk chocolate treasures that are not only dairy-free but also made with a commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. With playful and festive designs, it’s perfect for kids who love creamier milk chocolates (rather than dark).
Monty Bojangles Vegan Advent Calendar – This luxurious vegan calendar promises a daily dose of irresistible cocoa creations, carefully crafted to tickle your taste buds and delight your senses. Monty Bojangles is renowned for its decadent chocolates, and this calendar is no exception, offering a curated selection of indulgent treats that capture the spirit of the season.
No Whey Foods Vegan Chocolate Advent Calendar – Discover a worry-free, chocolate-filled countdown to Christmas with the No Whey Foods Chocolate Advent Calendar. Designed with allergen-conscious consumers in mind, this vegan chocolate calendar is entirely free from the top eight allergens, including dairy, nuts, and gluten. Each day brings a delicious and safe chocolate delight, making it the perfect choice for those with allergies or sensitivities.
Nomo Dairy-Free Advent Calendar – This advent calendar is filled with 12 drip-shaped creamy chocolates, and 12 drip-shaped caramel and sea salt chocolates.
PETA’s Peace on Earth Vegan Advent Calendar – A beautiful way to enjoy daily treats throughout December while also supporting a nonprofit organization. This advent calendar is filled with 25 unique chocolate truffles and treats from the brand Divine Treasures, and would make a fantastic gift idea.
Divine Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar – While this is one of the most budget-friendly advent calendar options on the market, it’s less exciting than the others because all of the chocolates are the same, and are simple dark chocolate rather than filled truffles. Designed with adults in mind, this calendar offers a sophisticated daily treat for dark chocolate enthusiasts.
Advent Calendars for Adults
Who says advent calendars are just for kids? These vegan advent calendars for adults are packed with gardening surprises, fancy chocolates, and cozy teas (or yarn!) that make the countdown to the holidays extra fun and delicious.
12 Days of Planting Advent Calendar – Get excited for the holidays with this adorable set from Sweet Farm Provisions—every day hides a seed ball you can plant for new green surprises. It’s perfect for anyone who loves nature, growing things, and celebrating sustainably instead of with candy.
Tea Countdown Calendar – This creative advent calendar from Numi unfolds to reveal a different organic and fair-trade tea for each day leading up to Christmas. It’s a great option for tea lovers or anyone who needs to relax and practice self-care.
Vegan Yarn Advent Calendar – The perfect gift for any knitter or crafter in your life! The lovely kit comes with 24 colorful mini-skeins of vegan yarn for each day of December until Christmas. Choose to buy a pattern that goes along with the set or use the yarn to knit or crochet your own beautiful creation. The most wonderful earth and animal-friendly yarn you’ll ever try!
Hotel Chocolat Classic Vegan Advent Calendar – Get ready to count down to Christmas with 24 days of creamy, dairy-free indulgence—each door hides a smooth Nutmilk chocolate treat made with hazelnuts instead of milk. It’s the perfect festive pick for anyone who wants top-quality vegan chocolate without missing out on holiday fun.
Alcohol Advent Calendars – Indulge in the holiday spirit with calendars featuring vegan beer, wine, whiskey, or other delightful beverages. You can even craft your own personalized version.
Best Advent Calendars for Kids
Kids love the excitement of opening a little surprise each day, and these vegan advent calendars make it even sweeter. They’re filled with fun treats and goodies that are 100% animal-free and perfect for holiday countdown joy!
National Geographic’s Gemstone Excavation Advent Calendar – A treasure-filled adventure awaits! Kids can open the door to a new gemstone daily, with one dig kit at the end! This is one of our favorites, filled with educational stones that kids can can keep forever, or give as gifts to friends.
Lego Advent Calendar – Ignite creativity and learning with this insect-building Lego-style calendar. It’s not just fun; it’s also a STEM-inspired experience. Look out for vehicle-themed versions too!
Toddler Magnetic Wooden Animal Train Advent Calendar – Choo-choo! Each morning your little one opens a door to find a new wooden train piece to build a colorful holiday train — magnets included for easy play. This calendar turns the countdown to Christmas into a fun, screen-free build-and-play adventure just for toddlers.
Bubs Vegan Swedish Candy Advent Calendar – Celebrate Christmas with 24 days of colourful, chewy vegan Swedish candy surprises behind each door! This calendar brings playful, gelatin-free flavors and lots of holiday joy in one sweet package.
Yum Earth Holiday Organic Advent Calendar – This calendar is a cheerful and cruelty-free countdown to the holidays, filled with yummy, allergy-friendly candy behind each door. It’s perfect for anyone who wants a daily festive treat without any animal-based ingredients.
Best Advent Calendar for Teens
DIY Vegan Bath and Beauty Advent Calendar: Give your teens the gift of self-care with a cruelty-free advent calendar filled with cruelty-free lip balm, nail polish, skincare, and more. It’s the perfect way to promote wellness and indulgence in a vegan-friendly way.
Make Your Own DIY Advent Calendar (Homemade)
Another option is to buy an empty reusable advent calendar and customize it yourself! Here are a few examples of gorgeous advent calendars you can purchase (or make yourself) and reuse for years to come.
