Ultimate Vegan Back to School Recipe Roundup - All Gluten-Free, Soy-Free and Refined Sugar-Free

It's back to school season, which means everyone is feeling the stress of a new schedule and adjusted routines. As a busy mom of three I know just how overwhelming it can all feel! I created this Back to School Recipe Roundup as a resource for busy families. It's filled with nutritious breakfasts, packable lunches, easy after school snacks, and weeknight dinners to get your family fed and back on the move! In this post you'll find:

• Prep-Ahead Breakfasts: Smoothies, Baked Breakfasts, Granola, Oatmeal & Chia Seed Bowls
• Packable Lunches: Make-Ahead Options for Adults, Kid Favorites, and Soup & Pasta for the Thermos!
• Healthy After-School Snacks: Dips & Crackers, Cookies, and Energy Bites
• Easy Weeknight Dinners: Speedy Dinners, Soups, Pastas, and Sides

Smoothies

Smoothies are my go-to busy morning breakfast or easy after school snack! I love them so much, I even wrote a full cookbook of exclusive smoothie recipes (it's available on Amazon or as an ebook to download instantly!). To prepare smoothies ahead of time, I recommend putting everything except the liquids in a sealed container in the freezer. Then it can be dumped into the blender, covered in liquid, blended, and enjoyed in minutes. I also love to use this method for How to Make Frozen Spinach Cubes for Green Smoothies (or Kale!) to have easy green smoothies!

• Vegan Wild Blueberry & Almond Butter Smoothie
• Lemon Blueberry Smoothie
• No-Nut Protein Smoothie
• Creamy Vegan Cranberry Smoothie
• Sunshine Smoothie
• Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
• Minty Kale Smoothie
• Creamy Vegan Mint Chocolate Smoothie
• Tropical Green Protein Smoothie
• Vegan Salted Tahini Date Chocolate Smoothie
• 3-Ingredient Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
• Strawberries & Cream Veggie-Filled Smoothie
• Vegan Apple Pie Smoothie
• Kid-Friendly Spinach Smoothie (vegan)

Back to School Recipe Roundup: Make Ahead Baked Breakfasts (vegan + gluten-free)

These are the perfect breakfasts to prep in advance! Toaster pastries, muffins, breads, and even donuts are grab-and-go favorites. I love that these can be individually packaged for easy access throughout the week, or you could even freeze them to use as needed. All of these recipes are vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free as well!

• Toaster Pastries (homemade Pop-Tarts!)
• Dye-Free Green Muffins
• Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Baked Chocolate Donuts
• Sweet Potato Blender Muffins
• Blender Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping
• Healthy Pop-Tarts Stuffed with Raspberry Chia Jam
• Pumpkin Bread
• Easy Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
• Protein-Packed Avocado Toast
• Blueberry Muffins
• Freezer-Friendly Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (vegan + gluten-free + refined sugar-free)
• Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Freezer-Friendly Oatmeal Cups (vegan + gluten-free + nut-free + refined sugar-free)

Granola

We make granola almost every week! It's a nutritious snack, a filling breakfast, and even a dessert if you want to sprinkle it over ice cream. I kept these recipes easy to make and even easier to love! Granola is the perfect vegan back to school recipe because you can make a big batch and use it on smoothies or yogurt throughout the week. Or, like us, you can eat it by the handful. We also love it as "cereal" and enjoy it with almond milk.

• Easy Granola Recipe (this is my favorite)
• Easy Maple Pecan Granola
• Chocolate Granola
• Nutty Granola with Hemp & Flax Seed
• No-Bake 5-Ingredient Homemade Granola Bars
• Granola Energy Bites
• Granola Bark

Oatmeal & Chia Seed Bowls

Oatmeal is a classic for a reason: it's inexpensive, filling, and nutritious. Even if you have a household member who doesn't like oats, there are plenty of ways to dress it up so it's more appealing! Oats are full of soluble fiber, and they’re higher in protein and healthful fats than most other whole grains. I even have some overnight options if you want to prep breakfast the night before!

