Plant-Based Eats at EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays 2024

The holiday season is here again, and Disney is working hard to help us celebrate with foods and traditions from around the world. The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is back this year with both new and returning plant-based dishes to taste test. The festival runs from November 24 through December 30. We gathered a list of all the plant-based options at this year’s event.

Nochebuena Cocina: Festive Vegan Tamales and Warm Holiday Punch

Nochebuena Cocina is in the walkway between the World Showcase and the Imagination! Pavilion. This year, they are offering two delicious, plant-based selections.

The Plant-based Chorizo Tamal comes with Cotija and Spicy Red Chile Sauce. The rich red sauce is a little spicy, as the name implies, but it does not overpower the corn cake. It creates a perfect complement to a traditional tamale. We love the savory corn flavors in this dish, so it gets 5 out of 5 Bumblebees from us.

Also at Nochebuena Cocina is the Ponche Navideño. This festive Christmas Punch has apples, pears, guava, oranges, dried hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. The sweet, non-alcoholic beverage is served warm, so it is a great way to celebrate the holidays and warm up on a cold day. We gave the Ponche Navideño 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.

Plant-Based Chorizo Tamal

Cotija and Spicy Red Chile Sauce
Flavorful corn cake paired with a spicy yet balanced red chile sauce
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Bumblebees)

Ponche Navideño (Festive Christmas Punch)

Ingredients: Apples, pears, guava, oranges, hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, and spices
Served warm; perfect for chilly evenings at the festival
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Bumblebees)

Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen: Sweet and Savory Roasted Nuts

Chestnuts and Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen is beside Nochebuena Cocina in the walkway between World Showcase and the Imagination! Pavilion. Here, you will find a variety of warm Christmas nuts that are perfectly packaged for on-the-go snacking.

If you are in the mood for something sweet, try out the Cinnamon-glazed Almonds, Cinnamon-glazed Cashews, or Cinnamon-glazed Pecans. Each is sweetened with caramelized sugars for a great flavor. The pecans are the sweetest, but our favorite was the cashews. If you want something a little more savory, the Fire-roasted Chestnuts are the best pick for you. They are a little bit salty and a little bit sweet. These roasted nuts come still in their shells. This makes them very messy, so grab plenty of napkins. We enjoyed each variety. They all get 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.

Cinnamon-Glazed Almonds, Cashews, and Pecans

Caramelized sugar-coated nuts for a sweet holiday treat
Our favorite: Cashews for their balanced sweetness

Fire-Roasted Chestnuts

Perfect mix of savory and sweet; served in-shell
Pro Tip: Grab extra napkins for this messy but delicious snack
Rating (All Varieties): ★★★★☆ (4/5 Bumblebees)

Refreshment Port: Modified Vegan-Friendly Poutine

Refreshment Port near Canada does not have any plant-based options. However, one dish can be modified to be vegan-friendly. Request the Turkey Poutine with no cheese, no turkey, and no turkey gravy. This leaves a tasty dish with sweet potato fries, cranberry relish, and crispy onions. You can also request regular fries instead of sweet potato fries. The onions add a good texture to the fries, but the cranberry sauce is a little too sweet. We gave it 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.

Vegan-Friendly Poutine

Customization Tip: Hold the cheese, turkey, and turkey gravy
Sweet potato fries with cranberry relish and crispy onions
Option: Substitute regular fries if preferred
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Bumblebees)

L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen: Vegan Latkes and Classic Cookies

L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen is located between France and Morocco. The Potato Latkes have always been a favorite for us. We love the softer potatoes on the inside, but we would like to see them a little crispier outside. We would also like just a touch more of the drizzled topping. The Potato Latkes get 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.

While you are at L’Chaim, do not forget to try the Black and White Cookie. This is the only cookie on the Cookie Stroll that is plant-based. Though a little better than last year, the vanilla flavor simply does not shine. They actually have more of a lemony flavor. In any case, these cookies taste like something you could find at your grocery store bakery. We gave it 3 out of 5 Bumblebees.

Potato Latkes

Soft, savory interior with a hint of crispy exterior
We recommend a little more topping for added flavor
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Bumblebees)

The only vegan option on the Cookie Stroll
Subtle lemon flavor but lacks standout vanilla notes
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 Bumblebees)

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina – Moroccan Bread & Dips

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina is located in Morocco. They serve the same dish at nearly every EPCOT festival. The Stone-baked Moroccan Bread is always good. It tastes great paired with the Hummus, Chermoula, and Zhoug dips. They are good on their own or mixed together. The dish only comes with one piece of bread, though, so there is always dip left over. We would love to see one more piece on the plate. This dish gets 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.

Stone-Baked Moroccan Bread with Hummus, Chermoula, and Zhoug

A festival favorite with three flavorful dips
Pro Tip: More bread would perfectly balance the leftover dips
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Bumblebees)

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen: Sweet and Savory Vegan Pizza Bites

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen in Italy has two selections at this year’s Festival of the Holidays. Montanara is fried house-made pizza dough. Keep the pomodoro sauce and basil, but hold the Parmesan to make this dish plant-based. These pizza balls were good even though the fried dough was a little too sweet and somewhat chewy. Eat them quickly or the sauce will make them soggy. We gave them 3 out of 5 Bumblebees.

The Dolce Pizza is accidentally vegan as is. It is similar to the Montanara but sweet instead. These dough bites are lightly dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They have an excellent flavor but could use more cinnamon and sugar. We liked these better than the pizza balls. Both versions are quite heavy. The Dolce Pizza gets 3 out of 5 Bumblebees.

Montanara (Modified Vegan Fried Pizza Dough)

Customize: Hold the Parmesan
Slightly sweet fried dough with pomodoro sauce and basil
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 Bumblebees)

Dolce Pizza (Accidentally Vegan)

Fried dough bites dusted with cinnamon and sugar
Sweet and flavorful, though a little heavy
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 Bumblebees)

Refreshment Outpost: Spicy Peanut Stew & Vegan DOLE Whip by Coca-Cola

Refreshment Outpost Hosted by Coca-Cola is between China and Germany. Their plant-based dish is the same one they offered last year. The Peanut Stew comes with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts over rice. This delicious stew is very spicy, so it is not a good choice for those who prefer a milder flavor. However, the Peanut Stew is a treat if you can handle the spice. We would like to see more rice in this dish and a few more peanuts in the topping. Overall, it was quite tasty, but not as good as last year. We gave it 3 out of 5 Bumblebees.

At the Outpost, you will also find a Disney staple that just happens to be vegan. DOLE Whip Raspberry is a sweet blend of traditional pineapple and raspberry-flavored Dole Whip. Everyone is sure to enjoy this sweet, frozen snack. We gave it 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.

Spicy Peanut Stew

Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, mustard greens, roasted peanuts, and rice
Bold, spicy flavors with a hearty texture
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 Bumblebees)

DOLE Whip Raspberry

A Disney classic; sweet blend of pineapple and raspberry flavors
Refreshing and perfect for any time of day
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 Bumblebees)

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen: Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen is located in China. For a plant-based dish, try the Vegetable Spring Rolls without the citrus sauce. You can also find these vegetable-filled rolls at Lotus Café or Nine Dragons. The Vegetable Spring Rolls were crispy and delicious We gave them 4 out of 5 Bumblebees.