Advent Calendars With Little Drawers
These are usually made out of wood and they are beyond beautiful! A bit like something taken out of a winter wonderland. There are 24 mini drawers where you can place your little treat or mini-gift. These can be a bit pricier but they will certainly last for years to come. This one is especially gorgeous!
Pocket Advent Calendars
These are simple and easy! It’s usually a rectangle made of fabric with 24 pockets on one side. You can hang it on the wall or from a bedroom door. This could a super fun project for those of you who are crafty.
Advent Calendars Made With Hanging Bags
A row of hanging single bags is also a great idea! Each bag with its number from 1 to 24 and each with a lovely surprise treat. These kinds of calendars can also be easily made at home with a few simple materials.
Fill Them Up With Goodies!
Now onto the fun part! Filling the calendars with some yummy or special vegan surprises. Advent calendars are most often filled with chocolate or candy with animal ingredients. But, they’re so easy to fill with dairy-free chocolate or vegan candy instead. You can get so much more creative by adding non-food items, too!
What we love the most about advent calendars is the simplicity of the gifts. You could get anything from a mandarin to a vegan keychain, a vegan chocolate coin or a note with a love message (my personal favorite).
Getting the idea? Let’s get to the specifics.
Vegan Advent Calendar Fillings
Not all advent calendars have to be filled with chocolate or candy! Try fun and creative options like small toys, stickers, mini self-care items, or cozy surprises to make each day extra special.
Vegan Chocolate, Vegan Candy, Snacks, Tea, or Cookies
We love buying a variety of vegan treats like dairy-free chocolate coins, vegan marshmallows or some gingersnaps and placing them in a few of the days. No need to give candy or chocolate every day!
Small Vegan Gifts (extra points if they’re sustainable too)
Anything from bamboo straws, to vegan nail polish or vegan lip balm, to special rocks or crystals, to fun stickers! Peruse our vegan gift guide for hundreds of ideas.
Sweet or Inspirational Notes
There’s no need to spend lots of money on your advent calendar. Sweet, simple notes to remind your loved ones how special they are, or with words of inspiration, can be the most meaningful surprises of all! I love taking advantage of every special occasion to write a letter about how proud I am of my kids and how they give my life meaning. They can keep those letters and compare them year after year as they grow an amazing collection of love.
Seasonal Activities & Experiences
Write the activity you’ll do that day on a card and pop it in the calendar. So what could it be? Anything from watching a Christmas movie to doing a coloring page to building snowmen. So many cozy and enjoyable choices—check out some of our favorites below!
Advent Calendar Activity Ideas
Make the holiday countdown even more fun with daily activities instead of treats! Try simple ideas like baking cookies, making crafts, or doing kind acts to bring more joy and meaning to the season.
- Enjoy some plant-based hot cocoa.
- Watch a Christmas movie or documentary while munching on some vegan popcorn (did someone say Love Actually?).
- Go ice skating or sledding.
- Bake Christmas cookies and decorate them together with vegan royal icing and sprinkles.
- Cook something special for dinner together (perhaps try a new recipe from your favorite cookbook).
- Go to a Christmas concert (look into your local churches or town halls—they have so many free events with beautiful Christmas music to enjoy).
- Head out as a family to pick a Christmas tree!
- Decorate the tree with ornaments and lights. Consider making your own salt dough ornaments instead!
- Build a snowman.
- Write a card to someone special.
- Light a fire in the fireplace, cozy up with a good book, and read.
- Shop for a gift to donate to a family in need.
- Make a donation to an animal sanctuary or favorite charity.
- Go on a neighborhood walk and look at all the Christmas lights.
The options are endless and this can help inspire you to make more unforgettable memories than you would have otherwise. That’s what life’s all about, isn’t it?
We hope this guide gives you some great vegan advent calendar ideas to use this holiday season. Happy holidays from all of us at World of Vegan!
FAQs
Advent calendars make the countdown to Christmas extra fun and festive! The tradition started in 19th-century Germany, where people marked the days with chalk. Over time, it spread around the world and became a holiday favorite for everyone!
Advent calendars make counting down to Christmas extra fun! You open one little door or box each day starting December 1st until Christmas. Inside, you’ll find a surprise like chocolate, candy, toys, or other small goodies!
Absolutely! You can fill little boxes, envelopes, or bags with your own mix of treats, toys, or notes. It’s a creative way to make the countdown extra personal and fun! (See ‘Make Your Own DIY Calendar’ section above for lots of ideas.)
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Leave a Comment
Aww this is super cute! Kids would love it!
Loved learning the backstory of these cool calendars. Thanks for such a detailed article!
My kids love these 😀
What awesome ideas for Advent Calendars! Our family favorite is usually a LEGO kit but, this year, I bought a book (Cat Family Christmas) which is an adorable picture book with over 140 flaps to lift. It’s super sweet and I’m really enjoying it! I might try the mini jams or the day-by-day watercolor calendar next year 😀
Such a great and comprehensive guide on advent calendars … thank you!
So many good advent calendar ideas! I especially love the ladder with the bags—so cute!