• Oat Bars
• Freezer-Friendly Oatmeal Cups
• Breakfast Cookies
• Make-Ahead Baked Oatmeal
• Protein-Packed Overnight Oats
• Creamy Pumpkin Oatmeal
• Easy Creamy Chocolate Oatmeal
• Peaches & Cream Overnight Chia Yogurt Parfait
• Thick & Creamy Chia Seed Pudding
• Chia Seed Breakfast Bowls or Parfaits
• Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Back to School Recipe Roundup: Packable Plant-Based Lunches

Let's talk lunchtime! This can be the hardest part of the day to plan for, so I had to dedicate a section of the Back to School Recipe Roundup to delicious options to pack for lunch. These tasty sandwiches and salads are all just right for bringing wherever your day takes you!

Back to School Recipe Roundup: Healthy After-School Snacks

Do all kids come home from school absolutely ravenous or is it just mine?! A full day of playing and learning takes it out of you! I've rounded up all of the nutritious and delicious snacks that make for BIG smiles when your kids walk through the door.

• Healthy Vegan & Gluten-Free Double-Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Easy No-Bake Frosted Vegan Rice Crispy Treats
• Apple Ring Sandwiches
• Sheet Pan Vegan Nachos
• No-Bake Almond Butter Brown Rice Crispy Treats with Chocolate Shell
• Instant Pot Homemade Applesauce or Easy Sautéed Cinnamon Apples
• Homemade Spiced Apple Cider
• Healthy Maple Candied Pecans
• Sweet & Spiced Roasted Chickpeas, Actually Crispy BBQ Roasted Chickpeas, or Crispy Chickpea "Croutons"
• No-Churn Vegan Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
• Sweet & Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Easy Apple Nachos
• Healthy After-School Snack Board
• No-Bake Almond Butter Chocolate Crunch Bars
• No-Bake Cereal Bars Recipe (using any leftover cereal!)
• Best Crispy Kale Chips

Snacking Dips & Crackers

It's just a fact of life: kids love to dip. Everyone in my house gathers around when I have a dip and some veggies or crackers set out! I've included some savory and some sweet dipping options along with my favorite homemade crackers.

• Super Seed Crackers + Vegan Ricotta Cheese
• Creamy Cinnamon Vanilla Fruit Dip + Any Raw Fruit
• Easy Paleo Zucchini "Hummus" (no chickpeas!)
• Quick and Easy Creamy Hummus + Raw Veggies + Easy Almond Flour Crackers
• Creamy Vegan Black Bean Dip + Tortilla Chips or Raw Veggies
• Healthy Homemade Nutella + Strawberries and/or Bananas
• Vegan French Onion Dip + raw veggies or potato chips (this dip is Riley's favorite snack!)

After-School Cookies

Some days just call for cookies! My favorites are make without gluten, dairy, or eggs, but they're still totally delicious and full satisfy your sweet tooth. For the most fun, I recommend pairing them with a tall glass of Easy Homemade Chocolate Hemp Seed Milk or The Best Homemade Almond Milk!

• Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
• Cranberry & Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies
• Protein-Packed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan and Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (refined sugar-free)
• Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
• Healthy Flourless Monster Cookies (vegan + gluten-free)

Bites & Balls

Energy bites and balls are one of my secret weapons for both my kids AND myself. Breakfast on the go? An easy addition to the lunchbox? Mid-afternoon munchies? Energy bites to the rescue! I absolutely could not do a Back to School Recipe Roundup without these tasty little bites!

• No-Bake Instant Sunflower Energy Balls
• Granola Energy Bites
• No-Bake Date Coconut Energy Bites
• Grain-Free & Vegan Cookie Dough Energy Bites
• Flourless Brownie Energy Bites
• No-Bake Fudgy Quinoa Chia Energy Bites
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites
• No-Bake Quinoa Energy Bites
• Almond Butter & Jelly Energy Bites
• Chocolate Coated Almond Butter Crunch Balls (vegan + gluten-free)
• No-Bake Fudgy Hemp Bites
• Lemon Coconut Energy Bites (vegan + paleo)

Back to School Recipe Roundup: Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinners

Weeknights! Everyone is home from practices or lessons, homework is done, and the dreaded question comes: "What's for dinner?" It wouldn't be a Back to School Recipe Roundup if I wasn't addressing the great dinner question! Here are the QUICK + EASY dinners my family requests again and again, all made without dairy, gluten, meat, or soy.

• Easy Vegan Zucchini Pizza Bites
• Skillet White Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic, & Basil
• Cast Iron Skillet Pizza with Tomato Sauce and Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Quinoa Salad
• Spanish Rice & Beans
• Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Curry
• Vegan Cauliflower Chickpea Shawarma Bowls or Vegan Sheet Pan Shawarma Bowls
• Easy Vegan Tikka Masala
• Vegan Greek Sheetpan Dinner
• Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
• Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Black Lentils and Creamy Marinara Sauce
• Vegan Fiesta Bowls with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
• Easy Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or Vegan Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Mexican Food Favorites: Mexican Veggie Burrito Bowls, One-Pan Mexican Quinoa & Black Beans, Sheet Pan Vegan Nachos, Sheet Pan Veggie Black Bean Tacos, Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas (One-Pan!), Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers, Easy Vegan Baked Taquitos , Easy Vegan Tostadas with Refried Beans, or Creamy Vegan Mexican Casserole with Black Beans, Quinoa, & Bell Peppers

Soups

Back to school means the weather is going to start cooling down, the evenings are going to get a little busier, and you may end up with sniffles or seasonal colds. My answer for all of these is a hearty bowl of soup! These recipes are my favorite kid-approved soups and they all reheat beautifully for lunches or leftover nights. Make sure to check out my Immunity Boosting Recipe Roundup for more on keeping your immune system strong!

• Toddler & Kid Approved Creamy Carrot Soup
• Quinoa Minestrone Soup
• Easy Vegan Black Bean Soup
• Speedy Creamy Broccoli Soup
• Best Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Garlic
• Easy Vegan Blender Pumpkin Soup
• Butternut Squash Coconut Orzo Soup (vegan + gluten-free) or Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
• Simple Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup
• Creamy Vegan Tomato White Bean Soup with Roasted Garlic
• Best Ever Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup (paleo)
• Creamy Vegan Rainbow Veggie Orzo Soup

Pastas

Ooh, pasta. How would we meal plan without pasta?! I rely on my favorite gluten-free pastas to make easy, filling, and delicious recipes that my entire family craves. Just like my favorite soup recipes, pasta is really easy to package up and enjoy the next day for lunch, so it's perfect for a back to school recipe roundup!

• No-Boil Baked Ziti - One Dish!
• Vegan Chickpea Bolognese
• Easy One-Pot Pasta
• Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
• One-Skillet Baked Butternut Squash Pasta
• Pasta Fresca
• Vegan No-Boil Pasta Bake
• The Best Vegan Mac n Cheese
• Orzo with Sauteed Veggies
• Vegan Creamy Pasta Primavera
• Roasted Veggie Tomato Sauce for Pasta
• Weeknight Roasted Veggie Creamy Vegan Pasta
• Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta with Caramelized Onions
• No-Boil Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Baked Orzo
• Easy Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce (paleo)
• The Best Italian Vegan Meatballs Ever! (gluten-free + soy-free too)

Sides

Sides turn food into a meal! These easy additions to your main dish add veggies, flavor, and variety to an otherwise ordinary weeknight. They're easy to make, easy to love, and easy to pack up for leftovers as well!

• Instant Pot Lebanese Rice
• Easy Creamy Refried Beans
• Mediterranean House Dressing
• Perfectly Steamed Broccoli in the Instant Pot or Simple Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic
• Easy Coconut Rice
• Vegan Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic
• Crispy Oven Roasted Cauliflower
• Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots
• Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa
• Easy Sesame Garlic Purple Cabbage
• One-Skillet Garlic Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
• Herb Roasted Root Veggies
• No-Fuss Seasoned Baked Sweet Potatoes

I hope this recipe roundup helps you go into a new school year feeling confident and well-fed! Please tag me on Instagram so I can see all of your Back to School cooking successes, and please drop a review below any recipes you try and love. For a complete overview of my site, check out my Vegan Eating Resource Guide, or subscribe to my newsletter for delicious, seasonal recipes sent straight to your inbox each week!